News and announcements from Skidmore College

Weekly Bulletin

Skidmore News

Three students wearing Dance to Success sweatshirts dancing in Skidmore dance studio

Enriching learning with the science of dance

Produced at Skidmore, the streaming series “Dance to Success” — now featured on PBS Learning Media — supports learning in elementary school classrooms while offering learning and career experience to Skidmore students.

Gaming industry expert Brian Corrigan explores “The Power of Play”

In delivering the 37th F. William Harder Lecture in Business Administration, the vice president and head of Americas for PUBG Corporation discusses the past, present, and future of gaming.

COVID-19 Updates

The latest messages and information regarding COVID-19 can be found on the Campus Planning Page. Important recent updates include:

Masks

The College continues to require indoor masking in public spaces in accordance with the College’s masking guidelines. While no longer required, KN95 masks (or equivalent, i.e., N95 or KF94) are still strongly recommended.
As in all class settings, faculty have the discretion to determine and enforce appropriate safety measures and may continue to require KN95 masks to be worn in their classrooms.

HERO Act Designation Extended

The designation of COVID-19 as a highly contagious communicable disease has been extended until March 17 by the New York State Department of Health. In turn, the College's Airborne Infectious Disease Exposure Prevention Plan remains in effect, and all employees working on campus must continue to complete the Daily Health Certification form at the beginning of each workday.

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. The Spa, Atrium Café, and Burgess Café remain open to everyone.

Be sure to return all ReuseMore containers!

This semester, all food from The Spa will be served in ReuseMore containers, and all dining hall customers can use a ReuseMore container to take food to go. Return your ReuseMore containers at bins in The Spa, Burgess Café, and the dining hall atrium, or in the dining hall dish return. Please email reusemore@skidmore.edu for more information.

Human Resources

HR welcomes new staff member Elizabeth Walsh

The HR Department recently welcomed Elizabeth Walsh as its benefits and leave coordinator. In this role, she will handle benefits administration and changes; workers' compensation; and disability. Walsh has been working as a human resources consultant with more than six years of experience as an HR generalist in both union and non-union environments. Her primary areas of expertise are leave administration, employee relations, benefits administration, workers' compensation, onboarding training, and presenting.

Connect with us on social media to see the latest job openings

Follow HR on Facebook and see the latest job openings at the College.

Free TIAA-CREF Individual Counseling Sessions

Rachel Fiedler, a TIAA retirement planning counselor, will hold one-on-one phone consultations with employees on Tuesday, March 15. Call 1-800-732-8353 to schedule an appointment or visit the website.

Free one-on-one retirement consultations with Vanguard

Employees can schedule a one-on-one phone consultation with a Vanguard retirement planning counselor on Tuesday, March 8. You can sign up for an appointment by going to the website and selecting New York/Skidmore College/Saratoga Springs/one-on-one sessions.

Summer employment on campus

Human Resources is pleased to open the process for submitting requisitions for summer employment. As in past years, all summer hire requests are subject to approval by each division’s vice president to confirm need and to ensure that summer hiring remains within the allocated budget. Human Resources manages all hiring needs during the summer months, including for Skidmore students. All requests for summer workers must be approved before any work begins.

Given the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and uncertainties related to infection levels, as well as ever-evolving local, state, and national health and safety requirements, Skidmore’s summer plans could be subject to change in the weeks and months ahead. Changes and updates will be clearly communicated to the entire Skidmore community.

Guidelines for hiring summer students and non-students

Hiring departments must complete a job requisition through the online recruitment module in Okta. The deadline to submit a summer employment requisition is April 18. Instructions on how to complete a requisition can be found under the faculty and staff sections of the Oracle Cloud training site.

Prior to starting the requisition, you will need to contact Employment Coordinator Jim Calhoun to obtain the position number assigned to your summer position. When filling out the requisition, under “Requisition Structure” you’ll choose “Summer” for the “Requisition Type” and include “Summer” in the Requisition Title.

Background checks may be required and will be performed once the offer is accepted.
The hiring supervisor must inform potential hires of the requirement during the interview process. If a background check is required, it must be completed prior to the employee’s start date.
Employees may work more than one position on campus if both positions are part-time, the total number of hours worked in one week does not exceed 40 hours, and both positions are paid the same way, either both hourly or both a stipend. Supervisors must be aware of this.
During the summer months, all temporary summer employees are paid on the bi-weekly faculty/staff payroll system. Any hourly employee will be required to obtain a Skidmore email account, with the exception of those employees whose job requires them to swipe in and out at a time clock.
Summer employment forms must be completed prior to or on the first day of employment. Employment forms will be emailed to summer hires.
Summer employees will not be set up for payroll unless all required employment forms are completed.
Minors under the age of 18 must provide working papers. These can be obtained from the high school they attend.

