Committees

Campus Climate Team / BICRT

The Campus Climate Team serves as a group of faculty, staff and students who proactively address climate issues on Bard’s campus. It meets on a regular basis to review campus climate issues and to advise the Council on Inclusive Excellence and relevant College offices on educational activities and programming to address issues of bias, hate crimes, hate groups, discrimination, and behaviors that undermine an inclusive campus environment. In addition, the group serves as the Bias Incident Community Response Team. 

The Bias Incident Community Response Team (BICRT) helps to assess, communicate about, and create institutional responses to bias incidents and hate crimes; serves as a resource to community members who have, directly or indirectly, been affected by bias incidents; and serves as a resource to community members who identify instances of bias that do not necessarily violate laws or formal College regulations, but may create an environment that is not inclusive or welcoming to individuals or groups based on their race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity/expression, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, or military veteran status. This includes actions, statements, and behaviors among students, staff, faculty or non–community members that, intentionally or unintentionally, may convey hostility or be perceived as slights towards people who belong to the various classes of groups as listed above.

The BICRT acts independently of, and in some cases parallel to, formal legal and internal College disciplinary processes. This allows it to take a holistic approach in supporting, advising, and advocating for community members and, where appropriate, to help develop nonpunitive, educational approaches to behaviors that have a chilling effect on the campus environment.
 
The BICRT supports community members by:

• Making appropriate referrals to on- and off-campus resources 
• Communicating information to affected person(s) and the larger campus community, as appropriate
• Coordinating community responses, as appropriate, in consultation with the affected person(s) and necessary College officials and/or departments.

Campus Climate Team

Bethany Nohlgren
Dean of Students
[email protected]

Mary Grace Williams
Chaplain of the College and Dean of Community Life
[email protected]

Kaet Heupel
Assistant Dean of Studies 
[email protected]​

John Gomez
Director of Safety and Security
[email protected], 845-758-7061

Lauren Gretina
Title IX and Civil Rights Coordinator
[email protected], 845-758-7542

Myra Armstead
Vice President for Academic Inclusive Excellence; Lyford Paterson Edwards and Helen Gray Edwards Professor of Historical Studies
[email protected], 845-758-7235

Wailly Comprés 
Academic Adviser, Office of Equity and Inclusion
[email protected], 845-758-7605

Divya Dinraj
Program Coordinator, Office of Equity and Inclusion
[email protected], 845-758-7367

Faculty Diversity Committee

The Faculty Diversity Committee, an elected standing committee of the College’s faculty governance structure, consists of four faculty members, representing the four divisions of the College. Two administrators serve as members, ex officio. The committee serves as a liaison regarding issues of diversity, equity, and inclusivity among:

• the faculty
• relevant faculty committees
• student affinity/identity groups
• regularly meets with the Multicultural Diversity Committee (MDC)
• relevant offices such as the Office of Equity and Inclusion and Disability Support Services
• the Dean of Students Affairs Office

The committee promotes discussion and professional development among the faculty regarding diversity, equity, and inclusivity encompassing, but not limited to: ability/disability, age, size, class, color, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, race, geography, nationality, political beliefs, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomics.

The committee conducts analysis of available data and trends related to the work of DEI and collaborates with the College to create strategic solutions. 

The committee provides resources and support to underrepresented faculty as well as provides resources to faculty regarding best practices to promote inclusive pedagogy.

Multicultural Diversity Committee

The Multicultural Diversity Committee (MDC), a standing committee of student government, consists of six elected members who advocate for diversity in the realms of academics, social, community, and community service, and work with the Bard community to enhance and broaden diversity at the College. The MDC serves as a liaison between student organizations, offices, departments, and the administration in the field of promoting and upholding campus diversity.