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BARD COLLEGEClass of 2010

Senior Guide

The Senior Guide is Designed to ProvideSeniors with Useful Information Regarding

the Senior Project,Graduation Requirements,

Commencement,Ordering Transcripts,

Applying for Fellowships,Applying to Graduate School,

and Planning a Career.

The Offices of the Dean of the College and Student Affairs created this guide.Questions, concerns, and suggestions may be directed to the Dean of Students Office

at 845-758-7454 or doso@bard.edu.

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C o n t e n t s

Greetings from the Dean of the College 3

The Bard-St. Stephens Alumni/ae Association 4

Graduation Requirements 7

The Senior Year An Overview 10

Planning the Senior Year 10Registering for Senior Project 10Selecting a Senior Project Adviser 11First semester of Senior Project 11Midway 12Second semester of Senior Project 12Preparing and submitting the Senior Project 13After submission 13

Writing the Senior Project 15

Sample Title Page 21

Applying to Graduate or Professional School 22

Ordering a Transcript 24

Next Steps: Postgraduation Career Plans 25

Commencement 2010 26

The Senior-Year Experience Committee 27

The Senior-Year Experience Website 28

Campus Resources 30

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GREETINGS FROM THE DEAN OF THE COLLEGE

Dear Members of the Class of 2010:

I want to underscore the sense of excitement and seriousness of purpose that is about to definethe final year of your undergraduate education. I know that, as you begin work on your SeniorProjects, you will challenge yourself creatively, intellectually, and socially and will engagethoughtfully with faculty and peers in and out of the classroom.

I am happy to introduce the Senior Guide, a resource for planning your senior year at Bard. Thishandbook, the product of a collaboration among the offices of the Dean of the College, Dean ofStudents, Career Development, the Registrars Office, and Alumni/ae Affairs, brings togethersuch necessary information as how to format and present your Senior Project, how to ordertranscripts, and apply for fellowships and jobs, and how best to prepare for Commencement and

add your name to the illustrious list of Bard alumni/ae.

The Watson Fellowship and Fulbright Scholarship application seasons have begun and carefulplanning, with the advantage of the summer months, vastly improves the quality of yourapplications. The Watson is an unusual opportunity, offering graduating seniors $25,000 for ayear of travel to pursue an independent nonacademic project. The Fulbright Scholarship issupported by the U.S. government and offers students academic research opportunities in aforeign country. Bard students have excelled in winning these prestigious awards, and we wishthis years applicants the best of luck. Other postgraduate opportunities can be found in theFellowship & Scholarship Guide available through the Dean of Studies, David Shein.

I look forward to the honor of presenting you to President Botstein at Commencement, when youreceive your degree. Welcome to your senior year!

Yours truly,Michle D. DominyVice President and Dean of the CollegeProfessor of Anthropology

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THE BARD-ST. STEPHENS ALUMNI/AE ASSOCIATION*

Dear Senior,

Senior year always goes the fastest. It can be the best and the worst at the same time. We herein the Alumni/ae Office wish you the best of luck and want you to know that we are here as yourofficial connection to Bard after graduation. The Bard-St. Stephens Alumni/ae Association is aclub of which you are automatically a member the day you graduate. You are joining over 8,500alumni/ae worldwide, all of whom were where you are now, all of whom were fortunate enoughto have had the opportunity to experience a Bard education. Who else but another Bardian canappreciate what it takes to do a Senior Project?

The mission of the Bard-St. Stephens Alumni/ae Association is to help alumni/ae maintain aconnection to each other and the College. You can find us most days on the top floor of Ludlowbusy making introductions, meeting students, planning events, and keeping you informed about

what is happening on and off campus. We are here to help new Bard alumni/ae to feel part of agroup that has experience and resources, and offers networks and advice for those who ask.

After you leave Annandale you may want to make connections in the next place you are living orwant to find an alumnus/a who works in the field you are interested in. Upon graduation youwill gain access to AnnandaleOnline, our new dynamic social networking community that willhelp you to find mentors and network for jobs within the alumni/ae community, keep in touchwith your classmates and much, much more.

As you get out in the world you will see that there are not very many places like Bard. As analumnus/a, we hope you will keep in touch with Bard and support the college and the current

students.

Yours sincerely,

Jane Brien 89Director of Alumni/ae Affairs

*Prior to 1934, the College was named St. Stephens. Alumni/ae refers to both male andfemale graduates.

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Office of Alumni/ae Affairs Staff

Jane Brien 89 brien@bard.eduDirector of Alumni/ae AffairsTricia Fleming fleming@bard.eduAssistant Director of Alumni/ae AffairsAnna Canzonetti 84 canzonet@bard.eduAssistant Director of Alumni/ae AffairsSarah Elia 06 selia@bard.eduCommencement Assistant

Events

Find more details on upcoming events and activities of the Bard-St. Stephens Alumni/aeAssociation online at www.bard.edu/alumni.

These are just a few of the events in the New York area and other communities where there is aconcentration of Bard alumni/ae:

Holiday Partyin New York City in December. Usually over 400 alumni/ae, faculty, staffand their guests converge in one place to toast the season and catch up with old friends andprofessors.

Cities Partyeach spring in many cities across the country. Organized by the YoungAlumni/ae Committee, these events focus on gathering alumni/ae in various cities includingNew York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Chicago, Seattle, andsometimes South Florida, Nashville and Austin.

Other events include barbecues and softball in Brooklyn, private tours of galleries andmuseums, faculty seminars at the homes of alumni/ae, dance classes, alumni/ae bandsperformance, alumni/ae film shows, and more.

