News and announcements from Skidmore College

Weekly Bulletin

COVID-19 Updates

Fall semester guiding principles, health and safety protocol

Thank you to those faculty and staff who attended the College’s Aug. 24 forums about return-to-campus and fall preparations. The College’s detailed guidelines for how we will live, work, learn, and socialize together this fall semester, including guidance for masking, social distancing, visitors, gatherings, and dining, are posted to the Campus Planning website, and updates to frequently asked questions are being posted as soon as information becomes available.

Details regarding pre-arrival and on-arrival testing, move-in, quarantine, and more, were shared with students and families on Aug. 12.

Current indoor masking requirement on campus

Indoor masking is currently required for everyone on campus, regardless of vaccination status, due to a "substantial" to "high" COVID-19 transmission rate in Saratoga County, as categorized by the CDC.

Fall vaccination requirement for faculty and staff

All new and current faculty and staff (union and non-union) will be required to be fully vaccinated by Sept. 3, 2021, unless exempted from this requirement as a reasonable accommodation of a medical condition or sincerely held religious belief. Evidence of full vaccination, unless granted an exemption or leave of absence, must be submitted by Sept. 3. Details of the policy and links to required forms were emailed to all employees on July 30 and can be found here.

Additional information can also be found in policy FAQs posted to the Campus Planning webpage.

Skidmore News

Skidmore holds virtual forums on return-to-campus and fall preparations

President Marc Conner and College administrators offered an overview of Skidmore’s plans and preparations for the fall semester and answered questions from students, faculty, and staff about arrangements for a safe, healthy, and productive term.

Dining Services

Please visit the Dining Services website regularly for updates, specials, hours of operation, information about summer policies, and other information.

Pop-up Grill: Weather permitting until Sept. 3, Dining Services is hosting its pop-up grill from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday on Porter Plaza, which adjoins The Spa. The grill features hamburgers, hot dogs, plant-based burgers, and more. A $7.99 lunch combo meal includes your choice of a grill item, two sides, and a beverage. A la carte pricing is also available. The grill is available to the entire Skidmore community. Pay inside at The Spa register and come out to the grill, where the crew will take care of you. Credit, debit, and Skidmore card are accepted for payment.

The Spa is now open to staff, faculty, and students. It also offers novelty ice cream to help beat the heat.

Burgess Café is open 7:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and offers a selection of grab-and-go items.

Human Resources

Change in internal postings for open positions

Starting next week, Human Resources will shift from notifying employees of open positions by email to providing this notification in the Skidmore Weekly Bulletin. The purpose of this change is to reduce the number of emails employees receive each week and to treat the Skidmore Weekly Bulletin as the primary resource for news from the Human Resources Department.

Free one-on-one retirement consultations with TIAA-CREF

TIAA is offering one-on-one retirement counseling sessions for Skidmore College employees on Wednesday, Sept. 15. All appointments will be scheduled as phone consultations; there will be no in-person meetings due to the spread of COVID-19. Call 1-800-732-8353 to schedule an appointment or visit the TIAA website.

Free one-on-one retirement consultations with Vanguard

Vanguard is offering one-on-one sessions for Skidmore College employees on Monday, Sept. 13. All appointments will be scheduled as phone consultations; there will be no in-person meetings due to the ongoing pandemic. You can sign up for an appointment with a representative over the phone by visiting the Vanguard website and selecting New York/Skidmore College/Saratoga Springs/One-on-one sessions.

Return to Campus Policy

The College has begun a phased return to campus of all staff who have been working remotely, in accordance with division and unit plans created as part of the College’s Return to Campus Policy. A full return to on-campus work is expected by Sept. 2, 2021.

While the College looks forward to welcoming remote employees back to campus, the College also acknowledges that this will be a transition that involves mixed emotions for many employees. Human Resources is available to provide support, answers to your questions, and resources during this transition period. Employees may also speak confidentially to a support professional from the College's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) by calling 518-793-9768 or 1-800-734-6072.

Employee COVID-19 Information

Reminder to Report Your COVID-19 Vaccination Status

All new and current faculty and staff (union and non-union) will be required to be fully vaccinated by Sept. 3, 2021, unless exempted from this requirement as a reasonable accommodation of a medical condition or sincerely held religious belief. Evidence of full vaccination, unless granted an exemption or leave of absence, must be submitted by Sept. 3. Details of the policy and links to required forms can be found here.

The information submitted through the COVID-19 Vaccination Status form and vaccination records will be maintained confidentially by Human Resources. If you have any questions regarding this process, please direct them to Interim Director of Human Resources Sarah Delaney Vero.

Protocol for employees who test positive for COVID-19 or are exposed to a positive COVID-19 case

Any employee, regardless of vaccination status, who tests positive for COVID-19 must not come on campus to work and should stay home until it is safe for them to be around others. You may return to work 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.

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.

Employees who can work remotely should do so during their isolation or quarantine period. 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.

Vaccinated employees who are exposed to a positive COVID-19 case and who show no symptoms of COVID-19 are not required to quarantine. In accordance with CDC guidance, the College expects fully vaccinated employees to get tested three to five days after their exposure, even if they do not have symptoms, and wear a mask indoors in public spaces for 14 days following exposure or until their test result is negative.

Fall surveillance testing

Updated surveillance testing requirements will be announced by the College soon.

