Barnard Important Information about Swine Flu (H1N1 Flu)

To Students in Barnard Summer Housing:


It has been a month and a half since health officials first became aware of the swine flu (H1N1) outbreak. While the cases in New York City have been relatively mild, the numbers continue to increase and we want to take a moment to caution against complacency. It’s easy to get tired of the updates and the warnings, but as a community, we must stay alert in order to stay healthy.

Here’s what we urge you to do. As always, please practice the kind of good personal hygiene that will prevent the spread of flu, including covering your cough, and washing your hands or using hand sanitizer frequently. Hand sanitizer dispensers are now available all across campus. If you should become ill with flu-like symptoms - fever of 100.4 or higher, with cough or sore throat - please stay in and do not go to work or classes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you seek medical advice from your physician and stay away from others for 7 days after onset of illness or at least 24 hours after symptoms have resolved, whichever is longer.

In addition, it has become clear that all people who have asthma, diabetes, emphysema, or other chronic illnesses, are pregnant, or are below 2 or above 65 years of age, are at an increased risk of severe illness or complications from swine flu. The NYC Department of Health recommends that individuals with underlying health conditions take even greater precautions and seek treatment with antiviral medication immediately if flu-like symptoms develop. Also, if you have had close contact with someone who has flu-like illness (for example, a member of your household or a suitemate), please consult with your health care provider right away about taking antiviral medicine prophylactically, to reduce the chances of becoming ill.

Finally, in order to effectively monitor our community’s situation, we ask that you inform Public Safety at x4-3362 immediately if you develop flu-like symptoms. You should also contact Public Safety in the event that you need urgent medical assistance.

For more information and updates, visit: http://www.barnard.edu/newnews/health050809.html

We are working hard to keep the Barnard community informed and safe. Thanks for helping us all stay healthy.

Give & Go Green results

Give & Go Green was a HUGE SUCCESS!  Students, administrators and faculty members donated clothing, food, household goods, etc. to the collection centers located in the residence halls.  Here's a summary of what was collected:

• 3 full 17' moving trucks of items donated to the Salvation Army
  
• 1 pickup truck full of food donated to the church soup kitchen on 114th & Broadway
  
• 15,000 plastic bags to be recycled via Fairway grocery store

The EcoReps worked hard to coordinate and facilitate this extraordinary program.  A special thanks to EcoReps Kirsten Scheu and Aja Hazelhoff for taking the lead on this program.  This was a great cause that enabled us to help the community while further reducing the College's carbon footprint.

FYF Parent Newsletter: April Edition

Dear Parents:

The final installment of the FYF Parent Newsletter is now available. To view it, please visit http://barnard.edu/reslife/newsletters/fyf/09SP-Parent_Newsletter.pdf.

This newsletter contains important information about the residence halls closing for the academic year. It is my hope that after reading the newsletter you will be able to have a conversation with your daughter about this information so she is prepared to successfully wrap up her semester and move out when the residence halls close.

If there is anything that I can help your daughter with or if she has any questions, please encourage her to reach out to meet with me.

Best,
Steve Tolman, Associate Director, Residential Life & Housing

Senior Option

In recent years, Barnard has offered a "Senior Option," which allowed Seniors on financial aid to apply those funds toward rent for an off-campus apartment. The Senior Option was created as a response in years in which the College had a shortage of vacancies in campus housing for students on the Wait List after Room Selection and for new students.

After evaluating our current housing stock and the number of projected First-Year and Transfer student enrollments, we have determined that the Senior Option will not be offered for the 2009-2010 academic year.

If you chose a room for the 2009-2010 academic year during this year's Room Selection process and wish to cancel it in order to move off-campus, you have until May 15 to do so without incurring the $1000 cancellation charge. If you do decide to move off-campus, we encourage you to discuss your individual circumstances with the Financial Aid office, as changing to commuter status will affect the amount of financial aid you may be eligible for and/or receive.

Summer Housing Applications

Applications for Summer Housing are now available for download (PDF) on the Residential Life & Housing website: http://barnard.edu/reslife/summerhousing

Applications are due to the Residential Life & Housing office (110 Sulzberger) no later than 4pm on Friday, May 1, 2009.

If you are applying for College-Subsidized Summer Housing and have questions, there will be two information sessions held on the following dates:

• 6pm on Wednesday, April 15 (Barnard Hall 202)
• 6pm on Thursday, April 23 (Barnard Hall 202)

If you have any questions, please stop by the Residential Life & Housing office (110 Sulzberger).

College-Subsidized Summer Housing Information Session

In order to answer questions students may have about College-Subsidized Summer Housing, the Summer Housing Planning Committee will hold a brief information session on Monday, April 6, 6-6:30pm in the James Room (Barnard Hall, 4th Floor).

College-Subsidized Summer Housing is provided on a limited basis to students doing summer research with faculty members (30+ hrs/wk), students working with Barnard-sponsored programs (30+ hrs/wk), students providing administrative support for a Barnard office (30+ hrs/wk), and/or recipients of an Alumnae / Donor Sponsored Internship Grant through Career Development (30+ hrs/wk).

