President Conner, College administrators brief Skidmore staff
President Marc Conner and college administrators updated Skidmore staff on a variety of important topics, including staffing plans for the summer and fall, efforts to prepare a new Campus Master Plan for Skidmore, Commencement plans, developments in admissions and searches for important leadership positions at the College.
Speaking at the March 26 staff meeting, the president stressed continuing uncertainty associated with the pandemic and praised Skidmore’s success up to now in limiting the spread of the virus.
“So far so good,” Conner said. “We’re the envy of most institutions. Our numbers are low. I give a lot of the credit to our students. I hope our good effort and good fortune continue.”
Interim Director of Human Resources Sarah Delaney Vero discussed staffing for the summer and fall. The College expects to increase staff on campus gradually. During the summer, employees able to work remotely should plan to continue to do so, Vero said, adding that she was looking for additional guidance on staffing from the state as vaccinations continue to increase.
Associate Dean of the Faculty Pat Fehling and Director of Facilities Dan Rodecker, who co-chair the campus master planning task force, spoke about the process to create a new Campus Master Plan.
Representatives from Ayers Saint Gross, the design firm selected to lead Skidmore’s efforts in crafting a coherent and comprehensive campus plan, will present an educational session about campus master planning at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 5.
Fehling said that focus groups would begin their work at the end of April and encouraged all community members to be involved.
“There's going to be plenty of opportunity for everyone to have their voice heard,” Rodecker added.
Planning for a live, in-person Commencement for the Class of 2020 on May 22 is also underway. A student advisory group continues to provide input, while a Commencement logistics group, co-chaired by Interim Vice President for Communications and Marketing Diane O’Connor, is meeting regularly to make arrangements. “I think the key here is flexibility and planning — and backup planning,” O’Connor said.
The College continues to wait for additional guidance from New York state concerning the venue and requirements surrounding the event. Since guests will not be permitted to attend and faculty and staff attendance will be limited, the ceremony will include a robust virtual component. “We’re really focusing on ways to make this Commencement interesting and unique for the class with some virtual components,” O’Connor said.
Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Mary Lou Bates stated that regular decision acceptance decisions for the Class of 2025 went out in March.
“We’re still looking to enroll about half our class from our regular enrollment acceptances,” Bates said, adding that the Office of Admissions had begun offering modified in-person campus tours for admitted students and had created “a robust suite of virtual offerings” to attract accepted students.
“All admitted students have until May 1 to make their decisions. We look forward to enrolling another outstanding class,” Bates said. “The Class of 2025 is on its way!”
Vice President for Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity Joshua Woodfork asked faculty and staff to encourage students to participate in the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates (NACCC) survey that will be distributed to them. The survey will help Skidmore gain deeper insights into racial dynamics on campus and better equip the College to respond to student experiences involving racism and bias.
Following a comprehensive search, Woodfork also announced that Anita Jack-Davies of Queen’s University in Ontario has been named deputy chief diversity officer and director of the Center. Jack-Davies will assume her new role on April 19. A search for director of student diversity programs continues.
Conner said the search for the Collyer Vice President for Advancement was on track and an appointment was expected in mid-May. An advertisement for Skidmore’s next vice president for student affairs and dean of students has been posted and that search process continues.
The president also spoke briefly about the work of the Healthcare Working Group and its efforts to address rising health care costs.
“We’re trying to decide as a community how we are we going to manage and distribute rising costs. The process is as collaborative and transparent as I’ve ever seen at other colleges and universities,” Conner said.
The next staff meeting is scheduled for April 30.