Employee COVID-19 testing information for the fall
Dear Staff and Faculty,
Skidmore College’s requirement that all students, faculty, and staff be vaccinated prior to the start of the fall semester, with limited exceptions for medical conditions and sincerely held religious beliefs, will ensure we are returning to a nearly fully vaccinated campus community this fall. The vaccination rates for both students and employees currently stand at 98%.
Out of an abundance of caution, Skidmore is now requiring that all employees, regardless of vaccination status, conduct re-entry surveillance testing between Thursday, Sept. 2, and Wednesday, Sept. 8. Details regarding this new requirement are set forth below, together with detailed information on contract tracing and protocols for employee illness, positive cases, and exposures to positive cases. Please read this message in its entirety and continue to monitor your email, the Campus Planning 2021 website, and the Skidmore Weekly Bulletin for the latest testing requirements and other important health and safety policies and protocol.
Skidmore is also now requiring that all students, regardless of vaccination status,
test every seven days for the first five weeks of classes, through Oct. 8. The complete
fall testing policy for students is posted to the Campus Planning website.
Fall surveillance testing program for employees
Re-entry testing. Skidmore College will conduct re-entry testing of all employees at the beginning of the fall semester. Accordingly, all faculty and staff are required to be tested on campus between Sept. 2 and Sept. 8. The College asks that weekend testing and testing on Monday, Sept. 6 (Labor Day) be limited to employees scheduled to work on those days, as there will be heavy testing traffic for students on those days. The current testing hours during this re-entry testing window are as follows:
Date Time
Thursday, Sept. 2 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 3 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 5 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 6 (Labor Day) 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 7 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 8 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Any employee who tests positive will be notified directly.
Weekly surveillance testing for unvaccinated employees. All individuals who have been approved by Human Resources for an exemption from the
vaccination requirement will be subject to weekly testing throughout the fall semester.
Compliance with this requirement will be closely monitored by Human Resources, and
failure to adhere to this requirement will be deemed a serious violation of College
policy and handled in accordance with the Employee Handbook, Faculty Handbook, or
applicable collective bargaining agreement.
Surveillance testing for fully vaccinated employees. Following re-entry testing, surveillance testing for fully vaccinated employees will
be conducted when those individuals are identified as a “close contact” of a positive
case, on or off campus. Please see below for the testing and mask protocol for vaccinated
individuals who come into close contact with a positive case.
Surveillance testing for well but concerned employees. Skidmore’s testing program currently includes required weekly testing for unvaccinated
employees and students. Nevertheless, individual circumstances may compel some individuals
to seek a test beyond the College’s testing program. Such individuals may opt to arrange
for their own testing, which is available in the community (including walk-in clinics
and take-home tests available in many pharmacies). Individuals will be responsible
for the cost of this additional testing. Individuals with circumstances that result
in specific workplace-related concerns prompting them to seek a test beyond the College’s
testing program may contact Human Resources at 518-580-5800 or hr@skidmore.edu to discuss their unique circumstances and request a test through the College’s testing
program. Such requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis and are subject to
the availability of testing resources.
The College will continue to closely monitor the situation within and outside our
community, as well as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state, and local
health guidance, and will adjust the testing program as necessary to reduce the risk
of COVID-19 transmission on campus. The Skidmore COVID-19 Dashboard contains the latest information regarding our campus vaccination rates, testing numbers,
and testing results and will continue to be updated daily.
Testing schedule and location
The full testing schedule for the fall semester is available on the Health Services
webpage and will be updated for testing after Sept. 13 as soon as that schedule is finalized.
All testing will be at Falstaff’s.
Positive COVID-19 cases
Any employee, regardless of vaccination status, who tests positive for COVID-19 will be subject to a mandatory isolation order for 10 days. Employees who test positive must not come to campus to work and should stay home until it is safe for them to be around others. Employees who test positive outside the College’s testing program must notify their supervisor or Human Resources by calling 518-580-5800 or by email at hr@skidmore.edu.
Employees may return to work when they are cleared by the local health department after:
- 10 days since symptoms first appeared and
- 24 hours with no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and
- Other symptoms of COVID-19 are improving
Contact tracing and protocol for exposures
As necessary, contact tracing will be conducted in coordination with the Saratoga County Department of Health for close contacts of an individual who tests positive through the College’s testing program.
The Saratoga County Department of Health defines a “close contact” as an individual who has been within 6 feet of a positive case for a total of 15 minutes or more within two days prior to illness onset or a positive test. An individual identified as a “close contact” of someone who is positive will be required to comply with the following protocol:
- Unvaccinated/partially vaccinated individuals will be subject to a mandatory order of quarantine for 10 days from date of last exposure. Unvaccinated employees who are exposed to a positive COVID-19 case and who are required to quarantine by order of the Department of Health should provide a copy of their quarantine order to their supervisor or to Human Resources by bringing a copy to the Human Resources office or by emailing the order to hr@skidmore.edu.
- Fully vaccinated individuals must monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days following the exposure and contact their primary care provider if they develop any signs of infection. Per CDC guidelines, fully vaccinated individuals are not required to quarantine but must:
- Seek testing within three to five days of exposure. Fully vaccinated employees who are identified as a close contact, either through the College’s testing program or outside the College’s testing program, and who are asymptomatic may be tested on campus. Employees who develop symptoms must stay home, contact their health care provider, and seek testing off campus.
- Wear a mask in indoor public spaces for 14 days following exposure or until receiving a negative test result.
Employees who can work remotely during their isolation or quarantine period should
do so with supervisor approval. Employees who cannot work remotely may be eligible
for paid time off during their isolation or quarantine period and should contact Human
Resources for additional information.
Employee illness or suspected illness
Employees who do not feel well are required to contact their supervisor and to stay or go home. Employees with symptoms of COVID-19 must contact their primary care provider or visit an urgent care center close to their home to determine if testing for COVID-19 is necessary in accordance with CDC guidelines.
Employees with symptoms of COVID-19 may not come to campus for testing; testing must
be done at a facility off campus. Employees who are being tested or test positive
for COVID-19 outside the College’s testing program must notify their supervisor or
Human Resources at hr@skidmore.edu.
We are in this together
The Skidmore College community is one that has shown that it cares for each other. Following these additional mitigation efforts, in conjunction with our high vaccination rates among students and employees and the requirement of indoor masking for all during our current “yellow” status, will help ensure a safe and successful fall semester.
Sincerely,