COVID-19 Announcements

×

A Message about Citizen Science, the Spring Academic Calendar, Returning to Campus, and Montgomery Place Access

Friday, December 11, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College community:

Topics in this update:

• Spring academic calendar
• Student testing requirements and return-to-campus dates 
• Montgomery Place access

This week we write regarding the spring 2021 semester, including the academic calendar and arrival dates for Citizen Science and all returning students. COVID cases around the country and in our area are still increasing, so we all must continue to exercise a heightened degree of caution. Our collective success in keeping the campus safe this semester enables us to plan for in-person classes next semester as well. We will try to repeat what worked well from this fall, and update our policies based on what we have learned. The foundation of our effort will continue to be the Bard community, working together in support of public health

Spring academic calendar

• Citizen Science will take place January 14-29. We are currently planning for a blended, in-person program (with some fully remote sections), but that may change depending on conditions and regulations regarding the pandemic in the coming weeks. However, the dates of Citizen Science will not change regardless of the teaching modality for the Citizen Science program. This means that the return-to-campus dates for Citizen Science students will not change from what is delineated below. 
   
• The Spring Semester will resemble the Fall Semester in terms of length, with classes beginning on February 1 and ending on May 25.
   
• Spring Recess has been removed from the calendar and is being replaced by five alternative days of respite, to be distributed over the course of the semester. More information is forthcoming about where these respite days will fall in the academic calendar. 

Student testing requirements and return-to-campus dates
Every student who wishes to attend in-person classes in spring 2021 must complete these return-to-campus protocols, whether you live on or off campus. 

All students (except for those few remaining in the campus residence halls over the holiday break) will be required to take two COVID tests as part of the “return to campus” protocol: 

1. Each returning student must take their first COVID test within 3 days before returning to campus or your off-campus residence. If you receive your test result before returning, you must submit it to covidclearance@bard.edu. If you do not receive your test result before returning, you must be prepared to quarantine upon arrival until you receive your result. 
    
2. Each returning student will be required to take their second COVID test through Bard approximately 4 days after returning to campus. 

Students required by New York State Guidelines to quarantine, such as those traveling from any non-contiguous state or from overseas, will immediately enter quarantine upon arrival at Bard. Students not required to quarantine will be expected to refrain from group social interactions and not eat in groups. Only once you’ve received negative results from both your pre-travel and post-travel tests will you be able to return to campus activities and in-person classes.

New York State has updated its quarantine requirement to enable travelers to test out of quarantine if they submit negative pre- and post-travel COVID tests, reducing quarantine time to approximately four days. Thanks to this welcome change, in January the College will be able to provide quarantine space to all students who need it on campus, instead of in a hotel. Because of the complex planning involved, it is very important that you plan to arrive on the day that corresponds to your situation (please see schedule below, and contact the Dean of Student Affairs office with questions).   

• Early arrivals: pre-approved student workers and seniors: Monday, January 4 (9am-3pm)
  All early arrivals MUST be pre-approved by Senior Project Advisors or Supervisors. These students also must observe the testing protocols listed above, and quarantine as necessary depending on where they are traveling from.
   
• Students taking Citizen Science who are NOT required to quarantine: Tuesday, January 12 (9am-3pm)
  Under current guidance, students who spend the holiday break in New York State or in a state that borders New York are not required to quarantine. These students must observe the testing requirements listed above, and refrain from group activities until receiving their test results.  
   
• Students taking Citizen Science who are REQUIRED to quarantine: Wednesday, January 13 (9am-3pm)
  Students who spend the holiday break anywhere other than New York State or a state bordering New York are REQUIRED to quarantine by current New York State Guidelines. These students also must observe the testing protocols listed above.   
   
• International and Exchange Students: Friday, January 15 (9am-3pm)
  All students arriving from outside the United States are REQUIRED to quarantine by current New York State Guidelines. These students also must observe the testing protocols listed above.
   
• Upper College/New Transfer Students who are REQUIRED to quarantine: Friday, January 22 (9am-3pm)
  Students who spend the holiday break anywhere other than New York State or a state bordering New York are REQUIRED to quarantine by current New York State Guidelines. These students also must observe the testing protocols listed above.   
   
• New Transfer Students who do NOT need to quarantine: Tuesday, January 26 (9am-3pm)
  Under current guidance, students who spend the holiday break in New York State or in a state that borders New York are not required to quarantine. These students must observe the testing requirements listed above, and refrain from group activities until receiving their test results.  
   
• Upper College Students who do NOT need to quarantine: Friday, January 29 (9am-3pm)
  Under current guidance, students who spend the holiday break in New York State or in a state that borders New York are not required to quarantine. These students must observe the testing requirements listed above, and refrain from group activities until receiving their test results.  

Surveillance testing of student and employee populations will resume once all returning students have completed their post-travel tests and required quarantine. We will provide additional information on January return-to-campus protocols next week as we work out further details. 

Access to the Montgomery Place Campus
As we near the end of the fall semester, we are pleased to announce that Montgomery Place will reopen to the public on Monday, December 21, once the fall semester is completed. All visitors must observe COVID safety protocols, including mask wearing and physical distancing, and no group activities are allowed without advance approval from the Response Team. 

We are very thankful that we have come so far as a community under these circumstances. With only one more week remaining in the semester, we ask all to remain careful and vigilant, and we send our best wishes to students completing final exams and papers. 

Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate

×

A Message from the Response Team to the Bard Community

Monday, December 7, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College community,

We are writing to inform you that we have been notified of positive COVID test results from three members of an off-campus household. Two of these individuals departed for Thanksgiving travel, after receiving negative results on their pre-departure tests. Today they self-reported positive results from tests administered outside of the College’s testing process after returning to their off-campus household. In accordance with our protocols, these two individuals have not returned to campus since their pre-Thanksgiving departure. The third positive test result is from one of their off-campus roommates, who chose to remain and did not travel for the holiday, but today received a positive test result through the Bard Health Service. All three of these individuals are self-quarantining at home. 

Bard’s Contract Tracing Team has interviewed all three positive cases, and determined that they have not had any close contacts outside of their household. Therefore, no other members of the Bard community are being asked to quarantine in connection to these three positive cases. But it is essential that all members of the Bard community maintain vigilance and strict adherence to Bard’s COVID protocols. 

Prior to the Thanksgiving holiday we outlined detailed campus departure and travel protocols, which we designed based on CDC and NYS guidelines and recommendations from our medical consultants, to maintain campus safety and health for all members of our community. Those protocols prohibited holiday travel of any kind for those wishing to remain on campus, and required that anyone traveling for the holidays not return to campus. The importance of these protocols and others we may need to put into place in the coming weeks and months cannot be overstated. Cases are rising locally, regionally, and nationally, and strict adherence to these protocols and well-proven safety measures like mask-wearing, hand washing, and social distancing offer our best protection for campus safety and our intended return to in-person teaching in the spring.

We want to again thank you for your vigilance through the fall. It enabled us to successfully fully complete a semester of in-person teaching in the face of daunting obstacles. We will be offering updates in the coming weeks regarding preparations for an in-person spring semester, and look forward to a healthy winter break for all. 
 
Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
 

×

A Post-Thanksgiving Message to the Bard Community

Friday, December 4, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College Community:

Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude, and so we want to express our deep thanks to all the members of the Bard community who have helped keep the campus safe through your ongoing adherence to the College’s COVID protocols. COVID cases continue to rise around the nation and in the region surrounding Bard, but so far our community has heeded the call to practice critical personal behaviors including physical distancing and wearing a mask. Over 300 essential employees returned to campus this week and participated in a mandatory testing regime. We also resumed random testing of the 500+ students who remain on campus. None of the tests we administered to employees or students this week received a positive result. This indicates that we celebrated the holiday safely and responsibly, with health and safety of family, friends, and the Bard community in mind. Again, we express our thanks to all of you and ask that you continue to exercise the same level of vigilance and care.

Based on this week’s test results, the campus will return to pre-Thanksgiving status next week. This means that, in coordination with your supervisor, individual employees who worked from home this week may return to the office. All masking, physical distancing, and hygiene protocols remain in place, as does the prohibition on non-essential visitors. Classes will continue to be remote through the end of the semester.

Surveillance testing will continue for students, faculty, and staff through the remaining weeks of the semester. The College is also continuing pre-departure testing for students leaving campus until next semester. 

Now that we are past the critical Thanksgiving weekend, we are able to focus on detailed planning for the spring semester. The academic calendar indicating dates for Citizen Science and the first and last day of classes is here. Next week we will share more information about “return to campus” dates and required quarantine for students in January. Throughout the rest of December, we will continue to move forward with planning for another semester of in-person classes, enabled by clear and consistent COVID protocols. However, as we have seen over the past several weeks, rising infection rates and new research into the virus are prompting changes to government regulations. We ask for your continued support, patience, and flexibility as the situation evolves. 
 
Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
 

×

An Update on Bard's Positive COVID Case, Thanksgiving, Local Restaurants, and Employee Surveillance Testing

Friday, November 20, 2020 To the Bard College community,

Topics in this update:

• Update on Bard’s positive case
• COVID and local restaurants
• Thanksgiving break protocols, including New York State guidance
• Post-Thanksgiving policies
• Employee surveillance testing

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, it’s important to be aware that COVID cases are surging in many parts of the country and increasing in New York and our local area. This will be a unique holiday, very different from what many of us may have envisioned. But we have many things to be grateful for this Thanksgiving, including the campus community’s adherence to COVID policies to maintain the health and safety of our colleagues, classmates, family, and friends. Thank you to everyone who has supported these public health efforts throughout the semester. We ask that you review the detailed holiday protocols from last week’s update and the policies we are putting in place to keep the campus safe after Thanksgiving.  

Update on Bard’s Positive Case
We are happy to report that as of today, the students connected to last Saturday’s positive case at Bard have been cleared to leave isolation and quarantine and return to their regular rooms. All of the positive case’s “close contacts” tested negative twice while in quarantine. We would like to thank the Dean of Student Affairs staff and the Bard Health Service for ensuring that these students were well cared for while in isolation/quarantine, and Bard’s Contact Tracing Team for their swift action to identify and contact all “close contacts.”  

COVID and Local Restaurants
Based on new information we received this week from the Dutchess County Department of Health about a sharp increase in COVID cases linked to local restaurants, we implore all members of the Bard community to refrain from any in-person dining at restaurants, indoor or outdoor. Ordering take-out with curbside pickup is a good way to stay safe while continuing to support our local dining establishments. Students remaining in campus residence halls should not eat in-person at restaurants over the Thanksgiving holiday. We are working hard to organize safe and enjoyable dining options on campus over the weekend, with the help of many faculty and staff who are remaining in the area.  

Thanksgiving Break Protocols
The College is organizing a virtual Thanksgiving celebration that all members of the Bard community - students, staff, families, faculty - will be welcome to attend. Details will be disseminated next week. Those of you organizing your own virtual gatherings may wish to consult recent articles in the New York Times and Forbes about hosting remote Thanksgiving celebrations. 

Yesterday the CDC updated their Thanksgiving guidance to say that “college students who are returning home from school for the holidays should be considered part of different households.” 

Specific protocols in place on campus over the Thanksgiving holiday include the following:

• All mask wearing, physical distancing, and hygiene and sanitation policies remain in place, and daily health screenings are required for all who remain on campus..
• No visitors are allowed on campus. Family members can drive onto campus to pick up students who are traveling home, but should remain in or immediately adjacent to their cars. No family members or other visitors will be allowed to enter any residence halls or other campus facilities, and all must remain masked. Students are still prohibited from entering a residence hall that is not their own. 
• Students remaining on campus beyond Thanksgiving may not travel or attend off-campus gatherings over Thanksgiving break. The College will have a monitoring protocol in place to identify anyone who does not abide by the requirement to remain on campus for the holiday. Anyone found to be in violation of this policy - which was developed to keep the campus healthy and at the request of students who want to remain here safely - will lose their access to on-campus housing. 
• New York State guidance:
  • Pre-departure testing of all students traveling for the holiday. This week, the College has administered more COVID tests than any other week since the semester started. All students who responded to the College’s Thanksgiving survey and informed us that they plan to depart until next semester received a testing notification by email, which gave them multiple options for dates/times to be tested prior to departure.
  • No more than 10 people may gather, indoors or outdoors, in private residences including college residence halls.
• Bard Dining will be open for those on campus through dinner on Wednesday 11/25, and will then reopen for dinner service on Sunday 11/29. The Down the Road cafe will be open 11/27-11/29 for retail purchases. The Student Government’s Student Life Committee, in coordination with the Dean of Student Affairs office and the Bard House Program, are excited to host at least one hot meal every day while the cafeteria is closed. Meals are sponsored by Student Government, the Asian Students Organization, Parkhurst Dining Services, and the Bard House Program. Details are being disseminated to students by email.
• The Bard shuttle will operate throughout the Thanksgiving break; the schedule can be found here.

Post-Thanksgiving Policies
After Thanksgiving, faculty and students will have access to facilities as needed, but no in-person classes will be held. Students should coordinate with professors and program coordinators about access to labs, studios, and other facilities.

The week after Thanksgiving (11/30-12/4) will be reserved for only essential employees to return to in-person work. “Essential” includes faculty who need to access campus facilities to support their remote teaching. All employees who are required to work on campus, or plan to work on campus, must undergo mandatory COVID-19 testing after Thanksgiving, which will be available on campus. More information on employee return protocols and testing will be provided directly to employees early next week. 

Student workers, whether they live on or off campus, are considered essential employees and are allowed to return to in-person work as long as they abide by all the College’s Thanksgiving policies and protocols, including the prohibition on travel.  

For students remaining on campus or in off-campus residences, surveillance testing will resume the week after Thanksgiving, so please monitor your email for testing notifications.

After 11/29, Bard Dining will resume regular hours until the final day of the fall semester (12/18). 

Employee Surveillance Testing
If you are an employee who opted into surveillance testing but will not be here to continue participating after Thanksgiving, please inform Nancy Smith at nsmith@bard.edu. All employees are encouraged to sign up for inclusion in the weekly random testing pool and may still do so. Please remember that once you opt in to random testing on campus, you are required to complete the test if you are selected, and you will have a choice of several dates and times to complete it. The form to sign up for surveillance testing can be found here.
 
Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate

×

A Message about Thanksgiving Break and Post-Thanksgiving Campus Access

Saturday, November 14, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College community:

Topics in this update:

• Thanksgiving holiday departure guidelines
• Pre-departure testing
• New state guidance and celebrating Thanksgiving
• Important Thanksgiving guidance for employees 
• Post-Thanksgiving campus access

As we reach our last week of in-person classes before the Thanksgiving holiday, we write to outline protocols for departure and share updates to New York State guidelines. No doubt you all have noticed the record-breaking increases in COVID infection rates around the country, including in Dutchess County. Our safety protocols will continue to be in force throughout the holiday break, to maintain campus safety, and prepare for the return of in-person classes for Citizen Science and the spring 2021 semester. We know that travel and social gatherings are higher risk activities, and that small gatherings in particular have been shown to be vectors of transmission, so following new state and national guidelines is essential.

Thanksgiving holiday departure guidelines
For those of you who are planning to leave campus for Thanksgiving, we wish you safe travels and encourage you to consult the CDC’s travel recommendations and your state’s Department of Health website for specific requirements. 

The campus remains closed to unauthorized visitors. This will limit how family members or friends can assist with student departure. No more than 2 family members or friends will be allowed to drive onto campus for the purpose of picking up a student departing for the holiday. These family members or friends must stay inside their car or in its immediate vicinity, and must be masked. There will be absolutely no admittance to residence halls or any other campus facility.

Pre-departure testing
In accordance with New York State guidance, we are providing COVID tests to all students who have informed us of their intention to leave the campus for the Thanksgiving holiday. These students will receive email notification of their selection for testing, and will be offered several days and times for taking their test prior to departing.

New state guidance and celebrating Thanksgiving
This week, New York State issued new restrictions on small gatherings, mandating that indoor and outdoor gatherings in residences must not exceed ten people. This applies to every member of the Bard community. Even spaces large enough to accommodate more than ten people with physical distancing, such as larger common rooms on campus, must limit use to no more than ten people. (Classrooms and academic meetings are not included in the new mandate.) Students who live off campus, as well as faculty and staff, are also required by this New York State mandate to limit any gatherings in their homes to ten people. 

We recommend that all members of the Bard community review the CDC’s guidelines for holiday celebrations and small gatherings. 

Closer to the holiday, the Dean of Students Office will announce Thanksgiving activities and food options for those remaining on campus. We look forward to celebrating a unique Thanksgiving with those of you who will be here. 

Important Thanksgiving Guidance for Employees 
Employees who have family members returning home from a restricted state over Thanksgiving break should not return to campus until those household members have tested negative twice per NYS guidelines (once pre-departure, again 4 days post-arrival) or the employee has quarantined for 14 days after the family member’s arrival home. Employees should discuss specific work schedules following the holiday with their supervisor or department chair, and contact HR with any questions or concerns. 

Faculty and staff are also required to abide by the previously mentioned new state regulations about maximum gathering size and consider the level of risk associated with hosting and attending holiday gatherings. 

