FYI from FYE - July 2018

Dear Members of the Class of 2022,

Welcome to Skidmore! By now you know that we have chosen Mohsin Hamid’s novel, Exit West, as the summer reading selection for your class. The selection committee—Professors Lia Ball (Chemistry), Ben Bogin (Asia Studies), and Leslie Mechem (Classics)—join me in urging you to utilize the resources on the FYE Summer Reading webpage as you plunge into this fascinating and timely story.

The FYE Summer Reading webpage includes various articles, reviews, and related materials about Exit West, as well as several short essays by faculty who have offered commentary for your consideration. These materials will help you prepare to discuss the novel with your seminar groups during Orientation.

I am also happy to announce that the Class of 2022 Summer Reading lecture, to be held on Monday evening, September 10th, will feature Rania Matar, a Lebanese-born photographer who has worked extensively with adolescent female refugees. Among other honors, Ms. Matar has just been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship. In her Skidmore lecture, she intends to draw connections between her photography and Hamid’s novel while also considering broadly the artistic response to humanitarian concerns.

I encourage you to read Exit West with care, discuss it with your family and friends, and come prepared for lively discussion. I look forward to meeting you in September.

Sincerely,

Professor Janet Casey
Director, First-Year Experience

Checklist of Upcoming Deadlines

July Checklist

Activity	Due Date
Register for Pre-Orientation	through July 13
Submit ID picture	July 1—August 15
Write RAP	July 1—August 30
Mail in Health Services forms	Due August 1
Register for Skidmore Urgent Notification System (SUNS)	Ongoing
Create email account	Ongoing, upon receipt of letter from IT

Upcoming Deadlines

Activity	Due Date
Complete online alcohol education class (students will receive an email with a link to the course on or around August 1)	August 1—31

Past Deadlines

If you have missed any of these deadlines, please contact the appropriate office as soon as possible.

Activity	Due Date
Residential Life Housing Questionnaire	Contact Residential Life
Registration	Contact the Registrar

For a complete list of dates and deadlines, visit the Dates and Deadlines page.

London First-Year and Opportunity Program students should use the dates and deadlines for your programs:

Your Skidmore ID

Your ID is essential for your first day at Skidmore. It is not just for the dining hall and library; your ID is also the key to your residence hall, your room, and a declining balance card. Prior to arriving on campus, we ask you to upload a photo for your ID. Once approved, your photo will be processed and your ID will be available at your residence hall when you check in on your first day of Orientation. However, students who do not submit appropriate photos (or never submit photos) will face unnecessary delays when they arrive on campus.

Please use the guidelines below when submitting your photo. Photos that do not follow these guidelines or are deemed inappropriate will not be processed.

Between July 1 and August 15, incoming students should upload a photo for their student IDs.

Photo Submission Guidelines

This picture is for identification purposes
The picture must be in color
The picture must be less than 500 KB in size
The picture must be a minimum of 300 x 300 pixels
The picture must be a file type of .jpg, .jpeg, .gif., or .png.
Please use a plain light color or blank background
No hats, sunglasses, jewelry, or garments that obstruct the view of your face
Eyeglasses should be worn if normally used by students
Eyes should be open and looking at camera
There should be a small space between your head and the top of the image
Head should be positioned directly facing the camera, not leaning on anything

Any questions or concerns should be directed to the Card Office at 518-580-5854.

What is Student Academic Services (SAS)?

SAS serves all Skidmore students interested in strengthening their academic performance or skills by organizing peer tutoring and Peer Academic Coaching (PAC), and by offering professional one-on-one and small group academic support. SAS collaborates with other campus offices and faculty to support all Skidmore students—with specific responsibility to international students, English Language Learners (ELL), students of color, student-athletes, and students with disabilities.

Student Academic Services and Accommodations

Welcome to Skidmore College and congratulations on your acceptance! Skidmore College cultivates an inclusive and supportive learning community and values the diverse learning styles of our students. In pursuit of this effort, we are committed to providing students with disabilities full and meaningful access to all college programs and activities, and we strive to provide individualized accommodations necessary for students to realize an equal opportunity to succeed.

Following admission, we encourage students to submit an Application for Accommodation along with supporting documentation as soon as possible. The purpose of early application is to foster an interactive process of accommodation, to familiarize students with the Skidmore community, and to enable students to be fully informed about Skidmore's disability services policies and procedures (prior to the first semester on campus). There are also important differences between high school and college that students should be aware of. The central purpose of accommodations at the college level is to provide equal access to Skidmore's academic programs and curricular and cocurricular activities. All accommodations must be approved by the Coordinator for Student Access Services and are never retroactive.

Common Accommodations

Extended test time
Testing in a distraction-reduced location
Supplemental class notes
Texts in alternative (digital) format

Differences between High School and College

High School	College
Academic support is often scheduled for students.	Students must schedule and access the support they need.
Teachers, guidance counselors, and parents typically take the lead on advocating for students.	Students must advocate for themselves.
Parents can provide students with excused absences due to illness or the effects of a disability.	Attendance requirements are established and enforced by individual faculty members. All students are expected to adhere to class attendance policies which cannot be waived as an accommodation for a disability. Similarly, assignment due dates cannot be waived or altered as an accommodation for a disability.

For more information regarding access services, the process for applying for accommodations, and documentation requirements, please refer to our website.

Students can also reach our Coordinator for Student Access Services, Meg Hegener, at (518) 580-8150.

See you in September!