Email Jim Calhoun, employment coordinator, or call extension 5802 with any questions on summer hiring.

Skidmore Spotlight

Meet Tim Bruno

Tim Bruno, a short-order cook in Dining Services, serves café drinks, baked goods, and other food items at Burgess Café in Case Center.

Tim Bruno smiling behind the counter at Burgess Cafe.

Faculty-Staff Achievements

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

Emmanuel Balogun, assistant professor of political science, provided an analysis for a podcast and gave a talk on his forthcoming book. Read more>>

Corey R. Freeman-Gallant, professor of biology, co-authored an academic paper. Read more>>

Susannah Mintz, professor of English, discussed her new book on a WAMC podcast. Read more>>

Rodrigo Schneider, assistant professor of economics, and Peter von Allmen, David H. Porter Chair and professor of economics, co-authored a paper. Read more>>

Marketa Wolfe, associate professor of economics, co-authored an article. Read more>>

Lectures

Re-envisioning Colleges on Behalf of Students: Relations, Foundations, and Native Nations

University of North Dakota Director of Native Student Services Megan Red Shirt-Shaw reflects on how creating connection plays a role within education communities and re-imagines these relations as opportunities for support at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24. Register online for this virtual event.

Dunkerley Dialogue with Ruby Sky Stiler and Casey Schofield

Artist Ruby Sky Stiler, whose work is on view in “Opener 34: Ruby Sky Stiler — New Patterns,” and Associate Professor of Psychology Casey Schofield will participate in this Dunkerley Dialogue at The Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24.

On the 40th Anniversary Edition of ‘How the Swans Came to the Lake’

Benjamin Bogin, associate professor and director of Asian studies, will discuss the 40th anniversary of “How the Swans Came to the Lake: A Narrative History of Buddhism in America” by his uncle, Rick Fields, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24. Registration is required for this virtual event presented by Northshire Bookstore.

Transformative Justice and Prison Abolition as Feminist Praxis: A Panel and Workshop

At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, Ejeris Dixon from Vision Change Win and Heena Sharma from Survived and Punished NY will discuss their work on community-based approaches to ending violence, creating accountability for harm, and transforming our notions of justice. A 6:30 p.m. panel discussion and Q&A will be followed by workshops at 7:30 p.m. for registered participants. Register online for this virtual event. Please see the Gender Studies Program webpage for more information.

Tsou Lecture: Your Friend Langston: An Examination of Langston Hughes’ Collaborations with Black Women Musicians

At 5 p.m. Thursday, March 3, Tammy Kernodle, distinguished professor of music at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, explores the collaborative relationships that writer and activist Langston Hughes cultivated with folk singer Odetta, jazz musician Nina Simone, and composer/pianist Margaret Bonds during the late 1950s and 1960s, illuminating the intellectual labor of Black women within the mid-century Black liberation movement. This lecture, part of the Judy Tsou '74 Music Scholar Series, will take place in Zankel Music Center and is free and open to the public. Please register online.

Let's Talk About 'Medicine, Power, and the Authoritarian Regime in Hispanic Literature'

At 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, Oscar A. Pérez, associate professor of Spanish and director of the Latin American and Latinx Studies Program, will discuss his new book “Medicine, Power, and the Authoritarian Regime in Hispanic Literature,” which offers a substantial examination of how contemporary authors deal with the complex legacies of authoritarian regimes in various Spanish-speaking countries. Please register for this virtual event online.

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

Teams advance toward league championships

The Skidmore College ice hockey and men’s basketball teams are in the hunt for their respective league championships. The hockey team travels to Hobart College for the New England Hockey Conference semifinal on Saturday at 7 p.m. The 15-9-2 Thoroughbreds advanced with a 5-3 win over UMass-Boston. This will be the team’s first semifinal appearance since the 2012. The men’s basketball team beat St. Lawrence University 67-55 in the Liberty League quarterfinals and will travel to Troy to take on top-seed Rensselaer in the semifinals on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Exploremore: Majors and Minors

Students are encouraged to take advantage of Exploremore, an opportunity to talk to professors and upper-class students about what it means to major/minor in a specific discipline and how to make the most of your academic career, through Friday, March 4.

World Languages and Literatures Film Festival

Through Feb. 25, Skidmore’s Department of World Languages and Literatures is presenting a film festival showcasing six movies from around the world. The films, which will be shown with English subtitles, will be screened at 6 p.m. in Palamountain Hall 202, except for the Italian entry, which is presented online. The films are: “The Thorn in the Heart” (French) on Wednesday, Feb. 23; “Please Vote for Me” (Chinese) on Thursday, Feb. 24; and “Kakurenbo: Hide & Seek” (Japanese) on Friday, Feb. 25. Faculty members will lead discussions and analysis following the showings.

