Missed Bard's Commencement? Watch now!
Bard President Leon Botstein. Photo by Samuel Stuart Hollenshead
President Botstein’s Charge to the Class of 2026
"I urge the Class of 2026, soon to become alumni of Bard College, to cherish what makes this college distinctive and its idealism about the interconnections between learning and life. Celebrate the gifts each of you have shown in your years here, the joy of thinking, imagining and creating—the thrill of discovery—and the laughter and delight that art and science and the study of all things inspire in our pursuit of life. As the years go by (all too quickly), the college will need your help."
Journalist and author Fareed Zakaria. Photo by Samuel Stuart Hollenshead
Award Winning Journalist and Author Fareed Zakaria Delivered the 2026 Undergraduate Commencement Address
"What a remarkable rise this place has had. Fifty years ago Bard was a small, struggling liberal arts college, overlooked by most. Today it is one of the most distinctive educational institutions in America—a place that has combined intellectual seriousness with civic engagement, artistic experimentation with public purpose. It is not just a college but a movement — one that stretches from music conservatories to prison education programs to partnerships across the world. My congratulations on this remarkable transformation."
