Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, Simon’s Rock degrees (A.A. and B.A.) will be recognized after the relocation and consolidation. Higher education degrees always remain valid if they were conferred by a fully accredited institution. Simon’s Rock is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Our status with the MSCHE can be verified here: https://www.msche.org/institution/0267/

After the relocation to the Massena campus, all college degrees will continue to be accredited by MSCHE.

Bard Academy will continue to be accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges — Commission on Independent Schools (NEASC-CIS). For information about Bard Academy, please visit: https://www.neasc.org/institution/bard-academy-simons-rock.

The Board of Trustees of Bard College along with the Board of Overseers of Simon’s Rock made the difficult, yet proactive decision to relocate the campus in order to continue fulfilling its mission of educating younger scholars. After years of declining enrollment and an increasingly competitive free public early college market, sustaining the campus in Great Barrington, MA is no longer feasible. Relocating to the Massena Campus at Bard College allows Simon’s Rock to continue operating Bard Academy, its two-year 9th and 10th grade high school, as well as the early college where students will start college early after 10th or 11th grade and earn their A.A. degree, with options to continue on for a B.A. degree at Bard College or to transfer to other institutions of higher education.

The Board of Overseers of Simon’s Rock and college administration have been working to find a solution for a path forward for Simon’s Rock for several years. After it became clear that the current state of enrollment and fundraising was not sustainable, the Board of Trustees of Bard College and the Board of Overseers of Simon’s Rock voted to consolidate the campus and academic programs on November 19. The College and Academy communities were told the same day, following the Board decision. Every effort was made to give the community as much time as possible for students, faculty, and staff to make decisions regarding their next steps.

The students are Simon’s Rock students within the Bard Network as they have been since the merger with Bard College.

Financial Aid: finaid@simons-rock.edu

Billing: billing@simons-rock.edu

Accounts Payable: accountspayable@simons-rock.edu

Human Resources: hr@simons-rock.edu

Academics: deanofstudies@simons-rock.edu

Student Housing: campuslife@simons-rock.edu

International Students and Alumni: iss@simons-rock.edu

Safety: campussafety@simons-rock.edu

Press & Media: Liz Benjamin: Liz@MarathonStrategies.com, 518-424-0356

General Information: questions@simons-rock.edu

All events and ceremonies will take place during the spring semester including: Commencement, Matriculation, Pride Week, Future Fair, Mayfest, Prom, Rock the Community, lectures, concerts, and performances. Active student clubs and organizations will continue as usual through the end of the spring semester.

Yes, all academic support services will continue to be offered.

Yes, all student support services at the Wellness Center and counseling services will continue to be offered through May 2025.

Yes, all digital systems (including email, portal, Banner, Moodle, and others) will continue to have full functionality and access.

Yes, student work study will continue to be available through the end of the spring semester in May 2025 on the Great Barrington, MA campus. All federally funded financial aid will continue at the Massena campus.

Summer housing will be available on a limited basis and prioritized for students with the greatest need.

Application information for fall 2025 housing will be made available through Campus Life as usual during the spring 2025 semester. Students will be notified as soon as the housing application is available in the spring 2025 semester.

If coursework necessary for degree completion cannot be covered at Simon’s Rock, students will work with Academic Affairs to coordinate taking coursework through Bard College to satisfy degree requirements.

Yes, the Bard Queer Leadership Project will continue at the new campus. More information about the curriculum and degree requirements will be made available at a later date.

Students who are requesting a transcript for any purpose, including to transfer to another institution, must order their transcript through https://www.parchment.com/u/registration/34322/institution and will be assessed a nominal charge by the vendor providing that service.

Bard College will assume all Simon’s Rock student records. After June 2025, please contact Bard College’s Office of the Registrar for questions about student records.

Simon’s Rock will offer zoom meetings for parents and families to discuss the relocation process.

Employment and all other questions will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. International students and alumni should contact iss@simons-rock.edu to discuss their specific circumstances.

Final paychecks will be issued June 30th for those whose employment ends on that date. Final paychecks for others will be issued on their employment end date(s) as designated by Simon’s Rock.

