Welcome to Fall 2026

Dear Baruch Students,

Welcome to the Fall 2026 semester and a new academic year. Whether you are beginning your first semester at Baruch, returning, or joining us as a transfer student, I am delighted you are here.

A new academic year brings many possibilities, and you do not have to navigate them alone. Meet with an academic advisor to plan your path, explore opportunities, and stay on track. Connect early with career services to clarify your goals, sharpen your résumé and interviewing skills, and meet employers and alumni. Take advantage of tutoring, counseling, and accessibility services. Introduce yourself to someone new, get to know a professor, join a club or professional society, and remain open to the unexpected.

Your Success Is Our Focus

At Baruch, student success means helping you find the right support, creating places to learn and connect, and offering opportunities to put your education into practice.

This year, we launched the Next Level Student Success Initiative to better connect academic advising, tutoring and other learning support, career preparation, and essential student services—making it clearer where to turn and easier to get help.

You will also see this commitment in changes across campus. As our Campus Master Plan advances, we are improving the places where you study, work, and connect. A renovated student lounge in the Lawrence and Eris Field Building (17 Lex) is already open for study, activity, or a break between classes. Expected to open in Spring 2027, the relocated and expanded Baruch One Stop Shop (BOSS) in the former bookstore will bring more student services together, making it easier to get answers and resolve issues. It will also add lounge, study, and collaboration spaces for independent work, group projects, and meeting classmates.

Artificial intelligence is changing how people learn, work, and make decisions. Through the Baruch AI Leadership Initiative, the AI Learning Commons will launch this fall with courses, learning modules, case studies, and tools that move students from foundational AI literacy to applications in their fields. It will also give faculty resources and training to incorporate AI thoughtfully into their teaching. Our goal is not simply to teach you how to use AI, but to prepare you to question its results, exercise sound judgment, uphold academic integrity, and use it responsibly.

We are also expanding experiential learning across New York City and creating more opportunities to conduct research alongside faculty. These experiences help you apply classroom learning, investigate meaningful questions, develop professional skills, and build relationships that can shape your studies and career. Many will be featured at our annual Research and Creative Inquiry Expo.

Transfer students are an important part of Baruch. I especially encourage you to participate in peer mentoring. A mentor who understands the transfer experience can help you navigate the College, find resources, and build your community. You can also connect with faculty, peers, professionals, and alumni who generously offer their guidance.

You Are Our Community

Your education at Baruch extends beyond the classroom. As a Bearcat, you belong to a community shaped by different cultures, ideas, experiences, and ambitions—and united by respect, curiosity, and a desire to grow.

Student fairs, the Fall Festival, Spring Fling, and other campus events offer opportunities to meet fellow students and connect with faculty and staff. I encourage you to participate. These are places where relationships begin and Baruch starts to feel like your college.

Explore Baruch’s more than 130 clubs and organizations. Attend a lecture outside your major or take a course that challenges you in an unexpected way. New York City is already home to many of you, yet there are always new places and perspectives to experience with friends and classmates.

Most importantly, ask questions, seek help early, and take an active role in your education. Your journey belongs to you, but the Baruch community is here to support you.

Together, we can make 2026–27 a year of discovery, growth, and accomplishment. I look forward to seeing you around campus and hearing about all that you achieve.

Here’s to a wonderful year ahead.

Sincerely,

S. David Wu
President, Baruch College