BPI Summer Residency 2023: What to Know Before You Arrive

Schedule

Check here for last year’s schedule as a close schedule for the one that is to come for the 2023 year.

Getting Here

For directions and area information, please refer to the Bard College Visitors page, here. The nearest train station is in Rhinecliff. Visit Amtrak for reservations and timetables.

On Sunday, July 16, a complimentary Bard College shuttle service will be scheduled to meet trains arriving at Rhinecliff Station from New York City and Albany. Taxi service to Bard College is also available at the train station and we recommend booking in advance with Red Hook/Rhinebeck Taxi: (845) 758-1010, (845) 876-8100, (845) 758-8294.

We will also be offering a complimentary shuttle service from the Albany Airport, but you must enter your flight information here by Jul 8, 2022.

On Saturday, July 29th, complimentary Bard College shuttles will take residents to the Rhinecliff Station and to the Albany airport as needed.

Arrival

Check-in is on Sunday, July 16th, in front of Cruger Hall. Cruger Hall is near the Bard Center for Civic Engagement and the Sawkill Coffee Shop, which can serve as reference points in Google Maps for those driving to campus. There is also parking nearby in the Cruger Parking Lot. See map below. For those who are coming by train or plane, shuttles will drop off residents in front of Cruger. At check in you will be given your dorm keys and meal cards, and a welcome bag. We will have sandwiches for lunch. A welcome dinner will follow, starting at 6pm.

If you arrive after 8:30 pm on Sunday, July 16 or on a later day, please go to the Security Office in the “Old Gym” to pick up your dorm room keys. The Security Office is open 24 hours/day. You will have a separate key card to enter your dorm and room.

During your stay, you will also have access to the library, the computer labs, and the gym. You do not need to show ID to enter the library or the computer labs. For the gym, you will have a BPI Residency “ID” on a lanyard that you will need to show in order to enter. Please keep in mind that you will not be able to check out books from the library.

Housing

This year, resident housing will be in Bard’s Cruger Hall , Each resident will have a single occupancy room equipped with a twin-sized bed, dresser, closet, and desk.. There is also geothermal heating & cooling in every room, meaning residents will have the ability to adjust fan speed as well as room temperature. For your stay, you will be provided with top and bottom sheets, a pillow and pillowcase, and one light blanket. You will be given two towels. The dorm has seven single-user bathrooms on each floor. Each bathroom features a sink, toilet, and shower. You should expect to share a bathroom with roughly 1-3 other people. . We will place hand soap, body soap, shampoo and conditioner, and some menstrual  products in each bathroom.

There is a  kitchen in this dorm, as well as a lounge. There are also three washers and three dryers on the first floor of Cruger Hall. They are free of charge.

No overnight visitors will be allowed in the residence halls.

Residents will be placed on both the first floor and second floor. There is an elevator. If you would prefer first-floor accommodations for accessibility, please reach out to Nicolette ASAP.

You can find more information about Cruger Village here.

What to Bring

On our expansive campus, comfortable walking shoes are a must. Be prepared for very warm and humid weather, and bring clothes suitable for layering in air-conditioned buildings. We recommend checking the long-term forecast for Annandale prior to arrival. Dormitory rooms are very basic, so feel free to bring anything that will make you more comfortable (a favorite pillow, quilt, radio, fan, plush towel, etc.). Depending on whether you are driving or flying, you might also wish to bring a small desk lamp, flashlight, insect repellent, sunscreen, even a bicycle if you can. You may want to consider packing or buying flip-flops for the bathroom. Past residents who are driving have preferred to bring their own pillows and blankets. Also note: pillows can be brought on airplanes and for most airlines are not considered an additional carry-on.

Bard provides free WiFi.

Please keep in mind that we’re in peak tick season in upstate New York. This is especially important if you plan on hiking. The CDC advises avoiding areas where ticks tend to congregate, treating your clothes with products containing 0.5% permethrin, and using EPA registered insect repellent if you spend time outside. Once you return indoors, they recommend doing a tick check on your body and taking a shower. NYC Department of Health also advises wearing light-colored clothing, long pants and long-sleeve shirts, and tucking your pant legs into socks to make ticks easier to see and to keep them off of your skin. They also provides information on how to remove a tick. If you need medical attention, we will provide you transportation to Red Hook.

There will be a shopping trip to Target on the second day so that you can pick up personal items you desire to make your stay more comfortable and reflect your personal preferences.

Bard College Campus

Residents should be aware that Bard College is an extremely rural campus. Once residents are on campus, there is nothing outside of the campus itself that is within walking distance. There are campus shuttles that go from campus to a few of the small nearby towns, but they are limited in service and residents should be prepared to have minimal mobility. Please find a copy of the summer shuttle schedule here, which goes to the neighboring towns of Red Hook and Tivoli, and please be advised that masks are required on the shuttle. To get a better sense of the campus and surrounding area, please also visit the virtual map of Bard College’s campus. You can also consult this version, marked with the main buildings of relevance for the BPI Summer Residency.