All employees must continue to submit a daily health screening each day before coming to campus. Our Employee Covid Coordinator will follow up with any employee who is not cleared to return to on-campus work.

Post-Thanksgiving campus access
Those students who plan to remain in campus residence halls beyond Thanksgiving must stay on campus for the holiday. You will immediately forfeit your access to on-campus housing if you leave campus over Thanksgiving to attend gatherings elsewhere. We are establishing a monitoring protocol to ensure adherence to this policy and will share details about the process as we get closer to the holiday. Please know that these measures are not intended to be punitive. They are necessary for the safety and health of our community in the midst of a worsening public health emergency. 

After Thanksgiving and through the end of the semester, we will resume our surveillance testing program for all students remaining on campus and employees who opted into the program. If you are an employee who opted in but will not be here to continue participating after Thanksgiving, please inform Nancy Smith at nsmith@bard.edu. 

Students who remain on campus over Thanksgiving will have access to campus facilities including labs, practice rooms, studios, and study spaces until the end of the semester, and should coordinate with their professors and program coordinators to facilitate access. After Thanksgiving, on-campus students must continue to participate in the surveillance testing program and submit a daily health screening via Involvio. Dining services and Kline will be open through dinner on Wednesday 11/25 and will reopen for dinner service on Sunday 11/29. Student Government, the International Students Organization, our dining contractor Parkhurst, and other campus organizations are organizing snacks and meals for each day of the Thanksgiving recess. In addition, the Down the Road cafe will be open 11/27-11/29 for retail purchases (not on the meal plan), where flex spending can be utilized. Following the Thanksgiving Break, dining hall services will resume semester hours until the final day of fall semester on 12/18. Between December 19 and January 4, access to campus facilities other than residence halls will be limited so spaces can be readied for Citizen Science and the spring semester. 

Instead of holding Response Team office hours next week, we are scheduling pre-Thanksgiving town halls to give members of the community the opportunity to ask specific questions. We will announce those town halls early next week. 

 
Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate

×

A Message from President Botstein with a COVID-19 Update

Thursday, November 12, 2020
To the Bard College Community,

I am taking the liberty of forwarding to everyone the most recent update from Bard's COVID-19 Response Team.

Now that the in-person part of the fall semester is drawing to an end, I want to compliment Bard's COVID-19 Response Team for its dedication and professionalism. Given the wide divergences in the ways local, state, and federal authorities have handled the pandemic, it is perhaps understandable that some members of the community have developed skepticism regarding the competence and veracity of public institutions and authorities. In the aftermath of the 2020 election, I appeal to everyone not to emulate the outgoing President of the United States in challenging facts and the integrity of public servants.

While even one case can be alarming to a community, please understand that the protocols that have kept this campus safe since August are still in place and have worked exactly as intended. Bard's record compares quite favorably, in terms of number of cases, to our peers in the region. The administration of the College has sought out and followed the best scientific advice, adhered to all legal protocols put forth by the State of New York, and been scrupulously transparent in conveying information regarding COVID. We have given no cause for believing in alternative facts or conspiracy theories. We have shared, in the spirit of making the campus safe for everyone, all relevant information and advice concerning the pandemic.

The credit for that goes to my colleagues on the COVID-19 Response Team, and we all owe them a debt of gratitude.

Here is their update:

On Saturday we notified the campus community that we had, through our ongoing surveillance testing, identified the College’s first positive COVID test of the semester. We write today to provide an update.

The student who received the positive test result has been in Bard’s isolation housing, under the direct supervision and care of the Bard Health Service, since Saturday. The student’s condition is good, and the Health Service closely monitors progress. Through the process of contact tracing, which we initiated Saturday morning immediately upon receiving the positive test result, the student identified some “close contacts” who may have been exposed. By Saturday midafternoon, we were in touch with all of those close contacts and notified the campus community of the positive case. By Saturday evening we had either moved the close contacts into quarantine housing on campus or helped them initiate quarantine in their off-campus residences. All movement—of the positive student into isolation housing and the close contacts into quarantine housing—was accomplished according to CDC guidelines for transporting positive cases or exposures.

We have also administered COVID tests to all of the close contacts who are now in quarantine, while continuing our surveillance testing of the overall student population. In total, since Monday morning the College has administered over 350 COVID tests, and none have been positive. In accordance with CDC guidelines, the students in quarantine will remain in quarantine, and will be tested again next week.

The positive student in isolation housing and the students in on-campus quarantine housing receive daily deliveries of food and other necessities. The Dean of Students is in regular contact with them and they also have priority access to the Bard Health Service and counseling services as needed. In addition, they receive wellness checks from the Dutchess County Department of Health. 

It’s important to remember that all positive test results from any COVID test administered in the state of New York are automatically reported by the test processor—in this case, MIT’s Broad Institute—directly to state health officials. The New York State Department of Health has a separate page on its COVID reporting website for each college and university in the state. Bard's page on the state website, which is updated daily, can be viewed here and is also linked to the campus COVID dashboard on the Bard website.

We have received a number of questions about contact tracing and what constitutes a “close contact,” so we are offering further details (below) about the process. For more detailed information, we recommend the free online contact tracing course offered by Johns Hopkins, which every member of the College’s contact tracing team has completed. 

How is “close contact” defined?
Per the CDC, a “close contact” for COVID-19 is defined as any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of at least 15 minutes over a 24-hour period, starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to positive specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.

What is contact tracing?
Contact tracing is a tool used to prevent the spread of disease by identifying those who are sick and the people with whom they have come into close contact. Health departments are responsible for doing this work, and at Bard we have a trained group of employees that works closely with the Dutchess County Department of Health to support and accelerate the process.
 
I think I was a close contact but have not heard from the Contact Tracing Team.
Bard’s Contact Tracing team follows the close contact definition provided by the CDC. If you meet that criteria, you will have been contacted directly. You might have had some proximity to a person who later tests positive, or to a secondary contact, but that does not necessarily constitute exposure. If you have questions or concerns about exposure and contact tracing, you can join the Contact Tracing Team’s next ZOOM Q&A on Friday, November 20, at 3 pm. Please contact David Lindholm at dlindholm@bard.edu for details.

If you have specific concerns or questions, please contact the Response Team directly for answers.

Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate

×

Message about a Confirmed Case on Campus

Saturday, November 7, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College community,

As you are aware, the College has been operating a robust coronavirus testing process as part of its comprehensive campus safety protocols. It is through our ongoing randomized surveillance testing that this morning we received our first positive test result of the semester, from a test administered yesterday afternoon. The student for whom we received the positive test result is asymptomatic and, per our protocols, has been moved to isolation housing. Bard’s trained contact tracing team has identified and contacted all “close contacts,” who are now quarantining in their off-campus residences or being moved into quarantine housing. The student has had relatively few such contacts.

It is important to know that all “close contacts” have already been contacted directly by our contact tracing team, so if you have not heard from us it means that you have not been exposed to this case and do not need to be isolated or tested. Every member of our contact tracing team has completed the Johns Hopkins Contact Tracing course and is utilizing the most rigorous and current guidance defining close contact. Federal law prohibits the College from publicly disclosing the positive student’s identity. 
 
Our protocols on safety and testing have maintained campus safety to date. With your help we will continue to do so despite the recent national and regional surge in cases.

Through the established protocols we were able to discover our first positive result, initiate isolation and quarantine for all affected parties, and complete contact tracing within 24 hours of the test being taken. We should all find this reassuring.

The best course of action is to continue to closely observe the safety protocols outlined through the Response Team and on the College's COVID-19 website as the semester progresses and Bard approaches the end in-person teaching on November 20.

Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate

×

A Message about New York State Thanksgiving Requirements, Spring Semester Planning, and Response Team Virtual Office Hours

Friday, November 6, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College community:

Topics in this update:

• New Thanksgiving requirements from New York State
• Spring semester planning, including January return-to-campus plans
• Response Team office hours

This afternoon Governor Cuomo announced some important new requirements for how colleges and universities must complete the fall semester. First, the state will require us to test all students who have been taking in-person classes—whether they live on campus or off—before they depart for the Thanksgiving holiday. We are developing a plan for how we will do this, and will announce details next week. Second, all colleges and universities in New York will be required to go “remote only” from Thanksgiving through the end of the semester. Fortunately, the vast majority of Bard professors was already planning to teach remotely after Thanksgiving.

We would like to reiterate our Thanksgiving travel policy and its importance for campus safety, especially given rising cases in our region and the state government’s increasing restrictions. Students—whether you live on campus or off—who travel over Thanksgiving break will not be able to return to campus for the remainder of the semester. This includes regional and local travel to gatherings with family or friends. If you stay overnight anywhere besides your normal residence, or attend a gathering with people other than your normal “household” at Bard, you will not be allowed to return to campus until your authorized return date in January. This means that students who plan to remain on campus after the Thanksgiving holiday are not authorized to leave campus to attend Thanksgiving gatherings, regardless of whether those gatherings occur within or outside the Hudson Valley region. Given the CDC's assessment of increased risk associated with holiday gatherings, this restriction is essential for helping Bard ensure a safe transition to winter recess and the spring semester. The college administration is planning Thanksgiving activities for students, faculty, and staff who will be on campus for the holiday. Students who choose to remain on campus and not travel are welcome to do so. 

Employees who travel over Thanksgiving break must abide by the travel policy and restrictions set forth on the Human Resources website and the requirements of New York State government, including the quarantine and testing requirements associated with travel to restricted states.

We are planning for the spring semester to operate much like the fall semester, with a high percentage of in-person courses, sufficient remote-only courses to support students studying remotely around the world, and continued physical distancing, mask wearing, visitor limitations, and robust COVID testing on campus. We hope to welcome back international students who may be able to travel here in January, but will continue to support their remote learning if they are unable to travel or choose to stay overseas. New guidance from New York State on testing and quarantine protocols for returning students is forthcoming, and we will update our procedures for returning to campus in January accordingly. The Response Team and the Dean of Students Office will release more information soon about those return procedures and assigned arrival dates in January for returning students. 

The Response Team will be holding virtual office hours, for anyone who has questions, according to the below schedule until the end of the semester. Next week we will also announce some pre-Thanksgiving town halls. 

• Mondays 5-6PM https://bard.zoom.us/j/86516080473?pwd=UlUrODlKcFpWVUprVUVpb1ZLeTBidz09  passcode: 160736
• Fridays 2-3PM https://bard.zoom.us/j/9620507477

With great care and vigilance, together we have been able to maintain campus health and safety. Cases are rising across the country, so we need to recommit ourselves to our efforts to keep the Bard community safe. We cannot let down our guard, even for the holidays. It is critically important, as the US sets new records daily for COVID-19 cases, that in every situation we continue to abide by mask wearing and physical distancing protocols and prohibitions on large gatherings.

Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Michael Sadowski, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate

×

A Message about On-Campus Voting

Monday, November 2, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

America is a world leader in election complexity. Election@Bard, CCE, and many volunteers from Bard and the community are available to help. Below, we attempt to answer some frequently asked questions that can help you on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020. There are also rules in place for the new voting site in and around the Bertelsmann Campus Center MPR (and please note that the Campus Center will be closed to all but essential business on Election Day).
 
If you have any questions before the election, please email Election@Bard at election@bard.edu. If you have challenges on or before election day, you can also reach out to Election@Bard by texting 'Bardvotes' to 56525. After you receive your instant confirmation message, you can send Election@Bard a text letting them know what your situation is and they will get back to you ASAP. Election@Bard will also have tables situated both outside of Kline and on the pathway to the Campus Center where they can help you.
 
Where and when can I vote?
For the first time ever, students, faculty and staff who live on campus or in Election District 5 in Red Hook can vote at the Bertelsmann Campus Center MPR, which will be open to voters (and only to voters) from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm. This is a great victory and we believe that it will lead to far more voter-friendly and safer options for Bard voters. (Please note that there are actually two polling sites in D5 so you can also choose to vote at St. John’s Episcopal in Barrytown). 
 
Please note that the Bard site is for people registered in District 5, which covers the Bard campus and surrounding communities. If you are registered in Tivoli you vote at the Tivoli Firehouse. There are multiple polling sites in the Town of Red Hook, and you can find your location here. Please note (as will be explained below) you should vote in the polling site according to where you live. If you have moved since you registered you may be situated in a different district and should vote from that district: you can ask for an affidavit ballot.
 
Special Voting and COVID Rules
We are committed to making the election as safe as possible, this applies both to Covid-19 and other safety issues. The agreement which allows for a polling place at Bard and at St. John’s Barrytown makes this much easier, because there will be shorter lines and less opportunity for Bard voters and other voters to intermingle. Since the vast majority of voters in the district live on campus, many have voted early, and Barrytown remains a voting option, we expect relatively few off-campus voters on campus, though we welcome those that come. There will be senior Bard administrators and security staff at the polling site and on Annandale Road all day and access to the campus remains limited to voters, poll workers and vetted volunteer staff.
 
To ensure that voting is safe, the following special rules will be in force:
1)    The Bertelsmann Campus Center will be closed except to voters, poll workers and watchers, and Voter Welcome Volunteers. The post office will operate, as last spring, through its external window. All other services, including the bookstore, DTR, and offices on the second floor will be closed. Classes will be moved or rescheduled, and you should consult with your professors. You cannot cross through the Campus Center and if you are picking up mail, you must follow electioneering rules (see below).
2)    All parking from North Ravine Road will be prohibited except for off campus voters, who will be expected to park in the admissions lot or in the handicap accessible parking places adjacent to the Campus Center.
3)    Due to electioneering and COVID safety rules, non-voters will are expected to remain at least 100 feet away from the Campus Center, except when picking up mail. This will be marked off by ropes. All student voters at Bard will be asked to show their Involvio App and other voters will be asked COVID safety questions. All voters will be expected to wear masks, special poll workers are assigned with sanitizing the interior of the polling location, and we will be enforcing strict social distancing rules. 
4)    Electioneering rules are in effect. No one who is within 100 feet of the polling place, including voters, can advocate for a candidate or wear buttons, hats, shirts, masks or other clothing that display the name of a party or political candidate or one of their slogans. For COVID safety reasons, we are prohibiting any gatherings or loitering within 100 feet of the Campus Center and on the path from the admission parking lot to the Campus Center.
5)    Other safety issues: Senior administrators and staff will be present at the polling site all day, as will Bard Security. We expect any non-Bard votes who come to campus to come, park, vote and leave peacefully and we equally expect the Bard community to treat voters with respect and to allow them to come, vote, and leave in peace. The campus remains closed except for voters and poll workers and those who have received specific exemptions. 
 
If I asked for an absentee ballot, can I still vote in person?
Yes. According to New York State Law, “Even if you request or cast and return an absentee ballot, you may still go to the polls and vote in person.” Of course, this is only the case if you are registered in the district where you try to vote.

Can I drop off my absentee ballot at the polling site?
There will be a drop box, but only for Dutchess County voters. If you are voting absentee elsewhere you should mail your ballot as soon as possible. If you need stamps please contact Election@Bard.
 
How do I know if I am registered to vote locally?
You should know if you completed a registration form, but sometimes clerical errors occur. You can check if you are registered at: https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/voterSearch.aspx.

If you have any questions or concerns, Election@Bard has a full list of registered voters in District 5 and the Town of Red Hook so you can email them. If you cannot find your name, please use the search process to check similar spellings, as there are often input errors, and note the spelling before going to the polling station. 

Election@Bard has a complete list of all registered voters in the Town of Red Hook (including campus, Tivoli, Red Hook Village, Barrytown and the greater Town of Red Hook) and can be reached at Election@bard.edu. 

If you believe you registered on campus and cannot find yourself listed anywhere, please contact Election@Bard, as they have records of all people registered this year.
 
What if I have moved since I registered to vote?
You can still vote, assuming you registered to vote in Red Hook (or Dutchess County) and still live there. 
 
If you moved within the same voting district, say, from one part of campus to another, you may still vote at Bard MPR. If you have moved off campus to Tivoli or to Red Hook (or anywhere else in Dutchess County), you may still vote, but you must go to the district where you live and complete an affidavit ballot (this is a written ballot which will be counted if the information you provide is accurate). If you moved states or counties and have not registered, you will not be able to vote. You should register and vote for the next election.
 
If you are in the wrong polling site and need transportation, Election@Bard can help you get to the right polling place. Please text 'Bardvotes' to 56525. After you receive your instant confirmation message send us a text letting us know what your situation is and we will get back to you ASAP. 

What if I am “not in the polling book?”
Ask the election inspector to look again. Sometimes they make mistakes or you are entered with an incorrect spelling. If you have a commonly misspelled name, ask them to look again. The election inspectors can call the Board of Elections
 
If you have moved at all, you may be registered elsewhere. You can also look for your registration at: https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/voterSearch.aspx.
 
What if something goes wrong at the polls?
Election inspectors will try and help you. There will also be officials from Bard College, wearing a Bard CCE button, who are registered “poll watchers,” present in the MPR and you can feel free to ask the for assistance or clarification of your rights, but not any information about who to vote for or any information about candidates (as that is electioneering) and they will likely have to walk out of the polling area to advise.

