Interesting profile of Bard president Leon Botstein in The New Yorker

[LucieTheLakie]

<p>A must-read for any parent of a future Bard student!</p>

<p>

Botstein has built Bard in his own polymath image . . . He is celebrated for his grand schemes and the rich donors they attract. Though he has raised more than a billion dollars during his tenure, the college’s finances remain precarious. Bard has lacked both a large body of wealthy alumni and a developed infrastructure for soliciting their donations . . . “There are lots of very good things going for Bard,” David Schwab, a chairman emeritus of the board of trustees, told me. “Money is not one of them.”

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<p><a href=“Bard: Pictures from an Institution | The New Yorker”>http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/09/29/pictures-institution</a></p>

[SpiritManager]

<p>Yes, Bard is not as wealthy as some other schools, which can afford to pay for chocolate dipped strawberries at teatime, or to send the music students to summer festivals abroad etc. But it is in no imminent danger of going bankrupt, and any prospective parent who thinks so would be better spent worrying about other things. There is money to hire the very best professors. And there is money for financial aid. Two things that I do find important. And the state of its finances are sure to improve, as has its reputation, as it continues to build a loyal alumni donor pool.</p>