On campus, you will have unlimited access to the Kline Commons dining hall for breakfast and lunch. Kline will be open from 8-10am for breakfast, 12:30-2:30pm fro lunch, and 5:30-7:30pm for dinner every day. Some dinners will be catered events in other locations and others will be at Kline Commons as well. All of your meals will be provided and covered for you for the duration of your stay. Residents can choose from a wide variety of items, including vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and halal options.  At times, you will also have the option of exploring other venues on or off campus for meals on your own, if you desire. One such option is the Spiegeltent at the Fisher Art Center. See below for more. The dining hall, and catered meals will be inclusive of all dietary restrictions, which we asked about in your original registration form. If you need to make us aware of any other dietary preferences, please reach out ASAP so that we can take those into consideration as we arrange for meal plans.

There will be some walking across campus expected to get from dorms to some of the workshops and dinners. Some residents will have cars and may be able to offer rides. If you are concerned about walking, please email us so that we can ensure accessibility for all residents. 

Other amenities open on campus for the summer include:

• The Bard College Bookstore is open Monday – Friday, 10am – 1pm.
• Bard SummerScape is eight weeks of live music, opera, dance, and theater, which will occur while you are on campus! Dance with top DJs on July 21st and 22nd as part of SummerScape’s “After Hours” party, at Spiegeltent Garden near Fisher at 6:30pm. For more information on events to attend, please see SummerScape’s summer calendar here.

• The Hessel Museum of Art is open Wednesday – Sunday, 12pm – 6pm.
  • CCS Cafe has officially reopened! The CCS cafe is a cafe at the Hessel Museum of Art. The hours are Wednesday – Monday, 12pm – 5pm. The cafe offers coffee, tea, cold brew, seltzer, juices, hummus plates, sandwiches, and more. Enjoy a snack and beverage on the back patio as you visit the exhibitions.
• Halal Bros at Manor House offers halal dishes including entrees of chicken, lamb/beef, and falafel over rice or with pita bread. Their summer hours are 9am-6pm, Monday through Friday. Please note: they only accept cash, credit cards, or flex. They are not set up for meal exchange.

• The Stevensons Athletic Center is open Monday – Friday, 8am – 8pm, as well as Saturday & Sunday from 9am to 5pm.

• The hours for the Stevenson Athletic Center Pool are:
  • 8:15 – 9:00 a.m. (Monday – Friday)
  • 9:15 – 10:00 a.m. (Every Day)
  • 10:15 – 11:00 a.m. (Saturday-Sunday)
  • 11:15 – 12:00 noon (Every Day)12:15 – 1:00 p.m. (Sunday – Friday)
  • 1:15 – 2:00 p.m. (Monday – Friday)
  • 2:15 – 3:00 p.m. (Monday – Friday)
  • 3:15 – 4:00 p.m. (Monday – Friday)
• Please note: reservations are needed to use the pool. You can make a reservation through OMNIFY.
• Information about instructional classes, which will be available to you during your stay, can be found here.

Parking

Residents who opt to rent or drive their own cars are welcome to do so. Park in any of the lots on campus—you do not need a parking permit during your stay. Please refer to campus maps and signs for authorized parking areas.

Summer in the Hudson Valley

July’s average temperature in the Hudson Valley area is 84°F (29°C), though the humidity can make it feel warmer than that. The average highs for summer at Bard College are 82°F

(28°C), and the average lows are 60°F (16°C). You can find more information about Bard’s temperature on the “Visiting” section of our website, which can be found here.

Health and Safety

Bard Security is always available: (845) 758-7460. Please give this phone number to your emergency contact. In addition to patrolling buildings and grounds, Security is responsible for enforcement of parking and traffic regulations. They also investigate assorted complaints; provide an escort service on campus; and maintain a lost and found. Items can be claimed at the Dispatcher’s office any time during the day or evening. Lost items can be reported to Security 24 hours a day. If you need additional linens while you are on campus, please call security. Security also handles emergency medical transportation for the college community. All members of the department are trained in basic first aid. Reach Security from any campus phone at x7460 or see the Dispatcher at the Old Gym. For campus emergencies, call (845) 758-7777

COVID-19 Protocols

Please be advised that Bard College has a “mask-friendly” policy, which means that it is not mandatory to wear a mask indoors, but encourages anyone who chooses to wear one to do so.

We will provide you with tests and masks upon your arrival.

If a resident tests positive for COVID, that individual will need to isolate. The CDC advises that positive cases who are not experiencing symptoms can test out of isolation at the end of 5 days. If they still test positive after 5 days, they are required to continue isolating for another 5 days.

Anyone who experiences symptoms should wear a well-fitting mask, practice physical distancing, and get tested. Tests and masks will be available in the dorms.

Vaccinated close contacts of positive cases do not have to quarantine; however, it is mandatory that they need to wear masks for at least 10 days after exposure. Close contacts can continue participating in workshops, and should watch for symptoms until 10 days after they last had close contact with someone with COVID-19. If they develop symptoms, they should isolate immediately and get tested, and remain isolated until receiving the test result.

All Bard staff and employees and non-Bard visitors to campus must be fully vaccinated and boosted, and approved in advance.

We also strongly recommend that international travelers/guests purchase US travel medical insurance.