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Main Image for Commencement

Commencement

Photo by Samuel Stuart Hollenshead
SAVE THE DATE: MAY 26–28, 2023
Join us this spring for Bard College's 163rd Commencement Weekend! Stay tuned for more information. Email [email protected] with any questions.

Bard College 162nd Commencement Weekend was held May 27–29, 2022
Bard College held its 162nd commencement on Saturday, May 28, 2022. Bard President Leon Botstein conferred 425 undergraduate degrees on the Class of 2022 and 161 graduate degrees. The Commencement address was given by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. Honorary degrees were awarded to Haaland, Fordham University President Joseph M. McShane S.J., composer Zeena Parkins ’79, computer scientist Jennifer Tour Chayes, writer Alaa Al Aswany, scholar Jerome Kohn, musician Marcus Roberts, and Deputy Director of the National Gallery of Art Eric Motley.
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U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland Delivers 2022 Commencement Address

“Your Bard education will not only lead you into the next chapter of each of your lives, but I also believe that it has instilled in you the power to change the world for the good. We should all believe in that possibility and always work to make the world a better place for everyone. An education, and specifically a college education, is a unique gift. None of us are born to be naturally afforded a higher education. It takes hard work and every support system to succeed in it, and along the way, you have recognized the value you bring to this endeavor.”
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View Past Commencement Addresses

President Botstein’s Charge to the Class of 2022

“At the core of the danger facing democracy today is our collective abandonment of any agreement as to what we understand as truth and certainty. Without a common ground for knowing, shared methods of inquiry, and the provision of accepted conclusions, even if they are later to be revised, there can be no political freedom, no room to agree, or agree to disagree; no politics of conversation and compromise with which to combat the raw use of violence to subjugate and eliminate those with whom we do not like and with whom we do not agree. We become content to cling to prejudices and superstitions.”

“Your alma mater is dedicated to the expansion of knowledge and search for truth, and we invite you as alumni/ae to join us in embracing that mission as you join the fight for freedom, justice, and democracy.”
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View Past Charges

James Cox Chambers ’81 Welcomes Commencement Attendees

James Cox Chambers ’81, chair of the Bard College board of trustees, welcomes attendees to Bard's 162nd Commencement exercises.

Commencement 2022

   
   
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
      
   
    
    
     
     
    
      
    
    
     
    
     
     
     
    
    
    
    
    

Watch Commencement 2022

Enjoy portions of the 162nd Commencement from home and browse our YouTube playlist to watch Commencement videos from years past.


Watch Now

FAQs and Schedule
Photo by Karl Rabe

FAQs and Schedule

Questions about Commencement? Want to view the full schedule?

Wondering about registration? Want to see the full schedule? Questions about accommodations? Visit the FAQ and Schedule pages for more information.

Commencement FAQs Commencement Schedule

You're Invited!

You're Invited!

The Trustees and Faculty of Bard College and the Members of the Class of 2022 request the honor of your presence

View the 2022 Commencement Invite now.

Download Invite
Reunion 2022
Photo by Brennan Cavanaugh

Reunion 2022

We're back, live and in person for Reunion 2022!

If your class year ends in a 2 or a 7, it's your reunion! And ... all classes that missed their in-person reunion over the past two years are also invited back to celebrate. That means it’s you if your class year ends in a 0, 1, 5, or 6.

It's going to be the biggest and best ever! Stay tuned for registration in early March. It feels good to be planning some of the traditional weekend events that we have all been missing so terribly: the Bard College Awards, Annandale Roadhouse, Commencement under the big top, barbecue, dancing and fireworks at Blithewood. ​Make your plans now!

More about Reunion

New to Annandale?

New to Annandale?

Get around easily with the Commencement + Reunion Campus Map

Whether it’s your first time on campus or your 50th, we’ve got you covered. Download the Commencement + Reunion Campus Map now and make your way across campus.

Download PDF

In case you missed it ... 

  • Commencement 2021
  • Commencement 2020
The Class of 2022 
The Bard College Class of 2022 as first-years, at the Language and Thinking Program, August 2018.
Photo by Karl Rabe

The Class of 2022
 

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