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Bard College Catalogue 2009-2010
2009-2010
Independent Work and Internships
Independent Study ProjectsRegular Bard academic credit may be awarded for successful completion of an independent study project outside the College’s regular course structure, provided the project has demonstrated academic value. After a proposed project has been approved by a faculty sponsor and the head of the relevant division or program, the student submits it for final approval to the Executive Committee, which consists of the dean of the college, the registrar (serving ex officio), and the chairs of the divisions.
An independent study project may be undertaken in the fall or spring semester (for up to 4 credits) as part of the normal course load, or during January intersession or the summer (for up to 2 credits). Students may earn up to 12 independent study credits in total.
Archaeology Field School For a month in the summer, students in the Archaeology Field School earn 4 credits for excavation in pursuit of past cultural ecosystems in the Hudson Valley and the eastern woodlands. The field school emphasizes basic excavating techniques (digging with a trowel, recording field notes, drawing, and photography) and the initial steps in laboratory analysis. Previous projects have included the prehistoric Grouse Bluff campsite on the shore of the Hudson River and the foundation of the A. J. Davis–designed Gardener’s Lodge at Blithewood on the Bard campus. Recent archival research has located the community of Guinea, which comprised a large population of fugitive and freed slaves from the late 18th through the mid-19th century, in a rural area of what is now Hyde Park, 20 miles south of Bard. Reconnaissance revealed cellar holes and extensive refuse deposits in three areas. The Dutchess County Historical Society, the Town of Hyde Park, and Bard College are collaborating to research and preserve this endangered site and, through archaeological and historical research, to develop educational programs for students and the general public. For more information, visit http://inside.bard.edu/archaeology.
Bard Summer Research Institute (BSRI) The Bard Summer Research Institute began in the summer of 2008. Students in BSRI spend eight weeks in residence over the summer working on individual research projects in either the social or natural sciences. Each student has a faculty mentor for the duration of the program and receives a stipend and housing.
Distinguished Scientist Scholars Summer Research Students in the Distinguished Scientist Scholars Program are eligible for a stipend of up to $2,000 for summer research projects following the sophomore and junior years.
January Intersession The January intersession begins at the end of the winter holiday vacation and extends through the month of January. Students can gain academic or work experience or earn academic credit during this period in the following ways:
- Independent study project A reading, research, or creative project for academic credit. The project must be planned with a faculty member and approved by the Executive Committee by the end of the fall semester. (See Independent Study Projects, this section.)
- Work project or internship Paid or volunteer employment or an internship at a newspaper or in a hospital, law office, theater, museum, or other institution. Although work, on or off campus, does not usually carry academic credit, students who think a particular work experience or internship is worthy of academic credit may apply for it. (See Independent Study Projects.)
- Enrollment in a midyear course at another college or university Many colleges and universities with a one-month January intersession offer courses for credit that are open to students from other institutions.
Trustee Leader Scholar Program (TLS) In keeping with Bard’s ethos of encouraging initiative at all levels of campus life, students in the Trustee Leader Scholar Program design and implement service projects based on their own interests. Student leaders receive stipends in exchange for their participation in the program, and most projects run for multiple years. Examples of current TLS projects include building homes in Nicaragua, helping inmates in local prisons prepare for the GED exam, organizing work trips to New Orleans to support the recovery of low-income housing and the reemergence of public school education, and running ESL programs for migrant laborers in the Hudson Valley. A number of TLS projects have become permanent programs, including the Bard Prison Initiative, the New Orleans Initiative, and La Voz, a Spanish language newsletter widely circulated in the mid-Hudson region.
Every Bard student is eligible to apply for TLS status. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and acceptance is based primarily on the student’s willingness and capacity to direct a large-scale project. TLS students meet one-on-one with the program director and assistant; take part in skill-building workshops; and write formal project proposals, budgets, and evaluations. They are offered hands-on opportunities to acquire skills in grant writing, lesson planning, and group facilitation. More details on the program can be found at http://inside.bard.edu/tls.
InternshipsWashington Center Internships Based in the nation’s capital, the Washington Center offers supervised, semester-long internships. Bard students accepted into this program earn academic credit for work at a government department or agency, a lobbying group, or another organization active in the public sector. Past participants have held internships with congressional committees, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice, Amnesty International, the Overseas Development Council, the U.S.-Asia Institute, and the National Organization for Women. Students in the internship program participate in evening seminars held in association with American University. In addition, they may complete an independent research project supervised by a Bard faculty member.
Information about additional internships is available at the Career Development Office.
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