Greetings from the Dean of the College

September 27, 2007

Dear Members of the Class of 2008:

I want to underscore the sense of excitement and seriousness of purpose that this, the final year of your undergraduate education, will demand. I know that, as you begin work on your senior projects, you will challenge yourself creatively, intellectually, and socially and engage thoughtfully with faculty and peers in and out of the classroom.

Click here to download the Senior Guide
Click here to download the Senior Project Guidelines

I am happy to introduce the third issue of the Senior Handbook, a resource for planning your senior year at Bard. This handbook, the product of a collaboration between the Dean of the College and the Dean of Students Offices, the Career Development Office, and the Alumni/ae Office, brings together such necessary information as how to format and present your senior project, how to order transcripts, apply for fellowships and jobs, and how best to prepare for commencement and add your name to the illustrious list of Bard Alumni/ae.

The Watson Fellowship and Fulbright application seasons have begun. The Watson is an unusual opportunity, offering graduating seniors $25,000 for a year of travel to pursue an independent non-academic project. The Fulbright Scholarship is supported by the US government and offers students academic research opportunities in a foreign country. In the past, Bard students have excelled in winning these prestigious awards and we wish this yearís applicants the best of luck. Other post-graduate opportunities can be found in the Fellowship & Scholarship Guide available through the Career Development Office or on their website at: http://inside.bard.edu/career/scholarships/.

A note to second semester seniors: if you havenít had your Senior Project midway review, you should schedule it very soon. For help in the final preparation of the project, you can consult the guide to the procedures for formatting and submitting your project located on the Dean of the College website at: http://inside.bard.edu/doc/students/. Helpful research materials and guidelines are available on Stevenson Libraryís "Services for Seniors" page at: http://www.bard.edu/library/info/news/seniors.htm, and the website for the Academic Resources Center: http://inside.bard.edu/academicresources/ offers helpful grammar and bibliographic guides. The 2007-08 Student Handbook is, as always, a fine reference for the various aspects of student life, including college policies, calendars, and directories. You can find the 2007-08 Student Handbook on-line at: http://inside.bard.edu/doso/.

I look forward to the honor of presenting you to President Botstein at commencement when you receive your degree in May. Welcome to your senior year!

Yours truly,

Michèle Dominy
Dean of the College
Professor of Anthropology