Required Course for Incoming First-Year Students

We know you're excited about coming to Skidmore and we are thrilled to welcome you to our community. Skidmore College is deeply committed to the health, wellbeing and happiness of its community members. In an effort to prepare you for the unique challenges and responsibilities of college life, we require that every new incoming Skidmore student take the Think About It course offered through our partnership with CampusClarity.

We believe you'll enjoy the assignment. It is an innovative, engaging, and informative online course, created with students for students. In the course, you will examine the interconnected issues of hooking up, substance abuse, sexual violence, and healthy relationships through a variety of interactive, realistic scenarios and guided self-reflection. The course promotes a healthier and safer campus environment for everyone.

The course will become available to you on August 1, 2018. The deadline for completing the course is August 31, 2018. Failure to complete the course may result in a hold on your Skidmore account and a fine.

The instructions and the link for accessing the course will be sent to your Skidmore email address. Once you click the "Start Training" button, you will be taken to the log-in page. Please enter your Skidmore email address to log-in.

Think About It takes about two to two-and-a-half hours to complete. You can work at your own pace from any computer. You can leave and return to the course at any time, and when you return, it will open to the page where you left off.

If you have questions about accessing the course, please contact Kimberly Golemboski at kgolembo@skidmore.edu or 518-580-5484.

Please note: We will also be assigning a second and third course throughout your first year at Skidmore. Additional information and instructions for these courses will be sent to your Skidmore email account once the semester begins.

Pre-Orientation Programs

One of the best ways of making the transition to college life is through participation in one of the many Pre-Orientation Programs at Skidmore. Whether it's hiking in the Adirondacks, creating sculpture, or doing community service, there are many ways to meet students with similar interests and goals. Participation in Pre-O is optional, and takes place just before Orientation (which is required for first-year students.)

For any other questions or concerns, please contact Pre-Orientation Programs via email or call us at (518) 580-8338.

There are still spaces in the following programs:

On-campus programs

Behind the Scenes at the Tang CRN # 60122 Art lovers (not just art majors) are invited to learn all about the Tang Teaching Museum. You’ll explore the exhibitions, take a look behind the scenes and make art. No previous art-making experience required, just an openness to new experiences and a willingness to have fun.
Serving Society-Finding Yourself CRN# 60120 Join us for a few days of self- reflection and community service. Learn how to become involved in one of the many community-service opportunities available in the Saratoga Springs area and beyond.
Record Club/Writing Rock CRN# 60121 A good excuse for the music-obsessed to get together and share, discuss, check out some local shows and record shops and write about songs we love.
Theater CRN# 60119 Skidmore's Theater Company opens it's doors to first year students who would like to experience some stage, improv and a play in Lenox, Massachusetts. Meet new people in a fun environment. Come "play" with us! $S
Tell Your Story! CRN #60123 Join the students who staff Skidmore’s DOCLab (a hub for audiovisual production both in and out of classes, serving all majors and all media) to explore the art and craft of documentary storytelling—sonic, visual, and performed. We’ll listen together to our favorite podcasts, swap podcast recommendations, try out the art of live storytelling (a la NPR’s The Moth) in a low-stakes open-mic setting, and split into teams for a 24-hour filmmaking race. No previous experience required!
Wellness CRN#60152 This program allows students to explore the value of living a balanced, healthy life through the various dimensions of wellness. Students will be able to explore health and wellness topics that are highly relevant to their experience here at Skidmore, such as fitness, nutrition, stress management and more. The program will be led by three of Skidmore’s Health Promotion professionals and two upper-class students. In addition, workshops and interactive hands-on sessions will be offered by wellness coaches, nutritionists and yoga instructors, to name a few.

Off-campus programs

SCOOP Paddles & Paths (lodging) CRN#60127 This trip has everyone experience a day of hiking and a day of canoeing or a combination of both in and on the beautiful Adirondack Mountains and waterways. You will have awesome bonfires, go swimming, paddleboarding and make smores—what else could you ask for? You will stay at Camp Fowler in a cabin with bunks. You will need a sleeping bag and pillow.
SCOOP Canoeing (canoe camping) CRN #60130 Spend the days paddling the Adirondack waterways and set camp at a different site each night. You will begin and end your journey at Camp Fowler base camp. Tents and meals provided. (Please see packing list.)
SCOOP Rock and River (tenting at Camp Fowler) CRN#60132 Go rock climbing with experienced guides and whitewater rafting down the Hudson River. You will be spending your nights at Camp Fowler in a lean-to as well as tents. Tents provided; you will need to bring a sleeping bag and pillow.
SCOOP NAHUNA (Nature Human Nature) (lodging) CRN#60125 Yoga/meditation sample experiences. We will explore the nature within us and the spirit in human nature. We will experience yoga, whitewater rafting, hiking and more yoga! You will be spending your nights at Camp Fowler in cabins with bunks; you will need to bring a sleeping bag and pillow.

For more information, please visit the Pre-Orientation website.

Class of 2022 on Facebook

If you haven't done so already, please join the FYE at Skidmore Facebook group (this is separate from the Class of 2021 Facebook page.) This is a closed group for students in the Class of 2021 only, so if you'd like to join, please visit the page and send a friend request. If your Facebook username is different than your legal name, please email our student monitor Becca Schilsky and let her know both your legal name and your Facebook username.

For Families: Wellness at Skidmore

Can my student get a flu shot on campus? When are immunizations due? My student seems really stressed and lonely-where can they go for help? My student wants to find other first year students who prioritize being substance free, how can they meet like-minded peers? My student has a fever and is throwing up on a weekend, how can they get help?

For information about how Health and Wellness resources, supports and clinical services help students thrive at Skidmore, please link to: https://www.skidmore.edu/health/ . For a welcome letter to the families of first-year students, please click here.