On Tuesday, November 18, the Barbara Walters Campus Center was transformed into something extraordinary: a living, breathing version of Sarah Lawrence’s distinctive education. At the College’s first-ever Academic Fair, students didn’t just browse the curricular and co-curricular opportunities available to them — they stepped directly into the heart of a Sarah Lawrence education as they mapped their own pathways through the curriculum.
Across all three multipurpose rooms of the BWCC, more than 70 faculty and staff members representing undergraduate disciplines and graduate programs created an immersive experience that brought the College’s open curriculum to life. They were joined by partners from Career Services, SLC EmbeddEd, Community Partnerships, Global Education, and the Center for the Urban River at Beczak. Together, this display mirrored the Sarah Lawrence experience itself, where close faculty mentorship, experiential learning, and deep, inquiry-based study prepare students for fulfilling careers and life after college. From Theatre and Dance to Science and Math, from ecology research at CURB to seemingly endless internship opportunities, the fair showcased the many ways students link classroom learning with real-world experience. “These connections are essential to preparing students not only for success here at Sarah Lawrence, but for meaningful and adaptable lives after graduation,” said Meghan Jablonski, Director of Embedded Education, who co-organized the fair with faculty members Melissa Frazier (Russian, Literature) and Brian Emery (Filmmaking & Moving Image Arts).
The idea for the Academic Fair grew out of conversations in General Committee, a group composed of faculty, staff, students, and administrators. Committee members envisioned a vibrant, hands-on experience that showcased a Sarah Lawrence education, free from traditional majors and the silos that define most colleges, and instead filled with trajectories and pathways. Here, possibilities aren’t constrained by rigid requirements; they’re sparked by curiosity and shaped through collaboration with faculty and fellow students alike.
That collaboration was very much on display at the Academic Fair. Much like in a Sarah Lawrence seminar, faculty and students engaged in a dynamic exchange of ideas; faculty shared plans for upcoming courses and invited student input to help shape them, while students shared their interests, questions, and aspirations. This kind of dialogue — rare at most colleges — is routine at Sarah Lawrence, and is what allows students to shape their own unique academic journeys.
Throughout the afternoon, the energy was undeniable as students buzzed through the room. “It was like the course catalogue came to life,” said Frazier. “Students were able to get a big-picture view of the entire curriculum and engage directly with the many options and opportunities available to them.”
Reflecting on the fair, Provost and Dean of Faculty Kanwal Singh put it simply: “A Sarah Lawrence education has always been about the things that are crucial whatever one chooses to do in life: critical thinking, flexibility of mind, and skilled communication. The Academic Fair exemplified the vibrancy of what we teach and the breadth of opportunities that students have here — in the classroom and beyond.”