IMPORTANT: Fall 2021 health and safety information for students and families

As we keep a close eye on global, national, and local information related to COVID-19 infections and the considerable challenges posed by the emergence of the Delta variant, the College is taking the following steps to ensure our community begins the fall semester as safely as possible. 
 
Once again, this pandemic demands that all of us, individually and collectively, do the right thing — pay attention to science and data and respond with care, compassion, respect, and patience to each other. As a community, we have been able to rise to the immense challenges COVID-19 has presented, and we have all learned so much in that process. We ask all members of our community to take their individual responsibility seriously and to act with care and respect for others always. 

Important note for all students

Students who have not met Skidmore’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement or who do not have an officially sanctioned exemption or extension to this requirement may not return to campus. The deadline to submit documentation via this form was Aug. 1, 2021.

Important note for students coming from international locations

All students who are not fully vaccinated (14 days after final dose) and who are arriving from international locations will need to meet CDC quarantine recommendations prior to moving into their student housing assignment and/or coming to campus.
 
Skidmore will support travel-related quarantines for students who are in on-campus housing starting on Aug. 23. We are not able to support student quarantine housing prior to that date. You must notify Jamin Totino in Student Academic Services at jtotino@skidmore.edu to arrange for Skidmore-supported quarantine. Students in off-campus housing must quarantine independently.

Before you arrive on campus

• Pre-arrival testing is strongly recommended for all students. Pre-arrival testing will help ensure that students do not arrive on campus with pre-existing infections and need to isolate for 10 days. Free COVID-19 testing is widely available, and at-home antigen COVID tests are also a good option for pre-arrival testing. Students who are doing recommended, but not required, pre-arrival testing do not need to submit their test results to Skidmore.
• Pre-arrival testing, with either a PCR or antigen test, is required for the following specific groups of students. Students in these categories must submit proof of a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours prior to their arrival to campus.

1. Students who will not be vaccinated or fully vaccinated (14 days after final dose of vaccine) upon their arrival to campus. Students in this category will be contacted by Health Services about how to meet this requirement.
2. Students who will participate in a Pre-Orientation program that involves being off campus overnight must send proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to their arrival on campus (Sept. 2). Students in this category will be contacted by the Office of Campus Life and Engagement about how to meet this requirement.
3. Early-arrival fall student-athletes must have a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of their first practice. Students in this category will be contacted by Athletics about how to meet this requirement.
4. Resident assistants (RAs) and community assistants (CAs) will be required to submit a negative pre-arrival test prior to coming to campus. The Office of Residential Life will be in touch about how to meet this requirement.

• Download CoVerified. All students must download the CoVerified app prior to coming to campus. Test results will be communicated through CoVerified. Health Services will notify students in a separate communication about when CoVerified is activated for our campus and how to use it.

Safer move-in protocols

Throughout the semester, Skidmore will be following CDC guidelines regarding face coverings. Currently, Saratoga County is classified by the CDC as having a “high” transmission rate and all individuals on campus must mask indoors when in public spaces.

• Students who have not met the vaccine submission requirement or any applicable quarantine or pre-arrival testing requirement will not be permitted to move into campus housing or access campus resources.
• All students and visitors to campus must be fully masked when indoors, regardless of vaccination status. Masks must be worn outside if social distancing cannot be maintained.
• All unvaccinated individuals must be masked at all times, regardless of transmission rates in the local community.
• Students can bring no more than two people at a time into campus buildings to help them move in.

On-arrival testing

• Skidmore will be continuing our partnership with the Broad Institute and will be conducting surveillance PCR testing for all Skidmore students at the start of the semester.
• All students, including students who must submit pre-arrival testing, must get tested within 24 hours of their arrival to campus. Off-campus students should test within 24 hours of returning to campus for classes. Students participating in a Pre-Orientation program off campus will test within 24 hours of their return to campus on Sunday, Sept. 5.
• Initial COVID-19 testing will be in Falstaff’s.
• Health Services will be sending a separate communication to students and families regarding activating CoVerified, testing protocols, informed consent, and testing location and hours. Please look for and review that email carefully.

Follow-up testing

• All students must get a second COVID-19 test five to seven days after their first on-arrival test date and do daily symptom monitoring in CoVerified until their second COVID test result has been returned. This testing will also be done at Falstaff’s.
• Skidmore will decide about ongoing surveillance testing protocols for the fall semester based on county COVID transmission levels and campus testing positivity rates.  

Quarantine and isolation

• Because we have very limited space available on campus, any on-campus student who needs to isolate or quarantine based on COVID testing and/or exposure to COVID-19 will be strongly encouraged to return home to quarantine or isolate. Off-campus students will isolate or quarantine in their off-campus housing.
• Fully vaccinated individuals who are exposed to COVID-19 will need to follow CDC guidelines and will need to mask indoors and self-monitor for seven days following exposure and test three to five days after exposure. If the test is negative, and individuals are not symptomatic, individuals may stop masking after seven days, unless there is a general Skidmore requirement to continue indoor masking for all.
• Individuals who are unvaccinated and who are exposed to COVID-19 will need to quarantine for 10 days, based on current New York State Department of Health and CDC guidelines. Students who need to quarantine or isolate can anticipate they will miss significant class time and will need to work with faculty members around meeting course requirements.
• Any student who tests positive for COVID-19 will need to isolate for 10 days, regardless of vaccination or symptom status.

Students with officially approved exemptions to the vaccine mandate

Students who are not fully vaccinated and who have an approved exemption or extension to Skidmore’s COVID 19 vaccine requirement must be masked when in public on campus. They will also need to test weekly for COVID-19. We anticipate offering some limited COVID-19 testing on campus regularly throughout the fall term, but if students are not able to test on campus, they will need to submit proof of an independent COVID-19 test to Health Services. Students who fail to meet this weekly testing requirement will be in violation of Skidmore’s Code of Conduct.