News and announcements from Skidmore College

Weekly Bulletin

COVID-19 Updates

Pfizer Booster Eligibility

New York has adopted the CDC’s recommendations for offering booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine for individuals who received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago and who fall into certain categories, which may encompass some members of our campus community. Eligible categories include: individuals age 65 and older; individuals age 18 and older with an underlying medical condition; residents of long-term care facilities; and individuals employed in a setting with an increased risk of transmission. According to the CDC, the last group includes, but is not limited to, education staff (teachers, support staff, daycare workers) and first responders including healthcare workers. New York’s guidelines distinguish between groups who should get a third dose (anyone 65+ or those 50+ with certain underlying conditions) and those who may get a third dose (those 18-49 with certain underlying conditions or those at a higher risk of exposure because of their occupation).

Skidmore employees who opt to receive a booster shot do not need a letter from the College to prove eligibility. New Yorkers are required to provide written self-attestation confirming eligibility, which providers must collect.

Daily Health Certification, training video required for all employees

All employees must now complete the Daily Health Certification form at the beginning of each workday. Any employee with symptoms of COVID-19 must contact their healthcare provider and follow their instructions, including referral for a COVID-19 test. Clearance by a healthcare provider or proof of a negative COVID-19 test must be submitted to Human Resources at hr@skidmore.edu before returning to work on campus. Employees who test positive for COVID-19 must notify Human Resources for further instructions. All employees are also required to review the College’s plan and watch this training video as soon as possible and notify their supervisors when they have completed this requirement. If you have any questions after reviewing the plan and viewing the training video, please contact the HR Hotline at 518-580-5801 or hr@skidmore.edu.

Pick up a free Skidmore facemask at the Skidmore Shop

All students and employees may pick up a complimentary Skidmore facemask at the Skidmore Shop. Just show your Skidmore ID to receive your mask.

Fall semester COVID-19 guidelines, testing, and related protocols

To ensure compliance with testing requirements, beginning Friday, Oct. 1, all students will be required to show a “cleared” status in CoVerified in order to gain entry to Murray-Aikins Dining Hall and Williamson Sports Center. In addition, weekly testing for students will continue to be required whenever the College is operating at a “yellow” status level, as we currently are. Testing will continue to be held in Falstaff’s until noon on Friday, Oct. 8. Beginning Monday, Oct. 11, testing will move to Pine Cottage Annex.

The College’s fall policy for surveillance testing, contract tracing, and protocols for employee illness, positive cases, and exposures to positive cases are outlined in this fall testing policy for employees, which was emailed to all staff and faculty on Tuesday, Aug. 31, and posted to the Campus Planning website.

The College’s detailed guidelines 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. The College is currently at a “yellow” status level, due to a "substantial" to "high" COVID-19 transmission rate in Saratoga County, as categorized by the CDC. Therefore, indoor masking is currently required for everyone on campus, regardless of vaccination status.

Skidmore News

Inauguration of Skidmore’s eighth president

Skidmore College cordially invites you to join our Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and parents for a weekend of events held in honor of Marc C. Conner.

The Center, a new space for equity and inclusion, opens at Skidmore

Skidmore’s leadership, faculty, students, and staff are marking the opening of The Center, a new space in the heart of campus that reaffirms the College’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

Art, ideas, and students come together at the Tang this fall

The Tang is offering a rich variety of programs and exhibitions this fall, including Roommate: Living with Tang Art, a program that lets Skidmore students borrow work from its collection.

Dining Services

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

While the College is operating at a “yellow” status level (“substantial” to “high” Saratoga County COVID transmission rate), Murray-Aikins Dining Hall will be open to students only during the fall semester. The Spa, Atrium Café, and Burgess Café remain open to everyone.

Late night at The Spa is back Friday and Saturday night from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m.