If for some reason you are not in a polling book and you cannot find where you are registered, or if an error occurred in the voter registration process (you filled out a form but were not registered), or if you are told to complete an affidavit ballot and you believe that is incorrect, you can go to Poughkeepsie to appeal to a judge to be allowed to vote on a machine. In this case, you should contact Election@Bard. Please text 'Bardvotes' to 56525. After you receive your instant confirmation message send us a text letting us know what your situation is and we will get back to you ASAP.  They will see if they have documentary evidence of your registration. Election@Bard will run shuttles to the Board of Elections in Poughkeepsie as needed.
 
Who are Election Inspectors and who are Poll Watchers and what can they do?? Can a Poll Watcher harass me or ask me questions?
At the polls, there are “Elections Inspectors,” or “poll workers” generally from both major political parties, who are hired by the Board of Elections and trained to oversee the voting process. They are responsible for the conduct at the polls and the arbiters of disputes (potentially in consultation with the Board of Elections). The Elections Inspectors will ask you for your name, your signature and may ask for identification, if you have registered in the past two years and did not provide a social security number. 

There are also poll watchers, who tend to be partisan officials from each party. These poll watchers only have the right to observe proceedings. You do not have to answer any questions from them and likely what you say can be used against you. They do not have the right to ask you questions about where you live, who you will vote for, where you are from, etc. They may issue a “challenge,” but this will not stop you from voting: that decision can only be made by election inspectors.

There will be officials from Bard College, wearing Bard CCE buttons, who are registered “poll watchers,” present in the MPR polling station and you can feel free to ask the for assistance or clarification of your rights, but not any information about who to vote for.
 
What if I am “challenged?”
If you moved, or if you have a signature that differs from that on the roll, or if your ID seems odd, you may be “challenged”. Under these circumstances, you can still vote using the voting machine. You will only be required to take an oath confirming that the information you are providing is accurate.
 
Other questions:
What type of identification do I need to vote?
If you are not a first-time voter in Red Hook, or if you provided a social security number with your voter registration, you should not need any form of identification. If you are a first-time voter who did not provide a social security number, you may be asked for ID (and it is not a bad idea to have one anyhow). Acceptable forms of ID include some sort of valid photo identification, be it a current Bard ID card, a driver’s license or a passport. The ID is for identification purposes only and not for residency and need not contain your current address.
 
Can I demonstrate my voting preference at the polls?
No. If you are wearing a button or T-shirt that is visible advocating for a candidate or party, you may be asked to leave the polling site. It is considered electioneering, which includes “soliciting votes or distributing, wearing or carrying political literature, posters, banners or buttons or displaying refreshments showing a candidate or party’s name.”
 
Do I get an “I voted” sticker?
YES.

×

A Message about Voting Protocols, Thanksgiving, Surveillance Testing, and COVID in Our Region

Saturday, October 24, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College community,

Topics in This Update:

• Additional Thanksgiving holiday guidance
• Surveillance testing clarification
• COVID-19 in our region
• Voting protocols

Thanksgiving Holiday Guidance
In response to our most recent guidance regarding safety during the Thanksgiving holiday, many at Bard have offered to host Thanksgiving gatherings for students not returning home for the holiday. The generosity of so many faculty, staff and neighbors in the community is gratifying. It is disappointing to have to ask everyone to heed the advice of the CDC and our medical consultants. Sharing food in enclosed domestic spaces with individuals who are not members of one's regular household is a high-risk activity, even in small groups. 

We ask then, for the continued safety of the Bard community, that we not plan to host students in our homes for Thanksgiving celebrations. The College is planning on-campus activities for the holiday that will be safe and festive, and we encourage members of the campus community to participate in these activities instead. We will soon share details on how to take part in or help sponsor Thanksgiving activities on campus.

Surveillance Testing
Our randomized testing is an important element of our campus safety plan, and its continued success depends on your full participation. While the majority of our students have been fulfilling the requirements of our surveillance testing program, some have not, so we must reiterate that surveillance testing is mandatory for students. Students selected for testing must respond and complete the test that week, even if you have previously been randomly selected.

We continue to encourage employees to sign up for inclusion in the weekly random testing pool, with a reminder that once you opt in to random testing on campus, you are required to complete the test if you are selected. The registration and consent forms can be found here.

Both employees and students can choose the day and time of your test via the reply form, and the test itself takes less than five minutes. 

COVID-19 in Our Region
During a press conference Wednesday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced several changes to New York State’s cluster zones map, which shows areas with rising COVID-19 cases. Click here to see the state’s updated cluster maps; click here for detailed guidance on the restrictions within clusters; and click here to access a tool to check whether a specific address is within a cluster. Please exercise extra caution or avoid these zones entirely until further notice.
 
Many nearby states, such as New Jersey and Connecticut, are experiencing increases in COVID cases and hospitalizations, so we must all continue to abide by the prohibition on non-emergency travel and guidance as outlined on the College’s COVID-19 website, in previous Response Team updates, and the New York State Travel Advisory website. 

Voting Protocols
The College's COVID policy accounts for access for "essential civic activities such as elections, where visitors will be directed to closely controlled facilities operated and cleaned in keeping with New York State and CDC-approved COVID-19 protocols.” Now that the courts have allowed the District 5 polling site to be moved to the Bard campus, we are finalizing protocols for the polling site which will be announced next week. These will include traffic control, a discrete entrance to the polling site at the Bertelsmann Campus Center, closure of parts of the building, special parking regulations, and special cleaning protocols. All voters from District 5 - nearly 70% of whom are Bard students, employees, and their families - will be able to vote safely at the Bertelsmann Campus Center on Election Day. 

Sincerely,

Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
 

×

A Message from President Botstein about Visitor Access to Campus

Monday, October 19, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard Community,

Through diligent adherence to COVID-19 protocols, Bard has been able to maintain campus safety and in-person teaching. However, the number of cases is rising nationally and regionally. Our medical consultants have advised the College to redouble its efforts and tighten the protocols regarding campus access. 

At the beginning of the semester we announced we would be operating as a restricted campus with limitations on visitors to the campus. Today we are announcing that Bard will be operating as a closed campus. Access to the campus by members of the surrounding communities and casual visitors is prohibited.* A person who does not live, work, or study at Bard will be not be allowed access to campus without prior approval from the College. New signage will be posted at campus access points to alert the internal and external community of this change in policy. Local government leaders have been notified that this is a precautionary measure in light of regional upticks in COVID-19 cases.

This new measure should not be viewed with alarm or considered punitive. It is not a response to something now taking place within the Bard community. It is a precautionary measure, based on recommendations from our consultants at Nuvance. It is intended solely to preserve the health and safety of the Bard community. Combined with our travel restrictions and other safety protocols, this new measure will help us to maintain our strong and hard-won health and safety record on campus that the community has worked so hard to achieve.

Therefore:

• Beginning today, the Bard College campus, including all of the grounds, facilities, and Montgomery Place, will be closed to the public.  
• In-person admission tours and athletics recruitment visits - which have been limited to one family per day and remained entirely outdoors - will have to be virtual until further notice. 
• We strongly encourage all members of the campus community to utilize online ordering and avoid unnecessary shopping trips and in-person dining off campus.
• Unauthorized visits to campus by friends or family are not permitted. Although this is not a change from our previous policy, Bard's Response Team has asked the College to reaffirm that we are unable to welcome friends or family to campus. Unauthorized visitors will be escorted from campus immediately. 

By working together and maintaining our vigilance, we have been able to sustain the health of the campus community and in-person teaching through to the midpoint of the semester. In order to continue with in-person classes and operate the spring semester with in-person teaching, we must stay attuned to the evolving public health conditions, and, when necessary, adjust our policies accordingly. Let us hope that good news will come our way, and that in the months ahead the dangers will recede more rapidly than the current circumstances suggest.

I want to thank all students, faculty and staff for their remarkable cooperation in these difficult times. Questions should be addressed to the COVID-19 Response Team.

*Although the College has applied strict measures to contain COVID, it will take equally extraordinary measures to make sure that access to voting on election day is easy, fair, and safe. Based on the College's record in preventing any cases on campus so far, voting on the campus should be considered the safest and most convenient alternative for in-person voting.

Leon Botstein
  E-mail: responseteam@bard.edu

×

A Message about Travel and the Thanksgiving Holiday

Thursday, October 15, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College Community,

Nearing the halfway point of the semester, we’re gratified to see our campus community healthy and productive, thanks largely to our operating protocols and the community’s consistent adherence to them. Looking forward to the rest of the semester, this is a good time to renew our commitment to safety and reiterate and reinforce some of the most important elements of our protocols.

Restricting travel is a core element of the College’s COVID safety protocols. Cases are again on the rise in many parts of New York State and across the country and, as you know, the College prohibits non-emergency travel for students outside of our local area (Dutchess, Ulster, Greene, and Columbia counties), and prohibits all work travel and non-emergency travel for our employees. Traveling to visit friends, shop, or even visit family on a non-emergency basis is considered higher risk behavior, as are visits to campus by friends and family. Among the most common vectors for the spread of COVID-19 are pre- and non-symptomatic individuals. Unnecessary travel and contact with people outside of the Bard community constitute an ongoing threat to campus safety. Any student who needs to undertake emergency travel should be in touch with the Dean of Students office to work out a travel plan.

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, the issue of travel becomes more pressing. We expect that many students, faculty, and staff will want to travel over the holiday. For those choosing to travel at this time, Bard’s prohibition on non-emergency travel will be modified. Students who travel over Thanksgiving break will not be able to return to campus for the remainder of the semester. This includes regional and local travel to gatherings with family or friends. If you normally live on campus and spend the night elsewhere and with others - even locally - for the holiday, you must not return to campus after Thanksgiving. There will be no penalty, academically or otherwise, for students who choose to travel and complete the semester remotely. Employees who travel over Thanksgiving break must abide by the travel policy and restrictions set forth on the Human Resources website and in accordance with New York State, paying particular attention to the NYS list of restricted travel states. In addition, a separate document will be sent to employees with guidelines about hosting holiday gatherings locally.

Students who would prefer to remain on campus are welcome to do so. We will do our best to make the holiday festive and enjoyable. After Thanksgiving break, Kline Dining Commons will remain open, student services offices will be open for student support, and classes will continue on their regular schedule until the end of the semester on December 18th. The majority of classes will continue remotely after the Thanksgiving holiday, and paths to remote instruction will be available for all students who leave at Thanksgiving break and need to complete the semester remotely. The Dean’s office is asking faculty to provide details about their post-Thanksgiving teaching plans to their respective students. The Dean of Students office will also be reaching out to students about their end-of-semester plans and to assist those who need to stay on campus through next semester. 

In the coming weeks we will be providing information about protocols for returning to campus for Citizen Science in January, and the spring 2021 semester of in-person teaching.

Mask wearing and physical distancing remain at the core of all COVID safety protocols. For them to work as intended they have to be applied at all appropriate times and in all locations. You must wear a mask at all times indoors and outdoors, on-campus and off; the only exceptions are outlined in the Face Mask Policy email we sent on August 28 and which you can view on the Bard COVID page. You must observe physical distancing even when wearing a mask. These two protocols work together to minimize the spread of COVID and offer the most consistent and reliable protection against infection and spread. 

As a reminder, Bard maintains a campus data dashboard showing testing and health metrics for the Annandale campus. Our dashboard site has links to the Dutchess County dashboard as well as the New York State Department of Health dashboard, where our mandatory daily report to the state is available 24/7. 


Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
  E-mail: responseteam@bard.edu

×

An Update on Holding In-Person Events on Campus

Monday, October 5, 2020

A COVID-19 Message

To the Bard Community,

In our effort to maintain campus safety and continue prioritizing the classroom experience, organized gatherings and non-academic in-person activities have not been allowed except in a few special cases. In recent days we have seen an increase in requests to hold or attend in-person non-academic events, so have instituted an approval process to begin considering these requests in a systematic way. The desire to participate in more events in person is understandable and we believe that with this new approval process we can cautiously resume some small in-person events, such as club meetings. In making this step, however, it is essential that students, faculty, and staff know that all events must be still approved, in advance, by the Response Team, and must adhere to the College’s health and safety protocols. 

If you are interested in organizing an event or activity, indoors or outdoors, you must submit a specific plan for the event and receive prior approval. Faculty and staff should fill out and submit the form found here, and students should contact SPARC to register your event or email studentactivities@bard.edu. Your application will be reviewed and you will be contacted either with an approval or to discuss adjustments or alternatives. Please note that social gatherings of more than 20 people are still prohibited, and all groups, no matter how small, must adhere to all COVID protocols, including mask wearing and physical distancing. 

When filling out the application form, you will be asked to confirm adherence to the following requirements:

• Participants limited to 20 people at any time or ⅓ capacity of the room/space in question, whichever is smaller
• Masks must be worn at all times
• Attendees must be physically distant at all times
• No singing, cheering, yelling, horn playing, or similar higher risk activity allowed
• Any food must be individually wrapped and purchased or made by Bard Dining. Any open-source food must be provided and served by Bard Dining.
• No sharing of beverages, cutlery, or utensils
• Room capacities must be adhered to at all times for indoor events
• Student-initiated events must be attended by a staff member, faculty member, or student event staff

In your application you will be asked to create a specific plan that applies these requirements to your proposed event in its particular location.

As the recent news from Washington, DC makes tragically clear, failure to adhere to well-established health and safety protocols can have dire consequences for each of us and everyone in our community. 

Please also remember that, while cases in the immediate area around Bard remain relatively low, there have been a number of outbreaks elsewhere in New York State and cases are rising in a number of nearby states. The pandemic is far from over, and any lapses in adherence to safety protocols, however small they might seem, pose the risk of an outbreak on campus. Nonessential travel must be avoided, visitors to campus and off-campus residences restricted, and safety protocols observed both on campus and off. It is not possible to monitor the prohibition on nonessential personal travel, so we must rely on the voluntary compliance and support of the Bard community in upholding these important protocols. Please contact the Bard Cares Team at caresteam@bard.edu about violations of policy. Any student living on campus or taking in-person courses on campus who needs to undertake emergency travel should be in touch with the Dean of Students office to work out a travel plan.

Each week we randomly select approximately 400 individuals on campus to participate in surveillance testing. Faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in surveillance testing; please sign up here. Completing the test is fast and easy and, most importantly, essential to maintaining the safety of everyone in the Bard community. We developed this randomized testing protocol based on recommendations from New York State public health officials and in close consultation with the medical experts at Nuvance. Because the testing is randomized, some people may be selected several weeks in a row while others may be selected more intermittently. Randomized testing—not deliberate selection of specific people or groups—is the scientific recommendation for developing the most accurate and comprehensive metric of health on campus. Once you are selected to test, you must complete the test the week you are selected.

Finally, we want to encourage all members of the Bard community to get a flu shot this year. Influenza and coronavirus have similar symptoms, and both can cause serious illness. In partnership with CVS Pharmacy in Red Hook, Bard Health Service is hosting flu clinics on campus. If you missed the October 1 clinic, you can walk into Stevenson Athletic Center any time from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on October 8 or 29 or November 19. No appointment is needed and the clinic is open to any students and Bard employees who are 18 years old or older. Please bring your insurance card (there is a $40 cost without insurance). If you have any questions about the flu clinics, please contact healthservice@bard.edu.


Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu

Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate

×

A Reminder about Testing, Monitoring, and Health Protocols

Friday, September 18, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College community:

As we complete the third week of classes, a number of the College’s protocols are shifting from managing student arrivals and State-mandated travel quarantine to monitoring campus health through surveillance testing and health screening—and reinforcing the COVID-19 protocols that helped us to reach this point in the semester successfully.

The College completed its post-arrival testing of all students last week and has now moved into an ongoing surveillance testing process of a randomly selected statistical sample of the campus population. As part of that process, the College will conduct approximately 400 tests per week across the campus population. This protocol surpasses State recommendations and was developed in close coordination with local health authorities and under guidance from our medical consultants at Nuvance. This ongoing surveillance testing enables us to accurately monitor campus health and respond quickly if and when a positive case is identified. 

As detailed on the College’s COVID-19 website, we will immediately launch surge testing and contact tracing when a positive case is identified. Since the beginning of the semester, Bard has been using the Broad Institute of MIT, one of the nation’s leading COVID-19 research and testing facilities, to conduct all of its tests. Health professionals at Bard administer the tests in person and prepare the samples, which are then sent directly to MIT/Broad for processing. More than 100 leading universities and colleges are using the Broad Institute for their testing, and results have been processed quickly, efficiently, and accurately. We report our test results to New York State, the Dutchess County Department of Health, and the Bard community (see our campus data dashboard here). With the protocols we have in place and the cooperation of our students, faculty, and staff, we have been able to move past a successful arrival period and into the semester without a positive test result. Media reports have focused on outbreaks at larger colleges and universities across the nation, but many other small liberal arts colleges have seen results similar to ours. 

