College News

Commons has been the flagship building of Bennington College’s campus since the College opened in 1932. In Fall 2019, the building reopened upon the completion of the first significant renovation in its 87-year history.

From September 27 - 29, 2019, 350 alumni and their guests joined 145 families for All-Class Reunion and Fall Weekend, featuring concerts, film screenings, awards, College updates, and more.

This winter, Bennington College and Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) will offer six students fully-paid, health-related internship opportunities as part of the inaugural Population Health Fellowship. Population health transforms the healthcare model— in thinking about healthcare from seeing patients only when they are sick, to partnering with people to address their social, environmental, and economic issues before they become sick. 

PEN America interviewed Davin Malasarn MFA '20 and Monica Carter MFA '20, both past recipients of the Bennington/PEN America Emerging Voices Fellowship, for The PEN Ten weekly interview series.

Through Bennington College’s partnership with RaiseMe, current high school students can begin earning incremental “micro-scholarships” for their achievements throughout high school, both in and outside the classroom.

Bennington College announced that it has received gifts of 122 works of art in the past year to benefit Art for Access, an innovative new program launched last year to support scholarships and provide educational opportunities for students by inviting new donations of art to the College. Art for Access celebrates the College’s pioneering legacy in the visual arts while advancing its commitment to equity, diversity, and access.

On September 3, 2019, the Bennington community gathered to celebrate the start of the academic year and welcome over 180 new students to the College. 

Rage Hezekiah, First-year and International Student Counselor, was the staff speaker at Convocation 2019. She shared her perspective as a relative newcomer to Vermont and the inspiration she finds in her daily work with students. She also urged the community to "be gentle with each other." 

"I trust our collective ability to have hard conversations, and find common ground," said Hezekiah. "This doesn’t mean we always have to agree, but that we can treat each other with tenderness, trusting that we are committed to sharing this space, and making this place our collective home."

Dina Janis was the faculty speaker at Convocation 2019. She stressed the importance of preparation and action as necessary first steps to discovery and education.

"Regardless of how one finds oneself preparing for the act of creation, there is no substitute for time on your feet actually doing the thing, rather than thinking about doing it," said Janis. "There is nothing hypothetical about action." 

Nine students from high schools across the country were selected as winners of Bennington College’s 2018-2019 Young Writers Awards.