December 2023
News for Bard 
Families & Friends

Dear Families,

I hope this December edition of the Insider finds you well and enjoying the holiday season. Congratulations to all of the Bard families who have a student graduating in December!

As the year comes to a close, the campus is lively with concerts, recitals, athletic events and exhibitions, like the Bard International Student Organization Cultural Show pictured above. If you find yourself in Annandale, be sure to check out the events calendar, as there is so much to see and do. 

The deadline for students to register for BardWorks is tomorrow, December 15. The program focuses on connecting students to the Bard network while developing their professional skills. This year's program is free to attend, check out the information below and please reach out to the Career Development Office with any questions.

On behalf of all of us at Bard, I want to thank you for your kindness and generosity this December. I am happy to report that a total of $34,212  was raised on GivingTuesday to support the Bard College Fund. We are grateful to everyone who has included Bard in their giving plans this year–there are still 17 days left to make a gift before the new calendar year begins.
 
Best wishes,
Sasha Boak-Kelly

Dates to Remember

Monday, April 29, 2024 – Tuesday, April 30, 2024 | Advising Days (No classes are held on advising days)
Wednesday, May 1, 2024 | Last Day to Withdraw from a Class 
Wednesday, May 1, 2024 | Senior Projects Due
Thursday, May 9, 2024 | Registration for Fall Classes Opens at 8 a.m.
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 – Tuesday, May 21, 2024 | Completion Days—Regular Classes and Final Exams: All students and faculty remain on campus
Monday, May 20, 2024 | Provisional Senior Grades Due in the Office of the Registrar
Tuesday, May 21, 2024 | Last Day of Spring Classes
Thursday, May 23, 2024 | Baccalaureate Service and Senior Dinner
Saturday, May 25, 2024 | Commencement

Spring Check-Out Dates:
Non-graduating Students: Wednesday, May 22, 2024 • Must check out by 12:00 pm
Graduating Seniors: Sunday, May 26, 2024 • Must check out by 12:00 pm

Newsmakers

Isabel Ahlam Ahmed ’25. Isabel Ahlam Ahmed ’25.

Bard Student Isabel Ahlam Ahmed ’25 Receives Fund for Education Abroad Spring 2024 Scholarship

Isabel Ahlam Ahmed ’25, a Bard College student majoring jointly in film production and human rights, has received a scholarship from Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) for the spring 2024 semester. Ahmed is one of 66 undergraduates from around the country, and with FEA’s American University in Cairo (AUC) Access Partner Scholarship, she will attend AUC via the longstanding tuition exchange between AUC and Bard.

Full Story
Samantha Simon ’26. Samantha Simon ’26.

Bard Student Samantha Simon ’26 Included in National Humanities Center’s 2023–24 Leadership Council

Samantha Simon ’26, a Bard student majoring in art history and visual culture, has been named as one of the members of the National Humanities Center’s 2023–24 Leadership Council. As a member of the council, which was established to help prepare a select group of students with humanities-based leadership skills, Simon will join 31 other students from around the US in a unique series of interactive experiences with humanities scholars and leaders.

Full Story
Professor Marina van Zuylen. Professor Marina van Zuylen.

Professor Marina van Zuylen Named Clemente Chair in the Humanities at Bard College

Bard College is pleased to announce that Marina van Zuylen, professor of French and comparative literature at Bard, has been named the first Clemente Chair in the Humanities. This new chair is funded by a generous gift from two of Clemente’s longtime supporters, John and Marlene Childs.

Full Story
Dina A. Ramadan, continuing associate professor of Human Rights and Middle Eastern Studies at Bard College. Photo by Mariam Mekiwi Dina A. Ramadan, continuing associate professor of Human Rights and Middle Eastern Studies at Bard College. Photo by Mariam Mekiwi

Bard College Professor Dina Ramadan Receives 2023 Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant

Dina A. Ramadan, continuing associate professor of Human Rights and Middle Eastern Studies at Bard College, has received a 2023 Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant in the category of Short-Form Writing. One of 27 grantees, professor Ramadan will write a series of articles on the relation of contemporary art to migration from the Middle East and North Africa. The articles will approach art criticism as a decolonial strategy that counters neutralizing practices of inclusion and representation. 

Full Story
Bass-baritone Alfred Walker sang the title role in Saint-Saëns’s <em>Henri Vlll</em>, directed by Jean-Romain Vesperini, at Bard SummerScape. Photo by Stephanie Berger Bass-baritone Alfred Walker sang the title role in Saint-Saëns’s Henri Vlll, directed by Jean-Romain Vesperini, at Bard SummerScape. Photo by Stephanie Berger

Bard’s Henri VIII Among New York Times Best Classical Performances of 2023

The Bard SummerScape production of Henri VIII was selected as one of the year’s finest classical music performances for this New York Times roundup. “Leon Botstein, the president of Bard College and music director of the American Symphony Orchestra, is one of the country’s leading champions of lesser-played segments of the repertory,” write Zachary Woolfe and Joshua Barone. “In 2012, he led a concert performance of this grand yet restrained Saint-Saëns opera, popular in its day and now rare. But in July, a full production at Bard, lovingly staged by Jean-Romain Vesperini, made an even better case for the opera, at a time when ever fewer companies and presenters, even in a cultural center like New York, are doing ambitious work like this.”

Full Story
Blithewood, home to the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College. Blithewood, home to the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College.

Bard College’s Levy Economics Institute Receives $500,000 Hewlett Grant for Its Gender Equality and the Economy Program

The Levy Economics Institute of Bard College is pleased to announce that it has received a two-year $500,000 grant from the Hewlett Foundation. The award will support the institute’s Gender Equality and the Economy program and aims to generate new knowledge and share information about the economic empowerment of women, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

Full Story

The deadline for students to register for BardWorks is tomorrow! 

All the information has been shared with your student. Please encourage your Bardian to take advantage of this incredible opportunity if they can. This year's conference is taking place January 24th-26th (return to campus on January 23rd). BardWorks is a professional development program that offers a comprehensive series of skill-building workshops, professional panels, networking sessions, and a full-day trip to NYC curated to help students establish meaningful connections with accomplished alumni/ae and professionals in their fields of interest. Watch this short video where students share their experiences and the valuable skills they gained by participating in BardWorks 2023!
Deadline: December 15th at 12:00 P.M.
Fee: This year's conference is FREE to attend!
Reach out to [email protected] with any questions!

November Supporters

Thank you to all our families and friends who made a gift to Bard College in November. #donorsmakedegreespossible

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