Hello, Colgate Community.
As of midnight, the University has received 1,046 new test results, and six came back positive for COVID-19. Contact tracing is underway. All those who tested positive were asymptomatic.
These results, which are expected and will be addressed, reinforce the success of our testing and quarantine plan. They also show the importance of wearing a mask and maintaining 6 feet of distance from anyone who is not in your direct family unit. This is how you minimize the chances you will become a close contact.
Unfortunately, three students were found to be violating the Commitment to Community Health and have been sent home. The quarantine is difficult. Sending all students home will be harder.
It’s never too early to start looking forward to our next Gate. We hope to get there next week with the cooperation of the entire campus community. Review the requirements around Gate 0, and then take a look at Gate 1 with its limited in-person activities and greater interactions. Send any questions to covid19@colgate.edu.
Talk to you tomorrow,
Laura H. Jack
Vice President for Communications
Take Note
If you learn that a hallmate, roommate, or friend is moving to isolation and you are concerned that you may be a close contact, stay in your residence and minimize contact with others until you hear from Student Health Services or the Department of Health. Clean your room with the Lysol provided at move-in and open the windows. You can still use the bathroom and pick up meals — just be scrupulous about precautions. If you are not contacted within 36 hours, it is likely that the Department of Health has not designated you to be a close contact. If you are concerned that this may be an oversight, contact Student Health Services.
Provided that the University progresses to Gate 1 on schedule, textbook refunds will take place in the bookstore September 8–15. Appointments are mandatory. Please use this form to secure your time. Returns will only be accepted if you have dropped a course or your professor has canceled the book.
The University is hiring additional casual wage employees to assist with custodial work around campus and duties at the Wendt. These needs are acute and positions will be filled quickly, so if you know someone who would be interested in applying, send them this link to our website.
Would you like to enable and use WiFi calling on your smartphone to make a voice call? Instructions are now posted on the ITS website. With WiFi calling, you can make or receive a phone call if you have a WiFi connection in an area with little or no cellular coverage.
Today, all students will be receiving a sneak peek at one of Colgate’s new athletics marks, part of a new athletics identity system that will be rolled out to the broader Colgate community in the coming weeks. Keep an eye out for postcards featuring a message from Vice President and Director of Athletics Nicki Moore at the meal drop location of your on-campus residence or outside your door if you live off campus.
A Closing Thought
Find lightness and humor in each day. There is a lot to be worried about, and with good reason. Counterbalance this heaviness with something funny: cat videos on YouTube, a stand-up show on Netflix, a funny movie — we all need a little comedic relief in our day, every day.
Colgate Together Events
American Public Health Inequality: Racialized Stigma Fueled by a Crisis
September 3
5–6 p.m.
Join two Colgate professors for a presentation and conversation on the ways in which racial stigmas allow discrimination in the U.S. healthcare system.
Career Discovery Series: Roles in Tech
September 3
4–5 p.m.
Careers in tech involve much more than coding and cubicles. Join experienced alumni professionals to learn more about career on-ramps in this innovative and growing industry.
MORE