COVID-19 Message Archive
Ongoing and enhanced communication with the entire Skidmore campus community of students, faculty and staff, the Board of Trustees and our students’ parents and families will be crucial during the process of returning to campus.
Last Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Updated Respiratory Virus Guidance regarding how individuals should protect themselves and others from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19.- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its guidance regarding how people can protect themselves and others from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. We are writing to clarify the new guidance and provide information on how to seek support if you are concerned about illness and protect yourself and others from respiratory infections like flu, RSV, and COVID-19.
- Testing, masking, and vaccination reminders to keep our community safe.
- New COVID-19 vaccines are now available at pharmacies and other locations. Rapid COVID-19 Tests are available through the Campus Safety window.
- Skidmore will no longer require COVID-19 vaccination for faculty, staff, or students, but the College highly recommends the bivalent booster.
- Recommendations to help ensure a safe transition to and from break.
- Important updates and reminders regarding masking, tests, visitors, and more
- Important reminders about COVID-19 policies and precautions
- Recommendations to help ensure a safe transition to and from break.
- Skidmore continues to monitor trends; booster and masking remain effective mitigation measures
- Registration is open for the Nov. 4 clinic, to be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Filene Recital Hall
- The clinic will be held Oct. 10 and offer the updated bivalent booster at no charge
- Information regarding mitigation, boosters, grab-and-go food options, masking, and more
- A reminder of COVID-19 requirements and policies, and the College’s monitoring and mitigation of monkeypox.
- Plans, policies, and procedures regarding testing, masking, and isolation are outlined
- Skidmore continues to be a mask-supportive community.
- Saratoga County's Community Level is now "Medium," but masking requirements will remain in place for at least another week
- Saratoga County's COVID-19 Community Level continues to be designated as 'High' by CDC
- KN95 masks (or equivalent masks, i.e. N95 or KF94) continue to be required in all indoor public spaces, subject to previously approved exceptions
- COVID-19 policy change takes effect at 8 a.m. Friday, April 15
- Optional masking remains in place, but testing is encouraged and may be required for certain student events
- Policies will help to guide planning for the second half of the spring semester.
- Changes to masking, testing, gathering, and more will be phased in throughout March and will continue to be evaluated.
- Significant changes to masking, testing, and more will be shared by the COVID-19 Logistics Working Group today, and your feedback is welcome.
- Next steps as the College considers potential changes to Skidmore's policies.
- The following masking, dining, and visitor guidelines are now in effect.
- Testing, classes, masking, dining, and visitor guidelines for Jan. 31 through Feb. 11 are outlined.
- President Conner welcomes the Skidmore community back to campus for the spring semester.
- Policies and procedures, including for masking, dining, testing, isolation, and visitor guidelines, are outlined.
- Skidmore will welcome all our students back to campus on schedule for the start of classes on Jan. 25. Our goal in the coming weeks is to ensure we can operate safely and in compliance with CDC requirements while maintaining the residential, in-person learning environment we all value.
- Important updates regarding changes to Skidmore's health and safety protocol as a result of recent changes in federal, state and local guidance, including changes to isolation and quarantine requirements.
- We are writing today with an important update regarding the College’s ongoing efforts to respond promptly and responsibly to evolving health and safety guidance related to COVID-19, including information about the new Omicron variant and the effectiveness of primary vaccination doses over time.
- In partnership with a local pharmacy, Skidmore will hold a COVID-19 vaccination and booster clinic on campus next Tuesday, Dec. 7, beginning at 10 a.m. in the Intramural Gym in Wiliamson Sports Center.
- Students may have one masked visitor each in residence hall rooms or apartments; updates to dining operations
- Grab-and-go will continue with adjustments, including tent seating and socially-distanced seating
- Visitors are not permitted in residence halls, rooms, or apartments; dining to move to grab-and-go
- With Thanksgiving break — Wednesday, Nov. 24, through Sunday, Nov. 28 (for students) — fast approaching, we write to share important information regarding testing procedures for students, faculty, and staff that will help ensure a safe transition to and from break.
