Dear members of the Colgate community:

The role that Campus Safety serves is critical to our campus, and we are committed to a Colgate that is a safe and respectful environment for everyone. One of Campus Safety’s priorities is to foster and maintain good relations with members of the Colgate community. I write to update you on Campus Safety’s ongoing progress in improving their outreach and programs and services.

Since the spring of 2015, we have undertaken a series of efforts to enlist feedback from faculty, staff and students about how Campus Safety can continuously improve and meet the needs of all members of our community. Director of Campus Safety Bill Ferguson has participated in brown-bag sessions, individual conversations, and an external review of the department and its practices. We have learned a lot from these initiatives and have developed a strategy for continuous improvement. I would like to highlight a few noteworthy accomplishments to date. As one of several new outreach programs, Campus Safety hired 10 student officers to build relationships with the community they serve. Campus Safety has also modified its event management protocol to a phased staffing approach (proportionate to real-time event attendance), with on-call police only summoned if required in the event of a law enforcement situation. Finally, in the upcoming months, Campus Safety will host a series of listening tours and focus group sessions to hear from members of our community about how these new initiatives are working and to learn more about any ongoing student concerns.

We acknowledge that the job of our Campus Safety officers is often trying and difficult, yet we are committed to improvement where needed. I ask for your support as we further develop our outreach and services and invite you to share helpful suggestions for how we can achieve these aims.

Sincerely,

Suzy M. Nelson

Vice President and Dean of the College

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We know that students, as well as faculty and staff members, may be traveling to southern areas during the upcoming Spring Break. Since May 2015, there has been an increasing incidence of Zika virus infections, in 50 countries and territories located in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. The purpose of this note is to review the current health concerns regarding the Zika virus and refer you to resources for questions you might have.

Key facts about Zika virus

• The virus is transmitted primarily by the bite of mosquitoes
• It can also be spread by a man to his sex partners
• Approximately 80 percent of those infected show no outward symptoms; severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon
• Researchers believe the incubation period to be a few days to a week
• Typical symptoms include fever, achiness, headache, and nausea; occasionally, rash and conjunctivitis (pinkeye)
• Treatment for symptoms includes over-the-counter medication such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen
• Symptoms resolve within a few days
• There is no available vaccine, nor any preventive or treatment medication

Key concerns about Zika virus
Some infected people will have serious complications, including significant neurologic problems. There is also mounting evidence of a connection between Zika virus infection during pregnancy and a serious birth defect called microcephaly, which affects the developing brain.

Precaution recommendations and information resources
Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have not placed a travel ban to affected countries, the following guidelines and information are offered.

• For all traveling to regions of concern:
  • The key protective measure is Mosquito bite prevention
  • Travel health
  • About Zika virus
• Enhanced precautions regarding pregnancy

Please call the Student Health Center (315-228-7750) if you have any questions or concerns.
Safe travels. We hope you come back with memories and good health.

Merrill L. Miller, M.D.
University Physician

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We know that students, as well as faculty and staff members, may be traveling to southern areas during the upcoming Spring Break. Since May 2015, there has been an increasing incidence of Zika virus infections, in 50 countries and territories located in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. The purpose of this note is to review the current health concerns regarding the Zika virus and refer you to resources for questions you might have.

Key facts about Zika virus

• The virus is transmitted primarily by the bite of mosquitoes.
• It can also be spread by a man to his sex partners.
• Approximately 80 percent of those infected show no outward symptoms; severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon.
• Researchers believe the incubation period to be a few days to a week.
• Typical symptoms include fever, achiness, headache, and nausea; occasionally, rash and conjunctivitis (pinkeye).
• Treatment for symptoms includes over-the-counter medication such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
• Symptoms resolve within a few days.
• There is no available vaccine, nor any preventive or treatment medication.

Key concerns about Zika virus

Some infected people will have serious complications, including significant neurologic problems. There is also mounting evidence of a connection between Zika virus infection during pregnancy and a serious birth defect called microcephaly, which affects the developing brain.

Precaution recommendations and information resources

Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have not placed a travel ban to affected countries, the following guidelines and information are offered.

• For all traveling to regions of concern:
  • The key protective measure is Mosquito bite prevention
  • Travel health
  • About Zika virus
• Enhanced precautions regarding pregnancy

Please call the Student Health Center (315-228-7750) if you have any questions or concerns. Safe travels. We hope you come back with memories and good health.

Merrill L. Miller, M.D.
University Physician

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Dear members of the Colgate community,

I write to share the good news that Rhonda F. Levine, Professor of Sociology, has been selected as the 2016 recipient of The Jerome Balmuth Award for Teaching. I want to thank all of the faculty, staff, and students who took the time to nominate a faculty member for this award. Overall, 26 faculty, staff and students submitted nominations of 15 faculty members this year.

Since her arrival at Colgate in 1982, Professor Levine has taught a variety of courses across the curriculum in sociology, Africana and Latin American studies, and the Core, with emphases on political sociology, and racial and social stratification. In celebration of her upcoming retirement, her department has collected from her former students a remarkable set of tributes that you can view here: rhonda-levine.tumblr.com.

Rhonda has received the Sidney J. and Florence Felten French award for inspirational teaching and was nominated for the Phi Eta Sigma Professor of the Year award on more than one occasion. She was also appointed as the very first Arnold A. Sio Chair in Diversity and Community in 2005, leading the Sio Faculty Seminar on issues related to diversity. Rhonda was a great innovator in terms of teaching methods, promoting classroom conversations across campuses and across student class backgrounds.