Career Networking

Mentoring opportunities will be posted on the new alumni/ae community AnnandaleOnline.Alumni/ae will be able to post their profiles and either offer to mentor someone or look for amentor themselves.

To search for or post jobs alumni/ae can use the www.collegecentral.com/bardwebsite just asstudents can. The Career Development Office is also available to alumni/ae as well as students.http://inside.bard.edu/career/

Staying Connected

TheBardian, the College's award-winning magazine, features alumni/ae programs and activities,and class notes from the classes of the 1930s to last year. AnnandaleOnline will feature bothcurrent and archived volumes of theBardian.

The Alumni/ae websitefeatures information about alumni/ae events and programs. Alumni/aecan advertise their own performances or exhibitions there by contacting the Alumni/ae Office.Annandale Online will allow alumni/ae to upload photographs, write instant class notes, createprofiles, friend other alumni/ae, and more.

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The Office of Alumni/ae Affairs maintains a mailing list of all alumni/ae. Unless an alumnus/arequests that their information be confidential, email addresses are available from the OnlineDirectory, which is open only to alumni/ae. If an alumnus/a wants to contact another alumnus/aby snail mail, the Alumni/ae Office will forward a letter or card to the other alumnus/a. Barddoes not release contact information of any kind to non-alumni/ae.

So Don't Get Lost

When you leave, be sure to update your address. You can keep your address and e-mail updatedonline or by calling 1-800-BARDCOL.

If the Office of Alumni/ae Affairs does not have your address and email, it cannot send you theBardianor The Annandale Triangleour monthly E.Newsletter. Don't be left out! You neverknow what youre missing.

Questions?

Need more information? Contact Jane Brien, Director of Alumni/ae Affairs, brien@bard.edu,

ext. 7406.

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GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

from the Office of the Registrar

Requirements for the Bard College Bachelor of Arts degree are:

1. A minimum of 124 credits; at least 64 of which must be taken at Bard.

2. A minimum of 40 credits outside the division of major.

3. Every student must take two semesters of First-Year Seminar. Transfer students may beexempt.

4. Every student must be promoted to the Upper College by completing Moderation.

5. Every student must complete an acceptable Senior Project.

6. Distribution requirements:one course from each of the appropriate distribution areasdetailed below.

Distribution Requirements

FOR STUDENTS ENTERING FALL 2004 OR LATER

Courses are assigned to distributional areas by intellectual focus and methodology, not bydivisional location or program. The faculty designates the area into which a course falls on thebasis of its content. There are nine areas plus the Rethinking Difference requirement.

A. Each student will be required to take one course in each of the nine categories listed

below. No more than two requirements may be fulfilled within a single disciplinary program.Nonnative speakers of English are exempt from the Foreign Language, Literature, and Culturerequirement.

Analysis of ArtsA course in the analysis of nonverbal art.

Foreign Language, Literature, and CultureA course focused on language acquisition or theanalysis of literature or culture via an engagement with a language other than English.

HistoryA course focused on historical analysis.

HumanitiesA course focused on the analysis of primary texts in philosophy, religion, or socialthought.

Laboratory ScienceA laboratory course in the physical or life sciences.

Literature in EnglishA course focused on the literary analysis and explication of texts inEnglish, either in the original or in translation.

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Mathematics and ComputingA course in mathematics, computing, statistics, or logic.

Practicing ArtsA studio course in the visual or performing arts, or creative writing.

Social ScienceA course in the empirical social sciences other than history.

B. All students must fulfill a Rethinking Difference requirement.The requirement may be satisfied by any course that is focused on the study of difference in thecontext of larger social dynamics. The course may address, but is not limited to addressing,differences of race, religion, ethnicity, class, gender, or sexuality. It may consider, but is notlimited to considering, the contexts of globalization, nationalism, and social justice. A singlecourse may simultaneously fulfill both the Rethinking Difference requirement and one of thedistribution requirements under A above.

FOR STUDENTS ENTERING PRIOR TO FALL 2004

Courses are assigned to distributional areas by intellectual focus and methodology, not bydivisional location or program. The faculty designates the area into which a course falls on thebasis of its content. There are seven areas plus the quantitative (Q) requirement. A course may bedesignated as being in two areas (but not more than two), and it may at the same time be a Qcourse.

Students are required to take one course from each of the distribution areas listed below and a Qcourse, making a total of eight courses over the four years. If a course is designated as being intwo areas, students must select one requirement to be fulfilled. However, a course from any areathat is also designated as a Q course may satisfy two requirementsone area requirement, andthe Q requirement.

A. Philosophical, Aesthetic, and Interpretive DiscoursesA course in philosophy, aesthetics,art history and theory, literary theory and hermeneutics, religion courses with a philosophicalemphasis, political thought, economic theory, or the history and philosophy of science.

B. Literary Texts and LinguisticsA course in literature, theory of language and linguistics,psychology, or an anthropology course on language.

C. Social and Historical DisciplinesA course in history, sociology, anthropology, politics,social psychology, religion courses with a sociohistorical emphasis, literature courses withhistorical focus, or art or music courses with a historical focus.

D. Foreign Language and CultureA course in a foreign language or a course in a social,literary, or artistic discipline that focuses on a specific (non-English speaking) culture.

E. Natural Sciences, Empirical Social Sciences, or Mathematics A science division course ora social science course with a quantitative or empirical research focus or a course in computerscience.

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F. Practicing ArtsA course in a studio art, dance, theater, filmmaking, musical performance,photography studios, or creative writing.

G. Laboratory Science or Computationally Based Courses A laboratory course in the

physical or life sciences or a computational course.