Please note that Residential Life & Housing is *NOT* in charge of approval for College-Sponsored Summer Housing. Questions of eligibility must be answered by the sponsoring department: Provost's Office (faculty research), Dean of the College (Barnard-sponsored programs), or Career Development (Alumnae & Donor Sponsored Internship Grants).

More information about College-Subsidized Summer Housing is available at http://barnard.edu/reslife/summerhousing/subsidized.html.

Students who will be applying for Paid Summer Housing do not need to attend. More information about Paid Summer Housing is available at http://barnard.edu/reslife/summerhousing/paid.html.

Applications for both Paid & College-Subsidized Summer Housing will be available online (http://barnard.edu/reslife/summerhousing) on Monday, April 13 and will be due no later than 4pm on May 1, 2009.

Applications for Summer Positions

Applications for Summer RA, Office Assistant, and Night Manager positions are now available at barnard.edu/reslife/employment/. Applications are due by 4pm on Wednesday, March 25.

Questions should be directed to Associate Director Steve Tolman at stolman@barnard.edu.

Room Selection Registration

Registration for Room Selection is available at barnard.edu/reslife/roomselection/register/

If you wish to participate in Room Selection, you must register before 12noon on Tuesday, March 10 (otherwise, you will lose your guarantee of housing for 2009-2010). When you register during this time period does not affect the generation of lottery numbers.

If you are currently studying abroad, your Proxy must register you for Room Selection.

After you register yourself individually, you may start or join a GROUP on the Registration page if you wish to select at Room Selection as part of a group.

If you are looking to find a group or recruit others to fill out your group, try the Room Selection discussion board: facebook.com/board.php?uid=47508686087

For full information about the Room Selection process, please visit barnard.edu/reslife/roomselection/

Note: if you have already received a room placement though RA & ACE placement or pull-ins, Special Interest programs, Greek housing, disability-related accommodations, etc; you may not register for Room Selection.

Note: if you have difficulty logging into the Registration page, please check your web browser’s Cookie settings as detailed on the bottom of the Registration page.

Room Selection Info Session Video

Can't make it to one of the Room Selection information sessions?

Video from one of the Info Sessions is now online!

Room Selection 2009-2010

Information about the Room Selection process for 2009-2010 academic year housing is NOW AVAILABLE on our website:

We encourage you to read this information in its entirety (as the process has CHANGED for this year). You must register for and participate in Room Selection if you wish to have a guarantee of housing for the 2009-2010 academic year.

http://barnard.edu/reslife/roomselection/

If you have questions after reading the website, we encourage you to drop by an Information Session or Table (see below), attend the Residence Hall Open House Tours (March 1, see below), check out the Facebook Message Board, or stop by the Residential Life & Housing office (110 Sulzberger).

INFO SESSIONS:

• Monday, February 16 (5-6pm) -- Reid Hall 118 (Weber Lounge; enter through Brooks Hall)
  
• Thursday, February 19 (7-8pm) -- Barnard Hall 409
  (Targeted toward first-time participants, i.e. rising-Sophomores & transfer students)
  
• Tuesday, February 24 (5:30-6:30pm) -- Barnard Hall 409
  
• Friday, February 27 (3-4pm) -- Barnard Hall 409
  (Targeted towards rising-Seniors)
  
• Monday, March 2 (5-6pm) -- Altschul 805

INFO TABLES:

• Monday, February 16 (11:45-1:45pm) -- Hewitt Cafeteria
• Tuesday, February 17 (11:45-1:45pm) -- Java City
• Wednesday, February 18 (11:45-1:45pm) -- Hewitt Cafeteria
• Thursday, February 19 (11:45-1:45pm) -- Java City
• Monday, February 23 (11:45-1:45pm) -- Java City
• Tuesday, February 24 (11:45-1:45pm) -- Hewitt Cafeteria
• Thursday, February 26 (11:45-1:45pm) -- Hewitt Cafeteria

RESIDENCE HALL OPEN HOUSE TOURS: (Sunday, March 1)

• 12-1pm -- Cathedral Gardens
• 1-2pm -- 601 West 110th Street
• 2-3pm -- Plimpton Hall
• 3-4pm -- 600, 616 & 620 West 116th Street
• 4-5pm -- Elliott Hall
• 5-6pm -- Hewitt & Sulzberger Tower

REGISTRATION FOR ROOM SELECTION (online)

Wednesday, March 4, 12noon -- Tuesday, March 10, 12noon

UPDATING YOUR GRADUATION YEAR

Lottery numbers for Room Selection (which determine the order in which students pick their rooms) are generated based on the recorded date of graduation for each student. Students will be considered rising-Seniors, Juniors, or Sophomores based on their year of graduation (in 2010, 2011, or 2012). If you need to update your graduation date, please do so at the Registrar's Office (107 Milbank) no later than 4pm on Wednesday, February 11.

DISABILITY-RELATED HOUSING ACCOMMODATIONS

If you have a diagnosed disability and believe you will need a housing accommodation for the 2009-2010 academic year, you must submit a Disability-Related Housing Request form to the Office of Disability Services (ODS). The request form (and all medical documentation) must be submitted no later than 4pm on Friday, February 13. More information is available at http://barnard.edu/reslife/disability/continuing.html.