The College’s robust testing, monitoring, physical distancing, and mask-wearing protocols have enabled our successful reopening, and we can’t overemphasize the importance of maintaining vigilance as we continue into the semester. Surveillance testing gives us an ongoing metric of campus health, but it is personal behavior—particularly mask wearing, physical distancing, and hygiene—that scientists have repeatedly emphasized as the key to preventing spread of the virus. Earlier this week the director of the CDC testified that mask wearing is potentially more effective than a vaccine: "This face mask is more guaranteed to protect me against Covid than when I take a Covid vaccine, because the immunogenicity may be 70%. And if I don't get an immune response, the vaccine is not going to protect me. This face mask will."  

It is imperative that we not prematurely relax the very standards that have brought us to this point. We will be reviewing all of our protocols and processes in the coming weeks and months and will make adjustments we view to be safe, in consultation with public health authorities and our medical advisers. We ask that any student, faculty member, or staff member seeking permissions or adjustments to protocols contact the Response Team first. We will respond on a case-by-case basis, with safety as the top priority.

We understand that adapting to the reality of the pandemic has been challenging. With rigorous testing and safety protocols, however, we have been able to welcome everyone back to campus. Continuing to observe these protocols and remaining vigilant offers the best chance to safely continue the semester in person and on campus.


Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
  E-mail: responseteam@bard.edu

×

A Message about Travel, Quarantine, and Operating as a Restricted Campus

Thursday, September 3, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College community,

Welcome to the beginning of the fall 2020 semester. We are pleased to report that the reopening process has been relatively smooth in what we can all agree are challenging circumstances, thanks to the hard and conscientious work of the entire Bard community of students, faculty, and staff. 

Last week we reiterated the importance of mask wearing and physical distancing. If you missed that update on Bard’s mask policy, please review it here. This week we would like to reiterate our policies on travel and campus visitors. 

All nonessential work travel is prohibited for faculty and staff. The prohibition on nonessential travel should be extended to the personal lives of everyone in the Bard community: students, faculty, and staff. Examples of essential travel include medical treatment and family emergencies. The College has invested extraordinary effort and resources in designing and implementing plans to bring students, faculty, and staff back to campus, and all community members must do their part to uphold these efforts by refraining from nonessential travel. In addition, all New York State-mandated regulations continue to apply to any out-of-state travel, including the requirement to quarantine for 14 days if you travel to a restricted location, even for essential travel. If you travel to a restricted location during the semester for any reason, your ability to return to campus may be endangered, and will be determined by the State regulations in force at that time. Failure to report travel to a restricted location can lead to barring return to or removal from campus.

This semester Bard is operating as a restricted campus, with Bard facilities open only to students, faculty, and staff, and a small number of essential visitors approved in advance (see “Third-Party Visitors” on the Bard Human Resources webpage for the college's visitor access policy). The campus’s outdoor spaces are open to the campus community to engage in physically distanced activities, but access by visitors, including family members of students or employees, is not permitted without prior approval from the Response Team.* Information about those protocols can be obtained on the college’s COVID-19 Response page. Access to buildings is restricted to members of the Bard community, and access to each residence hall dormitory is strictly limited to residents of that building; students may not enter any dorm that is not their own. In addition to abiding by all New York State and local regulations, every student residing off campus is advised to adhere strictly to the relevant health and safety protocols and regulations under which the college operates, so they do not inadvertently put their fellow students and members of the college faculty and staff at risk. 

All of these policies have been implemented with a single goal in mind: keeping everyone safe and maintaining our ability to continue in-person teaching. We understand that it can be difficult to adjust to such a rigorous safety plan, but it is far more important to succeed in these efforts this fall.

*Although the College has applied strict measures to contain COVID, it will take equally extraordinary measures to make sure that access to voting on election day is easy, fair, and safe. Based on the College's record in preventing any cases on campus so far, voting on the campus should be considered the safest and most convenient alternative for in-person voting.

Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
  E-mail: responseteam@bard.edu

×

Updated Face Mask Policy

Friday, August 28, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College community:

This message clarifies Bard College’s current policies about face masks, and supersedes all previous messages regarding face coverings. Wearing a face mask on campus is mandatory for all students, faculty, and staff. Consistently wearing a face covering is one of the most effective ways of preventing the spread of COVID-19 (along with physical distancing and hand washing). The College’s policy complies with new public health regulations in New York State requiring any person over age two to cover their nose and mouth with a mask when in a public place and unable to maintain physical distancing. Much of the Bard campus can be classified as a “public place,” so both Bard College policy and New York State face mask regulations apply throughout the Bard community

Face coverings must be worn in all locations on the Bard College campus, both indoors and out, with the following exceptions only:

1. In a private office when working alone.
2. In your own dorm room* and when brushing your teeth or taking a shower (masks must be worn in the hallway between your dorm room and the bathroom), or in your own private family residence.
3. When eating while practicing physical distancing (all Bard community members must wear face masks inside the dining hall at all times, except when seated in any designated dining area). 
4. In a designated mask respite area (which may only be used by one person at a time).
5. For B&G grounds workers only: when working on campus grounds away from buildings and all other people.

The College will coordinate with public health authorities to consider exceptional circumstances.
 
Bard shuttle drivers will refuse entry or ask riders to get off the shuttle if face masks are not worn the entire ride. 

In keeping with New York State regulations, wearing a face mask is also mandatory in all public off-campus locations, including inside all public buildings and businesses and on sidewalks in town. 

Mutual Responsibility: “Remind and Remove” 

If you see someone not wearing a mask, please remind them that masks are mandatory. There are mask dispenser stations in RKC, Olin, Kline, Campus Center, Bito/Blum, Fisher Center, Rose/Hegeman, Fisher Arts, and Security should they need one. Then remove yourself from any situation that is unsafe or not in compliance with the required policies.

The College’s capacity to monitor and enforce this policy is limited. We hope not to have to use it, but the College has instituted a reporting and disciplinary process for COVID-19 policy violations. In the majority of cases, reminders of the rules and assistance with compliance will suffice. Referrals for more egregious violations will be addressed through the College’s disciplinary mechanisms that can include administrative or board hearings. Students violating COVID-19 policies risk removal or barring from campus. These policies apply to all students both on and off campus as well as to faculty and staff. If you would like advice on how best to engage with those who are not in compliance, or would prefer an intervention from the College, please contact the Bard Cares Team at caresteam@bard.edu or Bard Security at 845-758-7460. Maintaining community health requires a community effort. 

How to Wear a Face Covering 

Wearing a face mask properly is a simple and extremely effective protective behavior that also shows you respect the health and wellbeing of all members of our community. 

• Keep the mask on your face the entire time you’re in public. 
• Don’t wear the mask around your neck or up on your forehead.
• Wash your hands before putting on your face mask.
• Avoid touching the exterior of the face mask, wash your hands if you do.
• Make sure the mask covers your nose and mouth and fits securely under your chin. Try to fit it snugly against the sides of your face. 
• Change or launder face masks when they become soiled, wet, or after one day of use.
• Disposable masks must not be used for more than one day and should be placed in the trash after use.
• Don’t be complacent with other protective measures like physical distancing.

Acceptable Types of Face Coverings

Safe Face coverings, and ones that are permitted at Bard, are defined as those that secure via ear loops, or with ties, and have a close fit to the face, nose, and under the chin. Cloth masks are also acceptable for use. Face coverings with valves do not provide protection to the user or to the community, nor do loosely fitting bandana, gaiters, or scarfs.
 
Thank you for practicing this essential and required behavior.
 
*As outlined in the Addendum to the Student Handbook, visitors are not allowed in any dorm facilities, and only the residents of a specific dorm room should enter that room. If anyone besides you and your roommate enters your room, you all must put on masks. 
 
Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
  E-mail: responseteam@bard.edu

×

A Message about Safety Protocols and the Start of the Semester

Friday, August 28, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College community,

In anticipation of the beginning of classes next week, we would like to remind everyone in the Bard community of the necessity of adhering to the College’s safety protocols now and throughout the semester, both on and off campus. Every member of the Bard community bears a responsibility to protect not only themselves, but everyone else in the community, and to follow the New York State mandates that are embedded in the College’s policies. The details of our safety plan are readily available on our COVID-19 website, and the fundamentals should be clear to all—wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, and practice physical distancing at all times. Mask-wearing, physical distancing, and other Bard protocols are mandatory, and it is your responsibility to read and observe the directives posted online, on campus signage, and presented to you by the College.

We believe in the power of cooperation and acting in the interest of the community. The College has limited capacity to monitor and enforce these policies, and expects that all members of our community understand the need to support each other in complying with the required behaviors. However, we have also instituted a disciplinary process for egregious COVID-19 policy violations, which will be addressed through mechanisms including administrative or board hearings. Students or employees violating COVID-19 policies risk removal from campus or other penalties. Our hope is that such cases will be rare. In the majority of circumstances, reminders of the rules and assistance with compliance will suffice. In all cases, you should consider the Bard Cares team your primary resource for questions, assistance, and referral for interventions as we move through the semester. Please feel free to contact them at caresteam@bard.edu. We all want to have a successful fall semester. Taking responsibility and working together to make sure safety protocols are maintained are the best ways for us to achieve that goal.

In consultation with our partners at Nuvance, the College has developed a detailed plan for surveillance testing throughout the semester and surge testing as needed. “Surveillance testing” means we will test a significant random sample of the Bard community on a weekly basis, to maintain ongoing awareness of any potential spread of the virus on campus. “Surge testing” refers to the additional tests the College will administer immediately after any positive case is identified. All surveillance and surge tests will be processed by MIT’s Broad Institute, which has continued to produce test results in less than 24 hours on average. This comprehensive testing strategy aims to maintain a clear and accurate assessment of the health of the Bard community moving forward and to facilitate immediate response to any positive case. Our plan also meets the New York State requirement that the College define and track relevant metrics, to enable the swift identification and containment of any infection.

Surveillance testing will begin after the initial two-stage testing of all students (testing prior to their arrival at Bard, and a second test five to 10 days after arrival), when the College will start testing the campus community at a rate of approximately 400 individuals per week, spread over six days, throughout the semester. This represents weekly Bard-administered testing of approximately 25 percent of the students studying in Annandale this semester and a small number of employees, randomized across representative sections of the Bard community. 

In the case of a positive result from a Bard-administered test, the College will immediately initiate a surge in testing in coordination with our contact tracing program, testing all close contacts and isolating them while awaiting their test results. Operating together, surge testing and contact tracing will help us to contain any potential outbreak. The College will also coordinate closely with Dutchess County health authorities on required next steps. 

We have also created a data dashboard that will enable everyone in the Bard community and beyond to keep track of the testing process and any active cases on campus. Both the testing plan outlined above and the data dashboard can be found here.

We would like to thank everyone—students, faculty, and staff—for their hard work and cooperation in making L&T and student arrivals a success. 

Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
  E-mail: responseteam@bard.edu

×

A Message about Community Expectations and Returning to Campus

Thursday, August 20, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard Community,

Returning students are beginning to arrive on campus. We want to take this opportunity to reiterate the protocols students must follow as they return. We also wish to reinforce the College’s expectations for behavior of all members of the Bard community on campus and off, and announce the formation of a new resource designed to help community members adhere to those protocols and expectations. The College can remain safe only if the voluntary behavior of its community members conforms to the public health regulations. Fortunately, the required behaviors of mask wearing and social distancing are easy to follow. No doubt there are those who lament, as we all do, the loss of spontaneity and human contact that normal times offer. College has been traditionally a time for the expression of freedom and exploration. But the nation is, as it were, at war and we are all part of the fight to protect neighbors, friends, and strangers from harm. We also need to remember that college has also been defined, particularly at Bard, by the presumption of adulthood, understood in its best sense, for all students. The more each of us takes responsibility for holding true to the health protocols, the greater the chances are that we can emerge from the pandemic with as little suffering as possible and with our civil liberties and democracy intact.
 
In order to be eligible to begin classes on August 31, all students must complete the return to campus COVID-19 training and sign the College’s student health pledge as soon as possible, both of which can be found here. (All employees working on campus have already completed similar training and submitted an employee health pledge.) As noted in previous updates, arrival protocols for returning students include completing a COVID-19 test within five days of traveling to Bard and submitting the result to the Bard Health Service before arriving on campus; adhering to safe behaviors prior to travel; notifying the College if you are traveling from any state on New York’s current list of restricted states; and undergoing a second COVID-19 test administered by the College between 5-10 days after arrival. New York State also mandates that any student arriving from a restricted location must quarantine for 14 days after arrival, even if that student receives a negative test result and/or their state is removed from the restricted list after the student starts quarantine. After arrival at Bard, all students - living on campus or off - must submit a daily health screening via the Involvio app. Employees are also submitting health screenings. 
 
The College expects all students to read the instructions found on the Dean of Student Affairs website and review the College’s reopening plan. The procedures and protocols described in these documents are not optional. We expect all members of the Bard community to be aware of, and to adhere to, the Bard College and public health protocols designed to keep all of us, and those in the surrounding communities, healthy and safe. All members of this community have a responsibility to themselves and other Bardians to follow the established policies. We have communicated these policies via email, through handbooks for all students and employees, on the Bard COVID site, through required online training, and during multiple webinars and other interactions. The College has arranged for PPE to be provided to all who need it, a comprehensive testing protocol, special sanitization of campus facilities, alternative classrooms for social distancing, new procedures for the library and campus dining, and a host of other policies. Every member of this community has repeatedly been made aware of the requirements and why they are necessary, and has been provided access to the appropriate resources to comply. 
 
The College has established the Bard Cares Team to address instances where students or employees are having difficulty abiding by the community norms of behavior regarding the College's established COVID-19 protocols. The Team, chaired by Vice President and Dean of the Early Colleges Dumaine Williams, has developed a clear set of steps based in restorative practices to respond to reports seeking assistance, guidance, or a resolution of issues related to compliance with health and safety measures in the Bard community. It also seeks to equip members of the Bard community with information about bystander intervention techniques and other actions we can take to help keep each other safe and accountable. Dr. Williams will share more information about the Cares Team’s membership, approach, and next steps in an upcoming community message. He and other members of the Cares Team can be reached at caresteam@bard.edu. 
 
Through the Cares Team and the College’s COVID website, Bard is striving to educate our community about the importance and effectiveness of these policies and protocols, which have been developed carefully in collaboration with public health officials and medical experts. For the health of our community, we cannot accept unsafe behavior. We will address violations swiftly, but our capacity to do so is understandably limited, and therefore we must rely on the voluntary restraint that can be reasonably expected of citizens in a democracy. The College is making extraordinary efforts to provide the safe in-person college experience that we know is possible, and we expect all members of the community to uphold those efforts through their personal behavior. All members of this community - students, faculty, and staff - are well-informed adults with access to the knowledge and tools to uphold the College’s efforts to create a safe campus environment. We are grateful to all for their cooperation. 
 
Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
 

×

A Message about L&T Arrival and Testing, and Protocols for Returning Students

Thursday, August 13, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College community,

We’re pleased to report that after the smooth arrival of our first-year students, the Bard class of 2024 has begun L&T. Those who arrived from restricted states remain in quarantine, where they are participating remotely for approximately one more week, after which they will move into their assigned dorms. The rest can be seen on campus participating in socially distanced classes. Getting to this point has taken an extraordinary team effort by our faculty and staff, and we want to thank all of our colleagues from across the college for this successful beginning.

Our experience with the testing process and with MIT Broad Institute’s “Safe for Schools” program has continued to be smooth and efficient, with very quick turnarounds of approximately 24 hours. All students who arrived at Bard without the requisite pre-arrival test result were tested immediately upon arrival and required to shelter in place until receiving the result. All students are also receiving a post-arrival test between five and ten days after the day they arrive on campus. That round of post-arrival testing for first year students is now underway and we expect it to be completed early next week. So far we have no reports of any positive results.

Returning students will begin their arrival phase at the end of the month, with staggered arrivals from August 20 to August 30. If you are a returning student and have not yet filled out your arrival form, please do so here if you plan to live on campus, and here if you plan to live off campus. The protocols we have outlined in these email updates, on the college's COVID-19 website, and on the Dean of Student Affairs website apply to all returning students, whether you plan to live on or off campus. Please review these documents, particularly those on the DOSA website, to familiarize yourself with the new requirements and expectations for fall 2020. Arrival protocols for returning students include completing a COVID-19 test within five days of traveling to Bard and submitting the result to the Health Service; adhering to safe behaviors prior to travel; and notifying the College if you are traveling from any state on New York’s current list of restricted states. New York requires that people arriving from a restricted location complete the Department of Health’s Traveler Health Form. New York State also mandates that any student arriving from a restricted location must quarantine for 14 days after arrival, even if that student receives a negative test result and/or their state is removed from the restricted list after the student starts quarantine. The College has organized a comprehensive support system for students in quarantine, including Dining Service food delivery. The Dean of Student Affairs office will be reaching out to all returning students directly in the coming week with additional details and to help students plan their arrivals.

