Hello, Colgate Community.
I can report that we have received all results for tests conducted between Monday and Wednesday. They include no positive student cases and one positive employee. There are four employees and 26 students in close-contact quarantine. I will be meeting with President Casey and the Health Analytics Team on Monday for a potential recommendation to move to Gate 4.
As we keep our friends, classmates, and colleagues in our thoughts, it’s an appropriate time to note that the EOC has received a number of questions about how vaccination status impacts both the Commitment to Community Health and the University’s Gate system.
While the CDC has reduced some restrictions for vaccinated individuals, we are maintaining our current public health protocols, Gate system, and Commitment to Community Health because we live in such close proximity to each other and must take care of one another in ways that are specific to our community. This includes community testing, close-contact quarantine, travel and guest policies, face coverings, and physical distancing, regardless of vaccination status.
Why are we doing this? For the safety and wellbeing of our campus and the local community. Full efficacy occurs two weeks following the second dose of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines or a single dose from Johnson & Johnson. This means that many students, faculty, and staff will not be fully vaccinated for several weeks after their initial dose.
All of our public-health measures are in place to best promote the health and safety of our entire campus community. While it feels like we are drawing close to the end of this pandemic, it is important to remember that we have yet to cross the finish line.
We’ve accomplished so much together, so let’s finish strong. SHS and the EOC have launched a new survey to gain a better understanding of our community’s current COVID vaccination status. You are invited to fill out this confidential online survey today — the link will also be available in the portal for future use. Much like vaccination itself, completing this survey is not mandatory, but it is strongly encouraged to help advance community health and return us to normal operations.
SUNY Morrisville continues its vaccination distribution and has appointments available on the Madison County website. Colgate is providing transportation for those who need it (see below). Employees and student staff should be aware that the New York State Department of Health has said that staff who are working remotely because they are not vaccinated — but who would begin working in-person once they have been vaccinated — are eligible, assuming they then begin to work in-person.
Speaking of doing work in person, I want to send a cheer out to our men’s basketball team. They played hard and represented us well in today’s NCAA Championship First Round game. Our student-athletes continue to put us on the map, and their performance has been a source of excitement and pride during this challenging year.
Laura H. Jack
Vice President for Communications
Take Note
There are still vaccine appointments available at SUNY Morrisville on Monday, March 22. Colgate is sponsoring free transportation to Morrisville. Shuttles will depart from in front of James C. Colgate Hall (Donovan’s Pub) at 9:40 a.m.; the last shuttle will depart at 5:20 p.m.
On Monday, March 22, the Colgate Bookstore will begin returning unsold textbooks. If you have not yet purchased a textbook for a spring course, we recommend that you do so as soon as possible. Colgate Bookstore hours are Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
On Tuesday, March 23, between 4 and 6:30 a.m., the ITS networking team will be making changes to the campus network. These changes are part of a campuswide network upgrade that has been in motion since early summer. The work being performed this Tuesday is not expected to result in any significant impact to the campus network. If you experience any connectivity issues after the maintenance window, please contact the ITS help at itshelp@colgate.edu.
Take a moment to let a staff member (or members) know how they make a difference in your experience as a campus community member. Recipients of staff CUdos will receive a notification via email, and two will be selected at random for inclusion in the the Colgate Together Digest. Submit a staff CUdos nomination today.
A Closing Thought
March 20 is International Happiness Day. That doesn’t mean that we need to wait until tomorrow for a little joy, though.
Upcoming Events
Spring Sprung Stars
March 19
7 p.m.
Join us as we take a virtual tour of the night sky. Learn stories from different cultures, find planets, and explore deep space objects. The event is virtual, and registration is required.
The Robert M. Linsley Geology Museum Outdoor Exhibition: The Petrified Woods
Through May 15
Take a stroll back through time along the edge of The Petrified Woods, an outdoor exhibition of beautifully preserved fossilized wood from trees that grew in the ancient forests of Madagascar, Indonesia, and Arizona.