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Launched January 2021 - President Wippman, members of senior staff, and campus leaders share insights, information, and inspiration

  • April 3 [originally April 10] is the first approved date for off-campus group events, which must be approved by the COVID-19 Task Force. Proposals should be submitted to Roger Wakeman (rwakeman@hamilton.edu). Read on for guidance.

  • The news is good – vaccines against COVID-19 are increasing available, and the percentage of the population that has been vaccinated is rapidly increasing. Thus far, 18 percent of the U.S. population has received one, and 9 percent has received two vaccinations. The percentages are very similar for New York State, and even better in Oneida County (30.1 percent, 16.8 percent).

  • Recently, I have received a number of questions about how to complete the emocha daily check-in after receiving the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Some employees who have received the second shot have experienced coronavirus symptoms soon afterward. As a result, employees have wondered how to answer the questions presented in the emocha app. 

  • Many of you ask how we decide about the College’s operating status. It’s not as simple as one hard number, rather the COVID-19 Task Force and steering committee consider a blend of factors.

  • Just one year ago we knew about COVID-19, but had no idea on how profoundly it would affect our daily lives on the Hill. We have been very successful at keeping COVID-19 infections at bay on campus, and we just need to keep it up. There will be light at the end of the tunnel.

  • Many faculty and staff members are back on campus, while others continue to work remotely. We have new members of our community who some have only met over Zoom. Community-building is more difficult, and we no longer have those meaningful, spontaneous interactions that bond us. How can we re-create some sense of togetherness in a hybrid environment?

  • The following off-campus routes are approved for running, jogging, walking, etc.

    • Griffin Road (out and back), 3 miles
    • Lower Loop (Griffin Rd., Valley View Rd., Norton Ave., Campus Rd.), 4 miles
    • Upper Loop (College Hill Rd., Skyline Dr., Valley View Rd., Griffin Rd.), 5 miles

  • As we move into the start of the semester, the health and safety of our community remain top priorities. We have evaluated lessons learned and feedback from last semester, followed updates to regulatory changes and best practice guidance, and considered the possible implications of the multiple virus strains that are becoming more prevalent and concerning. We reorganized the makeup of the COVID-19 Task Force and Action Groups for more efficient decision-making and improved responsiveness to changing needs. In terms of health and safety, our practices and protocols remain much the same but with some updates and enhancements. We will continue to focus on distancing, face coverings, hygiene, and high-level cleaning and disinfection as the primary methods to limit virus transmission.

  • Hamilton’s pandemic readiness and response has required a lot of important behind-the-scenes work. One of the efforts has been the development and maintenance of our campus COVID-19 dashboard, led by Mike Sprague, Director of Business Intelligence and Web Services, in collaboration with multiple College departments. I am grateful for all their hard work and for the input they gathered between semesters to make the dashboard even better for the next semester.


Contact

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