Sincerely,
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
  E-mail: responseteam@bard.edu

×

A Message about L&T Arrival, Student Guidelines, Community Accountability, and Contact Tracing

Friday, August 7, 2020 To the Bard College Community,

First-year students and L&T faculty have begun arriving and we are pleased to report the process is running smoothly and everyone is happy to be here and excited to begin L&T next week. Student Affairs has done a tremendous job welcoming these students to campus, with the help of many other staff members, faculty, and volunteers. All students arriving from restricted states are in quarantine, and all students who arrive without a negative COVID-19 test result are either sheltering in place as they await the result of a recent test, or were administered a test by the Bard Health Service upon arrival. Our first batch of tests was administered on Monday, and results (all negative) were back from MIT Broad Institute within 30 hours. Subsequent batches of testing have been returned even more quickly. In accordance with the health protocols recommended by our partners at Nuvance Health, the Bard Health Service will administer another COVID test to each student approximately 5 days after their arrival.

New information detailing protocols and expectations for students during L&T and the fall 2020 semester is now posted to the Dean of Student Affairs website. Included in this new addendum to the student handbook are health and safety protocols for students to follow both on and off campus, as well as a health pledge that all students must sign on arrival to the college. We encourage everyone to review these documents so we can all work together to implement these protocols through the fall semester. 

To help all members of the community understand and adhere to the new protocols this fall, the College has established the Bard Cares team. Under the leadership of Dumaine Williams, Dean and VP of the Bard Early Colleges, and with student, faculty, and staff members, the Cares team will serve as a resource to all Bardians in utilizing bystander intervention techniques and restorative justice practices in the context of COVID. In addition, the Cares team will consider and advise on cases of policy violations. Bard students, faculty, and staff are adults and private citizens, and the college cannot police personal behavior on its own. Every member of our community must take responsibility for their own actions as they relate to community health, and we must help each other along the way. The Bard Cares team will help us achieve that goal. We will share more details in a future update.

The College has also established a dedicated Contact Tracing Team that will work in tandem with the Dutchess County Health Department to manage this essential element of our plan for fall 2020. All members of the team, including team leader David Lindholm, have taken the Johns Hopkins contact tracing course and are dedicated to implement contact tracing at Bard with the utmost professionalism and discretion. More information on contact tracing at Bard, including answers to frequently asked questions about potential exposure and what a “close contact” is, can be found here.

As noted in last week’s update, any visitor to campus, such as a vendor or any other person who does not already have access to Bard’s required COVID training and Health Pledge, must be approved in advance by the Response Team. Supervisors can request permission by filling out and submitting an approval form. Only requests for urgent and/or essential visitors will be approved until further notice.

We appreciate the care and dedication that all members of the community are bringing to the campus reopening.

Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
 

×

A Message about L&T and the Start of the Semester

Saturday, August 1, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College Community:

Next week we begin welcoming first-year students for the Language & Thinking program as the next phase of the return to campus plan. Arrivals will be staggered from August 4–7 to smooth the transition and enable us to implement our testing and quarantine protocols. As noted in previous updates and on the COVID-19 website, we have detailed plans in place for students traveling from states restricted by New York to quarantine upon arrival in dedicated housing. Students who must quarantine or who are unable to return to Bard from their overseas homes will participate in remote versions of L&T. First-year students will receive detailed information and instructions about this year’s L&T from the Dean of Student Affairs Office and L&T instructors. 

In the coming days all students will receive their student handbook for fall 2020, which includes a detailed addendum covering COVID-19 protocols, procedures, and expectations for students both on campus and off. (The student handbook addendum mirrors relevant content from the Return to Campus handbook for employees that was distributed earlier this summer and is available on the college's Human Resources website.) We expect all students to read this handbook carefully and to become familiar with the required behaviors and best practices we all need to embrace in order to keep all students, faculty, staff, and the community safe. In addition to pre- and post-arrival testing and quarantine protocols, students will be required to sign a pledge to adhere to all campus rules and regulations and local and state health guidelines and to download Involvio, Bard’s health monitoring app. 

This semester Bard will operate as a restricted campus, with Bard facilities open only to students, faculty and staff, and a small number of approved visitors. The campus’ outdoor spaces will remain open to the public to engage in physically distanced activities, but access to buildings is restricted to members of the Bard community. Access to residence hall dormitories will be limited to those who reside there. Non-essential work travel is prohibited until further notice, and the college strongly encourages employees and students to refrain from non-essential personal travel outside the immediate area of the college. We are making great efforts to implement a carefully planned return of students to campus throughout August, and these efforts will be most effective if all members of the Bard community minimize travel once classes begin. 

These restrictions are essential to maintaining the safety of the Bard community for the fall semester. We can still take advantage of Bard's beautiful and expansive campus to reunite as a community in Annandale, even as we adhere to physical distancing and face covering protocols.

As we begin L&T and prepare for the fall semester, it is also important to remember that the health and safety of those who live and work in the surrounding communities are directly supported by the actions of everyone at the college. The protocols for campus life outlined in the student handbook and the COVID-19 website apply to off-campus behaviors as well. Bard is part of a larger community and we all must share a commitment to act responsibly wherever we are, on campus or off.


Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
 

×

A Message to the Bard Community about Fall Athletics, Testing, and Quarantine Procedures

Friday, July 24, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

We continue to develop our plans for the fall semester and look forward to welcoming members of the incoming first-year class to campus soon. We are glad that we have been able to provide a home for students who have chosen to remain here over the summer. Bard’s large rural campus is an important asset to our plan to support the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff, and by requiring social distancing and mask wearing, severely limiting visitors and travel, and implementing required testing and screening protocols, this plan serves to protect the health of the community. Dutchess County is safer than most other places in the country. In order to do our part in preserving that status, we have obtained sufficient quarantine space for those who may require it when they arrive.

This week, the Liberty League, of which Bard is a member, cancelled the fall intercollegiate sports season due to the risks of travel associated with league competition. We value the role of student-athletes at Bard and understand the importance of disciplined physical sports and wellness activity in the lives of young people. In response, Bard coaches are developing creative ways to continue to engage teams using Bard’s vast campus as a resource. The staff is also coordinating new training, recreation, and wellness programs for the entire Bard community. 

New York State continues to update its list of restricted states. Travelers from those states are required by law to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in New York. We are finalizing off-campus locations where students who are required to quarantine can do so safely. 

As we have discussed in previous updates, on the advice of our partners at Nuvance Health, Bard has instituted a requirement for all students to take a COVID test and present a negative result within 5 days prior to their arrival day at Bard. With the increasing scarcity of tests and expanding wait times for results in some areas, we have added an option for students who are unable to get a test before travel to get tested as soon as they arrive on campus. 

Students who are able to get a test and result within 5 days should submit that result to covidclearance@bard.edu. 

Students who arrive still awaiting test results will be required to shelter in place in an assigned room on campus and participate in all academic activities remotely until they receive their test result. The college will arrange for food and package delivery during this time.

In addition to this pre-testing, all students will receive a second test 5 days after arrival to campus.

We encourage all students to review the updated course list where fully remote courses are clearly identified, and be in touch with their advisers and professors with any questions. 
 
Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
David Shein, Associate VP for Academic Affairs/Dean of Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
  E-mail: responseteam@bard.edu

×

A Message about Quarantine, Testing, Contact Tracing, and Support for International Students

Friday, July 17, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

This week Bard’s COVID-19 Response Team has worked closely with our partners at Nuvance Health to further define protocols for health and safety on campus, particularly in the dormitories and classrooms. Nuvance is conducting multiple site visits, meeting with faculty and staff to advise on applying best practices in classrooms and alternative teaching spaces, including cleaning protocols and ventilation recommendations. 

Working with Nuvance in this process has reinforced that personal behavior is the key to supporting health and safety in our community: wearing masks, practicing physical distancing, and washing hands frequently are still the basis for maintaining a safe campus. This conclusion is supported by the fact that New York State, where mask wearing has been required for several months, has one of the lowest rates of COVID transmission in the country. 

As we move forward to the fall semester, our individual commitment to the health and safety of our community both on and off campus must include a personal dedication to adhering to recommended personal behaviors. We will repeatedly remind each of you to follow through with these simple yet demonstrably effective measures. Together with testing, screening, and our sanitization protocols, these personal behaviors make it possible for the college to safely reopen this fall. In future updates we will share more about the incentive and accountability measures we are developing to ensure members of our community are complying with these protocols.

Bard is in good company with a large number of colleges and universities as we move towards reopening. Our neighbors at Marist, Vassar, Union, Skidmore, Hamilton, and many other institutions in New York and across the region are taking a similar approach in coordinating closely with local officials and public health experts to develop policies to return to campus as safely as possible. 

Quarantine and Testing Requirements

In our previous update, we announced a requirement that all students—no matter where they are located—get a COVID test within five days of traveling to Bard. Positive antibody testing is not considered a negative COVID test result and can not be submitted in place of a negative test result. We will soon provide detailed instructions about how to submit test results. Between the time of the test and arriving on campus, it is important that students adhere to safe behaviors: no large gatherings, wear a mask, and practice physical distancing. In addition, as recommended by our partners at Nuvance, the college will test all students within the first five days of their arrival on campus. 

Three populations of students will have to be quarantined upon arrival to the area, as noted below. Any on-campus student who is able to independently complete their required quarantine before arriving on campus should plan to do so. 

• Students traveling from restricted locations. As noted previously, New York State is requiring anyone entering the state from abroad or from states with significant community spread of COVID-19 to quarantine for 14 days. The list of restricted states changes daily, so please check to see if your state is listed before planning to travel. New York State regulations require the full 14 days of quarantine for those traveling from restricted locations, even if a student receives a negative COVID test result while in quarantine. 
• Students unable to get tested before traveling to Bard. The College will provide tests to these students as soon as they arrive. They will be required to quarantine until they receive a negative test result. If they originally traveled from a non-restricted location, they will be released from quarantine upon receiving a negative test result.
• Students who get tested before traveling to Bard, but do not receive their test result in time to travel to Bard. They will be required to quarantine until receiving their test result. If they originally traveled from a non-restricted location, they will be released from quarantine upon receiving a negative test result.

In consultation with Nuvance, we are setting aside appropriate spaces on campus for quarantine and self-isolation as needed. We are also making arrangements with off-site locations to ensure we have adequate spaces for all arriving students who will need to quarantine. Students living on campus will quarantine in one of the spaces Bard is arranging. Students living off campus will need to quarantine off campus. We will be in close contact with all students about specific plans and requirements. 

As a reminder, returning students who are living on campus should fill out the move-in and arrival form HERE as soon as possible. There is a place on the form where you can outline your off-campus quarantine plan, if you are planning to independently complete your quarantine before arriving on campus.

Off-campus students should fill out the arrival form HERE as soon as possible to provide us with their addresses and arrival information. The college will provide detailed instructions to all students who will need to quarantine as we finalize our plans. 

This week, New York State government established a requirement for all travelers from restricted states to fill out and submit the New York State Traveler Health Form upon arriving in the state. This form is only accessible to and for use by state government authorities; it is not connected to Bard. We ask that you abide by all state requirements when traveling to or in New York. For more information about New York State’s approach to reopening, please check the New York Forward website.  

Screening and Contact Tracing

All students, living on campus and off, will be required to complete a daily health screening, just as all employees do every day they come to campus. Our partners at Involvio, with whom we were already working on student engagement activities, have developed a Safe Reopen app, which enables students to complete their screening online. All students will have to show that they have completed the screening and received a ‘pass’ before entering campus facilities including classrooms and the dining commons. We will provide more details in future updates. 

The college has also established a contact tracing team to supplement the efforts of the Dutchess County health department. All members of this team have taken online training developed by Johns Hopkins University. Bard’s contact tracers, in close coordination with county health officials, will follow up with anyone who tests positive or believes they have been exposed to COVID. This work mainly consists of time-sensitive phone calls. Any Bard employee interested in taking the Johns Hopkins training and joining the contact tracing team is encouraged to contact David Lindholm at dlindholm@bard.edu for further information.

International Student Support

Many of our international students will be unable to attend classes in person in Annandale in the fall, due to travel restrictions and challenges obtaining visas. We have been working hard to develop options for these students to continue with their Bard education from their overseas locations. For students in Europe who are able to travel to Berlin, we are offering places at Bard College Berlin. For students in China, we are finalizing options with some Chinese universities so that students can take a mix of online courses through Bard and in-person courses on site in China. Through the Bard network and the Open Society University Network, we have partner institutions on five continents, and will work individually with each student on a plan that preserves their visa status and gives them the best possible access to the Bard experience. We hope to welcome all international students back to Annandale as soon circumstances allow. We are closely monitoring current travel restrictions to the United States, and advise students to check the website of the U.S. Consulate in their home countries for updates on exceptions for student travel to the United States. In the meantime, we will strive to keep all of our students connected around the world. Students and families with questions should contact International Student Adviser Manishka Kalupahana (kalupaha@bard.edu or 845-758-7328) or Dean of International Studies Jennifer Murray (jmurray@bard.edu or 845-758-6822 x7387).

We were pleased to learn that, in response to the Harvard/MIT lawsuit, which Bard joined via an amicus brief, the Trump Administration has rescinded the punitive ICE guidelines for international students.
 
We appreciate your patience and participation as we finalize our plans for a safe and engaging return to campus. We will continue to offer updates on a regular basis. Please check our COVID-19 website for more information and FAQs, and please feel free to ask questions.
 
For individual questions please contact the following directly:

• Testing: Health Services, 845-758-7433, covidclearance@bard.edu​​​​​​​
• Arrival and Quarantine: Residence Life, 845-758-7455, reslife@bard.edu
• Student Academic Planning: David Shein, Dean of Studies, 845-758-7045, shein@bard.edu

 For general questions please contact responseteam@bard.edu.
 
Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily McLaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
  E-mail: responseteam@bard.edu

×

A Message about Student Arrival, Testing, and Community Monitoring

Friday, July 10, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College community:
 
Last week we presented a comprehensive outline of our plans for the fall semester. In our update this week, we are focusing primarily on student arrival, testing, and community monitoring. 
 
Bard has signed 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. Many of the leading colleges and universities in the US are participating in this program, and Broad expects its testing capacity to reach 100,000 tests per day in the coming weeks. In consultation with our partners at Nuvance Health, we are now finalizing on-campus testing sites and protocols that will be in place when students arrive. With this contract and guidance from Nuvance, Bard will be able to provide accurate testing with quick turnaround to all of our students seven days a week, both on arrival and during the semester. 
 
Pre- and Post-Arrival Testing

•  All students must get a COVID-19 (PCR) test before traveling to Bard and present proof of a negative test in advance of arrival. Students will receive detailed instructions after they sign up for an arrival date. Please contact your primary care physician or county department of public health to identify a local testing center in your area. Some testing centers may require reservations so please factor this and time to receive your results into your travel and arrival plans. Most private insurance plans will cover the cost of these tests. Bard student insurance will also cover the cost of pre-arrival testing when using an approved lab with a prescription. For information on student insurance call 800-734-9326. Students who are unable to provide negative test results within 5 days before travel to Bard should be in contact with Health Services at 845-758-7433 or covidclearance@bard.edu​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ about arrangements for returning to campus. Students who test positive for COVID-19 should refrain from traveling; they will not be allowed to return to Bard until they have produced a negative test. 
• Bard will provide testing to all students, whether they live on or off campus, within five days of arrival to campus. This time frame offers the most accurate results following potential exposure during travel. Bard will continue conducting random testing on a weekly basis throughout the semester.
• Testing will be available seven days a week.
• College employees can get tested locally through their health insurance, and should discuss their options with their primary care physician. You can locate your nearest COVID testing site at this site operated by the New York State Department of Health, or at Empire BC/BS’s Coronavirus Resource Center here. More information will be forthcoming for employees who wish to be considered for inclusion in random testing on campus.

 
Health Screening and Monitoring

• All students will be required to take online COVID-19 training and to sign a pledge committing to adhere to the health and safety requirements to maintain a safe and healthy campus before they return. Staff and faculty are required to go through a similar training and are also submitting health pledges. 
• All students, whether you live on or off campus, will conduct a daily self-screening, and will have to demonstrate that you have completed this requirement before you can enter any campus facilities, including classrooms and dining halls. The college has contracted with a student engagement software firm to offer an easy-to-use screening app that will enable all students to meet this daily requirement quickly and easily. Students will receive more details about the app, the daily screening requirement, and the health pledge and training before arriving on campus.
• The college’s contact tracing team, in coordination with the Dutchess County Department of Public and Behavioral Health and our partners at Nuvance Health, will monitor and follow up potential exposures and positive test results. Employees who test positive or may have been exposed will be required to self-isolate off campus for two weeks or until they produce a negative test result. Students who test positive will be moved to a dedicated quarantine space where they will receive personalized support; those who may have been exposed will be asked to self-isolate for two weeks or until testing negative.   