Aaron Goldberg Trio performance

Pianist Aaron Goldberg will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25. This event is part of the Filene Anniversary Concert Series, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Helen Filene Ladd’s graduation from Skidmore, the 40th anniversary of Skidmore’s Filene Music Program, and the (belated) 10th anniversary of the inauguration of the Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall in Arthur Zankel Music Center. Tickets are available online.

News from the Sub-Committee On Responsible Citizenship

The Sub-Committee On Responsible Citizenship is pleased to host a Zoom conversation with Periclean Faculty Leaders Sarah DiPasquale, associate professor and chair of dance, and June Paul, assistant professor of social work, from noon to 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28. The Sub-Committee is also announcing the launch of a new Civic Engagement webpage.

Ash Wednesday observances

Ash Wednesday observances on campus will include two opportunities this year, supported by the Skidmore Newman Club and the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life. From 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, stop by the second-floor table in Case Center to pause for reflection, receive ashes, and be invited into the Lenten season. At 7 p.m., an Ash Wednesday ecumenical service with readings, song, imposition of ashes, and Lenten reflection will be held in Wilson Chapel. Please RSVP through SkidSync (sign in using your Skidmore login) or email ORSL. Both options are open to Skidmore students, staff, faculty, and visitors adhering to current COVID guidelines. Contact Parker Diggory, director of Religious and Spiritual Life, for more information about these events and other religious observances on and off campus.

Skidmore Theater’s spring black box production opens March 4

Join the Skidmore Theater Department for a double-feature evening of theater. Paula Vogel’s “And Baby Makes Seven” and Tatsu Rivera’s “The Chaparral” will be performed in succession every night of the run with an intermission between shows. Show dates and times are March 4-5 and March 8-9 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, March 6, at 2 p.m. There will be no show on Monday, March 7. Tickets are free but capacity is limited, so reserve your tickets soon.

Toying with Stop-Motion Animation: A Workshop with Lauren Kelley on March 4

Skidmore students, faculty, and staff are invited to take part in a hands-on workshop in stop-motion animation with artist Lauren Kelly on Friday, March 4, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Tang. Kelley, whose exhibition “Lauren Kelley: Location Scouting” is now on view, will share images as a means toward providing a rudimentary experience for participants to produce a stop-motion animated video. No experience necessary. Registration is required using this Google form.

Juried Student Exhibition

The 2022 Juried Student Exhibition, juried by photographer Daesha Devon Harris, is on view through March 8 in the Schick Gallery in Saisselin Art Center. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The exhibition is open to the public.

45th annual Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival

Skidmore Summer Jazz Institute Faculty All-Stars will celebrate George Wein at the 45th annual Freihofer’s Jazz Festival, slated for June 25-26 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. For more information on the festival or the jazz supergroup led by Grammy Award winner Todd Coolman, visit spac.org.

Community Garden at Wesley offers raised beds

The Saratoga Springs Community Garden at Wesley, just a short walk from campus, invites Skidmore faculty, staff, and students to apply for raised beds for the 2022 season (April 16 through November). The garden has 52 raised beds (10’ x 5’ in size) available. The cost for one bed for the season is $45. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 25. For more information or to request an application, email Sandy Nealon or call 518-928-1481.

New vinyl collection additions and loanable record players at the library

Scribner Library is now offering a small Vinyl Browsing Collection of popular music meant for student entertainment. The collection is located on the first floor of the library next to the administration office. A listening station with a record player and headphones is also available to students who want to listen to records in the library. This new vinyl is labeled as “Vinyl – 1st Floor” in the catalog records. Items can be borrowed for five days. Suitcase-style record players can also be checked out.

Make Your Voice Heard: Skidmore Public Policy Prize 2022

Students are encouraged to apply to the 2022 Make Your Voice Heard Skidmore Public Policy Prize competition, an opportunity to engage with a public policy issue that is important to them. Full applications must be submitted by email to Marla Melito by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 15. First prize is $1,000; two runners-up will each receive $500.

Student Leadership Award nominations sought

Skidmore faculty and staff are invited to nominate students who have made outstanding contributions to the community through their involvement, service, and leadership development activities for several student awards. The nomination form and additional information, including eligibility criteria, are available online. The deadline is Monday, March 21, at 4 p.m.

Camp Northwoods registration

Advance registration for Camp Northwoods, Skidmore’s summer day camp for children in grades one through eight, continues for the Skidmore community through Feb. 24.

Junior Admissions Workshop (JAWS)

Skidmore’s annual Junior Admissions Workshop for high school juniors will take the form of four virtual, recorded sessions this month. These sessions will provide valuable insights to make the college search more understandable and achievable. To register and view the recorded workshops, visit the JAWS website.

Skidmore Shop

Now until March 26, enjoy an additional $50 off education pricing on MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs at the Skidmore Shop. Email Doug Chang or call 518-580-5491.

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