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Middle States Accreditation
Dear Members of the Skidmore Community,
I write to share with you the positive news we have recently received from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE): our reaccreditation has been formally confirmed, and we have been commended publicly on the quality of our self-study process. Many of you were present when the visiting team read their report to us on March 9. It contained a long list of compliments. It also contained some recommendations. We are pleased to say that those recommendations, while a permanent part of their report, are not public, and do not result in a compulsory follow-up before our next self-study process.
This result places us in a small group of colleges who have been commended for our work. Of the 46 colleges and universities that underwent reaccreditation last year, 33 must follow up to document improvements; the Commission commended only 13 others–Skidmore among them–in the self-study process, while reaffirming accreditation without any required monitoring or progress report.
We can be proud of our accreditation process and of all that we are doing in support of excellence at Skidmore. The requirements for accreditation have changed in recent years, and will continue to change; in particular, the MSCHE now requires much more transparency and accountability. We will need to continue to strengthen the ways in which we can demonstrate our commitment to our students' learning and to decision-making that is based on the best-available evidence. But we can say now with pride that we excel at what we do, and that we have been recognized publicly for our efforts.
For your information, here is a website link to the MSCHE action.
Once again, I especially want to thank Skidmore's Middle States Steering Committee, the members of the Working Groups that drafted the self-study, and all of you who participated in the reaccreditation process and made it so successful. Most importantly, I thank you for all that you continue to do, day in and day out, that makes Skidmore the extraordinary college that it is.
Orlando tragedy
Today, I know I join others in our Skidmore community who are still reeling from the incomprehensible tragedy in Orlando, Florida over the weekend. We have lowered our flags in honor of the lives lost and in solidarity with the families and loved ones who are mourning. We have also placed a rainbow LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/and or questioning) flag prominently outside Case Center in Porter Plaza to acknowledge the loss, especially within our gay community.
For those on campus who would like to gather for a time of remembrance, we will hold a brief memorial at 4:15 p.m. today at Porter Plaza. For anyone who needs support, Counseling Services may be reached at 518-580-5555. As a reminder, all employees may utilize the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which may be reached at 518-793-9768.
Let me share two reflections:
From Skidmore's Director of Religious and Spiritual Life Parker Diggory: "In addition to the staggering loss of life, I keep coming back to the knowledge that a kind of sanctuary was violated in this attack and that the LGBTQ community, particularly those of color, are experiencing loss and fear on a devastating scale. In the swirl of narratives and grief that will continue to emerge from this event, I hope each of us takes the time we need to reach out to our people in whatever way is right for us, and to acknowledge the grief and anger as well as the need for community."
From former Skidmore American Studies Fellow Richard Kim writing in The Nation: "Gay bars are therapy for people who can't afford therapy; temples for people who lost their religion, or whose religion lost them; vacations for people who can't go on vacation; homes for folk without families; sanctuaries against aggression."
Sadly, it was almost exactly a year ago that I reached out to you about the horrible murders at the A.M.E. church in Charleston, South Carolina. In the meantime, we have seen other such tragedies around the world, and I know that we all mourn for those who have experienced great loss. It brings home to all of us our charge here at Skidmore: to educate future leaders to work for a time when we see a diminishing number of such actions that are driven by hatred and fear to be replaced by actions that are driven by love and hope.
Dear Members of the Skidmore Community,
I write to announce Cerri Annette Banks as our new Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs, effective August 1, 2016. Cerri currently serves as Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of the College at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts.
I am truly thrilled to welcome Cerri Banks to our community. She brings an extraordinary level of experience in the increasingly complex world of student affairs. Cerri is uniquely qualified to lead a division that oversees every facet of our students' lives outside of the classroom. Her background and insights will be invaluable in the President's Cabinet and across our campus.
Here at Skidmore, Cerri will oversee 134 employees and five offices within Student Affairs, including athletics, campus life, career development, student diversity programs, and student academic services.
She replaces Interim Dean and Vice President Gail Cummings-Danson, who held the role for the past academic year after the departure of former Dean and Vice President W. Rochelle Calhoun for a vice presidency at Princeton University. Gail will return to her previous role as Skidmore's athletics director in the fall. I want to thank Gail for her extraordinary service stepping up to the interim role while also maintaining her duties as A.D. During this past year, she has helped us deal with a number of daunting challenges, and she has done so with intelligence, wisdom, and grace.
