Student Handbook

Expectations and Guidelines for Campus Life

• Access to the buildings of Bard College is restricted to only in-person enrolled students, faculty, and staff. Visitors are not permitted in campus facilities, unless an Application for Essential Visitors has been submitted to and approved by the Response Team, and the visitor has completed a health screening. Applications for non-Bard friends or acquaintances to visit campus will not be approved. Any non-approved visitors will be removed from campus.
• Only students who are enrolled to take courses in-person are allowed on campus. Any students on a leave or approved for remote learning are not allowed on campus for any reason.
• To prevent potential spread of coronavirus, access to dorm buildings is restricted to residents of that building. According to New York State regulations, roommates are considered a “household.” To preserve the health of each student household, students are expected not to enter any dorm room tha is not their own. Students who live off campus may not enter dorm facilities.
• If any student, residing on or off campus, feels ill or learns that they may have been exposed to Coronavirus, quarantine/isolate yourself immediately. If you are off campus, please quarantine in place in your room and notify the Dutchess County Coronavirus Hotline at 845-486-3555. If you are on campus, please notify the Security Emergency Line at 845-758-7777

• Social distancing has to be maintained whenever possible. This means that all individuals must maintain a distance of at least six feet from all other individuals.
• All students will be provided two reusable cloth masks on arrival or at the beginning of the fall term.
• Some additional disposable masks will be available at mask dispensing locations around campus as needed for those who forget or misplace their masks. Community members must make sure they have access to clean masks at all times.
• All members of the Bard College community must wash their hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds or more. If soap and water are not readily available then hand sanitizer with a greater than 60% alcohol should be used. Wall-mounted and free standing hand sanitizer dispensers have been placed throughout campus. Please contact [email protected] or 845-758-7471 if a soap or sanitizer dispenser is empty.
• Bard College expects all students to download and utilize the Bard College Involvio App to submit daily required health screenings and track any potential exposure to individuals who have tested positive.
• Face coverings must be worn in all buildings, common spaces, classrooms, and outside when you are likely to come into contact with others, such as on pathways. You do not need to wear a mask in your dorm room, but you must wear a mask in your dorm hallway and bathroom, unless you are brushing your teeth or taking a shower.
• Face coverings must be worn in all locations on the Bard College campus, both indoors and out, with the following exceptions ONLY:
  • In a private office when working alone.
  • In your own dorm room (alone or with your roommate) and when brushing your teeth or taking a shower (masks must be worn in the hallway between your dorm room and the bathroom).
  • When eating while practicing physical distancing (all Bard community members must wear face masks inside the dining hall at all times, except when seated in any designated dining area).
  • In a designated mask respite area (which may only be used by one person at a time).
  • For B&G grounds workers only: when working on campus grounds away from buildings and all other people.

• Students or faculty entering the library must wear masks, maintain physical distancing, and clean any space they have used upon departure.
• Faculty, staff, and students may not bring food into the library.

• All events, performances, gatherings and activities (virtual/in-person) MUST be registered through SPARC . Students are encouraged to organize virtual events when possible. No outside invited speakers or other visitors from off campus will be allowed for in-person events. SPARC will have a checklist for students when registering events to ensure that all required guidelines are followed. Event organizers must explicitly state how they will uphold social distancing requirements, and how they will address any violations. Organizers of events where social distancing is not followed or where attendees fail to wear face coverings when required will be prohibited from organizing or hosting future events and may face sanctions, including removal from campus housing/access to campus. Students can find the form HERE .
• In-person events are allowed under the following conditions:

• All virtual events, with the exception of Club Meetings, must be staffed by Event Staff. Event Staff will have virtual hate/Zoom bombing training built into their Fall training.
• All groups planning events should consider how to include students who are learning remotely this semester.
• All events subject to government guidelines regarding social distancing and gatherings.