To the Bard College Community,

As you know, the Afghan Student Transition Team has been preparing for the arrival of Afghan students to the Annandale campus over the course of the past few months. We are thrilled to be welcoming four new students this coming Sunday, November 7. Over 20 students have been accepted to arrive in January with still more applications being reviewed. Preparing a proper welcome has been the job of our team. Here are just a few updates on those preparations. 

Orientation

Student care packages are being prepared and the student services team is putting together a mini-orientation of workshops, campus tours, events, and community meals. The Institute for Writing and Thinking has organized academic advisors (Derek Furr and Phil Pardi) to create programming to help students adjust to academic life at Bard and faculty have volunteered to open their courses as a bridge program to help finish out the term. We want to thank everyone who has raised their hand to help and welcome additional offers of support.

Community Collaborations

The College has identified a number of community partners including the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants office in Albany where we will be working on helping connect students to legal and financial benefits. Each student’s circumstance is unique; connecting with the resettlement network is critical as we help students navigate through complicated legal systems. As a founding partner of the Consortium on Forced Migration, Displacement and Education, created by Bard, Vassar, Sarah Lawrence, and Bennington Colleges, we are working on securing resources and support for colleges that are accepting Afghan students. Bard has also been a very engaged member of the nationwide Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, and they’ve been a valuable resource for interpreting the State Department’s evolving directives and connecting us to other colleges and universities working through similar real-time issues. 

Experts in global mental health and services have volunteered to train members of the community on trauma-informed practice and a number of mental health practitioners are working with our team on offering specific services needed to help support displaced people. 

Fundraising and Time Banking (Donating Time)

We know you want to help. The best way to help right now is to join us at a Cocktail Reception and Silent Auction scheduled for Friday, November 12 from 3:00 -5:00 pm at the Ludlow Tent; suggested donation of $25. We will be at the reception prepared to discuss the financial and personal ways you can assist. A clothing drive is underway for a Thrift2Fight sponsored thrift sale scheduled for Friday, November 19 from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. Our new students will be eligible to pick up free items during the sale. All proceeds from our fundraisers will go to the Bard Afghan Student Fund giving page. More information about thrift sale donations coming!

This has been - and continues to be - an extraordinary learning opportunity for all of us, and we're grateful to the many organizations and community groups who've offered their knowledge, ideas for collaboration, and general goodwill. We'd also like to extend a very special thanks to the entire Bard community for your ongoing expressions of support.

Sincerely,

Sasha Boak-Kelly, Senior Director of Development

Erin Cannan, Vice President for Civic Engagement

Lauren Cooke '18, Program Assistant, Bard Abroad

Erika Kaufman, Director of the Institute for Writing and Thinking

Paul Marienthal, Dean for Social Action

Alexa Murphy, Outreach and Education Librarian

Jennifer Murray, Dean for International Studies

Bethany Nohlgren, VP for Student Affairs/Dean of Students

Darnell Pierce, Assistant Dean of Students

Andrea Provan, Assistant Director, Health Services

Danielle Riou, Associate Director, Human Rights Project

Mackie Sibens, Director, Bard Admission

Tamara Stafford, Director of International Services

Micki Strawinski, Administrative Assistant, TLS Office

Joshua Tyler, Associate Director, Admission and Director of Transfer Admission

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Erin Cannan

Vice President for Civic Engagement

Center for Civic Engagement

Manor Gatehouse (Campus Map)

http://www.bard.edu/cce/

https://www.facebook.com/Bard.Civic.Engagement

(she/her/hers)