Cerri has held the Mount Holyoke position since July 2011. She oversaw a staff of 70 and a $5.4 million annual budget; in addition, she served on the President's Cabinet, the Strategic Planning Steering Committee, the Academic Priorities Committee, and numerous other high-level boards.
Previously, Cerri was Dean of William Smith College in Geneva, N.Y., after serving there as a faculty member, interim dean, and director of the President's Commission on Inclusive Excellence.
She received B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from Syracuse University between 1997 and 2006, where her areas of study included cultural foundations of education. A scholar of multiculturalism and diversity in education, she has written two books and produced scores of articles, book chapters, and presentations on culturally relevant teaching and learning and other subjects.
Active in key higher-education organizations over the course of her career, Banks has won a wide array of honors, awards, and scholarships. A graduate of Monroe Community College before transferring to Syracuse, she was inducted into Monroe's Hall of Fame.
I want to express my deep gratitude to a very strong search committee that included Mary Lou Bates, Gail Cummings-Danson, Corey Freeman-Gallant, David Howson, Terri Mariani, Tashawn Reagon '16, Natalie Taylor (vice chair), Charles Tetelman '16, and Joshua Woodfork (chair). And many thanks to all the students, faculty, and staff members who interacted with our finalists and offered insightful feedback. I also want to compliment our search partners Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates who ably assisted us and provided us with a remarkable pool of talented candidates.
Cerri is excited to join our community, meet more of our students, and collaborate with partners across the campus. Please join me in welcoming our new colleague.
Future winter breaks
May 6, 2016
Dear Members of the Skidmore Community,
After discussions with the President's Cabinet, within College divisions, and with the Staff Advisory Group, I am pleased to announce extended winter holiday breaks over the coming three years for non-union employees. Union employees, whose holidays are guided by their bargaining unit agreements, are encouraged to use vacation days, other paid leave, or unpaid leave (in that order) for those days that are not contractually scheduled holidays.
The College will be closed during these winter breaks, but as you are well aware the presence of certain employees will be vital to their department's functioning at these times. Please note that with temperatures in certain buildings reduced significantly, some employees who work during the closures may be re-assigned temporarily to other buildings.
For the next three years, Skidmore's winter closures (including the weekend days that fall adjacent to or during the closed periods) will each consist of 14 consecutive days, as follows:
- 2016: College closes beginning Monday, December 26, 2016, and reopens on Monday, January 9, 2017
- 2017: College closes beginning Thursday, December 21, 2017, and reopens on Thursday, January 4, 2018
- 2018: College closes beginning Monday, December 24, 2018, and reopens on Monday, January 7, 2019
A list of all employee holidays is available here.
If you have any questions, I encourage you to speak with your supervisor or to contact any member of the Human Resources team.
Former Skidmore President Passes Away
Dear Members of the Skidmore Community,
I write today to share the very sad news that David H. Porter, fifth president of Skidmore College, has died. It is especially painful, in this season of renewal, for the Skidmore community to once more confront the loss of a beloved community member and friend. Our thoughts go immediately to David's wife, Helen, their children, and their grandchildren, as they cope with this loss.
Born in New York City in 1935, David received a bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College in 1958 and a doctorate in Classics from Princeton University in 1962. He then traveled to Carleton College where, for the next quarter of a century, he enjoyed a remarkably productive career as a teacher, scholar, and administrator.
David assumed the Skidmore presidency in June 1987. During his twelve-year tenure as president, he greatly enhanced the intellectual life of the campus, helped conceive and plan the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, successfully led the Journey Campaign, which raised nearly $86.5 million (then the largest campaign total in the College's history), and worked to diversify the College's student body, faculty, and staff.
David's intellectual interests and achievements were broad and eclectic. He was a regular contributor of opinion pieces to The New York Times and The Boston Globe. He wrote letters to the editor of The New Yorker. And in addition to penning books on Horace and Greek tragedy as part of his core scholarly activity, he also produced monographs on Willa Cather, Virginia Woolf, the Hogarth Press, and the Austrian pianist and composer, Edward Steuermann. Finally, he and his wife Helen co-authored a book on Lucy Skidmore Scribner.
Music was another great passion for David. He studied piano with Steuermann and harpsichord with the celebrated Gustav Leonhardt, and he regularly performed both on- and off-campus. His presentation "The Well-Tampered Clavier: Play, Musical and Otherwise," was a staple for incoming students both during his presidency and long after. He presented this performance at a national conference of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) and last performed it for first-year Skidmore students this past September in the Arthur Zankel Music Center.
