Last week, the Skidmore SGA Senate voted on a proposal to create a Committee on Institutional Accessibility. The resolution needed a ⅚ majority to pass and failed in a 12-6-1 (yes-no-abstain) vote. The decision to vote against this legislative change should not be interpreted as a lack of commitment to accessibility. We all agree that the lack of accessibility is a serious issue that the college must address. We agree on the facts: Skidmore College has a great deal of work to do to become ADA-compliant, which is the minimum standard for accessibility.
Read moreOn February 28, 2023, the SGA Senate passed Resolution 33-14: Laptop Loan Program Act, approving the purchase of an automated laptop lending kiosk and twenty four computers to be installed in the Scribner Library. This service, as of September 14, 2023, is officially available for use to students, staff, and faculty. Each of the 24 laptops available comes with the following programs: Microsoft Office, Chrome, Firefox, Zoom, Adobe Reader, Mathematica, JMP, Matlab, and STATA. Borrowing a laptop is simple. You can initiate a loan from the kiosk touchscreen and swipe your Skidmore card, which will check the laptop out on your library account. The loan period is fourteen days, and if you need more time, you can return the laptop you have and check out a new one.
Read moreThis June, after over a year of research and development, Skidmore released their Campus Master Plan, an assessment of current facilities and a guide to the next decade of campus development. It’s ambitious and accessible, full of great ideas and long overdue admissions of substandard facilities. However, one thing that was conspicuously absent was any meaningful mention of Skidmore’s art department. All that it said on this topic was that, in 10+ years, there would be some sort of “condition focused renovation.” In speaking with other students, though, it’s been hard to ignore the general sentiment that changes in the art department are long overdue.
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