Introducing “ReuseMore” at The Spa

The Sustainability Office and Dining Services are partnering to release a reusable to-go ware program in The Spa: “ReuseMore.” Participants must first purchase a carabiner for $5 to be able to use one container ($10 for two containers). Each time you get your food in your ReuseMore container, you receive a $0.25 discount. The container is then returned to the drop-off bins in The Spa and you pick up a new carabiner at the register. Ask a Spa cashier or fill out this form to participate. Participation is limited. Please email reusemore@skidmore.edu for more information.

Human Resources

Breakfast with HR: Supervisor Roundtable

The first Breakfast with HR: Supervisor Roundtable discussion with Human Resources of the new academic year will be held on Thursday, Sept. 30, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. The topic of this month's roundtable will be "Leading the Readjustment from Remote to Office Work" and will be led by Brianna Herman, assistant director for employee relations, training and development, and Sarah Delaney Vero, interim human resources director. Supervisors wishing to attend must register via our HR training website.

You’re Invited: HR & SWOP Coffee Hour

The Sustainability Office and Human Resources are partnering to host a come-as-you-please coffee hour from 9 to 11 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 4. Please bring your own mug and come visit the Sustainability Office walkway, located at the north end of Wiecking (by the Community Garden) for coffee and to learn about the new Sustainable Workplace Operations Program (SWOP). This program is designed to help employees better understand sustainable workplace practice and how to help implement them. Participants will be evaluated on standardized criteria over the course of the semester and awarded a bronze, silver, gold, or platinum sticker to be displayed as thanks for their participation. Learn more about SWOP at the program website.

Mid-Year Changes Permitted to Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) for 2021

Due to the COVID pandemic and the associated disruption, temporary federal rules allow Skidmore to grant limited in-plan year changes to health and dependent care spending account plans. The change request form can be found here. Completed forms should be directed to Laura Goodwin (lgoodwin@skidmore.edu) no later than Oct. 15.

Skidmore Spotlight

Meet Kyle Dzurica

Kyle Dzurica works as an admissions assistant/information management coordinator in the Office of Admissions, helping to maintain Admissions’ student prospect database and processing enrollments and withdrawals for incoming students.

Faculty-Staff Achievements

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

Paul J. Arciero, professor of health and human physiological sciences, will be presenting two abstracts at an international conference. Read more >>

Robert Boyers, professor of English, led conversations with novelists Garth Greenwell and Mary Gaitskill. Read more >>

Marc Conner, president of the College, has published a new book. Read more >>

Sue Kessler '99, lecturer of theater, was featured in a New York Times article. Read more >>

Lectures

Afghanistan: The Causes and Consequences of America’s Longest War

On Wednesday, Sept. 29, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., Yelena Biberman-Ocakli (Political Science), Gwen D’Arcangelis (Gender Studies), Jonathan Lohnes (History, Cornell University), and Pushkala Prasad (Management and Business & International Affairs) will discuss the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan and its recent withdrawal. Register here for this online event.

Tsou Music Scholar Series: Lecture by Nancy Yunhwa Rao

Nancy Yunhwa Rao will consider the “Transpacific History of American Music” at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30. Please register here for this online event.

Alice Wong, Disabled Activist, Writer, Media Maker

Join disabled activist, writer, and media maker Alice Wong for an in-depth conversation hosted by Sarah DiPasquale (Dance), Nick Junkerman (English), and Jamin Totino (SAS/IGR) at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 4. Closed Captioning and ASL Interpretation will be provided. Registration is required for this virtual event.

Greenberg Middle East Scholar-in-Residence Lecture

Haggai Ram, the 2021 Greenberg Middle East Scholar-in-Residence, will discuss “The Social Life of Cannabis in Palestine-Israel: A Global History,” at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 6, in Gannett Auditorium. This event is open to Skidmore students and employees only.

To view all upcoming lectures and for details on how to submit information about upcoming Skidmore academic lectures, named lectures and faculty panels, visit the Skidmore Lectures webpage.

Announcements

Memorial Service: Mary C. Lynn

A memorial service for Professor of American Studies Emerita Mary C. Lynn will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, at the Presbyterian-New England Congregational Church, 24 Circular St., Saratoga Springs. The service will be livestreamed via this link. An outdoor reception will follow the service.

