Skip to main content.
  • Faculty + Staff
  • Alumni/ae
  • Families
  • Students
Bard
  • Bard
  • Academics sub-menuAcademics
    • Academics
      • Programs and Divisions
      • Structure of the Curriculum
      • Courses
      • Requirements
      • Academic Calendar
      • Faculty
      • College Catalogue
      • Bard Abroad
      • Libraries
      • Dual-Degree Programs
      • Bard Conservatory of Music
      • Other Study Opportunities
      • Graduate Programs
      • Early Colleges
  • Admission sub-menuAdmission
    • Applying
      • Apply Now
      • Financial Aid
      • Tuition + Payment
      • Campus Tours
      • Meet Our Students + Alumni/ae
      • For Families / Para Familias
      • Join Our Mailing List
      • Contact Us
  • Campus Life sub-menuCampus Life
    • Living on Campus
      • Housing + Dining
      • Campus Resources
      • Get Involved on Campus
      • Visiting + Transportation
      • Athletics + Recreation
      • Montgomery Place Campus
      • Current Students
      • New Students
  • Civic Engagement sub-menuCivic Engagement
    • Bard CCE The Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) at Bard College embodies the fundamental belief that education and civil society are inextricably linked.

      Take action.
      Make an impact.

      • Campus + Community
      • In the Classroom
      • U.S. Network
      • International Network
      • About CCE
      • Support
      • Get Involved
  • Newsroom sub-menuNews + Events
    • News + Events
      • Newsroom
      • Events Calendar
      • Press Releases
      • Office of Communications
    • Special Events
      • Family and Alumni/ae Weekend
      • Commencement + Reunion
      • Fisher Center + SummerScape
      • Athletic Events
    • Join the Conversation
      •         

  • About Bard sub-menuAbout Bard
    • About Bard College
      • Bard History
      • Campus Tours
      • Employment
      • Visiting Bard
      • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
      • Sustainability
      • Title IX and Nondiscrimination
      • Board of Trustees
      • Bard Abroad
      • Open Society University Network
      • The Bard Network
  • Give
  • Search

Bard News

Back to All News

Newsroom Menu
  • Newsroom
  • Events Calendar
  • News Archive
  • Press Releases
  • Video Gallery
  • Special Programs sub-menuSpecial Programs
    • Commencement + Reunion Weekend
    • Family + Alumni/ae Weekend
    • Fisher Center
    • Bard SummerScape
    • Bard Athletics
  • Office of Communications
  • COVID-19 Updates

Bard Prison Initiative Accepts Transfer Students and Expands as Two Colleges Close

Commencement at Fishkill Correctional Facility. Photo by Karen Pearson
This summer and fall, in response to two coinciding college-in-prison program closures, the Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) at Bard College has undertaken an unprecedented transfer and enrollment project to ensure no incarcerated college student is left without the ability to complete a degree. 

Following financial struggles, two New York private universities, Medaille University and Alliance University have announced closing this year. Both Medaille and Alliance had long standing college-in-prison operations, enrolling incarcerated students in degree programs at Albion Correctional Facility for women and at Fishkill Correctional Facility for men, respectively.  

BPI, which enrolls incarcerated students in Bard College associate and bachelor’s degrees across seven NYS correctional facilities, had been operating degree programs alongside these universities at Albion Fishkill for several years. In addition to running its general admissions process this summer, BPI offered Medaille and Alliance students immediate enrollment in Bard College as transfer students. BPI’s leadership team met with prospective transfer students both as a group and in one-on-one advising meetings to make sure students could make informed decisions about transferring into BPI. 

In total, 80 former Medaille and Alliance students enrolled with BPI, alongside 122 students through standard admissions, marking the largest single expansion of BPI to date.

The Medaille college-in-prison program closed in May, and former Medaille transfer students were enrolled in BPI for the summer semester. The Alliance college-in-prison program continued courses through the summer semester and those students who opted to transfer into BPI enrolled with Bard at the end of August. At Fishkill, BPI worked closely with Alliance University administrators to ensure a smooth transition for students, and collaborated on a Teach Out Agreement. Medaille University’s former students at Albion were granted the same terms included in the formal Teach Out Agreement. 

The enrollment of Medaille and Alliance students will double the size of BPI’s student body at Albion and Fishkill Correctional Facilities. As a result, BPI has hired more faculty, added courses, provided the requisite course materials, and dedicated additional staff time to both sites. At Fishkill, the new students will necessitate an upgrade and expansion of the BPI computer lab. As transfer students leave prison, they will be eligible for all BPI reentry and alumni/ae support services, so BPI is adding capacity on that front as well. 

Post Date: 09-07-2023
Bard College
30 Campus Road
PO Box 5000
Annandale-on-Hudson, New York 12504-5000
Phone: 845-758-6822
Admission E-mail: [email protected]
©2023 Bard College
Follow Us on Twitter
Like us on Facebook
Follow Us on Instagram
You Tube
Information For:
Prospective Students
Current Employees
Alumni/ae 
Families
Quick Links
Employment
Travel to Bard
Site Search
Support Bard
COVID-19 Info