Student Leadership
Bard College’s first TEDx conference, organized by student leaders. Photo by Aya Rebai HRA ’24

Student Leadership

A cornerstone of the Bard experience.
Students pursue projects that focus on elections, women’s leadership, global civic engagement, science outreach, activism, and much more, whether by starting something new or joining an existing initiative. They hone leadership skills while developing projects that engage the Bard student body and community in Annandale and beyond.

Leadership Opportunities

  • Trustee Leader Scholar (TLS)
    Students in the TLS program propose, design, and implement civic engagement projects based on their own passionate interests. TLS projects are local, national, and international, and may be initiated at any point during a student’s college career. The hallmark of a TLS project is the student’s ownership of the work.
    More about TLS
  • Bard Debate Union 
    The Bard Debate Union is committed to promoting civic discourse, dialogue, and debate on Bard’s campus, in the local community, and across Bard’s networks. The Debate Union hosts debates on campus, participates in intercollegiate tournaments, conducts debate trainings and workshops, and works with local schools, the Bard Prison Initiative, the Bard Early Colleges, and international partners.
    Visit the Debate Site
  • Open Society University Network
    The Open Society University Network (OSUN), of which Bard is a cofounder, offers several paths for student leaders, including global fellowships, an international conference, publishing opportunities, and more. OSUN helps students harness their talent and energy to become change agents as they seek to address local, national, and global issues of importance.
    See OSUN Opportunities
  • Leadership in Gender Equity Initiative
    The Leadership in Gender Equity Initiative is a collective of on-campus departments who coordinate opportunities related to the gender equity field where students can develop experience and gain skills.More about the Initiative

Featured Student Projects

  • Sister 2 Sister
    Sister 2 Sister
    Sister 2 Sister is a mentoring project with the objective of creating a sisterhood of women of color through performing arts, crafts, and writing.
    Learn More
  • Voices of Action
    Voices of Action
    Voices of Action celebrates the civic and community engagement of students, staff, and faculty on two platforms: Being(s) at Bard on Instagram (@beingsatbard) and the What Is Your Why? podcast series.
    Learn More

Students in Times of Crisis

Our Journey to Bard
Students who relocated from Afghanistan, Russia, and Ukraine to Bard College, and the faculty who assisted them, share their stories.

A Journey from Kabul to Bishkek

"A Journey from Kabul to Bishkek" tells the story of students evacuated from Afghanistan in 2021 and the faculty who made their journey to secure partner institutions possible.