Catalogue

Student Life

Activities and Events

Activities on campus reflect academic, social, artistic, athletic, recreational, and purely casual pursuits. From garage-band concerts at SMOG, a student-run music venue, to language tables, where students share meals and practice Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Russian, or Spanish conversation, a full range of activities enriches student life. Clubs, committees, publications, and other student-sponsored initiatives are described in further detail below.

Distinguished scholars, artists, and performers visit Bard regularly as featured guests in the John Ashbery Poetry Series, Anthony Hecht Lectures in the Humanities, and the Bard Center’s Distinguished Scientist Lecture Series and Lecture and Performance Series. The conferences and lectures sponsored by the Levy Economics Institute, Bard Center for Environmental Policy, Center for Curatorial Studies, OSUN Center for Human Rights and the Arts, and Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities are open to undergraduates, as are the concerts of the Bard College Conservatory of Music, The Orchestra Now, and Bard Music Festival.

Staff, faculty, and students also bring to the campus a variety of speakers and artists, arrange movie screenings nearly every night of the week, and present their own work in drama and dance, recitals, musical theater, art shows, poetry and fiction readings, lectures, and films. Working with the Office of Student Activities, staff and students also organize hikes, concerts, dances, parties, comedy nights, substance-free entertainment alternatives, and athletic events. The Student Publicity and Activities Resource Center (SPARC), located in the Student Activities Office, serves as a resource for all clubs and individual students looking to plan and publicize events on campus.

Student Government and Clubs

All students are members of the Bard Student Government (BSG), a democratic forum with three main functions: to raise issues and take action on those issues or recommend action by the College; to provide student representation on administrative and faculty committees in all matters of concern to the College community; and to administer allocated funds for student-run organizations.

The Educational Policies Committee makes recommendations to appropriate faculty committees and to the dean of the College. The Peer Review Board and Student Judiciary Board deal with violations of the College’s regulations regarding behavior. The Student Life Committee meets with the staff of Student Activities and the Dean of Student Affairs Offices, College administrators, health services personnel, and other student services offices to obtain information and represent BSG in all policies that concern student life. Two students are elected by other students to represent them at Board of Trustees and Board of Governors meetings.

The Fiscal Committee is directly responsible for the allocation and disbursement of student activity fees. A large portion of the funds goes to entertainment-based clubs that provide extracurricular campus events such as concerts and other musical activities. The Fiscal Committee also allocates funds to more than 150 clubs and organizations, which have included the Asian Students Association, Bard Film Committee, Bard Birds, Bard Musical Theater Company, Black Student Organization, Latin American Student Organization, Jewish Student Association, and print and online magazines and journals. Students form new clubs every semester, depending on interest.

Athletics and Recreation

The Department of Athletics and Recreation offers a variety of programs to meet the needs of students, staff, and community members, ranging from intercollegiate competition to instructional classes and open cardio and weight training.

The College sponsors 18 varsity intercollegiate athletic teams, with men’s and women’s teams in soccer, cross-country, volleyball, swimming, squash, tennis, track and field, and basketball. Men also compete in baseball; women in lacrosse. Most varsity teams require previous experience, but swimming, cross-country, and track and field are open to all full-time students who commit to attending practices and other team events. The department also supports intercollegiate club sports in Ultimate Frisbee and rugby, which are open to newcomers.

In addition to intercollegiate athletics, Athletics and Recreation staff and facilities support a variety of recreational and intramural offerings, changing annually based on student interest. These opportunities have included equestrian, fencing, soccer, basketball, tennis, volleyball, kickball, badminton, and squash. Classes are offered in lifetime pursuits ranging from advanced fitness to yoga. Aerobics classes include Zumba, Combat Cardio metafit, and TRX training. Certification courses in CPR/AED, Water Safety Instructor training, and lifeguarding are also available. In addition, the College’s rural setting makes it easy to engage in outdoor activities such as running, cross-country and downhill skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, hiking, cycling, mountain biking, rock climbing, and ice skating. Details at bardathletics.com.

Spiritual and Religious Life

The Chaplaincy at Bard College actively promotes and develops a richer understanding of what we believe and how to use our beliefs to transform the world. The chaplaincy offers spiritual support to all students and members of the Bard community, and values the varied ways students can explore faith academically and spiritually, often with a focus on social issues, and always with an emphasis on diversity and openness. All are invited to learn more about the perspectives of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and other traditions. The chaplaincy currently includes an Episcopal priest, rabbi, Buddhist chaplain, Muslim chaplain (position is currently open), and chaplain interns. The chaplains are available to meet with students, staff, and faculty in times of crisis or whenever an attentive and sympathetic ear is needed. They also work closely with the Student Counseling Services, Student Health Services, Office of the Dean of Students, and others in the Bard community who focus on the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of students, faculty, and staff.

The Chaplaincy holds a Christian service and dinner once a month, as well as Sunday services at the local Episcopal church; Shabbat services every Friday; Buddhist meditation twice a week; and Muslim student gatherings on Friday. The chaplaincy also coordinates a series of interfaith events during the academic year and supports and advises various student groups, such as the Bard Christian Fellowship, Catholic Student Association, Buddhist Meditation Group, Jewish Students Organization, and Muslim Students Organization. The Chapel of the Holy Innocents is open for prayer, reflection, and meditation, and hosts classes, concerts, student projects, and other events. A meditation garden is located next to the chapel. The Center for Spiritual Life (located at Resnick Village A) comprises the Beit Shalom Salaam House of Peace meeting room, a kosher and halal kitchen, Buddhist meditation room, and Muslim prayer room.  To learn more, visit bard.edu/chaplaincy.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI

Bard College is committed to the maintenance of an educational community in which diversity—race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, class, physical ability, national origin, and age—is an essential and valued component. Bard students, faculty, staff, and administration are united in support of an inclusive environment in which freedom of expression is balanced with a respectful standard of dialogue. As a community of scholars, Bard engages all issues of diversity and inclusion. Intellectual and civic discourse is part of the fabric of the College, even when conflicting viewpoints are contrary to personal or institutional beliefs.

The Office of Inclusive Excellence collaborates with campus partners in the coordination of curricular and cocurricular DEI efforts and initiatives. Students are encouraged to meet with the vice president or dean for DEI programming support; scholarship/research; training and workshops; facilitating a response to faculty, staff, and student DEI concerns; and student support, which includes support for historically marginalized communities. In addition, through programming, campus outreach, and responding to reports of sexual or gender-based misconduct and civil rights violations, the College’s Title IX and civil rights coordinator actively and collaboratively works to create and maintain an academic and work environment where students, faculty, and staff are able to thrive free from all forms of harassment and discrimination. To learn more, visit bard.edu/dei.