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That was never Barnard’s mission or raison d’etre. Barnard was created as the only mechanism for women to get a Columbia-quality education when Columbia refused to admit women. </p>
<p>90 years later, when Columbia was ready to merge with Barnard, Barnard had evolved enough that was not willing to give up what it had created – and hence resisted merger, in order to protect its own faculty and its own evolved mission. That it also happens to be all female is more of a collateral issue, I think. Connected, but it is only one piece of the whole.</p>
<p>I don’t know what Barnard & Columbia were like back in the 80’s when that non-merger decision was made, but I do know, as an observer, that today there are some stark differences which are unrelated to the gender issues. Barnard students have a very close relationship and rapport with their faculty and administration – they seem to be very happy with their President (both the current one and the past one, as my daughter’s 4 years saw a change in school administration). </p>
<p>Columbia students, at least the ones I have had contact with, seem to be at odds with their school administration.</p>
<p>Student/faculty/administration relations is one of those issues that I never see discussed among college applicants or ranked in any of the college guidebooks, but it is hugely important and between my kids and my own collegiate experience, I have seen situations all over the map. It really impacts day-to-day life on campus. At one extreme there can be a very supportive atmosphere where students have a sense that their administration is there to serve their interests – at the other extreme, there can be a lot of tension where students feel that their administration doesn’t care. I don’t know enough details about the tension with Columbia administration to know where I would place them along the spectrum – but I do have the sense that when it came to her education and academic environment, my d. was very happy that she was at Barnard. </p>
<p>If you just look at Barnard as “a women’s college” or think that it exists at a separate entity for that reason… then I think you really are missing the full story of what Barnard currently is all about.</p>