- New visitor guidelines, testing location change, and Thanksgiving break information
- In response to an increase in positive cases on campus, updated visitor, masking, and CoVerified measures are in effect
- Weekly COVID-19 testing for students will continue to be required while at "yellow" status level, CoVerified "cleared" status required for entry to Dining Hall and Sports Center effective Oct. 1
- Skidmore has updated its policies in response to the state's designation of COVID-19 as an airborne infectious disease under the NY HERO Act
- Employee surveillance testing, contact tracing, and protocols for employee illness, positives, and exposures
- All students will take part in weekly surveillance testing through Oct. 8
- With the official start of the fall semester now just a few weeks away, we are looking forward to having our entire student body back on campus and to restoring a fully in-person Skidmore experience, including classes and academic events, athletics practice and competition, co-curricular activities, celebrations, meetings, and social gatherings.
- Details regarding pre-arrival and on-arrival testing, move-in, quarantine, and more
- The College is now requiring a return to indoor masking for everyone, regardless of vaccination status.
- As we monitor the increasingly concerning transmission of the COVID-19 Delta Variant across the United States and in Saratoga and other local counties, the College is strongly encouraging a return to indoor masking in shared campus spaces for all employees and students, regardless of vaccination status.
- As the College announced last week, faculty and staff must be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 3, 2021, unless granted a medical or religious exemption. Any vaccine that is approved by either the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the World Health Organization (WHO) meets this requirement.
- The College has decided to require that faculty and staff be fully vaccinated against COVID-19
- All returning students who will be on campus must submit proof of vaccination via online form or apply for a medical or religious exemption or an extension by Aug. 1, 2021.
- Lifting of state restrictions clears the way for more normal operations
- Skidmore is planning a phased and gradual approach to expanding in-person activities on campus this summer, with a full return to in-person classes and campus operations this fall. As a part of this plan, the College will begin a phased return to campus of employees who have been working remotely.
- Skidmore College will be requiring that all students be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before arriving on campus for the fall.
- As federal and state guidance evolves, so will the College's masking and social distancing requirements. Based on current guidance, the following rules currently apply to employees on campus.
- Skidmore College has historically been a vibrant space for our community during the summer.
- Beginning on Monday, May 24, the requirements under the Skidmore College surveillance testing program will change.
- I am pleased to inform you that effective immediately, Skidmore will move from COVID-19 safety Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 1.
- The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released guidance on Tuesday, April 27, exempting fully vaccinated individuals from outdoor masking under specific circumstances.
- Skidmore looks forward to a fully in-person, residential learning experience this fall.
- All students who will be on campus must submit proof of vaccination via online form, unless granted a medical or religious exemption
- Effective immediately, the College is moving fully to Alert Level 2, which includes the Alert Level 2 policy for visitors in student housing.
- As access to COVID-19 vaccines has increased in recent weeks, I write today to share the following updates regarding vaccination for students and employees, as well as related topics such as testing and return to work.
- Effective immediately, the College will move from COVID-19 safety Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 2.
- As President Conner shared yesterday, we are excited to be offering an on-campus vaccination clinic tomorrow, Wednesday, April 14, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Intramural Gym in Williamson Sports Center.
- I write to inform you that effective immediately, Skidmore will move from COVID-19 safety Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 3.
- As a follow-up to yesterday’s email, I write to share that, for now, the College will remain at Alert Level 2. However, effective immediately, we will implement Alert Level 3 guidelines regarding visitors to campus housing.
- Today we have seen a concerning increase in positive COVID-19 cases following this week’s on-campus testing.
- We write to share the news that beginning Tuesday, April 6, New Yorkers age 16 and older can begin to schedule appointments and get vaccinated against COVID-19.
- I’m happy to report that due to declining case numbers on campus, in large part thanks to our community’s continued diligence and caution, the College remains at an Alert Level 2.
