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Main Image for Commencement 2020

Commencement 2020

Bard College's Class of 2020 on their arrival day for the Language and Thinking Program, August 2016.
Photo by Pete Mauney ’93 MFA ’00
Bard College held its 160th commencement on Saturday, August 22, 2020.
In the virtual commencement ceremony, Bard President Leon Botstein conferred 437 undergraduate degrees on the Class of 2020 and 161 graduate degrees. 

Celebrating the Class of 2020

Sneha Gopinath ’20
Timothy Trumpet ’20
Veronika Gillis ’20
Rayo Verwejj ’20
Nanda Fogle ’20
   
Juan-Carlos Cabrera ’20
Bridie Carey ’20
Esteban Rivera ’20
Emily Anastasi ’20
Alicia Rodriguez ’20
Alina Agustin ’20
Abigail Freer ’20
Aidan Furze ’20
Avery Greenberg ’20
Caitlin Harris ’20
Cassandra Whitehead ’20
Christina Secor ’20
Ellie Zimmerman ’20
Lilia Mannes ’20
Tejaswee Neupane ’20
Paola Luchsinger ’20
The Commencement tent at the Seth Goldfine Memorial Field, Bard virtual Commencement 2020.
Photo by Karl Rabe
President Leon Botstein addressing the audience at Commencement 2020.
Photo by Karl Rabe
Dean of the College Deirdre d'Albertis, Commencement 2020.
Photo by Karl Rabe
Commencement speaker, musician David Byrne (L) and Bard President Leon Botstein, Commencement 2020.
Photo by Karl Rabe
Physically distanced in-person audience at Commencement 2020.
Photo by Karl Rabe

Musician David Byrne Delivers 2020 Commencement Address at Bard College, in a Virtual Ceremony

“The pandemic has pulled back the curtain, which has revealed both the worst and the best of what and who we are. Arundhati Roy, the writer, referred to this moment as a portal when we have unprecedented opportunity to change things, to cross into another world. In this moment, we have been both cursed and blessed. This is one of those moments that occur once in a while. Ideas that were taken as given, economic ideas, cultural ideas, etc., are being questioned, reconsidered. An era based on a set of biases and assumptions is ending. In a sense, we’re lucky. The portal that she mentions is opened and we have a chance to go through it.”

Read the Full Text of David Byrne's Address

President Botstein’s Charge to the Class of 2020

“As you gaze beyond the confines of Bard you can discover how profoundly we have permitted governments to neglect most of our citizens and favor Wall Street over Main Street.” President Botstein urged students to engage with the larger world to promote inclusion and effect change—and to start by voting in November.

Read the Full Text of President Botstein’s Charge

Commencement Schedule

Owing to the severity and longevity of the COVID-19 pandemic, the College held a modified commencement. The events and ceremonies were held in real time, but access to them was limited. Therefore, most participation in the events was virtual. Everything was done and streamed in real time and the entire weekend was recorded and is now available for viewing.

The traditional commencement tent was erected on the Seth Goldfine Memorial Field, next to Kline Commons, and all the scheduled events took place there.

Friday,
August 21

  • Senior Class Awards Ceremony
    10:00am EDT
    The Senior Class Awards Ceremony, hosted by the president and the deans, was held at 10am EDT on Friday, August 21. Representatives of the senior class, a faculty speaker, and a speaker representing the administrative staff of the College participated. Every senior receiving an award was announced and the award described.
    Watch Recording
    Awards Program (PDF)
  • Baccalaureate Service
    2:00pm EDT
    The Baccalaureate, hosted by the chaplaincy, took place at 2:00pm EDT. This was an adaptation of the traditional Baccalaureate and included a student speaker, alumni/ae speaker, faculty speaker, and a program developed with student participation by members of the chaplaincy.
    Watch Recording
    Baccalaureate Program (PDF)

Saturday,
August 22

  • Bard College Awards Ceremony
    11:00am EDT
    The Bard College Awards ceremony took place at 11:00am EDT. The president of the College, trustees, and the president of the Bard College Alumni/ae Association, with the assistance of members of the faculty, conferred six awards and recognized the retirements of five retired members of the faculty and staff. This occurred in real time on the commencement stage under the commencement tent. Each of the awardees present delivered remarks. The 2020 Award recipients are Barbara S. Grossman ’73, Juliet Morrison ’03, Xaviera Simmons ’05, Nicholas Ascienzo, Matt Taibbi ’92, and Carolyn Forché. Bardian Awards, honoring the retirement of longtime members of the Bard community, were presented to Peggy Ahwesh, Matthew Deady, Bonnie Marcus ’71, and Richard Teitelbaum (posthumously).
    Watch Recording
    Awards Program (PDF)
  • Commencement
    2:30pm EDT
    Commencement began at 2:30pm EDT. There was an academic procession, with members of the Board of Trustees, faculty, and the administration, who assembled under the commencement tent. Also present was the commencement speaker, David Byrne, as well as honorary degree recipients Laurie Anderson, Steven Chu, Gao Xiaosong, Thelma Golden, Linda E. Johnson, Ellen Condliffe Lagemann, and George D. Rose ’63. The chair of the Board of Trustees, James C. Chambers ’81, presided. After the invocation, he greeted the Class of 2020 and the community. His greeting was followed by the commencement address by David Byrne and the awarding of honorary degrees. Owing to the special circumstances, we asked each of the honorary degree recipients to say a few words to the 2020 graduates and their guests. After the formal charge by the president of the College, the degrees were awarded. Every name was read aloud, and a slide showed the graduate’s name, the title of the Senior Project or thesis, adviser, and the graduate’s hometown, and for graduate degrees, the undergraduate college. After the awarding of degrees, the ceremony concluded with the traditional benediction.
    Watch Recording
    Commencement Program (PDF)

Sunday,
August 23

  • Alumni/ae Memorial Service
    12:00pm EDT
    The traditional Alumni/ae Memorial Service was held at 12:00 noon on Sunday. This was an Anglican service, hosted by our Anglican chaplain, Mary Grace Williams. The president of the College read the names, in real time, of all those alumni/ae, friends, and colleagues who had died since the Bard commencement in May 2019.
    Watch Recording
    Memorial Program (PDF)
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