Skidmore holds virtual forums on return-to-campus and fall preparations
President Marc Conner and College administrators offered an overview of Skidmore’s plans and preparations for the fall semester and answered questions from students, faculty, and staff about arrangements for a safe, healthy, and productive term.
Each of the three virtual forums held Tuesday, Aug. 24, offered an opportunity to discuss the fall semester guiding principles and health and safety protocols and fall pre-arrival and arrival plan that were shared with community members earlier in the month.
President Conner expressed a collective disappointment that a surge in national and local cases of COVID-19 associated with the newer Delta variant have created more challenging health conditions than anticipated for the beginning of the fall semester. Nonetheless, he remained confident that the community will successfully navigate current challenges, noting the College’s success last academic year and preparations for next, including the announcement early on of a vaccination mandate for all students and employees on campus.
He stressed that it is crucial that all employees return to campus, as all faculty and staff contribute to students’ educational experience. The health and safety of the entire Skidmore community and the delivery of a transformative, in-person education to students remain the College’s top priorities, he said.
“Every decision we make is based on data that is based on science and on the recommendations and guidance from major professional organizations like the CDC, the NCAA, the Saratoga County health system and so forth,” Conner added.
All available information will continue to be posted on the Campus Planning website, and its FAQs section is continuously updated as new information becomes available. The College will also make data related to testing and infection rates available on its COVID-19 dashboard.
Julia Routbort, associate dean of student affairs for health and wellness, explained how the College’s fall guidelines were developed with Saratoga County infection rates in mind, in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifications.
The College’s current COVID-19 status level — yellow — reflects a “substantial to high” county rate of transmission. Under the current status level, masking in shared indoor spaces is required for everyone on campus, regardless of vaccination status. That level could change based on local conditions.
Routbort encouraged individuals to review detailed information on the COVID-19 Dashboard from Saratoga County Department of Public Health Services to learn more about COVID-19 cases in the region.
She and Sarah Delaney Vero, interim director of human resources, shared news that 98% of employees and students on campus would be fully vaccinated for the fall. The remaining 2% — 24 employees and 40 students — had approved medical or religious exemptions and would undergo regular surveillance testing.
“We feel quite confident that the safeguards that we’ve put in place are going to protect the health and safety of faculty, staff, and students on campus,” Delaney Vero said.
Michael Orr, dean of the faculty and vice president for academic affairs, expressed excitement about the College’s full return to in-person teaching and opportunities for other academic experiences, such as field trips and guest lectures, that enhance Skidmore courses.
“We continue to think that the vaccination mandate and universal masking while we're in high levels of transmission, as well as robust testing of students on arrival to campus, are going to provide the best approach to enable us to provide outstanding in-person instruction,” he said.
Dean Orr and Donna Ng, vice president for finance and administration and treasurer, also discussed processes and procedures for approving campus events. Academic events are the highest priority; and co-curricular events and athletics, key College events, and social experiences for students will also be prioritized. Employees should discuss any proposed events with the relevant vice president.
Tents are again being installed on campus to encourage outdoor gathering, and the College is currently considering whether to add them to the reservation system, Ng said.
Administrators answered a variety of questions on topics ranging from symptomatic and surveillance testing for COVID-19 to dining hall operations and disciplinary actions for students.
The student forum was moderated by Adrian Bautista, Skidmore's new dean of students and vice president for student affairs, who started his new role on Aug. 16.
The latest information, including answers to FAQs, is available on the Campus Planning website.