BC SCoFI reached out to Dean Hinkson and President Spar this evening, asking them to publicly respond to each of our demands individually by December 1. We ask that you hold them accountable to this deadline. Please voice your support by writing to ahinkson@barnard.edu and/or presidentsoffice@barnard.edu--a form letter is available in the "Updates" section of the petition's page. Thank you again for your support. *** Dear Dean Hinkson and President Spar, The Barnard College Student Coalition for Financially Insecure Students circulated a petition demanding that the College provide safe and subsidized winter housing to all students in need. This petition has been signed by over 1,700 Barnard and Columbia alumni, parents, students, friends, and concerned community members. The demands of the Petition are as follows: 1) The Administration needs to formally acknowledge the fact that they have “homeless” and “housing insecure” students, not merely students who “haven’t figured out their plan for the winter.” Refusal to acknowledge this presence leads to further marginalization. 2) The Administration must provide affordable or subsidized winter housing for all students who request it. This housing should not put students in a position where their housing is contingent on the benevolence of another person (for example, an alumna or concerned community member) who could rescind housing at any time, or may have ulterior motives for wanting to help. Students deserve safe and intrinsically stable housing. 3) The Administration must provide funding for housing to students who say they need it (regardless of their Estimated Family Contribution). We ask that you publicly respond to each of our demands individually by December 1. We are aware that the Administration is currently dealing with this issue on a “case-by-case” basis. This does not meet our demands. Barnard students should not burden the additional stress of having to make a convincing speech to the Deans about their status as homeless, housing-insecure, and/or low-income students, as they currently have to do to “earn” winter housing. Many students in need of housing have expressed that they do not feel comfortable meeting with the Deans, or that they have felt that it was impossible to adequately convey their need for winter housing and financial support in a meeting with an administrator. This is why it is crucial, for the sake of students, that the College create a standing policy on the availability of winter housing. We are sending a copy of this letter to the signees of the petition so they are aware we have requested a response to our demands. Respectfully, The Barnard College Student Coalition for Financially Insecure Students