Bard College at Simon’s Rock

Bard's Office of Equity and Inclusion states that it is "committed to expanding the reach and access to voices of underrepresented and marginalized individuals while building a community that recognizes and supports a community of cultural understanding, social justice, and community engagement."

As part of the Bard GPS Anti-Racism, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Commitment, Bard promises to "train anti-racist leaders."

Bard plans to "develop required faculty and staff trainings" for anti-racism.

As part of the Bard College at Simon’s Rock Strategic Priorities, Bard conducts "annual trainings in cultural competency for new and returning students, faculty, and staff."

The Office of Equity and Inclusion defines culture at Bard as the "collective effort to increase diversity through recruitment and training, and ongoing discussions from leaders around training and development in areas of cultural competency and sensitivity." Additionally the Office defines the word sustainability as follows: "Passive and active programs, training, and experiences that happen regularly to increase awareness around social issues, social change, and social justice."

The Council for Inclusive Community at Bard is "committed to providing workshops and events within our community that will address a variety of social issues, including — but not limited to — social movements and solidarity with social change organizations, race and cultural sensitivity, LGBTQIA2S+ resources and programming, anti-racism and social justice."

The Bias Response Team is a "campus resource designed to help restore relationships and promote cultural competency education and training on campus" and "works to address bias through community engagement and education."

The Bard GPS Anti-Racism and Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Roadmap promises to "design a curriculum that develops the knowledge, skills, and mindset to contribute to a more just world with a focus on anti-racism."

Bard is in the process of developing a required student prerequisite anti-racism course.

The Gender Studies academic field at Bard involves a study of critical race theory.

The African American and African Studies curriculum requires students to take the Critical Race Theory "methods" course.

The Gender Studies concentration at Bard is an "interdisciplinary program for students who wish to explore the complex questions raised by the intersecting analyses of feminist, queer, postcolonial, and critical race theory across academic fields..." 

The Bard GPS Anti-Racism and Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Roadmap promises to "influence leaders in our internal and external communities to address racial inequity and racism in their organizations specifically, and systemic racism and white supremacy more broadly."

The Office of Equity and Inclusion offers numerous scholarships and scholars programs for diverse students.

The library has compiled a list of anti-racism resources, which includes "How to Be an Anti-Racist" by Ibram X. Kendi.

In Summer 2021, Bard created an Anti-Racism and JEDI Advisory Board.

Bard annually holds the Symposium on Social Justice and Inclusion.

The Center for Equity, Inclusion and Community was established in the Fall of 2022 "with a particular focus on our students of color and affinity student organizations."

On May 31, 2020, the president released a statement of solidarity for the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor by stating, "On behalf of the entire Bard College community, I want to express our solidarity with all who grieve for the deaths, with all who live in constant fear of the brutality of racial discrimination, and with all who find themselves without hope in these dark and violent times."

Bard's president released a statement on May 31, 2020 responding to the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor by saying, "On behalf of the entire Bard College community, I want to express our solidarity with all who grieve for the deaths, with all who live in constant fear of the brutality of racial discrimination, and with all who find themselves without hope in these dark and violent times."