December staff meeting recap

President Marc Conner and other College administrators briefed Skidmore staff about important topics, including the College’s transition to TIAA as the single service provider for employee retirement plans, at the last staff meeting of the semester. 

At the Dec. 1 staff meeting, General Counsel and Vice President for Human Resources Sarah Delaney Vero expressed her gratitude for the community and their hard work over the last few months. She reviewed responses to questions posed at the end of the November meeting regarding Skidmore’s Community of Care initiative. Some main themes mentioned in the responses were feeling valued, supported, heard, respected, and connected. In reaction to this feedback, Vero expressed an intent to offer more events for employees to connect and foster community like the Networking Breakfast that took place in November, which received a large turnout.  

President Conner commended the Skidmore community’s response to the continuing war in Israel and Gaza, and emphasized the importance of supporting our peers and students as they navigate this complex global issue. 

“Our emphasis from the start has been on our students, and it’s remarkable to me how much our strategic priorities have helped us during these challenging weeks: Community of Care, the Racial Justice Initiative, Speech and Expression — these are probably the three main drivers that we have used to minister to our community during this crisis, and it is one reason why we have done well in our efforts,” he said.  

Skidmore has organized several recent programs, including a faculty panel that brought together five Skidmore professors offering multiple scholarly perspectives, and the webinar “Peacemakers at a Time of War,” presented by the Jewish and Palestinian peace group Roots/Judur/Sorsashim on Nov. 27.   

General Counsel Vero, Director of Human Resources Julie Delay, and HR staff answered questions about the College’s transition to TIAA as the single service provider for Skidmore College retirement plans. Vero assured employees that there would be no changes in Skidmore’s contribution level or terms and conditions for the plans. The shift will lower fees for enrollees and allow those who prefer the Vanguard plan to continue to access those funds through the TIAA platform. Implementation is targeted for May 1 and requires no action from employees at this time. Detailed information about the transition will be provided in coming months. There is a page addressing frequently asked questions on the Human Resources Benefits website, and all employees should have received an email on Nov. 29 with further details about the transition to TIAA.  

President Conner thanked everyone for their efforts and donations for Skidmore Cares, expressed his excitement for the upcoming Winter Celebration on Feb. 9, and wished staff members a wonderful holiday season.  

The next staff meeting will take place at 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb 2.