Hello, Colgate Community Member.
As of tomorrow, New York State will distribute vaccines to individuals age 30 or older. Even Zsa Zsa Gabor could have reluctantly admitted eligibility at this point. (That reference is for the people who were age-eligible in January.)
Proto-Kardashians aside, Colgate has received 200 doses of Moderna vaccine for distribution at its POD in the Hall of Presidents this Thursday. AVP Dan Gough has been in touch to offer appointment registration.
As more members of our community receive the vaccine, we hear the question, “If I am vaccinated do I still need to be tested?” The answer is yes. The vaccine is safe, effective, and vetted. It is an important part of a return to normal operations. But no vaccine is 100% effective in preventing all infection. If there is COVID-19 on campus — asymptomatic, mildly symptomatic, or otherwise — we need to know about it.
It does take time out of your day to complete the test, and we all look forward to talking about those swabs in the past tense. But please remember: our health experts assure us that testing is still vital to the safety of our community, both on campus and in the village. So keep those appointments and continue the hard work to finish strong.
I will be back with you on Wednesday with testing data and other important information.
Until then, be well.
Laura H. Jack
Vice President for Communications
Take Note
Employees, there will be a special election/change period for health care and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), March 29–April 9, for 2021 only. Forms must be submitted by April 9. Changes take effect in the April 23 paycheck for all employees. Health Care FSA: This is the only opportunity in 2021 outside of open enrollment or a qualifying event to make any changes. Please complete the health care election form. Dependent Care FSA: To see new limits, enroll, increase, decrease, or cancel coverage, please visit the dependent care election form.
Members of the Colgate on-campus community should be aware that the no-visitor policy is in place for the duration of the semester, because there remains limited data on the efficacy of the vaccines in preventing asymptomatic reinfection with, and subsequent transmission of, SARS-CoV-2, especially with the newly circulating variants. We realize this is difficult for some students and families, but we are grateful for everyone's diligence and cooperation; this is an important measure to protect the campus and local community.
This week’s Staff CUdos recipients are: The ITS Network Engineer Team, for visiting and reconfiguring 130 network switches across campus to restore internet service to all buildings within 36 hours — an incredible feat; and Denise Upton, office manager for CLSI, who has been the backbone of Gate Giveaways, Coop Kits, Winterfest, and more. Take a moment to let a staff member (or members) know how they make a difference. All staff, faculty, and students are invited to nominate a staff member.
On Tuesday, March 30, between 4 and 6:30 a.m., the ITS networking team will replace a faulty datacenter network switch. This network maintenance will occur during off-peak hours, and we expect no impact to the campus network. This email is being sent as a precautionary measure so that you are aware that maintenance is being performed.
Should I still get the vaccine if I had COVID?
Yes. Experts do not yet know how long you are protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. (If you were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Talk to your doctor if you are unsure what treatments you received or if you have more questions about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.)
SOURCE: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
A Closing Thought
You probably already know that it’s National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day. But here’s your official reminder to celebrate by frequenting businesses in the Village of Hamilton. (Here in Gate 4, students are permitted to visit locations downtown or within the range of the Colgate Shuttle, including Price Chopper and its neighboring businesses. Once within an establishment, students must comply with all of its restrictions.)
Upcoming Events
G. Arthur Cooper Geology Virtual Lecture Series - Gary Eppich '06
March 30
11:45 a.m.
Gary Eppich ’06, senior technical and policy advisor, National Nuclear Security Administration, US Department of Energy, will be our guest speaker discussing Nuclear Material, In and Out of the Box — A Geologist's Adventure in Nuclear Nonproliferation.
Virtual Speaker Series: Antoni Porowski
March 31
8 p.m.
Live virtual cooking demonstration and Q&A with Polish-Canadian television personality, actor, author, chef, and model Antoni Porowski. He is the food and wine expert on the Netflix series Queer Eye. All Colgate community members welcome.