Bard College at Simon's Rock

I'm Interested!
Add this campus to My Bookbag

Campus Facts & Figures

CAMPUS PRIDE
INDEX

4.5

out of 5
Stars

The Campus Pride Index is an overall indicator of institutional commitment to LGBTQ-inclusive policy, program and practice. How is this calculated?

	Region: New England
	City/State: Great Barrington, MA
	Locale: Very Small Town (5,000 to 10,000)
	Student Population (FTE): 400
	In-State Tuition: $61,600.00
	Out-of-State Tuition: $61,600.00
	Institution Website: http://www.simons-rock.edu

	Institution Type:
	Baccalaureate College/University Private Institution Liberal Arts College Residential Campus

LGBTQ Student Opportunities

Colleges and universities want LGBTQ students, faculty and staff to be out and proud as part of the diversity of the campus community. The Campus Pride Index provides campuses the opportunity to come out as LGBTQ-friendly and take responsibility for continually improving their LGBTQ campus climate.

The Campus Pride Index features LGBTQ student opportunities by highlighting the positive work within higher education across the country. Prospective students and families may choose the best LGBTQ campuses searching the tool based on area of study, cost, location, type of campus and LGBTQ-inclusive policy, programs and practice for their college search.

Reminder: Learn more by signing-up for FREE to participate in Campus Pride's LGBTQ-friendly National College Fair Program in eight different cities and the Campus Pride National Online College Fair.

Commitment to LGBTQ Issues

At Simon’s Rock we believe that everyone in our community deserves a place where they can feel safe and welcomed. Our LGBTQIA2S+ community is abundant and we work continuously to collaborate collectively across campus to evaluate and increase the support measures that we offer to our students. Within our community, we offer a Pride Week each March, Inclusive Housing option, LGBTQIA2S+ academics, and a host of other support services to increase awareness, inclusion, and equitable practices within the Simon’s Rock community. For more information about these initiatives, please visit our page Celebrating and Supporting our LGBTQIA2S+ Community.

Our Synopsis

Simon’s Rock celebrates Pride Week through series of educational, cultural, and social events ranging from the “Dolly Drag” show to Queer Story Time and Queer & Trans Self-Defense. We fly the Progress Pride flag as well as the Black Lives Matter flag in key locations across campus. Our students often encounter queer studies, sexuality studies, and/or gender studies in their coursework. We believe that connecting our curriculum with LGBTQIA2S+ experiences, texts, and scholars, helps students gain a better perspective of the world. Our students are empowered to use different names and pronouns depending on the setting and the circumstance, and determined by their personal level of comfort - which students can formally change in our records at any time. We offer flexible and accommodating living spaces for all gender identities and expressions. Our first-year students are assigned housing and paired with roommates based on comfort, safety, and gender identity. We have residence halls with many different gender configurations and our Campus Life staff are always happy to work with students to find the best fit. Our Wellness Center supports our LGBTQIA2S+ needs through a range of health and counseling services. Our nurses and physicians meet with students individually to discuss health care concerns, including finding outside resources and providers as needed. In addition, our counseling clinicians and our psychiatrist meet with students to develop individual treatment plans.

Featured Quotes

Why you'll love Bard College at Simon's Rock

At Simon’s Rock, for the first time in my life, I felt like I could come out and be myself. Our queer Rockers are unapologetically themselves and encourage their closeted peers to live authentically.

— 18-year-old, pansexual, female, sophomore

As a student here I always felt that being proud in our identities was valued very highly, so to see that recognized by Campus Pride is great. Each of the four stars we earned are well deserved and we are excited about working toward that fifth star. When I first came here I was in denial about my identity as a queer person, but the environment allowed me to start exploring my thoughts and feelings. I finally felt comfortable enough to play around with my identity and express myself in a way that felt right. I think it’s a deliberate choice and continuous effort on behalf of Simon’s Rock to make this a place where that can happen.

— 21 years old, transmasculine, recent grad

Almost half of our students are queer, and most of us are interested in creating social change. It makes for a really unique environment where people are free to explore and learn about themselves and the world, as well as make a real impact—far more than they, or at least I—would have been able to at a different college.

— 17, trans lesbian, junior, international student

The incredible support inside and out of the classroom I’ve received from my professors has been pivotal to both my academic and social success!

— 19-year-old, queer, genderqueer, junior

Highlights & Organizations

Groups & activities

Council for Inclusive Community

Admissions

Admissions Office

Bard College at Simon's Rock Admissions Office

Office of Admission
Bard College at Simon's Rock
84 Alford Road

Great Barrington, MA 01230

Phone: 1-800-235-7186
Website: simons-rock.edu/admission

Admission Application Deadline:
Apply now for Fall 2018

Email Campus Admissions

Overall Campus Pride Index Score

The Campus Pride Index has a strong theoretical research foundation in LGBTQ current programs, practices and policies for safer, more inclusive campus learning environments. The index tool has been tested extensively since 2001 and recently updated with new, higher LGBTQ national benchmarks in 2015.

The Campus Pride Index is a vital tool for assisting campuses in learning ways to improve their LGBTQ campus life and ultimately shape the educational experience to be more inclusive, welcoming and respectful of LGBTQ and ally people. The index is owned and operated by Campus Pride, the leading national nonprofit organization for student leaders and campus groups working to create safer, more LGBTQ-Friendly learning environments at colleges and universities. Campus Pride commends the campuses participating in the index and their willingness to come out, be visible and actively advocate for improving higher education for LGBTQ people.

Note: Prospective students and families are strongly encouraged to research current state laws for any college/university you are considering. The Campus Pride Index is updated annually and only measures current campus policies, programs and practices. Find information about state laws targeting the LGBTQ+ population on the Movement Advancement Project’s Equality Maps at lgbtmap.org/equality-maps.