Important updates regarding COVID-19 vaccinations
Dear Members of the Skidmore Community,
As access to COVID-19 vaccines has increased in recent weeks, I write today to share the following updates regarding vaccination for students and employees, as well as related topics such as testing and return to work.
For students
Skidmore College will be requiring that any student who is living, studying, working,
conducting research or doing an internship on campus this summer be vaccinated against
COVID-19. Students who wish to have an on-campus presence this summer will be required to have
received their first dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine
(if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves resumption of its distribution)
no later than Monday, May 24. Subject to an approval process, requests for medical and religious exemptions to
this requirement will be permitted. Additional information regarding how, when, and
to whom students will need to submit proof that they have begun their vaccine series,
and about how to submit an application for review of medical and religious exemptions,
will be shared next week.
Once a student is fully vaccinated (14 days after the second Pfizer or Moderna dose or 14 days after the single Johnson & Johnson dose), they will be exempted from Skidmore’s summer COVID-19 surveillance testing, which will be conducted in partnership with the Broad Institute.
For employees
We continue to strongly encourage all faculty and staff to get vaccinated as soon
as possible. In an effort to make informed decisions regarding employee vaccination
and testing policies and procedures, Human Resources will be reaching out to all employees
to request that they provide information about whether they have been vaccinated or
plan to be. Please monitor your email for information and instructions. Obtaining
an accurate understanding of where our community stands is of critical importance
as we engage in summer and fall planning.
Like students, employees who are fully vaccinated will be exempted from COVID-19 testing requirements over the summer, if they would have otherwise been required to be tested in order to work on campus.
Testing
Please note that the current weekly testing requirements and schedules will remain
in place for all students as well as all faculty and staff working on campus, regardless
of vaccination status, until May 24.
Planning for the fall semester
As we look toward the fall semester, I want to share that the College anticipates
that students returning to campus for the 2021-2022 academic year will be required
to be fully vaccinated. We will provide options for students to submit medical or
religious exemption requests for review. Additional information, including which vaccines
will be acceptable per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines,
as well as if, when, and how new and returning students would need to submit proof
of vaccination, will be shared when available.
Vaccinating as many members of the Skidmore community as possible will significantly reduce the negative impact of this virus, both at Skidmore and in Saratoga County. We will have fewer members of our community in isolation or quarantine, fewer missed class days or work time, and fewer demands for case investigations, contact tracers, quarantine and isolation spaces, student support services, and more. It will also allow us to return to more normal campus operations and the full residential learning experience we take pride in offering to our students — something I know we are all looking forward to.
Again, please monitor your emails for additional information in the coming days.
Thank you,
Marc C. Conner
President