in 1979, Bard College, based about 50 miles away in New York, took over Simon's Rock, which was having difficulty expanding enrollment due to what the school perceived as a failure to grow acceptance of its experimental model and the prospect of funding drying up from the Blodgett family's foundation. Leon Botstein, the president of Bard, oversaw the acquisition and became president of both institutions, a position he continues to hold as of 2025.
In 1981, with the help of various donors, Simon's Rock purchased the 75-acre (300,000 m2) Upper Campus, a former seminary three-quarters of a mile uphill from the original Simon's Rock campus. This added a gymnasium, chapel and various forms of housing to Simon's Rock's assets.
In 1989, an arts and humanities building was built directly across Alford Road, near the college's other arts buildings. In the same year, the student union was established in the lower level of the dining hall.
On December 14, 1992, a mass shooting occurred at Simon's Rock College. At around …
