Two western Mass. nonprofits seek to preserve former Bard College at Simon's Rock campus

With Bard College at Simon’s Rock relocating from Great Barrington, Massachusetts to Annandale, New York this fall, some alumni and residents are raising money to preserve the 275-acre campus and keep it as a community resource. When Bard announced the move, president Leon Botstein said the college’s purchase of the so-called Massena Campus will offer more flexibility in space and “can allow for a more financially viable and educationally rich future for Simon’s Rock by placing it physically proximate the institution that has owned and run it for 45 years.” The Simon’s Rock Village, a nonprofit, says it would like to repurpose the campus for affordable housing, arts, and recreation. The group is trying to raise at least $100,000. For more details, I spoke with alumni Stephen Lieberman, president and CEO of Youbilee, a nonprofit aimed at supporting other nonprofits and communities, and Jonathan Lothrop, the director of Simon’s Rock Village. Lieberman led the conversation by painting a picture of the group’s vision for the campus for our listeners. WAMC's has reached out to Bard for comment. By way of transparency, Bard College is an underwriter for WAMC.