Smolny College’s Closing Covered by the Chronicle of Higher Education’s Latitudes Newsletter

After the shuttering of Smolny College, Bard College and the Open Society University Network have promised to offer online courses to Smolny students hoping to complete their liberal arts education. The move, writes Karin Fischer for the Chronicle of Higher Education’s Latitudes newsletter, is emblematic of Bard’s “focus on bringing the liberal arts to regions of the world dealing with authoritarianism and political strife.” In the wake of Bard being named “undesirable” by the Russian government in June 2021, the closing of Smolny, which had been created in close collaboration with Bard, was not unexpected. “The real question is how did it last so long?” said Jonathan Becker, executive vice president and vice president for academic affairs. Now, Bard’s focus turns toward supporting those students who are left behind. “We’re keeping more than embers alive of the dream,” Becker said.

Post Date: 09-26-2023