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Dear Skidmore Community,
With Thanksgiving break — Wednesday, Nov. 24, through Sunday, Nov. 28 (for students)
— fast approaching, we write to share important information regarding testing procedures
for students, faculty, and staff that will help ensure a safe transition to and from
break.
Careful and responsible actions from all of us are essential as we work to protect
our communities, our families, and all our loved ones.
Here is a brief summary of our testing procedures:
- Students will test within 72 hours prior to departing campus and leave with a recent
negative PCR test result in hand.
- Students will pick up an at-home antigen self-test kit before departure.
- Students will take a self-test on the day of their planned arrival back to campus.
- Students will test at Murray-Aikins Dining Hall (second floor) within 24 hours of
being back on campus. Students will test again 72 hours after their first test.
- Employees will test during the week following Thanksgiving.
Details of these procedures may be found below. Please review carefully.
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STUDENT INFORMATION
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Prior to leaving campus for break
- Students must pick up a box of the Abbott BinaxNOW at-home antigen self-test kit,
containing two tests, from the Murray-Aikins Dining Hall testing location beginning
the week of Nov. 15. Remember to pack the kit with you!
- One test is for the day you plan to return to campus (see instructions below) and
the other may be used at your discretion if you experience symptoms suggestive of
COVID-19.
- Students must have a negative PCR test from Skidmore’s surveillance testing program
in hand prior to departing Skidmore. This test should be taken 72 hours prior to departure.
- The last day of testing prior to break is Monday, Nov. 22. Results from that test
date will be available by Wednesday, Nov. 24. Please plan testing accordingly based
on your personal travel plans.
- Please be cognizant of any travel-related guidelines for domestic or international
travel and monitor closely.
- As in years past, please note that the Dining Hall will close Wednesday, Nov. 24,
at 1:15 p.m. and resume service on Sunday, Nov. 28, at 5 p.m. Additional information
about dining and break was sent by the Office of Residential Life to students who
will be staying on campus.
- Please note that Health Services, like other campus offices, will be closed during
the Thanksgiving holiday.
During break
- Please take symptoms seriously. Students should consult with their home medical providers
if they experience symptoms, test positive, or are exposed to COVID-19 during break.
- If you feel symptomatic, please take one of your Abbott self-tests.
- If you are exposed to COVID-19 over the break AND are experiencing symptoms, you must
quarantine according to CDC guidelines prior to returning to campus.
Day of travel, prior to return
- Students should take one of their Abbott at-home antigen self-tests, which produce
results within 15 minutes, on the day they plan to transition back to campus (or to
their off-campus residence), prior to their departure.
- As always, any student who tests positive will need to isolate for a period of up
to 10 days, prior to returning to campus.
- Positive test results from at-home antigen tests must be reported to local public
health departments.
- Students who are staying on campus over the break should take their at-home test on
Saturday, Nov. 27, prior to being tested on campus on Sunday, Nov. 28.
Upon return to campus
- All students must test within 24 hours of their arrival back from Thanksgiving break.
Testing will be offered beginning on Sunday, Nov. 28, from noon to 6 p.m., and regular hours
will resume on Monday, Nov. 29.
- Students should test a second time, 72 hours following their initial test, within
their first week back.
- For the weeks of Dec. 6 and Dec. 13, all students must test every seven days.
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EMPLOYEE INFORMATION
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- All employees should be tested at Murray-Aikins Dining Hall (second floor) during
the week following Thanksgiving (Nov. 29- Dec.3).
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Given our recent success in mitigating COVID-19 cases on campus, in-person academics
will resume after the break and remain in person until the end of the semester. To
help ensure the well-being of your families, friends, and our Skidmore community,
please take any symptoms you experience — before, during, or after the break — seriously.
With sincere gratitude for everyone’s help, patience, and care this semester,
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The COVID-19 Logistics Working Group
- Donna Ng (Co-Chair), Vice President for Finance and Administration & Treasurer
- Gail Cummings-Danson (Co-Chair), Assistant VP for Student Affairs and Director of
Athletics
- Sarah Delaney Vero, Interim Human Resources Director/Assistant Director of Employment
& Workforce Diversity
- Pat Fehling, Associate Dean of the Faculty and Professor for Health and Human Physiological
Sciences Department
- Sara Miga, Director of External Relations and Strategic Communications
- Tim Munro, Director of Campus Safety
- Bruce Murray, Assistant Director of Facilities
- Kelley Patton-Ostrander, Assistant Vice President for Financial Planning & Auxiliary
Services
- Ann Marie Przywara, Associate Dean of Student Affairs for Residential Life
- Julia Routbort, Associate Dean of Student Affairs for Health and Wellness
- Angela Valden, Strategic Communications Editor
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