‘It feels less safe’: Barnard students question Quad security after staff layoffs

Following the layoff of 77 staff members over the summer, students report feeling increasingly unsafe in dorm spaces once overseen by access attendants. The transition to ID-only entry has exposed gaps in security and strained the sense of community many rely on.

Photo by Vernon Demir/The Barnard Bulletin

By Sitara Reganti

December 6, 2025

Barnard students are increasingly worried about safety and community in the Quad after the College laid off 77 staff members prior to the start of the fall semester. Most notably, cuts to the campus security team have left many questioning whether safety is being effectively managed in and around the dorms. Barnard’s Community Accountability, Response, and Emergency Services (CARES) office declined to comment on the staffing changes. 

The shift marks a major change from past years, when access attendants were stationed at every Quad entrance, checked IDs, monitored guest entry, and served as a first point of contact for students locked out or needing help. Their removal has replaced a long-standing system aided by human oversight with one that depends almost entirely on technology. One of the most visible differences in safety is the removal of access attendants who once staffed the entrances to the Quad, leaving students to rely solely on new ID scanners, which only accept Barnard student ID cards, to enter their dorms. 

While the shift could be perceived as a way to modernize the system, many students claim it has made them feel less safe. “Having no access attendants in the dorms has made me feel less safe in an environment that’s still new to me,” said Emily Ohman (BC ’29). Now, if someone wants to enter student dorms in the Quad, a Barnard student can simply scan their ID and let whomever in — without record of the guest. This system starkly contrasts the security measures in Columbia College’s dorms, where a student living in a residence hall must sign their guest in, and the guest must leave their ID with the access attendant. 

These new measures also differ from Barnard’s security from just last year. Prior to these changes, students were required to scan their BCID with an access attendant before reaching the elevators. Additionally, they needed to sign their guests in, with security guards following a strict protocol. Students would have to scan a QR code to fill out a Google Form. Following this, the guest would have to show a photo ID to the access attendant. “Last year, when I had guests over, I had to sign in my guests every time they went downstairs, even for like five minutes … I feel like there’s too many security guards on the campus, on the actual campus, but the one place where I think we actually need it is when you’re getting into the dorms,” stated Shelby Nordstrom (BC ’28). While these practices continue in upperclassmen housing, the Quad now lacks these protocols.

Moreover, the scanners at the Quad entrances often malfunction, particularly at the Brooks Hall entrance, where some students claim the system works “on and off.” Another common problem arises when students forget their IDs; without an access attendant to confirm who they are, they have no way to get into their dorms. A few days before Family Weekend in October, the unattended booth in the Sulzberger Hall entrance was suddenly replaced by a seating area.

For some students, the new system has also caused practical problems. One student reported being locked out of her dorm and waiting over an hour before anyone from campus staff arrived to help. Before the layoffs, attendants were often the first point of contact in these situations, providing quick assistance and a sense of reassurance during late-night hours. Now, students must either call the non-emergency CARES number or go to the Campus Safety and Emergency Office in Barnard Hall, a building that requires you to scan your ID in order to enter.

“It’s really scary knowing that anyone with an affiliation with Columbia can access our dorms, especially considering many of us arrived expecting to live in an all-women dorm,” said Laila Aburaya (BC ’29). Without access attendants checking IDs, anyone in possession of a Columbia University ID can now enter the Quad, raising concerns about privacy and safety.

Many students also miss the personal relationships they built with the staff. Staff members were present on campus during the first week back. “I miss the friendly smiles of the staff around campus, which added to the strong sense of community that Barnard prides itself on,” said Vidhi Mehrotra (BC ’29). “Without those staff members who used to keep us safe and help us with getting into our dorms in the middle of the night, campus feels like it’s missing something.”

In the official announcement posted to the Barnard website, President Laura Rosenbury had framed the layoffs as part of a long-term plan to modernize operations and strengthen the College’s financial position. “As part of a one-time, College-wide restructuring, we’ve made the hard but necessary decision to eliminate multiple staff positions across departments,” she wrote. President Rosenbury added that the changes are meant to “more robustly utilize new technologies, improve coordination across teams, and better align our financial resources with our academic mission in service of the College’s long-term goals.”

The change marks a broader tension between safety, community, and cost-cutting on campus, and the absence of security staff has definitely left students uneasy. As the College leans more heavily on technology to fill these gaps, questions continue to be raised about whether efficiency has come at the expense of comfort and care.

As Barnard continues to focus on balancing its finances and security, students are adjusting to the new normal, which is defined by fewer staff, greater reliance on technology, and lingering questions about whether the campus still feels as safe and supported as before. Administrators have not announced any plans to revisit the staffing cuts, leaving students unsure of what additional changes, if any, might follow.