President, Cabinet update the Skidmore community

President Marc C. Conner and College administrators provided information to the Skidmore community about the reopening of campus for the fall semester, efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the College budget and other important initiatives.

Speaking during a virtual Community meeting with more than 350 employees on Aug. 20, Conner expressed deep appreciation for faculty, staff and all members of the Skidmore community leading up to the resumption of classes on Aug. 24.

“There have been such extraordinary efforts by everyone in our community – our staff, our faculty, our students, our parents. The effort has been exceptional,” the president said.

Conner noted that the pandemic has affected everyone both personally and professionally and has brought into relief the stark inequities in society. He drew attention to national calls to address racial injustice following the killing of George Floyd and reiterated his plans to announce a Presidential Initiative on Racial Justice that will include concrete, actionable measures the College will take. The Initiative will be launched on Sept. 1.

“The imperative for antiracism efforts and tangible steps for racial justice is profound and undeniable, and Skidmore is responding,” said Conner. Later, in response to a participant’s question, Conner also affirmed the College’s support for students’ right to protest, assuming they also adhere to safety measures, including masking and social distancing. The president also expressed his belief that the work of a liberal arts college in fostering peaceful dialogue among differing views was more important than ever.

President Conner provided an overview of decisions and communications leading into the fall semester. He stressed that the guiding principle of Skidmore’s plans for the fall remained “the health and safety of all our community” as Skidmore also offered an engaged, in-person, intensive liberal arts education in the 2020-21 academic year.

More than 2,500 students are now taking a full course load at Skidmore. About half of classes have an in-person component, and about half will be held online. More than 1,800 students (including 75 students at the Courtyard Marriott) are staying on campus, while 400 others live in the local community. More than 250 others are studying remotely.

Skidmore is requiring social distancing and masks in all public spaces, including outdoors, and is also implementing a wide range of other safety measures. Conner said he sought to “encourage and inspire” students and others to follow masking and social distancing, rather than to chastise them.

The College is partnering with the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard to test all students and employees on campus on a weekly basis and is working with Saratoga County Public Health on contact tracing. Students will be using the CoVerified app to monitor their health.

The president also pledged “regular, clear, transparent, factual and trustworthy” communications to the community and highlighted Skidmore’s COVID-19 Dashboard, which provides public access to relevant COVID-19 indicators. Both the dashboard and FAQs are updated regularly.

At a time when some colleges and universities have backtracked on plans to reopen this fall, Conner explained unique advantages that Skidmore holds in confronting COVID-19, including:

• Weekly testing for the virus with a quick turnaround on test results.
• The quarantine of students from states on a New York state-stipulated travel advisory before their arrival to campus.
• The availability of hotel room space for Skidmore’s use.
• Low positivity rates and community support for behavior to contain the disease.
• Skidmore’s location in a small residential community, rather than a larger, urban location.
• The absence of fraternities, sororities and activities (such as football) that have been associated with spreading the virus elsewhere.

The president also discussed other important initiatives and policies, including:

• The introduction of monthly staff meetings (similar to faculty meetings) so staff can further participate in the shared governance and full community of Skidmore. The first meeting will be Friday, Sept. 4.
• Recent changes to Title IX.

Vice President for Finance and Administration Donna Ng also provided a brief overview of the projected budget impact heading into the fall semester. Ng noted that due to projected lower enrollments, decreases in revenues from student housing and tuition that together totaled about $4 million are expected. The College also expects to incur about $2.7 million in incremental expenses, including health and safety measures (testing) and additional housing for students. With about $3 million in savings due to the cancellation of study-abroad programs, Ng projected a total negative, above-the-line budget impact of about $3.7 million.

In order to balance the budget, the negative budget impact would be addressed through various strategies including savings on supplies and services, and the use of about $1 million from contingency funds (with about $2.5 million remaining for the rest of the year). Many uncertainties remain for the academic year and having $2.5 million remaining in contingency is financially prudent.

College officials also fielded a range of live questions from Skidmore employees about the CoVerified app, contact tracing, repercussions for missing testing or violations of COVID-19 safety precautions, the status of Admissions tours on campus, collaboration with the city of Saratoga Springs, athletics and other subjects.