Dear Members of the Hamilton Community,
With the beginning of the new year, Colgate is preparing for spring semester in-person instruction. I wanted to give you an update on those plans as they have been shared with students, faculty, and staff.
Students will arrive at prescheduled times Jan. 22–23. Prior to arrival, they will complete a new Commitment to Community Health and updated COVID-19 health education course. These requirements will be fulfilled by faculty and staff as well.
Our students received a COVID-19 at-home test kit prior to departure last November. They are using that kit to submit a negative test result prior to arrival. Students who have stayed on campus during break — as well as faculty and staff who are working on campus — are being tested in person here this week.
Gates of Reopening
As in the fall, in-person instruction will follow Gates of Reopening. The requirements of the Gates have changed slightly in response to feedback and lessons learned last semester and are in alignment with current executive orders from the State of New York. Students will once again immediately enter a universal quarantine when they arrive next week. This is Gate 0. Due to winter weather and other considerations, students are able to leave their rooms for periods of exercise and to retrieve meals from the dining hall at prescheduled times.
In accordance with Task Force on Reopening the Colgate Campus plans for infection control, Gate 0 will span at least 10 days following arrival. It will officially end when two rounds of test data have been received and reviewed by the Health Analytics Team (HAT), the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and members of the Task Force on Reopening. Any change in Gates will be based on a similarly rigorous review of the data. You can read about the revised Gates of Reopening on our website.
In order to progress more quickly, yet just as safely, through the Gates, Colgate will increase the scope of its monitoring throughout the semester, testing the entire on-campus community every two weeks. We will continue to monitor wastewater, and all employees will be required to submit daily health screenings. Colgate has reiterated its travel policy for the spring semester and reminded students that they may not host visitors or travel beyond the local area as part of their Commitment to Community Health. The University has eliminated spring break in order to further limit the potential for travel among students and employees.
Athletic Competition
The limited return of Colgate athletics marks another change for the spring semester. All four winter sports — men’s and women’s ice hockey and men’s and women’s basketball — are currently competing against league rivals on reduced schedules under strict NCAA, Patriot League, and University guidelines. No spectators are allowed, though games are broadcast on ESPN+. Very limited overnight travel is allowed. Student-athletes are tested three times per week on nonconsecutive days. Since Nov. 13, the University has conducted 1,292 antigen tests on student-athletes. Using both antigen and PCR testing, none of these tests confirmed positive cases.
All remaining teams will quarantine with the rest of campus in January. They, too, will compete on reduced schedules with no or very limited overnight travel and reduced-field championships. During quarantine, teammates who are considered direct family units will be allowed to train with coaches. This will de-densify outdoor time for the rest of campus while ensuring that our Raiders have safely achieved competition-level fitness by the time they take the field.
All of these activities have been — and will continue to be — conducted with input from the HAT, which even evaluates testing and transmission information from our opponents. The plan for return to athletic competition has also been reviewed carefully by the Task Force on Reopening the Colgate Campus. We are determined to do everything we can both to preserve the season for our student-athletes and keep the community safe.
Vaccination
Vaccines are on the horizon as New York State implements its phased rollout. While Colgate has not received confirmation on an exact timeline, the University will administer its doses within a week of receipt. The University is not mandating vaccination for its employees, but we are encouraging everyone to participate in the distribution program — and we hope that you, too, will be vaccinated at the first opportunity.
In the meanwhile, please review the state’s vaccine website for answers to questions, and download the COVID Alert NY app for contact tracing purposes.
I resolved to send shorter messages in 2021. It seems that I have already failed, but I promise to redouble my efforts in the future. If you have any questions based on what you have read here, please let me know. The success of fall was a tribute to our commitment to each other. Our determination to be Colgate Together will see us through this challenging spring as well.
Stay well,
Laura H. Jack
Vice President for Communications