Dear Simon’s Rock Community,
It is with mixed emotions of heartbreak and hope that I am announcing that the Bard College Board of Trustees and the Bard College at Simon’s Rock Board of Overseers jointly announced today that Simon’s Rock will be relocating from its Great Barrington, MA, campus to a new campus close to Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY. The school’s new home will open its doors to Simon’s Rock students in Fall 2025.
After many years of declining enrollment revenue and the competitive market of early college offerings around the country, sustaining the campus in Great Barrington is no longer feasible.
During our 60-year history in Great Barrington, Simon’s Rock has graduated more than 6000 students and met countless others where they are in their educational journeys. We are fortunate to be able to continue our mission and uphold the legacy of our founder Elizabeth “Betty” Blodgett Hall at our new campus. Betty Hall was a pioneer in education with the radical idea that curious and independent adolescents deserve a new path to college in a fast-changing world. Betty was the founder of the early college movement and we will continue to honor her vision by offering students a safe and creative intellectual haven.
Simon’s Rock’s dedicated faculty and staff have been the core of our institution since its founding. I am grateful for their commitment to our students. We will work with faculty and staff to assist them in their next steps in the coming months, including helping students who are unable or unwilling to make the move to the New York campus identify suitable alternatives in Massachusetts.
Departing from our beloved Great Barrington campus is heartbreaking — the campus has been my professional home for more than twenty years and my literal home for nearly five. It is full of memories for so many people. But this move is the only course of action for the school to preserve the viability of a residential early college experience in an unpredictable time for institutions of higher education nationwide. I feel so many conflicting emotions as I share the news with you.
I understand that many who hear this news will likewise experience a range of emotions. Please know that we have worked for several years to find a financially viable solution for our Great Barrington campus and ultimately, we are grateful for our partnership with Bard College that enables us to continue the mission of Simon’s Rock.
We are proud of the achievements and memories that so many students, faculty, staff, and alumni have made on our Great Barrington campus. We will deeply miss our home in Great Barrington, MA, yet we look forward to the continued future of Simon’s Rock.
Sincerely,
John B. Weinstein
Provost and Vice President of Bard College at Simon’s Rock and Bard Academy
If you have questions, please reach out to the following:
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