 
Travel and Student Arrival

• All students are asked to avoid large gatherings and practice social distancing for at least two weeks before traveling to Bard. 
• All students arriving from states listed by New York State for travel restrictions will be required to quarantine for fourteen days prior to starting in-person classes. Remote options for starting class will be available for students in quarantine for the beginning of L&T or the beginning of the regular semester. Please review the restricted states here to keep track of your state’s status as you approach your travel date. Questions regarding individual plans for quarantine can be directed to Darnell Pierce, Assistant Dean of Students & Director of the First Year Experience, dpierce@bard.edu.
• Masks will be required of all students on arrival, during move-in, and throughout the fall semester. Bard will provide two masks each to all students and employees who need them. You are also encouraged to bring your own masks. You can find information about recommended masks here. 
• The Dean of Students Office requires all students to select an arrival date and time for staggered arrival. First-year students can make their reservations now with this form. Returning and new transfer students will receive an email from the Dean of Students Office when their date reservations become available.  
• Any employees who have recently visited or are traveling from states identified as restricted by the New York State Department of Health are required to quarantine for two weeks before returning to campus.

 
Advising and Academic Updates

• An updated course listing indicating in-person and remote courses will be published by August 1. Most courses will be offered in an in-person or blended format. As always, Add/Drop is a ten-day period at the start of the semester: late add/drop is possible for the first six weeks of term (check with Registrar Peter Gadsby). Students are free to contact instructors and the Registrar over the summer, as well, to request information or modification of their course schedules. The college will work on a case-by-case basis to provide individualized academic support to students with special needs or who are unable to travel to Annandale. 
• Entering First-Year students will be contacted by faculty advisors in the coming week.

 
Supporting International Students

• In light of the new guidance released this week by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Bard College reiterates its commitment to doing everything we can to support our international students. We support the lawsuit filed by MIT and Harvard seeking an order barring the enforcement of these guidelines, and will work tirelessly to ensure that no international student is prevented from attending Bard. We want to assure you that the hybrid model of instruction, with a strong in-person component, that Bard has planned for the fall semester complies with the new guidance. International students returning to campus in the fall will take in-person classes in Annandale and maintain their visa status. Those who are overseas and cannot travel to Bard for the start of the semester may enroll in Bard’s online courses from their home countries. Students will be able to review the updated course list and request changes as needed based upon individual course delivery modes. Bard will make special efforts to retain the sense of community among the entire student body, including those who are unable to return from overseas. International students with specific concerns about their individual circumstances may contact Bard’s International Student Advisor,  Manishka Kalupahana, kalupaha@bard.edu or Dean of International Studies, Jen Murray jmurray@bard.edu. 

 
Campus Safety

• No outside visitors will be allowed in campus buildings, including dormitories, until NY State and public health authorities curtail mandated health and social distancing restrictions. Students living off campus should limit campus visits to classes and outdoor spaces. All members of the Bard community are asked to refrain from any non-urgent travel. 
• Students and employees will be required to wear masks or appropriate face coverings in all classrooms, public shared spaces on campus, and areas where social distancing cannot be observed, including in residence halls and teaching spaces. Outdoors, face coverings must be worn on pathways and in any open area where you are passing another person less than 6 feet apart. Under New York State guidelines, students who share a dorm room are considered a household and can be mask-free in their rooms, but must wear face coverings in all communal spaces.
• More detailed information for students about social distancing requirements and protocols on campus and in dorms will be forthcoming in a future update. 

 
Athletics

• The Liberty League, of which Bard is a member, has announced that member colleges will have the opportunity to participate in competition with other Liberty League member colleges, while including a limited number of non-league opportunities following a phased resocialization. The Liberty League will adhere to all state and local directives regarding athletics competition. Fall competition in all sports will begin no earlier than Saturday, Sept. 26. At a minimum, all teams must complete the first two phases of the guidelines outlined in the NCAA's Core Principles of Resocialization of Collegiate Sport prior to engaging in competition. Bard’s athletic schedule and protocols will be announced in the coming weeks. 

 
We appreciate your patience and participation as we finalize our plans for a safe and engaging return to campus. We will continue to offer updates on a regular basis. Please check our COVID-19 website for more information and FAQs, and please feel free to ask questions.
 
For individual questions please contact the following directly:
 
Testing: Health Services, 845-758-7433, healthservice@bard.edu
 
Arrival: Residence Life, 845-758-7455, reslife@bard.edu
 
Travel and Quarantine: Darnell Pierce, Assistant Dean of Students, Director of the First Year Experience, 845-758-7454, dpierce@bard.edu
 
Academic Planning: David Shein, Dean of Studies, 845-758-7045, shein@bard.edu
 
For general questions please contact responseteam@bard.edu.
 
 
Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily Mclaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
 

×

A Message to the Bard Community about the Upcoming Academic Year

Thursday, July 2, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard community,

As promised, today I am sending you Bard College's reopening plan for the upcoming academic year. It is our intent to reopen the campus for in-person classes as originally scheduled for the fall 2020 semester. We will do so with the utmost consideration for the safety and well-being of our students and employees. Our plan has been formulated in close coordination with state and local authorities and public health officials, and with our partners at Nuvance Health.  
 
The key to a healthy and productive reopening will be the commitment by everyone in the Bard community to understanding and following protocols. We all must take responsibility not only for ourselves, but for the health and safety of neighbors, friends, and strangers. Undoubtedly we will be faced with the unexpected. But Bard is uniquely situated to improvise and respond thoughtfully to the moment.  Our commitment to teaching and learning informs our approach to the challenges we are facing in and out of the classroom.

The College and its community must work together to uphold standards of behavior and public health best practices that support wellness and align with federal and state guidelines. Bard has the advantages of a 1,000 acre campus, a rural location, and small class sizes. It can create and implement a sound reopening plan. The College is encouraging creativity and innovative practices in providing an outstanding and rigorous academic program that is accessible to students regardless of location and health status.  We seek to create a community of learning, the cultivation of the arts and civic engagement here in Annandale in the context of a national and international public health crisis.
 
Reopening the campus will require a high standard of public trust. The College will strive to develop and deliver, collaboratively, imaginative alternatives while continuing to offer exceptional educational and cultural experiences.

The College’s COVID-19 Response Team, with input from faculty, staff, students, and alumni/ae, has developed a detailed, carefully considered plan for reopening, which I include below. As the public health situation evolves and the state provides new guidance, we will adjust accordingly and will keep you updated.

Bard is a unique and adaptable community, and I am confident that together we will make it through this challenging and unpredictable time. We have finalized plans for our August commencement on the weekend of August 21, 22, 23. Details will be sent out tomorrow.
 
The entire staff and faculty of Bard look forward to welcoming students back to Annandale in August. 


Cordially,
Leon Botstein
President


*****

The key to a healthy and productive reopening will be the commitment of everyone in the Bard community to understand and follow these protocols and to take responsibility not only for themselves, but for the health and safety of others. Bard is uniquely situated to respond to the moment.  The delivery of a quality education in unlikely places around the world informs our approach to the challenges we are facing in and out of the classroom.

---

Arrival and Academic Calendar
We are staggering arrival dates and moving much of the arrival documentation online to allow for appropriate social distancing during move-in. The College is preparing to welcome first-year students between August 4-7 and returning students and new transfers between August 18-25. New students will be allowed two people to accompany them when they arrive to move in and we ask that returning students bring just one person to help them move in. Social distancing protocols will be in place and everyone must wear a face covering. 

The Office of Residence Life will send out more details about arrival next week, including a reservations form for students to determine an arrival time that considers each student’s travel schedule and unique situation. New York State may also require some students to quarantine upon arrival, depending on where they are traveling from, and the College is prepared to help students uphold that requirement by providing quarantine facilities and support as needed. As of June 30, New York State has issued quarantine requirements for travelers from: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. The College will be in touch with students traveling from states with a quarantine designation to plan for the specific requirements. Questions related to individual needs related to quarantine should be directed to responseteam@bard.edu.

Students will be required to have a coronavirus test taken within five days before traveling to Bard. If it is positive, you must stay home until you have tested negative. If testing is not available in your area or you otherwise have difficulty accessing a test, please be in touch with Bard Health Services and they will advise you on safely returning to campus. All students can also be expected to be tested soon after arrival on campus. More information about testing protocols for students will be shared in the next update. 

Bard will maximize the opportunity for in-person learning and leverage alternative classroom spaces including outdoor venues for increased physical distancing. The total number of contact hours and weeks of instruction remain the same.

The calendar for the Bard College 2020-2021 academic year:

• Early August: staggered student arrivals, including online orientation and check-in (dates and details above)
• August 10: Language and Thinking begins for all first-year students
• August 31: The fall semester begins, with students and faculty unable to return to campus participating remotely
• October 23-25: Family & Alumni/ae Weekend. The College is planning for a variety of contingencies to align with whatever the public health guidance is at that time.
• November 20: Fall 2020 classes will meet without any scheduled interruption or Fall Break through this day. At that time the College, if necessary in light of the relevant public health considerations, will provide paths for instruction remotely until the final day of classes, which will be December 18th in accordance with the original academic calendar. Students wishing to travel for Thanksgiving will be advised that, depending on public health restrictions at that time in Dutchess County and their travel destinations, they may not be able to return to campus. Any student not permitted to return after Thanksgiving owing to COVID-19 restrictions will have a path to remote completion for the semester. Any student unable to travel is welcome to stay on campus at Thanksgiving and remain on their meal plans for the duration of the semester, through December 21st. Tuition adjustments will not be made should coursework be moved online following the holiday. 
• The semester will formally end on December 21st. Housing will remain open for students who cannot return home after the semester. Provisions will be made for food and other support services. 

The Dean of the College will share specific information with the faculty under separate cover about summer development workshops and resources to prepare for in-person and remote teaching this fall.

Protecting Health and Safety on Campus
The College has a formal agreement with Nuvance Health, one of the largest health care providers in the region, and with them is planning the design and implementation of public health and hygiene measures, including detailed protocols for testing and screening, daily monitoring of symptoms, contact tracing, quarantine practices, and social distancing across the Bard campus. 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 College will release more information as these measures are finalized.

Social Distancing and Face Covering
New York State has defined standards for social distancing and personal protective equipment use. In accordance with these standards, the College will require the wearing of face coverings in all classrooms, public shared spaces on campus, or in areas where social distancing cannot be observed, including in residence halls and teaching spaces. The class schedule is being extended and alternative teaching spaces have been identified to allow for longer periods between classes and to minimize traffic. Face coverings must be placed over the nose and mouth and will be required indoors in all classrooms and in all campus buildings any time it is not possible to be at least 6 feet away from another person. Outdoors, face coverings must be worn on pathways and in any open area where you are passing another person less than 6 feet apart. Under New York State guidelines, students who share a dorm room are considered a household and can be mask-free in their rooms, but must wear face coverings in all communal spaces. 

Face coverings and disinfecting supplies are being provided to all students and employees who need them, to support social distancing and aid in keeping personal areas sanitized. The College has purchased and stored extra supplies of PPE and disinfecting materials.

The College is prohibiting all non-essential employee travel, encouraging alternate methods of contact including remote meetings, and limiting in-person appointments.

Dining Services
Staggered dining times and takeaway options will be available for students as well as decentralized dining in two additional locations. Students will be able to use their dining card at a small grocery store on campus.

The College opened a food pantry last semester that can supplement the offerings made through the dining commons. 

Testing, Screening, and Monitoring
The College is developing, in consultation with Nuvance Health, testing and screening protocols and systems for on- and off-campus populations. Students will be able to get tested at Bard Health Service and with our local testing partners.  

Protocols already in place include self-administered health screenings by all employees working on campus. In accordance with NYS guidelines, all employees are required to conduct a daily health screening prior to coming to campus, wear face coverings, practice social distancing, and follow all recommended public health guidelines. If concerns arise during the self-administered health screenings, they will be directed to self-isolate until it is determined that it is safe for them to return. In the case of a positive test result, contact tracing protocols will be initiated. If needed, employees will quarantine and isolate in their own homes.

The College has created a COVID-19 Contact Team responsible for the daily monitoring of and follow up to community cases. This includes oversight of trained on-campus contact tracers for presumptive or confirmed cases. The team will, among other things, track the daily health screenings for all on-campus employees required by NYS, identify and trace possible exposures, provide administrative support to Health Services, and  remain in close contact with the Dutchess County Health Department.

Students with positive test results will be moved to dedicated quarantine housing and students with close contact will be asked to self-isolate. While keeping a student’s identity and health information secure, the College will, in coordination with the Department of Health, conduct contact tracing and monitoring of student health. As we did this past March, Health Service providers will conduct daily check-ins with students in isolation or quarantine via Telehealth or in person for mild or moderate illness, ensuring they have the medications and supplies they need. Meals will be delivered and isolation housing will include beverages and snacks. Bard Counseling Service will be available via Telehealth for mental health care and a student wellness team will provide additional support. Academic support will be provided by academic advisers and the deans in the Center for Student Life & Advising.

Students will be required to take online COVID-19 training and to sign a pledge which acknowledges the new commitments we all need to take prior to their arrival to campus.  Staff and faculty are required to go through a similar training and are also submitting health pledges acknowledging the need for all of us to do our part to keep each other safe. The Dean of Students Office, in coordination with the peer review board and student judiciary board, is working on orientation, training, education, bystander intervention techniques, and restorative practices to help enforce these community standards. 

The Bard Health Service website will update current COVID-19 information throughout the semester. Additional information can be found on the College’s COVID-19 Response website.

Facilities
Environmental Services conducted cleaning and sanitization of all campus facilities over the past three months. They have now implemented cleaning and disinfecting protocols in all public buildings, academic and administrative spaces, and residence hall common spaces (kitchens, hallways, lounges, bathrooms) in accordance with CDC guidelines, using EPA-approved disinfectants, and following health and safety protocols and OSHA guidelines. All employees who are returning to work on campus will be trained and supplied with EPA-approved cleaning/disinfecting supplies to use in their personal and shared spaces. Over 100 new sanitizing stations have been installed near doorways throughout campus, and all existing sanitizing stations were re-filled with greater than 60% alcohol product.

Bard’s HVAC department replaces air filters and cleans coils in campus filtration systems on a regular rotating schedule throughout the year. All filters have been cleaned and/or replaced within the past six months, and will continue to be cleaned and/or replaced as scheduled. All units designed for HEPA filters received new HEPA filters. The plumbing department has flushed water systems in all buildings, checked HVAC systems and replaced filters, made sure safety systems were fully operational, and all systems are in good working order.

To optimize the health and well-being of our students and employees, Bard is establishing “restricted facilities”—classrooms, residence halls, laboratories, dining areas, sports facilities—that are only open to Bard students and employees. Our restricted facilities will:

• Prohibit unauthorized/non-essential visitors. We will webcast as many student artistic events as possible.
• Limit non-instructional gatherings and congregations in communal spaces.
• Limit the number of students in the classroom and provide for social distancing.
• Designate entry and exit points for buildings.
• Adhere to sanitization and social distancing requirements, including adequate hygiene and PPE supplies, and reduce common seating areas.
• Limit occupancy of classrooms and other public spaces on campus to 50%.
• Enforce social distancing through placement of signs and barriers.

Mental Health
We understand that many students have experienced a great deal of change and disruption during these past seven months. Bard Counseling Services, in collaboration with Health Services, Student Government, Residence Life, and Wellness, plan to offer a range of workshops, programs, training, and support groups that use a trauma-informed approach and are guided by racial and social justice principles. Our programming will be geared to support the mental well-being of all students as they begin or return to Bard. 

Bard College remains cognizant and concerned about the disparate impact of this pandemic on people of color and individuals from financially challenged backgrounds, and the additional stress and anxiety during these difficult times. The Office of the Dean for Inclusive Excellence, the Financial Aid Office, the Office of Equity and Inclusion, and other campus resources are available to offer assistance in coping with the additional stressors generated by COVID-19. 

Accessible Academics and Advising
Faculty have been invited to participate in a special summer advising program for entering first-year and transfer students who are preparing to join us for the first time in Annandale. Students have completed an advising survey already: assignments are in the process of being made. Throughout the month of July, advisors will meet in group as well as individual advising sessions to orient incoming students to the curriculum and life at Bard. Summer registration is scheduled to take place between July 30-Aug 3. For registration information contact gadsby@bard.edu.

Summer Webinars for Rising Seniors

• Monday, 7/6, 6-7pm (EST )-  theory-based projects and projects in the humanities, with Professors Jay Ellott (philosophy) and Dominique Townsend (Religion). Zoom link.
• Tuesday, 7/7 230-330pm (EST) - projects in the social sciences and that involve case studies,with Professors Rob Culp (history) and Michelle Murray (Political Studies). Zoom link.
• Wednesday 7/8, 2-3pm (EST) - art installations and performance-based projects, with Professors Ben Coonley (film) and Maria Simpson (dance). Zoom link.
• Thursday, 7/16, 3:30-430pm (EST) - projects in languages and literature (including written arts), with Professors Cole Heinowitz (literature), Marisa Libbon (literature), and Dinaw Mengestu (Written Arts), Eric Trudel (French). Zoom link.
• Friday, 7/24, 230-330pm (EST) - projects in the sciences, mathematics, and computing, with Professors Emily McLaughlin (chemistry), John Cullinan (mathematics) and Keith O'Hara (computer science). Zoom link.

This fall, the College will be offering a suite of multidisciplinary Common Courses available to all incoming first-year as well as interested second-year students.  Each of these courses will address a critical global or local contemporary issue from multidisciplinary perspectives and allow for instruction either in person or online.