Q. The Quantitative RequirementThis requirement may be met by a course in one of theabove distribution areas.

All requirements for graduation must be met in order to be eligible to walk in the commencementceremonies. For more information, contact the Registrars Office at x7458 orregistrar@bard.edu.

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THE SENIOR YEAR AN OVERVIEWfrom the Dean of Studies

The distinguishing feature of the senior year is, of course, the year-long Senior Project. Detailed

guidelines for writing and submitting the senior project are available elsewhere in this document(see p 13); what follows are more general suggestions for approaching the senior year andparceling out your energy over the course of these very exciting 9 months!

Planning the Senior Year

While Senior Project is the dominating element of the senior year, you do have otherresponsibilities: you need to satisfy your college-wide and program-specific graduationrequirements (see page 7). Schedule a meeting with your adviser and either the Registrar or theDean of Studies before you register for Senior I classes to review your transcript and see whatrequirements you have left.

If you have taken a standard (16 credit) course load in the six semesters of your 1

st

, 2

nd

, and 3

rd

years, you will be able to take a regular course load (3 classes plus Senior Project) in yourSenior I semester and a reduced course load (2 classes plus Senior Project) in your finalsemester. Many students do this in order to have more time and energy to focus on the secondpart of Senior Project. If you enter the senior year with fewer credits, youll have less leeway, ofcourse, and if you enter with more credits youll have more leeway and may be able to be a part-time student for one or both semesters of the senior year. Being a part-time student is oftenfinancially advantageous, but it can affect financial aid and so youll want to check with theFinancial Aid office before finalizing your registration. (Note that to be a part-time student youmust be billed for fewer than 10 credits per semester and that, while you earn 0 credits for SeniorProject in the first semester and 8 in the second, you are billed 4 credits per semester.)

Registering for Senior Project

In order to begin Senior Project you need to have moderated successfully into the program inwhich you will complete your Senior Project and you need to have earned 92 credits. If youhave fewer than 92 credits, the registrar will contact you shortly after the start of term to reviewyour options. If you have a plan for making up incompletes, transferring in credits, or otherwisegetting to the 92-credit mark, you may be permitted to remain registered for Senior Project.

You will register for Senior Project just like you register for any other class that does notparticipate in on-line registration: by asking the instructor to sign a registration card or drop/addslip. The course number for the first semester of Senior Project is 401; the course number for thesecond semester is 402. (The registrar will automatically place you in 402 if you have beenpreviously registered for 401.)

You are expected to register for two consecutive semesters of project. Students who wish tocomplete Senior Project in non-consecutive semesters must request permission from the FacultyExecutive Committee.

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Selecting a Senior Project Adviser

Most students will ask their academic adviser to serve as their Senior Project adviser. You mayask another faculty member to advise your project, so long as this person is in your academicprogram. In some cases, the person with whom you plan to work is on sabbatical or leave ofabsence for one of the two semesters of your senior year, in which case you may have one

adviser for the fall term and another one for the spring term.

Some academic programs assign Senior Project advisers to students in order to ensure thatadvising loads are equally balanced among the program faculty. If you are in such a programand there is a particular person with whom you want to work, be sure to approach that personearly before the start of the senior year and ask him/her to advise your project.

Above all else, make sure your Senior Project adviser is someone with whom you arecomfortable working. Project is an intense experience, with high points and low points, and youwant your adviser to be someone whom you will want to talk with even when (especially when!)you are having trouble generating ideas or producing work. Select a Senior Project adviser in the

same way that you select an academic adviser: choose someone who talks when you need tolisten and who listens when you need to talk. This is at least as important as the advisersknowledge of your intended topic: the adviser is there to guide you in your research but, moreprofoundly, to guide you in the process of conceiving and completing a project that will serve asthe capstone of your study at Bard.

First semester of Senior Project

Treat your Senior Project as though it were a tutorial. This means that you should have regular,weekly meetings with your adviser, at a set day and time. Avoid falling into the trap ofscheduling meetings week by week; its too easy for them to fall by the wayside. This isimportant especially in the first weeks and months of the project, when you are figuring out whatexactly you will be developing your proposed project into. The process of meeting with andtalking with your adviser serves the same function as seminar meetings, where you work outquestions and answers and puzzle over texts with your instructor and classmates.

The work that is required in the first semester varies from program to program and from adviserto adviser. As you would in a tutorial, work with your adviser at the beginning of the semester todevelop a schedule of writing or other assignments for the semester. Your plan should be tohave a substantive piece of work done by the end of the first semester, for your Midway review.

As you decide upon your topic, consult the holdings and reference sources of the libraryscollection, including the interlibrary loan system, Connect NY. The reference librarians candirect you to printed and electronic materials in your subject area. Librarian Betsy Cawley offersreference workshops to teach students how to use the librarys extensive databases, abstracts, andindexes, as well as how to evaluate, access, and cite internet sources. Researching your projectshould begin as soon as possible. If most of your research will involve material not in the Bardcollection, you should request a letter of introduction from the Stevenson Library to research atother libraries.

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Its not uncommon to find yourself blocked as you start the second semester of Project: formost students, the Senior Project is the largest and most intimidating academic project they haveundertaken in College, and its easy to let it take on mythic proportions, to get psyched out bythe magnitude of the undertaking. Break it down into manageable parts: focus on one chapter orstage at a time and remember that you have accomplished tasks of this length and intensity many

times during your years at the college. Also remember the wealth of resources available at thecollege to help you: your adviser and other board members, the staff at BARC and the library,and the Deans of Students and Dean of Studies.

Plan to have a complete draft of the Project done and in your advisers hands by spring break.This will allow him/her time to read it through from beginning to end and to provide you withcomments before the submission deadline, which is approximately one month after spring break.You should aim to have finished writing and revising two weeks before the submission deadlineso you can do final edits and have the project bound and prepared for submission.