Following his term as president, David returned to the classroom, teaching at his alma mater, Princeton University, as well as Williams College, Indiana University, and Skidmore, where he served as the first Tisch Family Distinguished Professor. He retired from the classroom in 2013, after more than half a century of teaching, but remained an active scholar. His edition of Lucy Gayheart for the Willa Cather Scholarly Edition was published this past August.
David's continuing contributions to our community were underscored just this past week when he was an honored guest at Skidmore's annual David H. Porter Classical World Lecture, featuring acclaimed author Barry Strauss, who paid tribute to David's classics scholarship at the start of his lecture. As was his wont, David spent much of the dinner following that lecture speaking with students, forming a connection with a new generation of scholars and displaying, as always, his undiminished talent for and love of puns and wordplay.
Details about a service will be announced when finalized. For those who may need support, Counseling Services may be reached at 518-580-5555. As a reminder, all employees may utilize the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which may be reached at 518-793-9768. Wilson Chapel is available for those seeking space for reflection.
I ask you to join Marie and me in keeping David's family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
Legal Update and Campus Support
Dear Members of the Skidmore Community,
I write to share with you the news that the driver in the devastating crash that took the life of student Michael Hedges and injured students Toby Freeman and Oban Galbraith last October was sentenced in Saratoga County Court this afternoon. Thomas H. Gorman, who pled guilty in February to first-degree vehicular manslaughter and first-degree vehicular assault, both felonies, received the maximum sentence allowable under the law from Judge James Murphy. He specifically sentenced Mr. Gorman to five to 15 years in prison for vehicular manslaughter and two to six years for vehicular assault, to be served concurrently. He will not be eligible for early release.
While no sentence can bring back Michael, I do hope that this court action will bring some measure of closure to the families and friends of the victims. Interim Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs Gail Cummings-Danson and I attended the sentencing hearing, along with a group of students and family members. All of us were tremendously affected by the emotional victim-impact statements given by Toby and Oban, as well as Will Blauvelt and Kitty Horblit, who were with them on that terrible night. We were extremely impressed by the strength and courage these students exhibited in describing their pain.
A touching letter was also read on behalf of Michael Hedges's mother, Stephanie Mae, who was in attendance along with her son Tom and the parents of Toby and Oban.
The families told us once again how much the College's outpouring of support has meant to them over these past very difficult months. We are now involved in planning for a campus tree-planting ceremony in memory of Michael Hedges later this spring. We will provide details soon, and all members of the Skidmore community will be invited to attend.
This is a painful time for Skidmore with the death of another student, Will Golden, over the past weekend. Our hearts go out to all of these families and the entire community as we all struggle to comprehend this unbearable loss.
As I mentioned in an email this morning, there will be a gathering Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. in Ladd Concert Hall in the Arthur Zankel Music Center, to honor and remember Will.
Recognizing that this news will affect members of our community in different ways, let me remind you that we are making available a variety of opportunities for support this week.
In addition to its regular services, the Counseling Center will be offering same-day 30-minute consultations with a therapist all week for individuals directly affected by these events. Please call the Center at 518-580-5555 the day you would like to come in.
The Health Promotion Office will be bringing therapy dogs, both large and small, to the Intercultural Center (ICC) in Case Center on Tuesday, March 22, from 12:30 to 2 p.m.
The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life will be available and Wilson Chapel will be open every day this week. There will also be multiple opportunities for reflection, mindfulness, and communion—including yoga and meditation in the Chapel on Tuesday, March 22, from 11 a.m. to noon; Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m.; and Friday from 4 to 5 p.m. Mindfulness moments take place on Tuesday and Thursday in the Chapel at 12:15 p.m. for twenty minutes. And the Chapel offers Zen meditation on Tuesday night from 6:25 to 8 p.m. Please see the chapel schedule here.
Because our ties to others are particularly important in times of loss and stress, our Peer Health Educators will also be hosting an event focusing on healthy relationships, on Thursday, March 24, in the Kisiel Atrium of Murray-Aikins Dining Hall from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
While our community is being tested by these extraordinarily sad events, I know that we will once again reach out to help each other through these difficult times.
Memorial Gathering
Dear Members of the Skidmore Community,
Willem Golden
Please join us Tuesday evening March 22 at 7 p.m. as we come together to celebrate the life of first-year student Willem "Will" Golden who passed away on Saturday.