Employees with accrued and unused vacation time as of their last day of employment will receive a check for those days/hours on their employment end date(s).

Although not a standard benefit, in this circumstance employees with accrued and unused sick time will be paid a portion (25%) of their sick time balance if they work through June 30th , or, as applicable, such other employment date designated by Simon’s Rock. Employees who voluntarily leave prior to June 30th or, as applicable, their other designated employment end date will not be paid any portion of their sick time balance (per standard policy).

Coverage under Simon’s Rock health insurance ends at 5:00 p.m. ET on the last day of active employment.

Those who are eligible will have the opportunity to elect to continue receiving coverage under COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Benefit Reconciliation Act). More information will be provided in the coming months.

Employees with TIAA accounts will have several options for those funds. Individual circumstances and options will vary depending on several factors – retirement specialists will be on campus in the coming months to assist you with those decisions.

No, there will be no position transfers. However, we anticipate that there will be new positions for faculty and staff at the relocated Massena campus program, starting as early as July 1, 2025. Current Simon’s Rock employees will receive the first notification of available positions, though positions must be publicly posted for a specified period of time to the extent required by applicable law. Employees must apply for the positions through the Bard HR system. The intent is to post most new positions for 2025-26 by Februrary 2025.

Employees who apply and are hired for a position within the Bard system will be subject to Bard’s personnel policies. Currently, Bard does honor years of service at other institutions within its system, but this is subject to change at Bard’s discretion.

No. The contracts will be considered new contracts, and the contract timeline and structure will have differences from the current faculty contracts at the Great Barrington campus. 

All employees may submit a claim for unemployment benefits when their employment ends, but the state makes eligibility determination for all claims.

No, but the state may provide certain placement services to employees collecting unemployment benefits. The state will be notified of the Great Barrington campus closure so there will be awareness of the pending needs for affected employees.

There will be someone in the Business Office to respond to requests for references over the summer.

Files will be archived in a place and time to be determined.

Employee emails will be deactivated upon the end of their employment. IT will be setting up automatic email responses for all employees at the applicable time for each employee.

Options to extend current leases through August 31 are possible in certain circumstances. We invite you to reach out to Philip Morrison for more information.

As always, we will continue to host a wide variety of lectures and events for students, faculty, staff, friends, and alums throughout the academic year. These opportunities for the wider Simon’s Rock community to meet and interact with esteemed guests are a vital part of the educational experience.

Alumni Reunions will take a new form as we move to the Massena Campus, and will be guided by a volunteer committee of alums and designed with your input. We hope you will stay engaged with us throughout the move and beyond so we can continue to create opportunities for connection, networking, and support for Simon’s Rock for many years to come.

Yes! Prioritizing Simon’s Rock in your giving is particularly important at this time to ensure a smooth transition for students to the Massena Campus. We will continue to raise funds separately from Bard College in order to meet the specific academic and financial needs of Simon’s Rock students and families.

Your support is more critical than ever. Whether you have been a past supporter or have yet to give, we hope you will consider making a donation to ensure that the Simon’s Rock model can continue long into the future.

The Fund for Simon’s Rock, our named scholarship funds, and our endowment will continue to support students in the Early College and the Academy at the Massena Campus, subject to any specific requirements. Like all colleges, we rely on both annual giving and endowment support to enroll students who might not otherwise be able to attend and to plan with the greatest flexibility for changes across the educational landscape.

Please reach out to the Office of Institutional Advancement to learn more about ways to give, including monthly recurring donations, gifts through donor-advised funds, planned gifts, and sales of stock. You may contact us by email at advancement@simons-rock.edu or by phone at 413-528-7253.

No, every institution has its own application process. Applicants need to send their own application materials (e.g., test scores, letters of recommendation, essays, etc.) directly to the institutions to which they want to apply in accordance with each institution’s application requirements.

No, students do not need to submit a new FAFSA.

The Daniel Arts Center will honor all performances and rental agreements through the end of 2025 summer season.

The campus property, buildings, and equipment will be maintained and secured by Physical Plant and Campus Safety.