Preparing and submitting the Senior Project

Senior Projects are due by 5:00 PM on Wednesday, April 28

th

(November 30

th

for midyeargraduates) and submitted at the senior table set up outside or on the first floor of Ludlow-WillinkHall. You will need to bring two copies of your title page (see p 21) and four copies of yourSenior Project, three bound and one unbound. The three bound copies are for the faculty on yourboard. (These copies can be printed on both sides of the page, as your board members allow.)They will be checked in and then returned to you for delivery to the members of your board. Theunbound copy is the library copy: it should be printed single-sided and submitted in a 9x12manila envelope with your name clearly printed on the outside. The pages should be loose; donot clip them together or bind them in any way.

If you are a member of the Arts Division completing an installation, a film, a composition, or aperformance as a senior project, you should bring two copies of a title page (see p 21), a 1-2 pagesynopsis of the project (an artists statement outlining what you did and what you were hoping toaccomplish), a program or invitation, if applicable, and a 9x12 manila envelope with yourname clearly printed on the outside.

To bind your Project, you can either use black binders with built-in fasteners, available in theCollege Bookstore or at most office supply stores, or you can have them professionally bound;you can do this at any of the local copy centers (Staples or Copy Cat, for example) or at Bardsown Central Services.

Senior Project Day includes a celebratory festivity that marks the first in many senior eventsleading up to Commencement.

After Submission

Some students feel a sense of emptiness after they have submitted the project. Others feel a senseof elation. All feel a sense of relief; a major hurdle has been cleared and preparations areunderway for commencement weekend - receptions, rehearsals, dinners and parties. There ismore to do, however, before you march across that commencement stage. You need to finish(and pass!) your other classes, which you may have neglected as the deadline for Project

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submission got closer and your work on Project took up more of your time and energy, and youstill need to have a Senior Project Board.

In most cases, your Senior Project Board will involve the same faculty members with whom youmet at the end of the previous semester (in some cases, there will be slight changes if a particular

faculty member has gone on or come back from sabbatical or leave of absence). You will cometogether to discuss the project (you will have given them bound copies of your project on Projectsubmission day and you should bring your own copy to the Board meeting), what worked in itand what did not, what you would have done differently, etc.

Before the Senior Project Board commences, you will be asked whether you want to have theProject graded on a letter basis or Pass/Fail. This is something to discuss with your adviser inadvance of the board; you cannot change your mind after the board has finished. Some programswill let you know at the conclusion of the Board what grade you have earned (they will ask youto leave the room while they discuss the matter); other programs will let you know only after allof the seniors in the program have had their boards.

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PREPARING TO WRITE

- from the Bard Academic Resources Center

The following is adapted from Elements of the Academic Essay by Gordon Harvey, HarvardUniversity.

1. START BY FORMULATING YOUR THESIS.Not to be confused with a topic, whichrepresents only the subject area of an essay, a good thesis must be arguable, that is, you must beable to advance your thesis and explain and refute counter arguments. What distinguishes a goodthesis from a fact that is clearly demonstrable in the text, or an observation (an interpretation soobvious that no intelligent reader would challenge it), is its arguability. Although writers oftenwish to delay announcement of the thesis, good academic writing generally states the thesisexplicitly on the first page, then returns to a more nuanced and complex form of it later in thetext.

2. OUTLINE THE PROBLEM OR QUESTION THAT UNDERLIES YOUR PROJECT.

That is, explain the intellectual context in which your thesis matters. In academic essays, theproblem usually arises from a current misunderstanding of an important issue. The author of anessay promises to clarify something that would otherwise remain obscured or mistaken.Establishing the problem or question is the primary role of an essays first few paragraphs. If itdoesnt promise to illuminate, deepen, or solve a problem, an essay risks irrelevance.

3. EVIDENCE.A useful device at this stage of the writing is to give each chapter a title in theform of a question. Each of these questions will be a chapter or chapter-section. If you have toomany questions, chapter sections are useful. If your guiding question has four subordinatequestions, and each of those subordinate questions has three subordinate questions, then youhave four chapters, each of which would have three sections. If you still have too manyquestions, your project may be too broad. Work with your Senior Project adviser to refine it.

Your research on your topic will produce evidence that has been overlooked or previouslyundiscovered that may serve to prove your thesis. Frequently, however, academic writers re-examine evidence that others have looked at before, in which case the evidence is more likely tosuggest or persuade readers that the writers approach is a fruitful one. Since a good thesis mustbe arguable, academic writers are especially obligated to consider counterevidence, to grappledirectly with facts, patterns, or passages that resist or complicate the essays main argument.Writers must orient readers to the sources of the evidence, which must be cited.

4. RESEARCH (AGAIN).Youve done some research already in order to define your topic andformulate questions. Now you want to go back to your research materials again, this timesearching for answers to the questions you have identified. The idea here is to gather materialthat will allow you to address your questions, to consider different answers to them, to defendone answer and reject others, etc. Keep careful notes and bibliographic citations. Make certainthat your photocopies are complete and clean, that your bibliographic information is complete,and that you note page numbers for quotes. You dont want to waste time and energy going backand finding sources youve found once already, and you dont want to confuse your authorswords and ideas with each others or with your own.

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Now That Youre Ready to Start Writing

5. INTRODUCTION.Your introductionwhich you may want to write after you have draftedyour chaptersliterally introduces your thesis to the reader. It should be long enough to give thereader some context for your argument and include summaries of the argument outlined in each

chapter and how each chapter relates to the thesis.

