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President Marc Conner and administrators welcomed College employees back for the start of the 2023-24 academic year; introduced new staff, faculty, and cabinet members; and offered updates on important topics, including a February cybersecurity breach and next steps in Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s Vision and Values and Institutional Planning processes.  

President Conner began the first staff and faculty meetings of the academic year Friday, Sept. 8, by leading a moment of silence for Michael Casey, former Collyer Vice President for Advancement, and Â鶹Æƽâ°æ rising sophomore Amadou Thiam ’26, who both died in tragic accidents over the summer.  

At the staff meeting, Director of Human Resources Julie Delay introduced around 50 staff members who recently joined Â鶹Æƽâ°æ. Later at the faculty meeting, Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Faculty Affairs Dorothy Mosby welcomed a similar number of new faculty.  

President Conner also reintroduced members of the President’s Cabinet to the Â鶹Æƽâ°æ community. Dean Mosby, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Jessica Ricker, Vice President for Communications and Marketing Elizabeth Stauderman, and Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer Daniel Konstalid all joined Â鶹Æƽâ°æ over the summer, while Sarah Delaney Vero, who has been a member of the  Â鶹Æƽâ°æ community for several years, stepped into a new role as Â鶹Æƽâ°æ's inaugural general counsel and vice president for human resources. Carey Anne Zucca, Collyer Vice President for Advancement, and Adrian Bautista, dean of students and vice president for student affairs, each joined Â鶹Æƽâ°æ in 2021, and Joshua C. Woodfork continues his role as vice president for strategic planning and institutional diversity.   

Chief Technology Officer Dwane Sterling discussed Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s response to a Feb. 17 cybersecurity breach and security measures implemented after the event. He said Â鶹Æƽâ°æ was able to respond quickly and limit the ransomware’s effect. Although Â鶹Æƽâ°æ has not observed any leaked information in dark web scans, any individuals whose information was potentially exposed will be sent a letter with more information detailing protective next steps Â鶹Æƽâ°æ is taking out of an abundance of caution. Sterling concluded by stressing the importance of in order to ensure the continued safety of Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s servers. He also indicated Â鶹Æƽâ°æ would be announcing additional cyber safety steps in the coming period.  

President Conner discussed the College’s upcoming institutional planning timeline. He noted Â鶹Æƽâ°æ completed its Campus Master Plan in 2022. Through January 2024, Â鶹Æƽâ°æ will continue work on its Visions and Values project. He encouraged all employees to complete that will support the initiative. Campus Master Planning and Vision and Values will both inform the drafting of Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s next Strategic Plan, a collaborative process that will begin in October and continue through May 2025; simultaneous accreditation by Middle States Commission on Higher Education; and ultimately Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s next capital campaign. As announced in Â鶹Æƽâ°æ Weekly Bulletin, President Conner is holding office hours from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, and from 3 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2. (email presoff@skidmore.edu to register.) He also encouraged everyone to attend a series of events taking place Sept. 18 through Oct. 16, Social (In)Justice at the U.S.-Mexico Border, part of the College’s Racial Justice Initiative. He also invited attendees to a retrospective on the presidency of Philip Glotzbach on Oct. 18.  

In line with tradition and Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, faculty and staff affirmed their commitment to Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s Diversity and Inclusion Statement, which was read aloud at both the faculty and staff meetings. Vice President Woodfork noted that the statement is now nearly a decade old and should be understood as a living document.  

Dean Bautista gave updates on student move-in and the success of pre-orientation, which is now attended by more than half of all incoming students. He encouraged all staff and faculty to report any students they observe as struggling to the.  

Dean Ricker ended the meeting by offering information about Â鶹Æƽâ°æ’s Class of 2027. She also spoke briefly about the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on race-conscious admissions, noting Â鶹Æƽâ°æ's long-standing commitments to diversity and inclusivity and promising to share more information about the College’s response to the ruling in future meetings.  

Both the faculty and staff meetings were held in a hybrid format, allowing employees to participate in person and online. The next faculty and staff meetings are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 6.