President Conner and administrators brief College staff
President Marc Conner and Skidmore College administrators offered updates on the College’s continuing efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Campus Master Planning process, and preparations for important College events, including the October Board of Trustees meeting, Celebration Weekend, and Inauguration.
Speaking at the monthly staff meeting, President Conner noted that although the College remained a leader in its comprehensive measures against COVID-19, the virus continued to pose significant challenges.
“We’re doing all the things that you do to run a great college, and we're doing it in the midst of this global pandemic," Conner said.
Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer Donna Ng, co-chair of the COVID-19 Logistics Working Group, emphasized that the College was working to reverse any upward trend as reflected on Skidmore’s COVID-19 Dashboard and pointed to two recent communications to students: The first stated that all students are now required to show a “cleared” status in the CoVerified app in order to enter the dining hall or sports center and that weekly COVID-19 testing of students would continue while the College remained at a “yellow” status level. A second message outlined important operational changes, including restrictions on visitors in student residences, masking during all athletics practices, and other possible measures.
Ng said the working group continued to monitor trends on and off campus closely as it determined next steps.
Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Director of Athletics Gail Cummings-Danson, who also co-chairs the working group, said that the College was also currently looking at heightened safety measures surrounding Thanksgiving break, which is currently slated to move forward as scheduled.
“I think that the key to takeaway from today's meeting is that while we have no crystal ball, planning is happening and that we're going to have to be as flexible as possible,” she said.
Dan Rodecker, director of Facilities and co-chair of the Campus Master Plan Task Force, provided an update on that group’s efforts to draft a new Campus Master Plan. The first phase of the process was now complete: Around 25 listening sessions had been held and “a vast amount of information” gathered. Another community session would be held in the coming weeks, and focus groups would continue the work next month. Rodecker said the task force’s work remained on target for completion next May.
President Conner said he was excited that hundreds of community members had already participated in the Campus Master Planning process with the ultimate goal of forging a plan that reflected the community’s priorities, principles, and aspirations for the next decade or more.
Skidmore is also preparing to host a series of major events, including the first on-campus meeting of the Board of Trustees since October 2019. Campus Master Planning would also occupy an important spot on the trustees’ agenda, Conner said.
Collyer Vice President for Advancement Carey Anne Zucca discussed preparations, including robust COVID-19 measures, surrounding Celebration Weekend and Inauguration, both scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 15-17. Zucca and Conner encouraged members of the Skidmore community to participate in the many events surrounding Inauguration, including an Inauguration Panel on Oct. 15 featuring Skidmore faculty and a student that will consider “Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship: The Liberal Arts in the 21st Century.”
Inauguration “is primarily a chance to celebrate Skidmore College,” Conner said. “That is really what it is about: who we are, what we have done, and what we are doing.”