Hello, Colgate Community.
Because we are in this together, the choices of the few will have consequences for the many. Due to violations of the Commitment to Community Health, additional students will be heading home once it is safe for them to leave the area. Among them are two who tested positive for COVID-19 after traveling outside Hamilton and interacting with individuals beyond the Colgate community.
Those two student cases alone have resulted in 36 of their peers being placed in close-contact quarantine. A third student has also tested positive in an unrelated case, and based on conversations, we expect the Madison County Department of Health to identify even more close contacts.
The Task Force on Reopening is reviewing these significant violations to determine if they will prevent us from moving to Gate 2 next week. If that is the case, we will not be opening the fitness and recreation centers as originally planned. Gatherings will continue to be in groups 10 or fewer with no permission to visit friends in other residence halls or hang out in bedrooms.
Our ability to remain together is predicated on our ability to act with integrity. Make no mistake. The decision to travel, host guests, share car rides, and otherwise violate the Commitment to Community Health is even now jeopardizing that ability.
Enjoy your weekend. Safely.
Laura H. Jack
Vice President of Communications
Take Note
Let’s highlight our commitment to community health. Submit a photograph of yourself on campus wearing a mask. All students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to participate. The images will be incorporated into an online presentation in a few weeks. Provide a high resolution image with vertical/portrait orientation, preferably with an aspect ratio of 3:4. Make sure your image is appropriate, and remember to remain at least 6 feet apart if you have more than one person in the photograph. Send your submissions to broadcast@colgate.edu.
We’ve got flu shots for you. Starting September 28, flu shot clinics will be conducted by appointment twice per week throughout the semester to adhere to physical distancing and ensure broad distribution. A shot this fall will protect you during the entire winter flu season, and it’s never been more important. Participation through Colgate or any other provider can help prevent the flu from spreading through the community while we are addressing the threat of COVID-19. It can reduce the burden on an already overtaxed healthcare system and its caregivers. Watch for registration and location information coming next week. Bring your insurance card, and wear your mask.
Fire drills required by New York State will be conducted at all university student residences September 21–23, 5–9 p.m. New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control has issued a formal directive to continue fire drills during the COVID-19 public health crisis to ensure fire systems operability and student resident egress familiarity. Students are reminded that, during fire alarms, foot traffic patterns may be disregarded so that students can safely exit the building as expeditiously as possible. Students should wear face coverings and maintain physical distancing during egress and, once outside, disperse at a safe distance away from the building.
The ColgateAlert mass notification system will be tested on September 22 at noon. Campus community members should log in to the Colgate University portal in advance of the test to make any necessary contact information updates and/or additions.
The Office of Admission has significantly changed the on-campus visit process for prospective students. We have developed tour guidelines that are in keeping with Colgate’s safety protocols. All visitors are required to wear a face covering, have their temperatures checked, and answer health screening questions upon arrival. Each visitor is made aware of our Commitment to Community Health. In addition, no one is allowed in any buildings outside of James B. Colgate Hall. In-person tours are limited, and guests are asked to preregister for both self-guided and student-led tours with a maximum of two “households” per guide.
The employee resource group, Colgate Hello, is excited to announce a call for steering committee nominations. If you or someone you know wants to foster cross-campus connections and help employees develop personally and professionally, please consider submitting a nomination form here.
A Closing Thought
And now, a word from your faculty.
Experiences of College Students en el Valle Central (in the Central Valley)
Sept. 18
8 p.m.
Please join ALANA and LASO for this discussion featuring Briseida Alcaraz and Israel Nunez, facilitated by Jaritza Nunez ’21.
Alternative Cinema: All Fall Down
Sept. 22
9 p.m.
Q&A with filmmaker Philip Hoffman in person via Zoom. All Fall Down is an experimental documentary that takes as its starting point a 19th-century farmhouse in southern Ontario, Canada, and asks the question, “what has been here before?” It is available for public viewing from Sept.18 to 22 via this link (password: altcin).
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