What’s with the “Bold, Beautiful, and Broken” QR code posters around Barnard?
In recent weeks, Barnard’s campus has been covered with distinct posters declaring “Bold, Beautiful, and Broken,” complete with QR codes that invite students and faculty to engage with a pressing message.
Photography By Ming Yuan/The Barnard Bulletin
By Arithra Das
November 19, 2024
If you’ve recently walked around Barnard’s campus, you might have noticed a series of cryptic posters — “Bold, Beautiful, and Broken” — plastered on bulletin boards, hallway room signs, and walls. Curious students who scanned the QR code found themselves directed to a website boldly questioning the future of Barnard College. The website, What Happened to Barnard?, paints a picture of a college in crisis, accusing the administration of undermining the core values that have long defined Barnard’s identity.
At the heart of the controversy is Barnard’s president, Laura Rosenbury, who took office in June 2023. While administrative changes often bring a period of adjustment, faculty, staff, and students argue that Rosenbury’s leadership has sparked unprecedented turmoil. The site’s creators — a group of concerned faculty, staff, and alumnae — allege that Rosenbury’s policies have caused irreparable damage to Barnard’s community and mission.
According to What Happened to Barnard?, Rosenbury’s tenure has been marked by a series of unilateral policy decisions that have sidelined faculty and disrupted campus life. Among the allegations are claims that Rosenbury’s administration shut down parts of the campus, disregarded faculty input, and took aggressive disciplinary actions against students earlier this spring.
One key incident noted is the abrupt closure of the campus the day after Commencement, an act that left newly graduated students locked out of the very place they had called home for four years. Additionally, the website criticizes new policies that restrict student expression, including a controversial rule that bans decorations on dorm room doors.
Barnard has long prided itself on being a space for intellectual exploration, activism, and freedom of expression, but the website suggests that Rosenbury’s administration has curtailed these freedoms, creating an environment where dissent is not only discouraged but actively punished.
The Vote of No Confidence
The discontent culminated in an unprecedented faculty vote of no confidence in Rosenbury’s leadership. In the spring of 2024, 72.4% of the Barnard faculty, who are part of the American Association of University Professors, participated in the vote, and of those, a staggering 77% expressed no confidence in the President. This result marked a historic moment for Barnard, as never before had a sitting president faced such a rebuke from the College’s faculty. Despite the significance of the vote, What Happened to Barnard? claims that Rosenbury and the Board of Trustees have dismissed the faculty’s concerns. The administration’s refusal to engage with the result of the vote has only deepened the rift between leadership and the Barnard community, leading to further demoralization among faculty and staff.
According to a Barnard alumna involved in the movement, the administration has undermined the fundamental processes of shared governance, which have long been a cornerstone of the College’s identity. “Barnard could better embody its core values by respecting the processes of shared governance,” she said. “They’ve undermined faculty governance by subverting policies and procedures that give faculty a say in certain decisions. This was evident when they updated their policies on political activity, faculty websites, and campus events, all without faculty involvement and while breaking the rules on how policies are supposed to be updated.”
The alumna also highlighted the ongoing disconnect between the administration and the faculty, noting that several faculty votes have been disregarded. She pointed out that since the beginning of Rosenbury’s tenure, the administration has bypassed those who should have been consulted on important campus matters. Rebuilding trust, she stated, would require significant effort from the administration to engage more transparently and respect the voices of the faculty and other stakeholders.
One of the key demands that has been echoed in recent faculty votes is the call for the restoration of privileges to students who were suspended or had limited access to campus during disciplinary processes. Another vote focused on opposing new policies — particularly the updated code of conduct and the enforcement of protest restrictions — while condemning the administration’s lack of transparency.
A Call to Action
The creators of the website are not just airing grievances — they are calling for immediate action. According to the alumna, community members can contribute to the effort by putting pressure on the administration to respect the rules and processes of the college.
“Community members should put pressure on the administration to respect the rules and processes of the college,” she said. “We also resent the administration’s attempts to stifle political expression. I encourage community members to get involved in committees, student government, and grassroots organizing. Alumnae can have a voice through networking and fundraising activities, where they can inform other alumnae of the issues we’re having with this administration.”
According to the alumna involved, the website was an efficient platform for presenting the collected information, which illustrates the growing discontent among faculty. The QR code provided a simple and accessible way for others to engage with the website.
What’s Broken?
When asked to reflect on what is being referred to as “broken,” the alumna highlighted the far-reaching effects of the administration’s actions. “Trust within our community is certainly broken, but so is the morale on campus," she explained. “Faculty, students, and staff feel betrayed by this administration's handling of a variety of issues this past year—including the outsized disciplinary measures that have been taken against students and staff for their political activity.”
She continued, “It’s truly dystopian for a women’s college to stifle and punish those who demonstrate moral courage and speak out for what they believe in. While the administration may believe they’ve successfully silenced expression on campus, they are unaware of just how united our community is in opposing them.”
“We are stronger together,” the website declares, calling on students, faculty, staff, alumnae, and parents to join the effort to “turn things around.” Their message is clear: Barnard belongs to its community, not the administration, and it is up to all of us to safeguard the college’s mission. As the posters continue to appear and conversations intensify, one question looms large: What is Barnard’s future? The answer remains uncertain, but one thing is clear — Barnard’s community is ready to fight for its values, no matter the challenges ahead.