New Common Courses for 2020-21

• Epidemics, Society, and Culture: What do epidemics tell us about microbes, markets, and ourselves? This course will cover the history, science, and art of protecting the health of populations and the social, political, philosophical, and cultural implications of public health catastrophes. 
• The Making of Citizens: Local, National, Global: This course aims to interrogate and analyze the concept of citizenship. Drawing on different disciplinary approaches, faculty will encourage students to think about how citizenship emerges, exists, and differs at the local, national, and global levels, and what forms of participation are necessary to sustain meaningful citizenship for themselves and others.
• Resilience, Survival, Extinction: How do individuals, species, languages, and cultures survive, show resilience, and become extinct? This course introduces students to methods of biological analysis and cultural interpretation that explore the many ways we understand resilience, survival, and extinction. 
• Designing the Futures Around Us: This course invites students to approach design as a tool for reflecting on the existing worlds in which we find ourselves and as a means to rethink them and invent new ones. In the spirit of critique and experimentation, students will engage in visual projects, design practices, and study the history of the ways the spaces around us have been constructed and understood.
• Alternate Worlds: In his essay “On Fairy-Stories,” J. R. R. Tolkien responds to accusations that fantasy constitutes an irresponsible “escapist” flight from reality. In this course, we will be considering the relation between imagination and reality by considering counterfactual histories, fantastical literary works, and utopias or dystopias. 

Questions about academic advising can be directed to Dean of Studies David Shein at shein@bard.edu. Questions about accessibility can be directed to the College’s new Director of Disability Resources and Accessibility Erika van der Velden ‘04 at evandervelden@bard.edu.

Campus Life and Civic Engagement
While many traditional events will have to be reimagined for the fall, the Student Services team is working hard to plan a robust and thoughtful calendar of events to engage all students. We will have both in-person and online events, targeted at keeping the community together, helping people make connections, engaging in thoughtful leadership and conversation, and staying civically engaged. Protocols on how events can happen are being finalized right now in accordance with state and CDC guidelines, and all club and organization leaders will be given ample notice so that they can start planning events. New online platforms for connection, particularly around music and the performing arts, are being tested this summer and will be available to students this fall. Students can anticipate smaller events across campus with a lot of outdoor engagement. 

You will be receiving more details as we approach arrival dates. There are a number of decisions that must be based upon forthcoming guidance and changing events. This poses challenges to all of us, but we’re confident that, working together, we can have a safe, successful, and fulfilling semester. 

Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Brooke Jude, Associate Professor of Biology
Emily Mclaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate

×

A Message to Faculty and Staff about the Return to Campus

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College Faculty and Staff,

We are pleased to announce that Bard has established plans and protocols for remote employees to begin a safe and gradual return to campus. Developed in accordance with New York State and CDC guidelines, our return to campus plan puts the health and safety of our community first and foremost, and enables departments across campus to apply the required protocols to the specific needs of their departments. 

Essential employees have continued to work on campus throughout the spring to support ongoing operations and ensure the safety and well-being of the students who remain here. Now, with the state entering phase 3 of reopening, we can bring additional employees back to campus. The initial group of returning employees is relatively small and has already been identified by and in communication with their supervisors. All other employees will continue to work remotely until further notice.

Over the last month, supervisors were educated and trained on health and safety protocols, college policies, and community expectations. Also, in coordination with Bard’s Response Team, supervisors have developed initial return to campus plans for their respective offices and departments that include site assessments, determining capacity levels in buildings, reconfiguring workstations, adding signage and demarcations, and securing PPE, in order to comply with NYS and CDC guidance.

Below is an outline of the key aspects of the Bard return to campus plan and links to relevant information. 

Department Plans and Work Schedules
Employees who require access to campus spaces and equipment in order to complete critical preparations for the fall semester have started to return to campus; departments include the library, IT, labs, financial services, and some academic administrative staff. Flexible work schedules have been approved including staggered shifts, alternating days, and a continuation of remote work, when applicable, to allow for social distancing and fewer opportunities for in-person contact. Supervisors will continue to work directly with their staff members on plan implementation and work schedules.

Training & Protocols for Employees
All employees will be required to complete an online COVID-19 training, sign a health pledge by which they agree to abide by social distancing and hygiene protocols, and conduct a daily health screening before coming to campus each day. Employees must also familiarize themselves with college policies and protocols, health and safety guidelines, campus contacts, and external resources, which are available in the college's comprehensive downloadable Return to Campus Guidebook. In the coming days all employees will receive a separate email from Human Resources providing instructions on how to access the online training and health pledge.

Personal Protective Equipment
Face coverings will be required in all cases where social distancing is not possible, and will be provided to all employees who need them with instructions on how to properly use and discard. Bard has an inventory of face coverings, disinfectant, and other PPE that will be made available as needed. More information on face coverings is available in the Return to Campus Guidebook, through the online training, and on signage posted in buildings across campus.

Cleaning and Disinfection
Environmental Services conducted rigorous cleaning and sanitizing efforts in all campus buildings over the past four months. They have now implemented enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols in public buildings, academic and administrative spaces, and residence hall common spaces (kitchens, hallways, lounges, bathrooms) in accordance with CDC guidelines, using EPA-approved disinfectants, and following health and safety protocols and OSHA guidelines. More frequent disinfecting in public spaces and high-touch areas will also be implemented as the campus begins to repopulate. Over 100 new sanitizing stations have been installed near doorways throughout campus, and all existing sanitizing stations will be maintained with greater than 60% alcohol-containing sanitizer.

In addition, departments will be provided with cleaning and disinfecting instructions and supplies for use in personal work areas, and employees are expected to clean personal desk surfaces, keyboards, phones, and other equipment such as copy machine control panels as necessary. Security will coordinate the procurement, allocation, and replenishment of cleaning products for departmental use as outlined in the Employee Return to Campus Guidebook and communicated by supervisors after site assessments.

Ventilation and Water
Air filters have been cleaned and/or replaced within the past six months, and will continue to be cleaned and/or replaced as scheduled. Units designed for HEPA filters received new HEPA filters. Guidelines for increasing natural airflow in buildings are also included in the Return to Campus Guidebook. An inventory of small office fans has been purchased to assist with airflow in offices upon request. 

Buildings and Grounds has flushed water systems in all buildings, checked HVAC systems, and made sure safety systems are fully operational.

As part of our reopening plan, we’re pleased to announce that David Lindholm, Bard’s Associate Athletics Director, and Nancy Smith, Campus Accessibility Coordinator, will be working closely with Human Resources to monitor the daily health screenings of returning staff and respond to COVID-related questions from all employees. We will soon announce details of a live webinar with Response Team leadership and medical experts, to answer employee questions about returning to campus. Next week we will also share more details about the college's plan to reopen the campus for the fall semester, which is being developed in compliance with New York State requirements for higher education that were released four days ago.

We would like to thank supervisors for their work on developing thoughtful, safety-focused return to campus plans for their departments, and employees for their ongoing work as we ready campus for their safe and sensible return. We will continue to adjust our operating procedures as circumstances, guidance, and information evolves. 

We look forward to a safe and productive return to campus. For more information on returning to campus, visit the Human Resources website, the COVID-19 website, or email hr@bard.edu. Please also continue to check Bard Connects for a wide array of engagement opportunities, including the opportunity to become a contact tracer for the Mid-Hudson Region. 
 
 
Sincerely,
 
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily Mclaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
  E-mail: responseteam@bard.edu

×

A Community Update: Partnership with Nuvance Health, New Common Courses, and Summer Advising

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College Community,

We are pleased to announce that Bard has signed a contract with Nuvance Health, one of the largest health care providers in the region, for planning and consulting services to establish and implement protocols relating to COVID-19. Through this partnership, Nuvance and Bard are working together to design and implement plans for testing and screening, contact tracing, quarantine practices, and social distancing across the Bard campus. Nuvance operates Northern Dutchess Hospital in nearby Rhinebeck, as well as six other hospitals in the region, with more than 2,600 doctors serving 1.5 million people in the Hudson Valley region and western Connecticut. Their expertise and close proximity to the college make Nuvance an ideal partner for navigating the new academic year.

In addition to planning the logistics and processes of a safe return to the classroom, since before the spring semester ended the faculty have been deeply engaged in preparing new interdisciplinary courses to engage our students with a unique academic experience relevant to the extraordinary global impact of COVID-19. This fall, the College will be offering a suite of multidisciplinary Common Courses available to all incoming first-year as well as interested second-year students.  Each of these courses will address a critical global or local contemporary issue from interdisciplinary perspectives and allow for instruction either in person or online.

New Common Courses for 2020-21

• Epidemics, Society, and Culture: What do epidemics tell us about microbes, markets, and ourselves? This course will cover the history, science, and art of protecting the health of populations and the social, political, philosophical, and cultural implications of public health catastrophes. 
• The Making of Citizens: Local, National, Global: This course aims to interrogate and analyze the concept of citizenship. Drawing on different disciplinary approaches, faculty will encourage students to think about how citizenship emerges, exists, and differs at the local, national, and global levels, and what forms of participation are necessary to sustain meaningful citizenship for themselves and others.
• Resilience, Survival, Extinction: How do individuals, species, languages, and cultures survive, show resilience, and become extinct? This course introduces students to methods of biological analysis and cultural interpretation that explore the many ways we understand resilience, survival, and extinction. 
• Designing the Futures Around Us: This course invites students to approach design as a tool for reflecting on the existing worlds in which we find ourselves and as a means to rethink them and invent new ones. In the spirit of critique and experimentation, students will engage in visual projects, design practices, and study the history of the ways the spaces around us have been constructed and understood.
• Alternate Worlds: In his essay “On Fairy-Stories,” J. R. R. Tolkien responds to accusations that fantasy constitutes an irresponsible “escapist” flight from reality. In this course, we will be considering the relation between imagination and reality by considering counterfactual histories, fantastical literary works, and utopias or dystopias. 

Summer Advising and Panels for Students
Incoming first-year and transfer students are being invited to complete questionnaires before the end of this month and connect in early July with special faculty advisers who will guide them through a newly reimagined summer advising program and registration process. Webinars are also being planned for July to connect rising seniors with faculty from across the college in anticipation of making the most of the Senior Project experience. Students will be contacted directly via email with details. 

All students--entering first-years, rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors--will be offered additional opportunities to connect with faculty and alumni/ae in the coming weeks as they look forward to the coming academic year. Incoming first-year students, for instance, have been invited to participate in one of four workshops offered by Language and Thinking and the First-Year Seminar in June and July. Through these workshops, students are meeting their future classmates while discussing the reading, writing, and conversation practices that make these programs such formative experiences for Bard students. 

As we have communicated previously, we intend to welcome students to campus for the Language and Thinking Program and fall 2020 semester, while also developing blended and online learning options for those unable to attend in person. With forthcoming guidance from NY State, we are fine-tuning our 2020-21 planning and will continue to provide updates through Response Team messages and on the Bard COVID-19 Response website. 

Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily Mclaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate

×

A Message to the Bard Community about Planning for the Fall Semester

Thursday, June 11, 2020 To the Bard College community,
 
Following the successful completion of the spring semester, Bard’s Covid-19 Response Team is now focused on planning the gradual reopening of the campus and the safe resumption of in-person teaching and campus life in the fall. Our priorities remain the health and safety of our diverse group of students, faculty, and staff, and delivering an outstanding academic experience that is accessible to all students and is in close coordination with the community.   
 
The Hudson Valley Region of NY has entered phase two of the state’s reopening schedule, which allows us to begin welcoming our administrative staff back to campus. We are now preparing for the resumption of some library services and incremental opening of laboratories, with the application of health and safety protocols mandated by New York State reopening guidelines.
 
Our comprehensive planning for the fall semester takes into account the need to enable students and faculty to return to campus while also supporting those who may not be able to return right away. Faculty are developing a variety of class formats so that all of our students can continue their coursework, regardless of location. 
 
Pending approval from New York State, we intend to begin our fall semester in accordance with our previously announced schedule, beginning the Language and Thinking program for incoming 1st-year students on August 10, with the full student body starting classes on August 31. In the coming weeks we will share more details about student orientation and staggered arrivals of students to campus, as well as testing and health protocols that will be required of returning students, faculty, and staff.
 
We are looking forward to returning to the classroom and the continuation of Bard’s unique and rigorous academic program. With the health and safety of students, faculty, staff, and members of the community at the forefront of our planning, adjustments to facilities and operations will be necessary. Working groups on the Response Team are developing detailed plans for academics, student life, campus operations, health services, dining, athletics, and safety and security. Bard is consulting with Nuvance Health, which operates nearby Northern Dutchess Hospital, to ensure access to testing and ongoing guidance on health-related planning. New protocols are being established for most aspects of campus life, such as the use of social distancing and personal protective equipment across the campus. We intend to remain flexible as we adapt classrooms to meet these protocols. Our small class sizes and spacious campus offer an advantage in applying social distancing, and we are considering adjustments to class scheduling and utilizing alternative teaching spaces.
 
As we adapt to this new environment, our focus on helping students pursue their individual academic interests will not change. President Botstein will continue to hold weekly Virtual Open Houses for all students throughout the summer, and a wide variety of student services, from career development to mental health counseling, will continue to be available online - and in person to the extent possible as the campus reopens. Faculty remain in regular contact with their students through informal reading groups and independent projects, the Bard Summer Research Institute has been adapted to support both student and faculty needs, and summer advising for entering first-year students will begin in earnest as we move into July. 
  
From the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, the Bard community has demonstrated great resilience, commitment, and creative spirit here in Annandale and across our global network. That commitment and spirit, along with careful planning and adherence to health guidelines, will guide us moving forward. The planning work in which we are now engaged is complex and challenging, and we are grateful for the patience, flexibility, dedication, and support of our colleagues, students, and community.
 
Please continue to check Bard's COVID-19 Response page and Bard Connects for a wide array of services and engagement opportunities, including the opportunity to become a contact tracer for the Mid-Hudson Region. It is an important time for us to reflect on the evolving social and political context of Bard’s educational work in the United States and around the world. In that spirit, we invite you to review two new initiatives at the College: “Reflecting on the Moment: Conversations on Racial Equity and Justice,” and “Faculty Perspectives: Conversations with President Botstein in the time of the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Both series are on the Dean of the College website. 
 
If you have any specific questions prior to our next update, please contact us at responseteam@bard.edu.
 
Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Emily Mclaughlin, Associate Dean of the College
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
  E-mail: responseteam@bard.edu

×

A Message about Summer and Fall Operations at Bard

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College Community:

Over the weekend, New York State began the process of phased reopenings by region. Several other regions in the state have met all seven of the State-mandated metrics for reopening, but the Mid-Hudson Region, which includes Dutchess County, has not. Accordingly, Bard and the surrounding area will remain on PAUSE until at least May 28 or until the region meets all of the required metrics. We therefore must continue to adhere to the strict social distancing and safety protocols outlined in the PAUSE Act, including wearing masks or face coverings in public where social distancing is not possible, and no gatherings of more than ten people. As we approach May 28, New York State and county officials will determine if the Mid-Hudson Region is able to enter phase one of reopening. More information about our region’s progress towards reopening is on the NY Forward website.

Once the Mid-Hudson Region is cleared to begin reopening, it will do so in four phases, as directed by State and local officials. Bard is adjusting our summer programs to the expected reopening timelines outlined by the governor. If our region meets and maintains progress on the State-required metrics, Bard and other educational institutions in the Mid-Hudson region will be cleared to return gradually to in-person operations as the summer progresses. We are planning for that likelihood, which includes welcoming first-year students to campus in August. Again, we will adjust to government regulations, public health guidelines, and changing circumstances as necessary. 

We will continue to update the community as we move forward through our summer programs to Language and Thinking and the start of the fall semester. We will also continue to post regular updates to Bard's COVID-19 Response website. Please continue to check Bard Connects for a wide array of engagement opportunities, including the opportunity to become a contact tracer for the Mid-Hudson Region. 


Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Jennifer Murray,  Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
  E-mail: responseteam@bard.edu

×

A Message about the Fall Semester

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College Community:

As you know from our previous updates, Bard is planning to open its fall semester for in-person courses and a return to campus life. How this reopening is implemented will be determined largely by Federal and NY State authorities. The College is now in the process of working with state and local government and health officials to develop detailed plans for fall. These plans will employ federal guidelines, state mandates, and the commitment and creativity of our faculty, administration, and staff to support student and employee safety while maintaining the high educational standards for which Bard is known. 

The New York State PAUSE order remains in effect through this Friday, May 15. After that date, NY State will issue reopening guidelines by region. In the next week we expect to receive initial state guidance on local reopening protocols, including specific guidelines for institutions of higher education. The guidelines will evolve in the coming weeks, and Bard will adapt our plans to them and to public health requirements as they are received. These plans will address such issues as testing and monitoring, social distancing, cleaning and sanitation, extracurricular activity planning, protocols for special populations including immuno-compromised students and employees, and mental health. We look forward to welcoming colleagues and students back to campus as soon as it is safe to do so, but our plans will also consider that some students and faculty might not be able to return to campus. We will let all of our students and families know as soon as possible what processes will be put into place to ensure a safe and successful return. 

