‘Thinking Ecologically’ Mode of Inquiry added to Barnard’s Foundations curriculum

Completing the seventh Mode of Inquiry will be required for all students entering Barnard beginning in Fall 2028.

Photo by Jacquie Traenkle/The Barnard Bulletin

By Kimberly Wing May 4, 2026

On Earth Day, April 22, Leslie Raucher, Barnard’s Director of Campus Sustainability and Climate Action, announced the College’s decision to add a “Thinking Ecologically and Sustainably” requirements to Barnard’s Foundations curriculum. Currently, Barnard students are required to complete courses that fulfill six “Modes of Thinking” as part of the College’s General Education requirements.

The creation of the Thinking Ecologically requirement was “driven” by the Climate Action Committee, a group of faculty, staff, and students “dedicated to bridging the gap between academic research and campus operations.” A College spokesperson informed The Barnard Bulletin that the Foundations Review Committee and its subcommittee on Environment and Sustainability, as well as Barnard’s Office of Sustainability and Climate Action, the Committee on Instruction, and the Center for Engaged Pedagogy also contributed to the development of the new requirement.

“Our progress is defined by a simple truth: sustainability is no longer a ‘special project,’” Director Raucher wrote. “It is becoming the standard for everything we do, from the curriculum in our classrooms to the pipes in our mechanical rooms.”

Director Raucher also noted that the College’s Facilities team was working to meet the “ambitious standards” of New York City’s climate laws by upgrading the College’s electric, lighting, and plumbing systems. Barnard’s Roy and Diana Vagelos Science Center, which is set to open this summer, will be “one of the first” fully electric academic science buildings in the United States.

“This isn’t just about compliance; it’s about rebuilding our campus for a new era,” Director Raucher wrote.

In April, faculty voted to add the Thinking Ecologically requirement to the College’s Foundations curriculum. Completing the Thinking Ecologically requirement will be enforced for all Barnard students matriculating to the College beginning in Fall 2028. 

Director Raucher reported that 92.5 percent of the Class of 2026 have “already completed a course that would meet this new standard.”

“This new Mode of Inquiry will formalize the process and encourage the creation of even more classes [related to sustainability],” Brian Mailloux, co-chair of and professor in Barnard’s Environmental Science Department, wrote in a statement to The Barnard Bulletin. “The Environmental Science department looks forward to continue offering numerous classes in this area. It will be great for the College and the students.”

Currently, Barnard offers around 50 to 70 courses that are “sustainability related” or “sustainability focused” each semester, according to Vergil, Barnard and Columbia’s course registration system.