6. CHAPTERS. Each chapter should be able to stand alone as a short(er) paper on the questionthat guides that chapter. Since a thesis must be arguable, no evidence in a good academicargument can speak for itselfall of it must be processed by the writer. Typical strategies ofanalysis are to highlight significant details of the evidence and to name patterns that mightotherwise be undetected. When working with written evidence, its good to observe the rule oftwo: the writer should supply at least two words of analysis for every word of a citation, andusually more.

Analysis generally refers directly to the evidence, while reflection builds upon analysis to

support larger claims. Other strategies that indicate reflection are: consideration of acounterargument, definitions or refinements of terms and assumptions, and qualification ofprevious claims. Reflection is important throughout an essay, but should be especially richand full in between sections of the argument and in the essays conclusion.

You might think of each chapter as a mini-project. (When youre feeling overwhelmed by theidea of writing a complete project, remember thisif your outline calls for four chapters, youreessentially writing four essays.) That said, be sure to remind the reader at the beginning of eachchapter how it connects to what came in the chapter before, that is, how it connects to theguiding question. This will help ensure that the reader follows the overall argument of the projectfrom the beginning to end. Be sure to employ transitions in your writing: connect one paragraphto another, one section to another, and one chapter to another.

College essays are frequently organized either by repletion (where each paragraph developsevidence of the same proposition: X is clearly present) or by chronology (where evidenceappears in the essay in the same order that it appears in the text): both of these patterns areinadequate. Sections of a good argument proceed in a logical way, but also develop theimplications of a thesis more deeply as the essay progresses. The reader should understand howeach new section extends the argument thats come before and prepares the reader for theargument thats still to come. Reflective sentences at moments of transition often guide thisreview/preview, and complex essays frequently include one to two reflective sentences in theirintroductions or at moments of transition between paragraphs and chapters.

7. CONCLUSION.The conclusion should not simply restate the argument (though it does that,too), nor should it recapitulate the introduction. Rather, the conclusion should remind the readerof what you were trying to do in the project and how each of the chapters constructed yourargument. A conclusion should also register caveats, exceptions, and other relevant points thatqualify the projects accomplishments.

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Now That Youre Done Writing

8. REVISE AND PROOFREAD. You have put a lot of time into this project, and while youwant to be done with it and hand it in, you want the finished project to reflect all the energy andcare you have invested. Do not turn in a paper that hasnt been carefully vetted for

argumentative, compositional, and mechanical and grammatical errors. (Failing to proofreadmight lead your board to ask you to go back and revise it after youve handed it in. Nothing feelsworse than walking out of your board knowing that youre still not done.) Go over the paperthree times. The first time, check for grammatical and mechanical errors, including spellingmistakes (computerized spellcheckers are unreliable). The second time, check to see if yoursentences are as clear as they should be and excise clichs, slang, and vague phrases or jargon.Finally, ask yourself if youve said everything you want to say. Are your arguments wellformed? Have you communicated clearly the role of each chapter in the overall project? Dont beafraid to change what you have written: move things around, delete things, add things, and revisewherever you see an opportunity for improvement. (Dont forget, however, to recheck grammar,spelling, and especially transitions.) Good proofreading takes time and involves revision. A few

tips: (i) give yourself as much time as possible between writing and proofreading; the longer youwait, the better job you will do; (ii) have a friend (roommate, tutor, etc.) proofread the paper foryou; (iii) read the paper aloud.

Questions?For more information, contact the Bard Academic Resources Center at x7812 or barc@bard.edu.Visit the website at: http://inside.bard.edu/academicresources .

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Bard College Library Bibliography of Writing Handbooks and Style Manuals:

Ref. BF 76.7 .A43 1994American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of theAmerican Psychological Association. Washington, D.C., American Psychological Association,1994.

Ref. Z253 .U69 1993Chicago Manual of Style, 14th edition. Chicago: University of ChicagoPress, 1993.

Ref. T11 S386 1994Council of Biology Editors. Scientific Style and Format: The CBE StyleManual. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994.

Ref. T 11 D33 1998 Day, Robert A.How to Write and Publish a Scientific Paper, 5th edition.Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1998.

Ref. LB 2369 .G53Modern Language Association.MLA Handbook for Writers of Research

Papers. New York: Modern Language Association, 1995.

Ref. PN 147 G444 Modern Language Association.MLA Style Manual and Guide to ScholarlyPublishing. New York: Modern Language Association, 1998.

Ref. PE 1408 .S772 2000Strunk, William S., and White, E. B. The Elements of Style. Boston:Allyn & Bacon, 2000.

Ref. LB 2369 .T8 1996Turabian, Kate L.A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, andDissertations. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.

Online Resources:

Bard Academic Resources Center: inside.bard.edu/academicresources

Bard libraries: www.bard.edu/library/index.htm

Bard Senior-Year Experience: inside.bard.edu/doso/senioryear

Dean of the College: inside.bard.edu/doc/students

Citations and Bibliographic Guides:

NoodleBib: Generate, edit, and publish an MLA works cited list or APA references list thatcomplies with the rules of the currentMLA Handbook andAPA Publication Manual. To useNoodleBib, you must first create a personal folder. Click on the New User link and followthe instructions.http://www.noodletools.com/login.php?

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RefWorks: An online research management, writing and collaboration tool designed to helpresearchers easily gather, manage, store and share all types of information, as well as generatecitations and bibliographies. Click on Sign up for an Individual Account and follow the instructions.http://www.refworks.com/Refworks/login.asp?WNCLang=false

APA Guide to Citationswww.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/apa.html

MLA Guide to Citationswww.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/mla.html

Columbia Online Style: MLA-Style Citations of Electronic Sources, Walker, Janice R.Vers.1.2, Rev. Nov. 1997. (5 June 1998).www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/cgos/idx_basic.html

Academic Honesty Self-Test and Guides to Citation Styles

Online Research:

The Internet Public Librarys E-Resources

An exhaustive list of links to online reference workswww.ipl.org/div/subject/browse/ref00.00.00

Stevenson Librarys Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

http://www.bard.edu/library/search/dictionaries.htm

Online!