- As we eagerly look forward to the return of warmer days, I would like to provide an update regarding the College’s summer planning.
- I’m pleased to report that effective today, the College will move from safety Alert Level 3 to Alert Level 2.
- I know our recent move to safety Alert Level 3 was concerning as well as frustrating. We’ve been doing so well this spring semester and our positive case counts seem to be relatively low.
- I write to inform you that effective immediately, Skidmore will move from COVID safety Alert Level 2 to Alert Level 3.
- I’m pleased to report that after beginning the semester in “safe shelter” mode and maintaining enhanced precautions throughout this week, we currently have just two students in isolation and three in quarantine.
- President Conner reports on the College’s initial return-to-campus process and plans for week two and advises continued vigilance.
- Important information for a safe, healthy semester ahead and best wishes for the start of classes.
- I write to welcome all of you back for the spring semester, and to welcome many of you back to campus.
- In a video message, President Marc Conner extends a warm welcome to faculty, staff and students to a new semester on Skidmore’s beautiful campus, while also emphasizing the need for heightened vigilance to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- I hope you have had a restorative and enjoyable break! The time goes so fast, and the spring semester is already upon us.
- We are now within two weeks of having our students back on campus, and although the vaccine progress is encouraging, it is clear that it will be months before vaccinations are sufficiently widespread to make a palpable difference in living with the pandemic.
- As announced on Jan. 11 (see below), New York state has declared that college instructors who are teaching in person are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.
- I write to provide an update about COVID-19 vaccinations in New York state based on information provided to us today by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU).
- I write to provide an update on how the COVID-19 vaccine will be rolled out to our campus community. Members of our community will be eligible to receive the vaccine, however, it appears availability will not be imminent.
- Plans and requirements to welcome students back to campus for spring 2021 are in place to help ensure the health and safety of the Skidmore community.
- I write to share an important update and announce additional measures we are taking to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- I write to inform you that, through our weekly testing process, we have identified four confirmed COVID-19 cases this weekend from testing on Thursday, Nov. 12, and Friday, Nov. 13.
- Yesterday, Dean Banks forwarded a message that was sent to all students regarding new Saratoga County Public Health quarantine recommendations for students traveling from New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
- As we approach the final stretch of the fall semester, I want to say once again just how proud I am of the entire Skidmore community for all the work that has been done to keep COVID-19 cases on campus to a minimum.
- We are now more than halfway through the fall semester and our collegewide efforts to comply with weekly testing protocols, follow all health and safety guidelines, and make responsible choices continue to put us in a strong position to manage and contain COVID-19 cases on campus.
- President Marc Conner expresses gratitude and kudos to students for working hard to keep COVID-19 in check throughout the first half of the fall semester.
- It’s hard to believe we are already about a third of the way through the fall semester! We have now conducted over 11,000 COVID-19 tests on campus since Aug. 16 and just three have come back positive, with one new active case emerging at the end of last week.
- So far, so good! I applaud the ongoing commitment to following all health and safety protocols and the actions you are taking to protect one another. They continue to keep us on a path to success, now into this third week of the fall semester.
- In this second week of the fall semester, we continue to see good news about our COVID-19 health and safety efforts on campus.
- On Monday of this week we saw a student protest against racism at Skidmore that raised many concerns, some of which were conveyed on placards left at my office that I have left for all to see.
- As classes begin, and we continue to work together to minimize the potential spread of the coronavirus, the need to safely distance and wear masks everywhere on campus is especially significant.
- I write to inform you that, through our testing and quarantine process for students returning to campus and employees working on campus, we have identified two confirmed COVID-19 cases and one presumptive positive case among students.
- As we prepare for the official start of the fall semester this Monday, Aug. 24, the excitement of this milestone is apparent, though undoubtedly tempered by the reality of the circumstances in which we are living.
- The Department of Athletics, Fitness and Recreation continues to update and develop plans for activities that take place in Williamson Sports Center and all adjacent facilities.