The Mid-Hudson region has not yet met all of the metrics required by New York State to be considered for reopening, but our hope is that those metrics will be met soon and the state government will approve the region for phased reopening. The College is on track to have a robust incoming class of first-year students, and we are planning to begin the Language & Thinking program on time, in August. 

Recognizing Bard’s role as the area’s largest employer and key educational and cultural resource, it is our aim to postpone or cancel as few activities as possible. 

We will continue to update the community as we move forward through our summer programs to Language and Thinking and the start of the fall semester. We will be posting regular updates to our COVID-19 Response website, and hope to answer most of your questions there as well as through these periodic updates. Please also continue to check Bard Connects for a wide array of engagement opportunities. 
 
We appreciate the generosity of spirit and commitment to hard work Bard faculty, staff, and students continue to display as we look forward to the coming academic year. 

Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Jennifer Murray,  Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
Kahan Sablo, Dean for Inclusive Excellence
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
 

×

A Message about Plans for Reopening Campus

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College Community:
 
Federal, State, and local government authorities are starting to plan for reopening, and so too is Bard’s Response Team, which has been coordinating with these officials to manage the college’s response to the pandemic. The Response Team will continue this coordination to maintain best practices for the health and safety of our community as we plan for summer programs, our rescheduled Commencement & Reunion weekend, and the fall semester.
 
Reopening will be an incremental process driven by government requirements, which are currently under development. The governor of New York has established the New York Forward Reopening Advisory Board, which includes representatives from institutions of higher education, to guide the state’s decisions. In addition to the state’s Reopening Advisory Board, our Regional Economic Development Council will help guide our planning, as will the Hudson Valley Reopening Working Group and Dutchess County leadership. We are in close communication with all of these entities. 
 
The governor plans to reopen the state by region, as determined by key metrics including decreases in new infections, health care capacity, and testing and tracing capacity. Within each region, reopening will occur in four progressive phases. Currently it appears that the governor intends to include arts and education as the final phase of each region’s reopening. 
 
The governor has also announced that colleges will need to have an operating plan for reopening once the region is cleared to do so. Bard’s Response Team will assist in developing the College’s plan, with the help of local and regional health providers. Because this plan involves preparing for the fall semester, we have expanded the Response Team to include the Chair of the Faculty Senate. Additionally, the Chair of the faculty Executive Committee has been invited to assist with Response Team planning. 
 
We will do as much as we can now to plan and prepare for the coming months. However, the uncertainty of our current situation will raise many questions as circumstances evolve and state and local governments refine their approaches. Together we will work through these challenges.
  
The Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, of which Bard is a member, is organizing an e-advocacy campaign to encourage our representatives in the House and Senate to include higher education in the Federal government's response to COVID. Some measures in the financial assistance being offered explicitly exclude not-for-profit institutions, including colleges and universities. All members of the Bard community are welcome to participate in the campaign and call your representative to lend your voice.   

We are fortunate to be able to draw on our collective strengths and creativity over the coming months as we respond to new developments. We are also drawing on the insights of our peer institutions in New York State and across the country. In the midst of this crisis, we are impressed with the generosity of spirit and ingenuity we see in the community, which will serve us well in the coming months. In an effort to help reduce uncertainty where we can, we are developing a list of FAQs that we will share in the coming days.
 
Please continue to check the college's COVID-19 page for the latest information and updates, and Bard Connects for a wide array of engagement opportunities.
 
Sincerely,
 
  
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Jonathan Becker, Executive Vice President/Director, Center for Civic Engagement
Barbara-Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Jennifer Murray, Dean of International Studies
Éric Trudel, Chair, Faculty Senate
  E-mail: responseteam@bard.edu

×

A Message from President Botstein about Commencement 2020

Thursday, April 30, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College community:

I hope everyone is safe and well and continues to be so.

I am happy to announce, on behalf of the Board of Trustees of Bard College, that the 2020 Commencement & Alumni/ae Reunion have been rescheduled for the weekend of August 22, 2020.

That weekend will be designated the 2020 Commencement Weekend. Commencement will take place at the regular time on Saturday August 22. On the days preceding August 22 there will be a Senior Dinner, a Baccalaureate service, and the annual Alumni/ae Awards ceremony and student concert. After Commencement, on Sunday August 23, the annual memorial service will take place. All of these events are part of Bard's traditional annual commencement exercises.

Details on the exact schedule and arrangements, including the protocols and requirements related to the COVID-19 pandemic mandated by local and state authorities, will be sent out before July 1, 2020.  We will have to make adjustments to comply with essential restrictions in force at the time of the events.

I am pleased that we have found a date to reschedule Commencement, and I hope that members of the class of 2020, and as many members of their families as possible will be able to attend. For those who are unable to attend, we will do our best to arrange creative surrogates for streaming, including the possibility of a virtual receipt of a diploma.

I look forward to celebrating the class of 2020 and welcoming alumni/ae back to campus at the end of August.

Best wishes,

Leon Botstein
President
 

---

E-mail: responseteam@bard.edu

×

A Message to the Bard Community

Thursday, April 30, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College community:

While the federal government has announced it will not extend social distancing restrictions beyond today, it is important to remember that New York State remains on PAUSE through May 15. This NY State executive order mandates social distancing, wearing a mask or face covering when in public or when social distancing cannot be maintained, and working from home unless you are an essential employee. Statewide infection rates have plateaued and, in some regions, begun to decline, and state government will regularly assess how long the PAUSE guidelines must remain in place. The Governor’s office has stated that a gradual relaxing could begin after May 15, but the timing will be determined on a regional basis. Our Hudson Valley region includes Westchester County, where the outbreak has been more severe, so we will likely be among the last regions in the state to have the order lifted. Please continue to follow PAUSE guidelines until the state announces a change.

President Botstein was recently interviewed about the path forward for higher education, particularly small liberal arts colleges, and we thought you might be interested in seeing the article in The Chronicle of Higher Education and the segment on WRNN-TV. The College is moving forward with the full intention of opening its fall 2020 semester on time and in person, with flexibility as needed and following all federal, State, and local mandates. More details on that path will be made available in the coming days.

Please continue to check the college's COVID-19 page for the latest information and updates, and Bard Connects for a wide array of engagement opportunities.

Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Jennifer Murray,  Dean of International Studies

---

E-mail: responseteam@bard.edu

×

Message to the Bard Community

Thursday, April 16, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College community,
 
NY State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday that an executive order requiring all people to wear a mask or a face covering when out in public and in situations where social distancing cannot be maintained will go into effect on Friday, April 17th. This order does not require that surgical or manufactured masks be worn, but that everyone should wear a face covering that covers the nose and mouth when in public.

The Governor also extended PAUSE, mandating the closure of non-essential business and strict social distancing, until May 15. Citing a decline in new hospitalizations throughout NY, he emphasized the importance of continuing to observe social distancing measures in helping the state move toward a gradual reopening of businesses and public activity.

All essential Bard employees who are still coming to work on campus and have regular contact with other people in the course of their duties have been provided with masks, as required by NY State government. This includes Buildings & Grounds, Environmental Services, Security, and student workers.

Please refer to the CDC’s webpage about masks for further information about how to make and wear masks and support social distancing. 

Please continue to check the college's COVID-19 page for the latest information and updates, and Bard Connects for a wide array of engagement opportunities.

Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Jennifer Murray,  Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
  E-mail: responseteam@bard.edu

×

A Message on Connected Learning at Bard

Monday, April 13, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

Jonathan Becker, Bard’s Vice President for Academic Affairs and Director of Center for Civic Engagement, describes Bard’s efforts to respond to the COVID-19 crisis in the classroom and in the community.

A Liberal Arts College Responds to COVID-19
Life in the era of COVID-19, as in all times of crisis, amplifies our basic instincts. Do we become anxious or confident, selfish or generous, rigid or adaptable? The same applies to institutions. And right now, at this moment of national and global crisis, Bard College is demonstrating who we are: student-focused, innovative, entrepreneurial, and civically engaged. We regularly underscore to our students the importance of critical thinking, the capacity to improvise and adapt, and the need for resilience. Our teaching is informed by a commitment to promoting in students a sense of agency and a belief that they can contribute in their own ways to society and culture and thereby help shape the future. The very nature of our close and creative approach to education is informing our development of new and effective ways to teach and support our students and engage with our communities, even as we adapt to this crisis and its impact on higher education.

In the classroom
Our student-centered approach to teaching, combined with small class sizes typical of residential liberal arts colleges, has been pivotal in facilitating a more healthy transition to online teaching. Students are not spending class time watching a pre-recorded lecture, as often happens with larger classes, but are engaging with their professors and each other in seminar-style discussions, and working together, synchronously or asynchronously. Many Bard students and faculty elected to keep meeting during spring break, using the extra time to seek comfort and camaraderie in this transformed learning space, and to continue working together outside of scheduled class times. One professor, responding to students eager to “stay after class,” opened a separate Friday afternoon reading group on David Copperfield. Another is offering two sections of his class, one at the regularly scheduled time and another several hours later so as to accommodate students in China.

We have discovered that Bard’s global footprint and innovative liberal arts curriculum have prepared us for this crisis in unexpected ways. We have pioneered the use of connected-learning approaches (for learning, we prefer the term “connected” to “online”) in virtual international exchanges that we call network classes. For the past five years, hundreds of students at seven liberal arts institutions across the globe participated in parallel courses and interacted synchronously and asynchronously as they studied themes such as global citizenship, freedom of expression, and migration. Digital approaches paired with “low-tech” assignments have created dynamic environments used extensively in Bard programs such as Experimental Humanities. As a result, faculty in the program have been able to quickly produce a handbook and other resources to help colleagues successfully make the transition to remote instruction while maintaining the student-centered liberal arts approach at the heart of Bard’s educational philosophy. (The handbook has now been translated into five languages.)
 
Many of the teaching methods we use so effectively in person translate extremely well to a connected learning environment. Writing prompts that are part of the signature approach of Bard’s Institute for Writing and Thinking, for example, enable multiple students to post their thoughts simultaneously in chat rooms, allowing others to respond and the professor to identify where best to engage further. 

Creativity and adaptability are critical to teaching, particularly in the arts and humanities. While many colleges and universities have cancelled live performances this spring, our Theater and Performance Program mobilized students and visiting artists to use an inventive, modified version of Zoom to transform a production of Caryl Churchill’s Mad Forest into a hybrid art form, somewhere between a theatrical performance and a live-action film, that has been conceived, rehearsed, and performed entirely online. A literature professor has offered a special one-credit class on Literature and Epidemics. Bard’s President Leon Botstein, often skeptical of the claims of technology to improve on traditional models of undergraduate education, is joining his colleagues in music to embrace the moment with regular classes, lessons, and new performance experiments with Bard’s more than 100 music conservatory students spread across the globe.

Our experience in COVID-19 has made it clear that there is no substitute for face-to-face learning, especially in the arts and experimental sciences. We also recognize that our capacity to transition swiftly and successfully to a connected learning environment is in part due to relationships forged previously in in-person classes on campus that occurred earlier in the term. It’s clear to us that COVID-19 will not result in a wholesale transition to online learning, but that liberal arts colleges such as Bard will be far better positioned to utilize the technology and platforms of connected learning than is commonly recognized. Our core strengths and traditions are compatible with and translate well to the online experience. 

Student Life
Bard’s move to connected learning this semester has included cocurricular and student life, which is so central to the residential liberal arts experience. The underlying view is that we need to continue to embrace the whole student on campus and off. Student Activities has responded with a steady stream of virtual events for our dispersed student body, be it with poetry readings, live performances, or fireside chats. Student clubs are still meeting and we are hosting online conferences, debates, and essay contests, often in collaboration with our international partners. 

Community Engagement
We have also remained engaging with our local community. The Bard Architecture and Design Program is using 3D printers to make medical equipment and the Theater and Performance Program's costume department is making masks for local hospitals. Students in Engaged Liberal Arts and Sciences, Bard’s version of service learning, are working with a variety of organizations to provide support to those struggling under the pressures of the coronavirus. The Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) has drawn on student, staff, and faculty volunteers across the institution to partner with more than 40 community partners to distribute food, create online lessons for local students, and create programming with and for Bard’s Lifetime Learning Institute. La Voz, which is sponsored by CCE and the only Spanish-language newspaper in the region, continues to publish and its editor, a Bard alumna, appears regularly as host of a local radio broadcast. Brothers at Bard, a mentoring program for men of color, is continuing its support of high school students in the neighboring city of Kingston and in New York City, and is even connecting with alumni through online meetings and a book group. Nearly 100 students, faculty, and staff have volunteered to help tutor students in the network of eight Bard High School Early Colleges (BHSECs) spread across the U.S. 

Working with Partners Nationally and Globally 
As we adapt to rapidly changing circumstances, we draw on experiences, partnerships and networks that we have developed over decades. Academic affairs officers, student affairs officers, and members of offices of civic engagement across Bard’s national and international networks of partners meet regularly to exchange ideas and insights on the transition to an online world and to offer each other support. There are great benefits in these exchanges. For example, faculty at our dual-degree partners—including the American University of Central Asia, Al-Quds University, and Bard College Berlin—teach blended learning classes, which mix in-person, in-class learning with online reading and discussion, to refugees in Jordan and Bangladesh and in-service teachers in Kyrgyzstan, and are eager to share with U.S.-based faculty through a series of webcasts. Similarly, BHSEC faculty, who have amazingly diverse experience and who share common teaching values with those in Annandale, have shared experiences during the transition online.  

The Bard Prison Initiative (BPI), which runs the largest degree-granting prison education program in the country, has been extremely helpful in addressing the vexing issue of access because they are used to strict limits: their approach to innovative asynchronous assignments has been particularly helpful in assisting faculty to work with students who, because of personal circumstances or geographic locations, struggle with synchronous learning.

Written materials, sample assignments, and webcasts from across Bard’s networks have been posted on the Network Resources page sponsored by the Open Society University Network.

Looking Ahead
We recognize that virtual connections cannot, and should not, replace the in-person experience, and that much of our success in this transition is based on the teaching methods we have forged over the years. We also know that there will be additional challenges in the future, as the crisis continues and even as it resolves. But we remain optimistic in our capacity to work with students both within and outside of the classroom and to demonstrate that the liberal arts curriculum—more essential now than ever—can be successfully adapted. When the crisis ends, we will further adapt our connected approaches, like virtual international exchanges, and will make important contributions to the reestablishment of face-to-face learning, and, critically, the reestablishment of public life.

While COVID-19 poses many challenges to higher education, the Bard College community is leaning in to the challenge, not settling into a holding pattern. We do this in the knowledge that, by embracing what we are at our best, we will be able to maintain our commitment to our students’ learning and well-being. When we look back on this time, we will be able to say that we practiced what we preach, and we learned how to do what we do better. E-mail: civic@bard.edu

×

Message to the Bard Community

Friday, April 10, 2020

A COVID-19 Update

To the Bard College community,
 
Today we would like to draw attention to a fantastic project undertaken by a network of Bard employees  - including Ivonne Santoyo-Orozco, Ross Exo Adams, Maggie Hazen, Melinda Solis, Doug O’Connor, Hayden Sartoris, Christopher Ahmed, and Katie Tabb, with support from other Bard faculty and staff - to produce face shields for front-line health care workers.
 
With two 3D printers loaned by Professor Paul Cadden-Zimansky, Exo Adams and Santoyo-Orozco created a makeshift lab in Tivoli to fabricate reusable face shields for health care workers. When fully operational, they expect to produce up to 50 reusable face shields per week. Solis and Hazen have a production line as well, using 3D printers purchased with proceeds from a GoFundMe campaign established by MFA alumna Luba Drozd, which has raised more than $20,000. A small batch of shields has already been distributed to Columbia Memorial Hospital and the group is now looking for more distribution options in the Hudson Valley. Deliveries of face shields are also scheduled for Albany Medical Center and Saint Clare's Hospital in Dover, New Jersey (where a Bard student's relative works, on whose behalf the student made a request). Anyone interested in distribution or assisting with the project should contact Doug at oconnor@bard.edu.
 
Separately, we would like to thank members of the Costume Shop at the Fisher Center, Audrey Smith from Buildings & Grounds, Rosalia Reifler from Environmental Services, and Saidee Brown from the President’s Office for sewing nearly 200 face masks for our essential employees.
 
Please continue to check the college's COVID-19 page for the latest information and updates, and Bard Connects for a wide array of engagement opportunities.

Sincerely,
 
Bard College COVID-19 Response Team
responseteam@bard.edu
 
Coleen Alexander Murphy, Vice President for Administration
Kimberly Alexander, Director, Human Resources
Barbara Jean Briskey, Director, Health Services
Erin Cannan, Vice President Student Affairs/Dean for Civic Engagement
Deirdre d'Albertis, Dean of the College
Malia Du Mont, Chief of Staff, President's Office/Vice President for Strategy and Policy
John Gomez, Director, Safety and Security
Jennifer Murray,  Dean of International Studies
Bethany Nohlgren, Dean of Students
  E-mail: responseteam@bard.edu