This website is full of helpful information for navigating life at Bard during the COVID-19 pandemic. Below you will find highlights of our campus plan for the semester. Please visit the FAQ pages for in-depth answers to your questions about vaccination, testing, student support, facilities use, and much more.
Last Updated May 26, 2022
Vaccination Requirements for the Spring Semester
Bard College is a fully vaccinated campus, requiring that all students, faculty, and staff be fully vaccinated and up to date. In accordance with CDC guidance that everyone 18 years and older should receive a booster, Bard's vaccine mandate now requires that all students, faculty, and staff receive a vaccine booster. Students are required to be fully vaccinated with a booster by January 18 or within 30 days of eligibility, whichever comes first. Faculty and staff are required to be fully vaccinated with a booster by February 3 or within 30 days of eligibility, whichever comes first. Individuals who received Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are eligible to receive a booster dose six months after their last dose. Those who received Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine are eligible to receive a booster dose two months after your original dose. Boosters are widely available at vaccination sites nationwide.
Once you have received your booster, students should upload the date and submit proof of the vaccine (a screenshot of your vaccine card) to the medical portal at bard.medicatconnect.com (if you are unable to access the portal, students may send this information to [email protected]). Employees, once boosted, must provide updated vaccination cards here.
Mask Guidelines
Bard College is a “mask-friendly” campus. With this policy, we have lifted the indoor mask mandate, but encourage anyone who wishes to wear a mask to do so. The College is requesting that students, faculty, and staff keep a mask with them in order to be ready for various situations you may encounter throughout the day.
The CDC has recently classified Dutchess County as an area of high transmission for COVID-19. In areas of high transmission, the CDC recommends vaccination, testing if you experience symptoms, and masking indoors. As a result of this designation, members of our community should consider wearing a mask when indoors and in a public setting and in other common or shared spaces where individuals may interact.
In accordance with New York State requirements, everyone must continue to be masked when visiting the Bard Health Service and Nursery School/Children’s Center, and when utilizing any Bard transportation. Students, faculty, and staff who have vaccine exemptions will continue to wear a mask in all indoor and group settings.
Testing and Contact Tracing
Testing is available on campus for students through Bard Health Services. Faculty or staff who test positive off campus should continue to notify the Human Resources Office. For more detailed information on testing, please visit Student FAQs or Faculty/Staff FAQs.
Bard’s COVID-19 Case Management Team, which includes trained contact tracers, continues to conduct contact tracing of all on-campus positive cases to identify campus close contacts. Students who are identified as close contacts will be notified by email from [email protected] with instructions on testing and any isolation requirements. Faculty and staff who are identified as close contacts will be notified by Human Resources, who will provide guidance and testing options. For more detailed information on contact tracing, please visit Student FAQs or Faculty/Staff FAQs.
What Guides Our Planning during the Pandemic
Bard’s COVID-19 response plan is informed by current national, regional, and local conditions and best public health practices. We are following New York State guidance, which includes specific mandates for higher education, and guidance from the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health.
The College has a formal agreement with Nuvance Health, one of the largest health care providers in the region, and with them has created detailed protocols for the classroom and across the Bard campus. Bard also has a contract with The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard for its Safe for School testing program. The Broad Institute has been at the forefront of developing and providing cutting-edge COVID-19 testing and has created this program specifically designed for higher education. Our Health Services Team is following guidance from the American College Health Association and is in close contact with local and regional health officials.
The Bard Student Support and Relief Fund
The Student Support and Relief Fund (SSRF) provides relief from undue financial stress so that students and their families can remain engaged in their Bard College careers. SSRF was created in March 2020 as a result of faculty and staff joining together to support students facing hardship as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. This fund is available to any matriculated Bard College student. Please consider making a gift today.