Dear, Colgate Community.
This week’s randomized testing identified two new cases of COVID-19 on campus. More importantly, the Madison County Department of Health identified only seven close contacts associated with these new cases. While it might seem counterintuitive, this news is heartening. It is further proof that students and employees are adhering to the Commitment to Community Health and that our extensive planning can meet the subsequent level of infection. Keep an eye on the HAT dashboard for data updates.
I want to echo the words of Prof. Holm and Dean of the College McLoughlin. A key here — and we have seen the proof through our recent test results — is space. In Gate 1 and especially in Gate 2, as certain levels of gathering are permitted, staying at least 6 feet apart while wearing your mask is crucial. I can see a time in the future, when we no longer wear masks and wonder if Tom Hanks can stretch out between us. Someone will have to ask, why are we all shouting? Even the most introverted among us will have been conditioned to speak loudly to be heard through a face covering at a distance.
Have a great weekend, and I will talk to you on Monday.
Laura H. Jack
Vice President of Communications
Take Note
Colgate’s strategy to detect signs of SARS-CoV2 on campus includes wastewater testing. The plan has received national attention, with news outlets like CBS mentioning the effort as a stand out among many college reopening plans across the country. Dan DeVries recently posted a story on the topic — you can read it on the Colgate website.
With 56 days of the semester remaining, we are creating even more opportunities and options for student support and connection. Dean of Students Dorsey Spencer Jr. and the dean of the college division will host listening sessions to collect your ideas for potential events and programs: Monday, Sept. 28 — 5:45–6:45 p.m.; Tuesday, Sept. 29 — 12:15–1:15 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 2 — 9:15–10:15 a.m. Follow the links to register. If you are unable to attend the sessions but would like to offer recommendations, please complete this simple Google form. Thank you!
We’ve added new express Cruiser routes from the townhouses and apartments to the bookstore for early morning classes, and we have increased the frequency of several other routes. You can find updated time tables on the website. Cruiser information is also available on the Transloc app, accessible via the Colgate mobile app. Download the Transloc Rider app from the App Store or Google Play.
The Red Folder, offered for download through the dean of the college division, is designed to provide guidance for faculty and staff on how to respond to, support, and refer students in distress through a framework of compassion. It is intended to serve as a reference for campus mental health and other student support resources.
Remember to sign up for your flu shot. Student Health Services has arranged a series of flu shot clinics on campus beginning Monday, Sept. 28, and continuing throughout October. There are a variety of dates, times, and locations planned. Remember to wear a mask and bring your insurance card. Please note: People over age 65 should be getting the high-dose flu vaccine. There is currently a nationwide shortage, and the high-dose vaccine will not be available at the Colgate clinics. Those over 65 should speak to their health care providers or pharmacist regarding availability.
Our colleagues in the sustainability office ask you to complete their short, anonymous annual employee commuter survey before Oct. 14. Your responses will help in assessing our campus carbon footprint as we continue to strive for a more sustainable Colgate. Past survey insights have helped Colgate advance sustainability and emerge as a nationally ranked, highly respected sustainability program. (To stay up-to-date on Colgate sustainability news, subscribe to their newsletter.)
Colgate Hello and the sustainability office have partnered on this fall’s Sustainability Passport Series. Find out more and register on the website.
Colgate is required to file annual reports of our employee benefit plans with the Internal Revenue Service under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). ERISA further requires the University to provide these summaries of the annual reports, for each respective plan, to all participants. Summary Annual Reports for the plan year 2019 provide information concerning the financial aspects of the Colgate-sponsored benefit plans in which most employees participate. For more information regarding the benefits provided by Colgate, please visit the Online Benefit System in the portal or contact the Human Resources Department.
Check out the latest wellness news from human resources. You can find information on the CU Well Program, sign up for the last CU Well challenge of the year, and learn ways to earn more points toward receiving $300 in a flexible spending account in January 2021. In other benefit news: Fidelity is holding virtual appointments on Monday, Sept. 28. Schedule online at fidelity.com.
Facilities staff will begin removing window air conditioning units on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Please have the space cleared of any items that could obstruct their removal. If this presents a problem, please contact the Facilities Department at x7130.
In support of Colgate’s sustainability and energy conservation initiatives, please make sure all windows are closed, especially at night. When windows are left open, it causes a low space temperature alarm that requires our millwright journey-person to respond. If you are experiencing conditions that are too warm, please call the Facilities Department so we can look into the problem.
Watch out for Zoombombing. If you are in charge of creating Zoom events for your club or organization, please be sure that you are only posting protected links to the University calendar. Find out how to build a secure Zoom event on the ITS website.
On both Monday, Sept. 28, and Tuesday, Sept. 29, from 4 to 7 a.m., ITS will be performing maintenance on new switches connected to the campus backbone network. We are not expecting this maintenance to cause any impact to the network, but we would like everyone to be aware if something unplanned were to occur. This maintenance is required to prepare the campus for a new, higher-speed network for the late fall and spring semesters.
A Closing Thought
Thousands of birds are still migrating over Hamilton each night — including the Blackpoll Warbler. These tiny black and white birds, with distinct orange legs and feet, breed as far away as northern Alaska. In the fall, they undertake an epic journey to the East Coast. Some spend a few days each year in Hamilton, resting and recovering before continuing toward the open ocean and a nonstop, two-day flight to catch the trade winds that push them to their wintering grounds in northern South America and the Caribbean. (We can’t join them in the Caribbean right now, but we can still enjoy a bird’s eye view of the beach.)
Upcoming Events
Beyond the Scientific Perspective: COVID and the Humanities
Sept. 29
5–6:15 p.m.
Lesleigh Cushing, Murray W. and Mildred K. Finard Professor in Jewish studies and professor of religion, facilitates this discussion — part of the fall 2020 AHUM Colloquium Series.
The Myth of Independence
Oct. 1
11:30 a.m.
The Lampert Institute hosts Sarah Binder, senior fellow of governance studies at the Brookings Institution and author of The Myth of Independence: How Congress Governs the Federal Reserve.
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