A reference guide to using Internet sourceswww.bedfordstmartins.com/online

International Public Library

Links to newspapers worldwidewww.ipl.org/div/news

Grammar Help:

The American Heritage Book of English Usagewww.bartleby.com/64

Diana Hackers Book Companions Extensive Electronic Writing/Grammar Exerciseswww.dianahacker.com/student.html

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Writing Academic Papers:

Electronic writing assistance, including sections on the various stages, types and style/grammarof writingthuban.ac.hmc.edu/www_common/writing/centweb/centstu.html

Writing Better: A Handbook for Amherst Studentswww.amherst.edu/~writing/writingbetter

Harvard Universitys Twenty Tips for Senior Thesis Writers and Worksheets for Senior ThesisWriters

http://bsc.harvard.edu/PDFs/20_Tips.pdf

Rules of Thumb for Proper Citation:

Talk with your Senior Project adviser about preferred citation format.

Consult bibliography and footnote sections of periodicals in your discipline.

Be consistent, whichever citation format you choose.

Questions?

Need more information? Contact Bard Academic Resources Center, x7812,http://inside.bard.edu/academicresources .

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SAMPLE TITLE PAGE

Indonesian Vernacular Architecture:Of Home, Body, and the Universe

Senior Project submitted toDivision of Social Studies

of Bard College

by

Miya Buxton

Annandale-on-Hudson, New YorkMay 2010

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APPLYING TO GRADUATE OR PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLfrom the Career Development Office

The Career Development Office (CDO) offers programming and resources that support graduateand professional school inquiry, while Bards academic programs and academic advisers provide

one-on-one graduate school advising. Your first conversation about graduate school should startwith your academic adviser. For the specific fields of law and the health professions you maywant to consult with:

Roger Berkowitz, Assistant Professor of Political Studies and Human Rights and Pre-lawAdviser (berkowit@bard.edu; x7413; Seymour 102).

John Ferguson, Professor of Biology and Health Professions Adviser, (ferguson@bard.edu,x2333; Reem and Kayden Center 215).

Professors Berkowitz and Ferguson each hosts a listserv for students in their respective advisingareas. If you are interested in being included in a pre-law or health professions listserv pleasecontact them.

CDO sponsors several graduate and professional school information sessions in the fall.A complete calendar of upcoming events can be found atwww.collegecentral.com/bard/student.cfmunder Upcoming Events & Programs.Some of the graduate and professional school related events include: Kaplan Free Graduate andProfessional School Practice Tests, Pre-Law Information Session, Teaching Fair (TeachingOpportunities & Graduate Programs), International Graduate School Consortium (includingTufts, Princeton, Georgetown, Columbia, and John Hopkins), and Simon Graduate School ofBusiness, University of Rochester Information Session.

CDO encourages you to speak with your professors about programs you may be interested in andrequest letters of recommendation early, even if you do not intend to apply to graduate orprofessional school right away. The Career Development Office will keep these letters on file foryou in our Credential File Service, should you need them in the future. Consult the CDO websiteat http://inside.bard.edu/careerfor information about the Credential File Service, the GRE,LSAT, and MCAT exams, and more.

These questions may assist your thinking about graduate and professional school:

Are you able to articulate your reasons for applying to graduate or professional school?

Are your scholarly interests already well defined, or are they still fairly broad?

What kind of research have you conducted so far into graduate programs in your field?

Have you consulted with Bard faculty in your area of interest?

Have you defined a set of criteria to evaluate individual programs?

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Have you visited program websites or used Petersons Graduate & Professional Programsguide or another resource to learn about graduate programs in your field?

Are you familiar with faculty teaching in any of these programs, and do their research interestsintersect with your own?

What do you want to convey about your academic background, interests, and goals in yourpersonal essay?

If you are in the initial phase of thinking about graduate and professional school, and are not yetready or able to answer the questions above, you may need more information about graduateschool expectations generally, about differences between masters and doctoral programs, andabout the kinds of professional opportunities that are available with a particular advanced degreeor certification. These types of questions may be directed to faculty and to graduate schoolrecruiters working at the schools you are considering. Please remember that recruiters areinterested in talking with you about their programs, so you should never hesitate to contact them

with questions about their schools, their requirements or career possibilities following thegraduate degree. You can find contact information for admission recruiters at their respectivegraduate school websites.

www.graduateschools.comis a free website that will help you find your ideal graduate programand offer advice on every step of the graduate school process. CDO highly recommends thiswebsite as an excellent resource to search for schools and to learn about programs.

Questions?Need more information? Contact: April Kinser, Director, Career Development Office,kinser@bard.edu, x7177, Campus Center 201.

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ORDERING A TRANSCRIPT

from the Office of the Registrar

Whether you are applying for graduate school or a graduate fellowship, youll need to arrangefor copies of your transcripts to be sent from the Registrars Office. Please note that transcripts

of student records must be requested in person or in writing because the registrar must have asigned release. Accordingly, faxed requests are acceptable, but e-mailed requests are not.

If filing a request in person, you can fill out the transcript request in the Registrar's Office,Ludlow 201.

Written requests may be submitted by completing a Transcript Request Form or mailing orfaxing a letter to the Registrar's Office.

