Getting excited for the 2021-22 academic year
The entire Skidmore community is looking forward to a promising academic year filled with dynamic courses, athletics competition, beloved traditions, and — most of all — the return of all students, staff, and faculty back to campus.
Members of the Facilities Department and other staff have been busy painting, scrubbing, and building as they prepare classrooms, residence halls and apartments, and other facilities for the start of the semester.
“I cannot tell you how excited I am to welcome you back to campus,” President Marc C. Conner told students. “To see you on the athletic field, to see you and your clubs, to see you on campus — I just can't tell you how excited I am for that.”
Skidmore employees, including HVAC Lead Technician Chris Rafferty, have been preparing the campus for the fall semester.
Now, with a universal vaccination requirement in place at Skidmore, 98% of faculty, staff, and students have been vaccinated and will fill Skidmore’s classrooms, offices, dining facilities, theaters, and more. All are essential to carrying out Skidmore’s mission.
“Everybody is a teacher at Skidmore: the faculty, of course, but so too the staff; every one of us plays a role in the educational process,” President Conner said.
The College is implementing a robust series of COVID-19 precautions, including surveillance testing of all students and employees at the beginning of the term and regular testing of any community members exempted from the vaccination requirement on medical or religious grounds.
Transmission rates in the local area, as categorized by the Centers for Disease Control, are determining the exact guidelines the College will implement at a given time. Skidmore is currently operating under a yellow status level, which stipulates that all employees and students, including those who are vaccinated, must wear masks indoors.
Ty Aleksa ’25, a member of the men's soccer team, arrives on campus ahead of the 2021-22 academic year.
Even with masks, opportunities for in-person gatherings and learning experiences are markedly different than last academic year.
Plans for on-campus events — especially academic experiences, but also co-curricular events, athletics, key College events, and social experiences for students — are moving forward.
Members of the first-year class — the Class of 2025 — are set to participate in vibrant in-person pre-orientation programs. Opportunities range from community service experiences in Saratoga Springs to outdoor paddling and hiking adventures in the Adirondacks.
In addition to the traditional orientation program organized by Skidmore’s First-Year Experience program, there will be an in-person orientation for sophomores, as in-person gatherings were limited last academic year.
During the first week of classes, all students will enjoy the College’s traditional Founder's Day barbecue and the exciting Club Fair, where scores of Skidmore clubs recruit new members by showing all that they have to offer.
Planning is also underway to welcome the families of Skidmore students to campus for Celebration Weekend, Oct. 15-17, and to celebrate the inauguration of President Conner as Skidmore’s eighth president.
Members of the women’s soccer team practice ahead of their season opener, a home game against Mount Saint Mary on Friday, Sept. 3.
Athletics competition is already underway, and dedicated fans are cheering on the Thoroughbreds from the sidelines this season.
Midfielder Kamal Ibrahim ’24 takes a shot during men’s soccer practice.
Not everybody will be on campus: Students are studying in 17 different countries as part of Skidmore study-abroad programs, including 26 first-year students who will spend their first semester in London as part of Skidmore’s First-Year Experience in London program.
Skidmore faculty have been preparing syllabi for courses, which range from Assistant Professor of Management Michael Dunn’s first-year Scribner Seminar, American Immigrant Experience, to Senior Instructor Beatrice Kendall’s Senior Seminar in Chemistry. Professors and students alike are excited for the field trips, guest lectures, and other vibrant academic experiences that will enhance learning opportunities.
Associate Professor of Biology Jennifer Bonner held the first meeting of her first-year seminar outdoors. The group is part of Skidmore’s First-Year Experience program in London.
New students were officially welcomed at New Student Convocation on Sunday, Sept. 5.
Among those welcoming them in person was Adrian Bautista, Skidmore’s new dean of students and vice president for student affairs. His advice to students? “Take advantage of all that is here” and “Take a chance.”
“Learn to play a new instrument, write for the school paper, travel abroad, become a mentor, try a new sport, visit your professors during office hours, secure an internship, and spend time with people who are different from you.”
There’s a lot to be excited about at Skidmore this fall.