All In To Win

The fifth annual All In To Win campaign to support Skidmore Athletics kicks off today, Sept. 29, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 3. Visit the campaign website to check out the leaderboard and support your favorite team(s). For more information, contact Brian Stephenson, assistant director of The Skidmore Fund.

Blood Drive and Dedication in Memory of Lilly Kishore '21

More than 100 members of the Skidmore community — from lacrosse teammates to President Marc Conner — rolled up their sleeves and gave blood during a Red Cross Blood drive in memory of Lilly Kishore '21 on Friday, Sept. 24. Following the blood drive, friends, fellow student-athletes, faculty, staff, and College leaders gathered to remember Lilly, who died June 23, at a dedication in her honor. Teammates and friends watered a forsythia planted in her memory outside Williamson Sports Center. Thank you to everyone who came to support Lilly’s friends and family and made the blood drive a success.

New Staffing in Media Services

Media Services welcomes Ben Steele as media services technician for late afternoon, evening, and weekend hours, and Eli Deso as lead media services specialist. Both Steele and Deso have a vast amount of experience in media technology, event support, and other areas of personal interest. Please remember: When requesting event support, your first step is to submit a request in EMS.

Open house tours at The Center

Students, staff, and faculty are invited to open house tours of The Center, from 10 a.m. to noon, now through Friday, Oct. 8. Learn about the vision and mission of The Center, as well as ways in which you can get involved. Drop by The Center (located on the second floor of Case Center across from the Office of Campus Life and Engagement) during a two-hour window. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, each tour is limited to 60 participants. RSVP online.

Peer Advisor Network

Learn about the Career Development Center's Peer Advisor Network, a group of student leaders who successfully completed internships and volunteer their time to advise their peers, from 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30. Learn more and register online.

Get Certified with the Sustainable Workplace Operations Program (SWOP)

This fall the Sustainability Office is launching a certification program for individuals and departments to track, demonstrate, and improve their workplace practice. To learn more and participate, visit the Sustainabilty website and fill out an interest form.

Campus Master Planning

The College recently held virtual meetings with local community leaders and North Broadway area neighbors to share information regarding Skidmore’s Campus Master Planning project and to collect opinions, experiences, and observations about how the campus functions today and how it can be improved as a part of ongoing efforts to align the physical campus with the College’s mission and vision for the future.

Parking on campus

Campus Safety is now issuing fines for parking violations. Students, faculty, and staff are reminded that parking is only permitted in authorized parking spots (identified by white or yellow lines on either side of the parking space). Parking is not permitted over pavement markings such as those with hazard markings (parallel diagonal lines), at the end of a row of cars where there are no parking lines on both sides of your car, on the grass, on sidewalks or crosswalks, in the roadway, or in any no-parking zones. Parking in any of these areas may result in your car being ticketed. Receiving three tickets qualifies your car to be “booted.” If you cannot find an authorized parking space in your preferred parking lot, you will need to move to another lot. Please check the campus map to identify alternative lots that meet your needs.

Athletics News

The Skidmore College volleyball team opened Liberty League play with wins over Vassar (3-1) and Bard (3-1). The wins put the Thoroughbreds (6-7, 2-0 Liberty League) in a three-way tie for first place in the conference. The team hosts the Skidmore Classic Tournament Oct. 1 and 2. Skidmore plays MCLA on Friday, Oct. 1, at 5 p.m., New Jersey City on Saturday, Oct. 2, at 11 a.m., and Russell Sage on Saturday, Oct. 2, at 1:30 p.m.

Skidmore Shop

The Skidmore Shop is hosting a Cornhole-in-One event from 8:30 a.m.to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 6. Each participant gets four bean bag tosses. With each hole-in-one, participants will be entered into a raffle to win one of many prizes, including $50 iTunes gift cards and $25 Skidmore Shop gift cards.