Bard Partnership

LLI is a part of Bard

LLI at Bard operates under the umbrella of the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) at Bard College.

Bard supports LLI

Bard provides LLI with substantial resources, including:

  • Administrative support
  • Technical support, such as hosting the LLI website
  • Bard faculty, who frequently lecture in many of our courses
  • Bard classrooms
  • AV equipment
  • Cinemas

CCE at Bard

The statement below is the mission statement of the Center for Civic Engagement, which has a remarkable reach into the surrounding local area and the global communities through its extensive programs. Browse around the CCE website, http://www.bard.edu/cce/, learn about its many impressive programs, locally, around the country, and the world.

The Center for Civic Engagement at Bard College embodies the fundamental belief that education and civil society are inextricably linked. In an age of information overload, it is more important than ever that citizens be educated and trained to think critically and be actively engaged with issues affecting public life. Through its educational endeavors in the United States and abroad, CCE demonstrates a firm conviction that institutions of higher education can and should operate in the public interest.

CCE and the Bard network use their resources to develop vibrant and sustainable programs that tackle critical issues of education and public policy. With an entrepreneurial spirit and a sense of civic duty inspired by social consciousness, the Center for Civic Engagement creates and sustains reciprocal programs and relationships locally, nationally, and globally.

Events at LLI feature some CCE programs, such as:

  • Participation in Jane Diamond and Denise Ryan’s Civic Engagement, Global Crises, and Imperialism courses
  • LLI Intersession presentations
  • The Bard Prison Initiative
  • Brothers at Bard. 

LLI members benefit from Bard

  • Access to the beautiful Bard campus;
  • Use of classrooms and classroom AV equipment;
  • Use of the dining facilities;
  • Bard library card.

LLI gifts to Bard

LLI has a regular program to provide donations, grants and incentives to Bard College. Each year, the LLI Finance Committee and Council review our annual budget and plan gifts for the coming year.

Bard Conservatory of Music

In 2012, LLI pledged money to the Bard Conservatory to be paid out over a five-year period. This donation was matched by an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant. In 2018, LLI added an additional donation to the matching grant fund.

Dean Stuart Stritzler-Levine Seniors-to-Seniors Scholarship Prize

Selected graduating students receive grants to help complete their senior projects. They are competitively chosen by a committee from the college.

The Bard Early College in New York Summer Intern Incentive

Bard's Early College in New York offers selected students the opportunity to graduate from high school with two years of college credit. LLI provides a small stipend to four students to pay their expenses during this time.

The Bard Center for Civic Engagement

LLI donates funds to CCE to support Community Action Awards for student internships, and to the Sanctuary Fund for displaced and undocumented students.

Bard Office of Student Activities

This money was used to upgrade technical equipment in a room in the Campus Center.

The Fund for Visual Arts

This is a studio arts program that has opened its doors to LLI. The donation will be given to students who cannot pay for their own art supplies.

Joan Tower Composition Scholarship

LLI contributes to a fund honoring the distinguished composer and faculty member, Joan Tower. Provides a stipend to a student composer through the Joan Tower Composition Fund.

Bard College Audio-Visual Department

With a donation, LLI was able to provided needed equipment to the Bard Audio-Visual Department. We use Bard AV resources in almost every class.

Montgomery Place

This funding in 2018 was for archival materials at the historic Montgomery Place.

Bard Math Circle

In 2019, LLI donated to the Bard Math Department for stipends for math students to work with students in the Mid-Hudson area public schools.

Teaching Kit and Textbook Fund

For the Psychology Department (part of the Science Department), a 2019 donation was used for a teaching kit and textbook subsidy fund.

US China Institute

Students from the US-China Institute performed at the LLI Annual meeting; they are also presenters in Spring 2020.

Dean's Discretionary Fund

LLI provides support for Inclusion Grants for faculty projects as recommended to us by the Dean of the College, Deirdre D’Albertis.

Check back for additional gifts to Bard

Other gifts to Bard are being evaluated by LLI Council.

Check back for additional gifts to Bard

Other gifts to Bard are being evaluated by LLI Council.

Check back for additional gifts to Bard

Other gifts to Bard are being evaluated by LLI Council.

History of Bard LLI

In 2000, four local women met with Dean Stuart Stritzler-Levine to explore the idea of starting a Lifetime Learning program under the aegis of Bard College. With the aid of Dean Levine and advice from the Center for Lifetime Study (CLS) program at Marist College, plans were made to begin the organization. The first fall semester offering nine courses was opened to 137 members in 2001. Over the past 20+ years, LLI has grown into a vibrant organization, offering Fall and Spring semesters, WinterFest and SummerFest programs, social events, special interest groups, and special programs for members, and collaborations with Bard College and other community institutions.

LLI membership is currently capped at 350.

LLI is part of bard cce

LLI is proud to be a part of Bard's community outreach under the Center for Civic Engagement at Bard College.

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