Testing for New Hires Working on Campus

Hiring managers should reach out to Leslie Miakisz to coordinate testing for new hires who will be working on campus and who are not fully vaccinated. Non-vaccinated new hires should be tested within 72 hours of their first day of work on campus.

Paid Time Off for Vaccine Appointments During Work Hours

Skidmore recently announced that all new and current faculty and staff (union and non-union) will be required to be fully vaccinated by Sept. 3, 2021, unless exempted from this requirement as a reasonable accommodation of a medical condition or sincerely held religious belief. All employees who cannot schedule vaccination appointments outside of regular work hours will receive paid time off for work time missed due to receiving the vaccine. Exempt and nonexempt employees should record any work time missed due to traveling to and receiving the vaccination as sick time. Union employees should record this time as College Emergency Leave. To be eligible for paid leave, employees must provide proof of their vaccination appointment to their supervisor, who will work with Human Resources to approve a sufficient period of paid time off for each vaccine injection. The amount of paid time off will depend on the time and location of the vaccination appointment (e.g., local appointments may require 1 to 2 hours of paid time off to attend, while an appointment in Plattsburgh could require 4 hours of paid time off to account for the additional travel time.)

Skidmore Spotlight

Meet Laura Decker

Laura Decker, the Early Childhood Center coordinator and academic administrative assistant for the Education Studies Department, enjoys working with children in the center and getting to know families in the community.   

Faculty-Staff Achievements

Click here for details about the achievements below.

A.J. Schneller, assistant professor of environmental studies, co-authored seven peer-reviewed cases in the Environmental Justice Atlas, with several Skidmore students. Read more >> 

Bob Turner, associate professor of political science, was interviewed about Skidmore alumnus Eric Hyers '06, who ran President Biden’s campaign in Michigan. Read more >> 

We welcome submissions from faculty and staff related to professional accomplishments and scholarly endeavors.

Announcements

SEFCU Skidmore branch reopening

The SEFCU (credit union) branch on campus will reopen on Aug. 30. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The branch, which does not close for lunch, is located between the Dining Hall and Jonsson Tower. All students, faculty, and staff, as well as their immediate family members, are eligible to be members. For more information, stop by the branch, contact branch staff by email, or call 800-727-3328.

Fall 2021 vegetable CSA shares now available

9 Miles East Farm will be delivering freshly harvested vegetables and herbs to subscribers in the Skidmore community for 12 consecutive Fridays starting Sept. 3. Shares are available by subscription only. Sign up online. Joining a CSA is a great way to support the local farm community. There are only 100 shares available for the entire campus community, so sign up now. Contact the farm by email for more information.

International Friendship Family Program is recruiting

Student Academic Services is recruiting new and returning International Friendship Family Program (IFFP) hosts for the fall. Moving forward, host families will be limited to Skidmore faculty and staff. Even just a little of your time, knowledge, and friendship would make a huge difference in the lives of our newest international students. To become a returning or new host, please complete this sign-up form and return it to Chloe Jaleel, or feel free to direct questions to her as well.

Curator’s Tour of ‘Ellsworth Kelly: Postcards’

Join Dayton Director Ian Berry at noon on Thursday, Aug. 26, for a curator’s tour of “Ellsworth Kelly: Postcards.” This event is free and open to the public. Contact Olivia Cammisa-Frost with any questions.

Lunchtime Crochet: Saratoga Springs Satellite Reef

Associate Curator Rebecca McNamara hosts an online lunchtime drop-in crocheting session from noon to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1. Join at your leisure to crochet and chat as we create corals for the “Saratoga Springs Satellite Reef.” Open to everyone, and all skill levels are welcome. For more information, contact Rebecca McNamara.

Save the date: Fox-Adler Lecture

Join us at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21, in Gannett Auditorium. New Orleans-based author Michael Tisserand will speak on George Herriman and his famous comic strip “Krazy Kat,” syndicated in newspapers. Tisserand is the author of “Krazy: George Herriman, A Life in Black and White” (2016), the first full-length biography of a cartoonist who lived his life on America’s color line; Herriman was of African American descent, but his prominent Creole family hid their racial identity. Tisserand will illuminate the artist’s insights into American culture through the comic strip. He will share his original research into Herriman’s family history and interviews conducted with Herriman’s surviving friends and family.

Test of public notification system

Campus Safety will be conducting a test of the on-campus siren, public address system, and Skidmore Urgent Notification System (SUNS) Systems tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 26, at 11 a.m. If you do not get a message at that time and believe you are signed up to receive one, please contact Campus Safety. Employees who have not yet signed up for SUNS can sign up online.

Skidmore Shop

Want an iPad Pro for only $599? Now is your chance to get a 2020 iPad Pro with 256GB of storage. Offer ends Friday, Aug. 27, at 3:30 p.m. To buy, contact Doug Chang at 518-580-5491. Flash sales are ineligible with any other promotions.

Share news in the Skidmore Weekly Bulletin

Please help reduce bulk emails by posting your announcement in the Bulletin, which reaches all faculty, staff and students.

Accessing College Resources

A comprehensive list of current resources and services available to the Skidmore community is now available online. This website will be updated frequently. Updates and additions to this list can be submitted by email.

Skidmore College continues to provide campuswide updates on the Campus Planning 2020-21 website.  

 Please send submissions to the Office of Communications and Marketing. 

Skidmore College

 815 North Broadway

 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

518-580-5000