Debora Spar Chosen As Barnard's President

churchmusicmom · 01-30-2008, 07:22 AM

Barnard has named a new college president to follow Judith Shapiro. Today's Spectator has several articles about her and I, for one, am very excited!

Here is a link to one of the articles:

Spar Chosen As Barnard's President | Columbia Spectator

One thing I noted with pleasure when reading all of the articles and interviews in the Spec is that the new president, along with CU's president Bolinger, states that the relationship with Columbia U and Barnard is certainly beneficial and is one worthy of support and continuity.

churchmusicmom · 01-30-2008, 07:47 AM

Oh, man, I am so happy to know this woman will be the president of Barnard!

Please take the time to read this from a 2005 edition of the NY Times! It is her story of adopting a child....and moved me to tears.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/18/fa...es/18LOVE.html

mythmom · 01-30-2008, 07:48 AM

Hi churchmusicmom! If you peruse the web site you can see her introduction to the faculty by Anna Quindlan and here her remarks. She's quite low key and very modest for a woman of her accomplishments.

Bringing someone in from Harvard whose field is business, I think we know where Barnard thinks it needs to go!

I liked what Quindlan said: Ellen Fudderer (sp?) saved Barnard (she was an alum), Judy Shapiro defined Barnard (she came from administration at Bryn Mawr), and Debora Spar will elevate Barnard (she came from Georgetown and Harvard.) She is the only president they have had without women's college experience, but she is a feminist and dedicated to the idea of a women's college.

I was moved and excited.

mythmom · 01-30-2008, 07:55 AM

I just read the article. Thanks for the link! I, too, was moved. Kind of sad our daughters will be seniors! And don't you wish they could use Nexus too?

churchmusicmom · 01-30-2008, 08:10 AM

Yes, it's sad that they will only get one year of experience with Spar as pres and pretty much miss out on Nexus. My d has dreams of returning to Barnard some day after getting her PhD and teaching....That would be really very cool!

mythmom · 01-30-2008, 08:20 AM

churchmusicmom: I will try to meet you in the city when you come. It sounds like you gals have great doings in GA. Do you like your mini? I was thinking about the new, slightly bigger one. Do you feel eaten up in traffic with SUV's all around?

churchmusicmom · 01-30-2008, 08:40 AM

Nah! I just scoot around those big SUV's! If you have not already, you should check out the Mini website. Very funny and very informative! And you should go and test drive one....FUN cars!

Actually, my h and I are hoping to come up to Barnard a couple of times in March. D will be dancing in both the MAMA project and in Orchesis and we hope to attend both. I will pm you with details as we know them.

calmom · 01-30-2008, 03:22 PM

Let me know when you plan to come, too. I do plan to visit my d. in the spring -- so it would be cool if I could come at the same time and meet you guys.

churchmusicmom · 01-30-2008, 04:03 PM

I would love that as well, calmom!!!

primefactor · 01-30-2008, 04:08 PM

It's all the buzz here at Harvard, too. I think she's a great catch for Barnard, I hope she really drives the school forward.

cmm: I feel the same way as your daughter about coming back to Barnard. I'd love to teach there someday, if they'll have me.

mythmom · 01-31-2008, 12:13 AM

calmom: Me too! That would be so wonderful.

primefactor: A growing fantasy of mine too, of teaching Freshman English at Barnard. Some instructors are good, but D's was a horror. Her freshman seminar teacher was fabulous.

bad1017 · 02-17-2008, 02:04 AM

I went to the welcome reception they had for her a few weeks ago and introduced myself. Besides being incredibly talented and intelligent, she's also very down-to-earth and easy to talk to. I'm really excited for her to start next year!

Mythmom, I have to second your d's comments about her first-year english professor. Mine is TERRIBLE. I've only come across one or two people who actually enjoy their professor. Mine can't seem to ever stay on topic...

SkyGirl · 02-17-2008, 06:16 AM

bad1017, regarding the professors, which classes do u think hv not so great proffs?
I am so excited to hear to hear the new President is so cool!

mythmom · 02-18-2008, 05:15 PM

bad1017: Sorry you are having the same experience with freshman English.

mardad · 01-21-2009, 01:12 AM

Saturday night there was a Southern California reception for Alums and parents to meet President Spar. She is everything the trustees say she is: warm, energetic and very intelligent. She engaged each of the attendees in conversation as if she had all the time in the world, yet finished in time to make her remarks. At the end she gave a short talk and answered questions. What was particularly impressive was the way she organized her thoughts (much like her inaugural speech) and fleshed them out with examples from her conversations from earlier in the evening. The school will get excellent guidance from her.
I was also impressed with the Alumnae whom I met. Our daughters are joining a very inspiring group of women.