Vaccination Policy for Faculty and Staff

In accordance with Skidmore College’s commitment to the health and safety of its community members and in order to prevent or significantly reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission at the College and protect all members of the College community from infection, all faculty and staff are required to be vaccinated as a condition of employment unless exempted from this requirement as a reasonable accommodation of a medical condition or sincerely-held religious belief.

For the purposes of this policy, “vaccinated” means two weeks have passed since your final dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine, and, effective January 24, 2022, receipt of a booster shot within 30 days of becoming eligible for a booster.

Reasonable Accommodation 

Employees in need of an exemption from this policy due to a medical reason, or because of a sincerely held religious belief, should contact Human Resources.  When requested, the College will provide an exemption/accommodation for any known medical condition or disability, or sincerely held religious belief or practice, of a qualified individual which prevents an employee from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, provided the requested accommodation is reasonable and does not create an undue hardship for the College or pose a direct threat to the health and/or safety of others in the workplace, educational environment and/or to the requesting employee.

Employees who receive a medical or religious exemption are required to wear appropriate face coverings and maintain social distancing at all times in indoor public spaces.  In outdoor settings, unvaccinated individuals may unmask unless social distancing is not possible.  Unvaccinated individuals are also required to submit to weekly surveillance testing together with any additional health and safety guidance required and communicated by the College.  Failure to comply with required health and safety requirements violates this policy and will result in immediate corrective action. 

Paid Time Off and Transportation for Vaccine Appointments
Employees who have not yet been vaccinated can schedule an appointment during work hours and, if needed, request transportation to and from the appointment by contacting Human Resources.  Employees will receive paid time off for work time missed for participating in the vaccination and booster process.  Exempt and nonexempt employees should record any work time missed due to traveling to/from and receiving the vaccination or booster 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 or booster appointment to their supervisor or Human Resources.

Failure to Meet the Vaccination or Booster Requirement 
Employees who are not vaccinated or who do not receive a booster shot within 30 days of becoming eligible and are not approved for an exemption or leave of absence, will not be permitted to work on campus. 

Non-Union Staff who choose not to comply with the College’s vaccination requirement may resign or will be involuntarily separated from employment.

Union Staff who choose not to comply with the College’s vaccination requirement will be subject to further action in accordance with the contract and other agreements reached with the applicable union.

Faculty Members will be subject to disciplinary action for professional misconduct in accordance with the Faculty Handbook procedures (Part I.XI).

Instructions for Submitting Proof of Vaccination or Booster
Any employee who requires assistance in submitting this information should contact Human Resources at hr@skidmore.edu or 518-580-5800.

Submitting Proof of Primary Vaccination Series.  To document your vaccination status, please complete the following steps:

1. Log in to the COVID-19 Vaccination Submission Form using your Skidmore username and password.
2. Select one of the options listed.
3. Complete the additional information requested and upload digital proof of the COVID-19 vaccination and/or booster. You may upload a photo of your vaccination card or a screenshot of your Excelsior Pass / Excelsior Pass Plus.
4. If you intend to apply or have applied for an exemption from the vaccination requirement, please select that option. Instructions for applying for a medical or religious exemption are set forth below.
5. When you have made your selection and submitted the requested information (as applicable), hit submit. Your response will be maintained confidentially by Human Resources. HR will review all submissions and validate employee responses. You may be contacted by HR if any clarification or additional information is needed in order to validate your response.

Submitting Proof of Booster. The College is currently in the process of updating the link above to add the option of submitting your booster status and will send out an updated link as soon as it is available.

Instructions for Requesting a Medical or Religious Accommodation
The College is committed to providing equal employment opportunities without regard to any protected status. As such, the College is committed to complying with all laws protecting individuals with disabilities and sincerely held religious beliefs or practices. When requested, the College will provide reasonable accommodation, including exemption from the College’s vaccination and booster requirement, provided the requested accommodation is reasonable and does not create an undue hardship for the College or pose a direct threat to the health and/or safety of others in the workplace, educational environment, residential environment, and/or to the requesting employee.

To request a medical accommodation for the COVID-19 vaccine, please complete the Reasonable Accommodation Form for Disability or Medical Condition.

To request a religious accommodation for the COVID-19 vaccine, please complete the Reasonable Accommodation Form for Religious Belief or Practice.

These forms should be submitted either in person or by email to Human Resources at  jsklein@skidmore.edu. You may be contacted if clarification or additional information is needed. You will receive a confirmation letter of the decision from Human Resources once your exemption request has been reviewed.

We’re (Still) in this Together
Since the beginning of the pandemic, faculty, staff, and students have consistently demonstrated that our community is one that cares for each other and shares the responsibility for individual and community health and safety.  Requiring the COVID-19 vaccination has been essential to our safe return to on-campus work and learning, and it is our hope that the decision to require the COVID-19 vaccination and booster for faculty, staff and students will help everyone in our community feel safer and more at ease.