YOUR REQUEST MUST CONTAIN THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:

Full name

Student ID number

Telephone number, or e-mail address

Dates of attendance or year of graduation

Address(es) to which the transcripts are to be mailed

Student signature

Fee per copy payable by check or money order

SERVICES AND FEES

Fee: $3.00 per copy, payable to Bard CollegeProcessing time: usually within seven days

PLEASE NOTETranscripts will not be issued to anyone who has not met their financial obligations to theCollege. No transcripts will be released except upon the written authorization of the student.

Send to:Office of the RegistrarBard CollegeP.O. Box 5000Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504

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NEXT STEPS: POSTGRADUATION CAREER PLANSfrom the Career Development Office

During your last academic year at Bard you will have plenty of time to develop your post graduationplans if you start in the fall and schedule an appointment in the Career Development Office (CDO) withApril Kinser, the designated senior career adviser and CDO director. Please email cdo@bard.eduor call

758-7539 to schedule an appointment with her to discuss your career possibilities and job search plans.

TheBard Basic Job Guideis downloadable at http://inside.bard.edu/career. This publication containssample resumes, cover letters, and important tips for your job search. Before meeting with April pleasetry to write a draft of your resume to take with you when you meet with her.

The timetable for starting your job search depends upon the field you want to enter, the type of positionyou desire, and when you hope to start work. Most of you will find that starting your job search shortlyafter submitting your Senior Projectin April is an appropriate time to look for a job, if you are ready tostart work in the summer. On average, once an employer advertises a job, it takes at least a few months tofill an entry-level position for a recent college graduate. Keep in mind that government jobs, teachingopportunities in independent schools, and business and financial positions may have application deadlinesas early as the fall. Postgraduate paid internships at prestigious organizations are competitive and also

have early deadlines. Make sure you are aware of deadlines, if you are considering these employmentfields.

The job search requires focus, commitment, a positive attitude, an ability to articulate clearly the type ofposition you want, and the inclination to connect with people and tell them about your career goals. Beingable to describe the type of work you are looking for, including job titles is very important in your jobsearch. For example, I just graduated from Bard College and I am looking for an entry-level position in anonprofit arts organization as an administrative assistant or coordinator of projects or programs. Peoplecan better help you in your job search if you are able to express to them a succinct goal. The clearer youare about what you would like to do, the more likely you are to be successful in getting a job that suitsyou and sustains your passion and interest. CDO can help you identify and state your career goals, as wellas coach you through your job search. Networking, although very important to your job search, is only

one way to discover job opportunities. Dont underestimate the effectiveness of applying for jobsposted at websites and in the newspaper classifieds of your future hometown. CDO subscribes to anumber of websites that post jobs in specific fields. You can pick up this list of resources in our office aswell as Bard tailored web sheets for particular professions. We hope you will utilize all of our resources.

CDO offers two Bard specific websites:

www.collegecentral.com/barddiscover Bard friendly employers with leads to jobs, internships, andvolunteer opportunities, as well as CDOs online calendar.

http://inside.bard.edu/careerfind theBard Basic Job Guide with sample resumes, the Vault OnlineCareer Library, and more.

We hope you will use CDO to support you in your job search during your senior year.Drop by our office at Campus Center 201 or email cdo@bard.eduto schedule an appointment.

Questions?Need more information? Contact: April Kinser, Director, Career Development Office,kinser@bard.edu, x7177, Campus Center 201.

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COMMENCEMENT 2010from the Office of Special Events

Mark the date and time! Commencement will be on Saturday, May 22, 2010, at 2:30 p.m. in theCommencement Tent on Seth Goldfine Memorial Field.

Details will be posted at www.bard.edu/commencement as they become available. Check out the2009 Commencement website for more information regarding the moving traditions that makeBards graduation unique.

Since area accommodations fill quickly, it is not too early to make your familys hotel or bed-and-breakfast reservations. Make them as soon as possible. A list of area hotels, motels, and bed-and-breakfast establishments is available at:http://www.bard.edu/admission/visiting/accommodations.shtml.

Invitations (or announcements) will be available to seniors starting in March. Around that timeboth you and your family should receive information about weekend events and meals.Highlights for the weekend.include a senior concert on Friday evening of student compositionsperformed by the American Symphony Orchestra, and the Presidents Breakfast and SeniorProject Panel on Saturday morning. After Commencement, a reception for the graduating class isfollowed by a barbeque with music, dancing, and fireworks. The barbeque is a major event forthe Bard community, bringing together new graduates and their families with alumni/aeattending reunions, faculty, and staff.

During the spring you will receive information about caps and gowns, baccalaureate, the SeniorDinner, and other events during your Commencement Weekend. Information will also be postedon the Senior-Year Experience website, http://inside.bard.edu/doso/senioryear. TheCommencement speaker is usually announced just a week or so before Commencement.

Questions?

Need more information? Contact commencement@bard.edu or x7504.

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SENIOR-YEAR EXPERIENCE COMMITTEE

Mission

The Senior-Year Experience (SYE) Committee supports students during their senior year, bothacademically and personally, while facilitating seniors transition to life after Bard. Designedwith the diverse and unique needs of seniors in mind, the Senior-Year Experience Committeeprovides academic, professional, financial, emotional, and practical information and resourcesfor seniors.

The SYE Committee sponsors a website and publishes this senior guide specifically gearedtoward the needs of the Bard senior. For information pertaining to the contents of the website,consult the section The Senior-Year Experience Website of this guide or visit

http://inside.bard.edu/doso/senioryear.