In nominating her for the Balmuth Award, faculty members wrote: “The kind of teaching that Rhonda does is invaluable for the University… Her courses provide the foundation that makes it possible for students to eventually do the kind of critical analysis and sophisticated research that draws praise and glory.” “By the end of the semester, they report that they see the world around them completely differently. They understand how social forces shape individuals, how history shapes the present, and how institutions influence our actions. They think about socio-economic class, race, and gender in ways they never did before, regardless of their political perspective entering the course.” “Rhonda embodies the greatest mission…[–one] where the sociological imagination empowers students to view the social world with ‘clear-eyes’ in order to understand their own experiences and see how the social injustices they and others face in the world can be changed.”

Please join me in congratulating Rhonda F. Levine for receiving this award, which will be presented to her at a dinner on Thursday, March 31. It is a pleasure to honor her as we all recognize Colgate’s shared commitment to outstanding, transformative teaching.

Best wishes,
Constance Harsh
Interim Dean of the Faculty and Provost

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Dear Colgate community,

Last October, President Harsin charged the University Property Committee to consult with Brian Hutzley as he and his team explored possible on-campus sites for building the Center for Arts and Culture. We have met over the last month with some of those who will be most directly affected by these possible site choices and would now like to hear from the entire university community.

Please ​​click here to access a page that sketches out (very roughly) three possible sites and some variations on those sites. We are particularly interested in hearing about the short-term and long-term disadvantages for each site, as well as any thoughts about the advantages of choosing such a site for the CAC. You may offer any feedback online in the spaces provided.

In addition to submitting online comments, we will offer two public meetings where we can collect comments in person on:

March 7th; 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. in the Multipurpose room in ALANA
March 10th; 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. in 560, Batza Room, Case-Geyer

Finally, any comments, questions, or concerns may also be addressed to the University Property Committee through me at dbouk@colgate.edu.

Sincerely,
Dan Bouk

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Dear Members of the Colgate Community:

I write to update you on progress relating to Colgate’s support for survivors and sexual violence prevention services. There are several new developments to report:

• Sexual violence task force. This spring, Dean Suzy Nelson is leading a task force, composed of students, professors, and staff members, that will be working to update the university’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Survivor Support Action Plan. This group will evaluate the recommendations of the four-person external review team who visited campus in December, as well as input from on-campus groups. They will also consider the latest best practices from the changing national landscape, including information from ATIXA (Association of Title IX Administrators). The task force will host an open forum in April to discuss their work and to ask for additional input from members of the community. They will release their revised action plan to the community by the end of the semester. In the meantime, Dean Nelson and the Dean of the College staff are working on a number of tasks to facilitate transparent reporting procedures, a clear path of action for those who report, and a focus on compassion and support.
• Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE). Representatives from Colgate, Community Memorial Hospital (CMH), Victims of Violence, Cazenovia College, and Morrisville State University are working with the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program in Onondaga County through Vera House, Inc., to help train local nurses and implement CMH coverage within 6-12 months. The SANEs will be available to the local community as well as to Colgate, thereby providing this important service to the entire area.
• Counseling Support. The counseling center, led by Mark Thompson and Dawn LaFrance, will be expanding with additional staff and dedicated space in Curtis Hall which will serve as a “hub” for sexual violence survivor services. A search is underway for a new staff counselor. The sexual assault survivors group continues to be offered at Colgate’s Counseling Center.

Dean Nelson and I, along with many others on campus, stand united on this issue; sexual violence is a scourge on any community and causes harm to all, especially to those who have endured it. We have taken many steps forward, especially in education and awareness, since the November rally and speakout. But there is more to be done. The work will be ongoing and will involve the leadership and efforts of many individuals dedicated to eliminating sexual violence and harassment on campus. Please know that your feedback is welcome on these and other initiatives.

Jill Harsin
Interim President

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Greetings from the Office of Admission! We are busy reviewing applications for the Class of 2020. Regular decision application letters will be mailed on March 18, 2016, and each student will have until May 1, 2016 to decide upon the college of his or her choice. During this time in March and April, we rely on the support of faculty, students, and staff in a campus-wide effort to encourage students to choose Colgate.

As you know, the key to a successful program is the support of the entire community. Therefore, we wish to alert you to the dates of this year’s programs for accepted students so you can mark your calendars.

April Visit Days will be offered on Monday, April 4, and Monday, April 11. The programs will begin at 9:30 a.m. and will conclude at 4:00 p.m. Alumni Memorial Scholars, OUS Scholars, and Benton Scholars will be invited to participate in special events related to their respective programs on Sunday, April 10.

Admitted students also have the option of visiting campus through Experience Colgate, a program offered each weekday beginning Monday, March 21 and throughout the month of April. Experience Colgate is a personalized, morning-long visit program that allows students to attend classes, enjoy a meal at Frank Dining Hall, and spend time with current students. Students who wish to spend the night on campus are permitted to request an overnight host on a limited basis from March 27 to April 21 on Sunday-Thursday evenings.

We appreciate the time and energy that you devote to these programs. Please do not hesitate to contact our office with any questions, comments, or suggestions by e-mailing me at emilin@colgate.edu or by phone at 315-228-7503.

Thank you in advance for your assistance with these very important programs.

Best,
Erin Milin
Senior Assistant Dean of Admission

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