Committee Members

Erin Cannan, Senior-Year Experience Committee Chair, Dean of Students/Associate Dean ofStudent Affairs

Dorothy Crane,Bard Academic Resources CenterJane Brien 89,Director of Alumni/ae AffairsApril Kinser,Director of the Career Development OfficeDavid Shein,Dean of StudiesBrad Whitmore,Associate Director of the Annual FundYou may contact the committee by e-mailing sye@bard.edu.

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THE SENIOR-YEAR EXPERIENCE WEBSITE

What are your needs for the senior year? This helpful resource provides links that can answeryour questions and concerns, from Senior Project to budget management. Visithttp://inside.bard.edu/doso/senioryear for:

Important Dates to Remember

The Senior Guide:A letter from Michle Dominy, Dean of the College, with a link to the pdfversion of the Senior Guide.

Everything you need to know to prepare for Commencement:Links to information aboutcaps and gowns, invitations, accommodations for guests, meal tickets, and a detailed schedule ofevents during Commencement Weekend.

Your Guide to Senior Year:Contains links to the following resources:

Graduation Requirements (just to make sure you have fulfilled them!)

Writing the Senior Project (a helpful step-by-step guide to how to proceed from first draft tofinal revision)

Senior Project Preparation and Presentation (what it should look like and what to do with it)

Campus Resources (phone numbers for all the lovely and helpful people on campus)

Leaving Bard:It is sad, but imminent. Contains links to:

Personal Finances (some sound advice about money in the real world)

Moving to a New City (some advice on what to consider when moving to a new place)

Graduate School, Fellowships, and Job Resources:

Applying to a Graduate or Professional School (advice from Career Development)

Ordering a Transcript (how-to from the Registrar)

Applying for Fellowships or Scholarships (information about possibilities from David Shein,Dean of Studies)

Next Steps: Postgraduation Career Plans (more advice, and a timeline from those helpfulpeople at Career Developmentyou should visit them at Campus Center 201)

The Alumni Association: Staying involved after Bard.

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Resources:Helpful links for managing senior year stress.

Senior Class Representatives:A list of your senior class reps.

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CAMPUS RESOURCES

OFFICE OF THE DEAN OF THE COLLEGE

Michle Dominy, Vice President/Dean of the College 7421Mark Halsey, Associate Dean of the College 2336

Jonathan Becker, Associate Dean of the College/Dean of International Studies 7378David Shein, Dean of Studies 7045Ariana Stokas, Director of Opportunity Programs 7492

ACADEMIC RESOURCES CENTER

Phil Pardi, Director of Academic Resources/Director of College Writing 7051Maria Belk, Director of Quantitative Literacy 7811Dorothy Crane, Writing Consultant 7124Amy Shein, Disability Support Coordinator 7532

CAREER DEVELOPMENT OFFICE

April Kinser, Director of Career Development 7177Elisabeth Giglio, Assistant Director of Career Development 7189

OFFICE OF INFORMATION SERVICES

Henderson Computer Resource Center Help Desk 7500Jeff Katz, Dean of Information Systems/Director of Libraries 7501Bill Terry, Associate Dean of Information Services/Chief Technology Officer 7495

OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR

Peter Gadsby, Registrar/Associate VP for Enrollment 7457 or 7458Diane Smith, Associate Registrar 7459Jennifer Triplett, Assistant Registrar for Advising 7365

OFFICE OF STUDENT AFFAIRS

Mary Backlund, Vice President for Student Affairs 7472Erin Cannan, Associate Dean of Student Affairs/Dean of Students 7454Paul Marienthal, Assoc. Dean of Student Affairs/Dir. of Trustee Leader Scholar Program 7056Bethany Nohlgren, Associate Dean of Students/Director of First-Year Experience 7292Ann Seaton, Associate Dean of Students/Director of Multicultural Affairs 7047Lora Seery, Assistant Dean of Students/Director of Sophomore-Year Experience 7031Julie Silverstein, Director of Student Activities 7099

OFFICE OF RESIDENCE LIFE

Gretchen Perry, Director of Residence Life 7276Anthony Chefalo, Area Coordinator 7699Jane Duffy, Area Coordinator 7686Jennifer Harris, Area Coordinator 7692Anna Lehnen, Area Coordinator 7687David Pack, Area Coordinator 7166

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OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI/AE AFFAIRS

Debra Pemstein, Vice President of Development and Alumni/ae Affairs 7405Matt Soper, Director of Development 7505Jane Brien 89, Director of Alumni/ae Affairs 7406Brad Whitmore, Associate Director of the Annual Fund 7663

SECURITY

Ken Cooper, Director of Security 7461Matthew Moore, Assistant Director of Security 7462

ATHLETICS

Kris Hall, Director of Athletics and Recreation 7528Scott Swere, Associate Director of Athletics and Recreation 7530CAMPUS RESOURCESCHAPLAINCY

Bruce Chilton 71, Chaplain of the College 7438

Imam Salahuddin Muhammad, Muslim Chaplain 7438TBD, Catholic Chaplain 7438Reverend Ginger Grab, Ecumenical Chaplain 757-4309Rabbi David Nelson, Jewish Chaplain 7544

COUNSELING AND STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES

Tamara Telberg, LCSWR, Director of Counseling Services 7433Jennifer White, LCSW, Staff Counselor 7433Laura MacDonald, PsyD, Staff Counselor 7433Rebecca Stacy, LCSW, Director of BRAVE 7557

(Bard Response to Rape and Associated Violence Education)Marsha Davis, FNP, Director of Student Health Services 7433Barbara-Jean Briskey, FNP, Associate Director of Student Health Service 7433

STUDENT ACCOUNTS/FINANCIAL AID

Viki Papadimitriou, Bursar/Student Accounts 7654Denise Ackerman, Director of Financial Aid 7625