In an effort to support each other and send our thoughts and prayers to Will's family, we will gather as a community in Ladd Hall in the Arthur Zankel Music Center and end the evening with a candlelight vigil outdoors in the Thomas Amphitheater. If necessary, overflow accommodations will be available.
The Murray-Aikins Dining Hall will be open Tuesday before and after the event at no cost to our students.
I know this is a very difficult time for everyone on our campus, and I hope this gathering provides some comfort to our students, families, and our community. Please show your Skidmore pride by wearing our school colors—green and yellow—to our gathering.
Philip A. Glotzbach
Death of a Student
Dear Members of the Skidmore Community,
Willem Golden
I write today to share the terribly sad news that one of our students, Willem "Will" Golden, of Cohasset, Massachusetts, died yesterday as the result of a fall in Newark, Delaware. Will was a first-year student and a member of the Skidmore hockey team who resided in Wait Hall.
Our hearts go out to Will's family members, his friends on campus, and those back home. We have been in contact with his family and shared our deep sympathy and offers of assistance. They will notify us when funeral plans are made. In the meantime, we are in the process of planning a campus gathering on Tuesday and will provide more details as soon as they are available.
Will had been a member of the Skidmore community for less than a year but had already made many connections with students, faculty, staff, and teammates who will grieve his loss very deeply.
Let me remind you of the additional counseling services on campus this week that were planned given tomorrow's sentencing of the driver in the tragic crash this past October. To lose two students in one year is unthinkable, and I know that this most recent death will affect every one of us in our close community.
In addition to their regular services, the Counseling Center will be offering same-day 30-minute consultations with a therapist all week for individuals directly affected by these events. Please call the Center at 518-580-5555 the day you would like to come in.
The Health Promotion Office will be bringing therapy dogs, both large and small, to the Intercultural Center (ICC) in Case Center on Tuesday, March 22, from 12:30-2 p.m.
Wilson Chapel will be open all week for those seeking solace there and Office of Religious and Spiritual Life staff will be available each day. The Chapel will also hold multiple opportunities for reflection, mindfulness, and communion throughout the week – including yoga and meditation. The Chapel schedule is available here.
Because our ties to others are particularly important in times of loss and stress, our Peer Health Educators will also be hosting an event focusing on healthy relationships on Thursday, March 24, in the in the Murray-Aikins Dining Hall Atrium from 5:30-7 p.m.
I ask that we all do everything we can to support one another during this very challenging time.
Philip A. Glotzbach
Commencement 2016: Speakers
Dear Members of the Skidmore Community,
I am pleased to announce that at the 105th Skidmore College Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 21, 2016, I will confer honorary degrees upon two exceptional individuals:
|Emanuel Ax, internationally acclaimed classical pianist. A multiple Grammy winner, Ax is famous for his artistic virtuosity, collaborative spirit, and embrace of old and new music. In 2010, he headlined the formal opening of Skidmore's Arthur Zankel Music Center.
Bernice Johnson Reagon, renowned activist, musician, educator, and cultural scholar. Reagon was a Freedom Singer for the civil rights movement in the 1960s, and as composer and performer she led her Sweet Honey in the Rock ensemble for 30 years. She is an American University professor emerita and Smithsonian Institution curator emerita.
Both of our distinguished guests will address the graduating class. Board of Trustees Chair Linda Toohey, Class of 2016 President Miles Calzini, and I will also offer our congratulations.
|Katherine Graney
Following a Skidmore tradition, a faculty member selected by the graduates will speak as well. I am pleased to announce that the senior class has selected Katherine (Kate) Graney, associate professor of government and director of gender studies, as this year's Faculty Commencement Speaker. With research expertise in ethnicities and federalism in Russia and the former Soviet states, since 1999 Professor Graney has taught courses ranging from Russian and Eastern European politics to gender in international relations and human rights.
For more information on Commencement 2016, please see our website. We look forward to celebrating this special milestone with the Class of 2016, their families, and guests in May.
Spring 2016 Semester Updates
Dear Members of the Skidmore Community:
I hope the semester is off to a great start for all of you. As we make our way through a lively period in Skidmore's history, I write to update you on a wide variety of news and activities affecting everyone in our community.
Another great year for applications
We received a record number of applications for Skidmore's Class of 2020. We currently have 9,115 on file, in comparison to 8,453 last year—an increase of 8% over last year and 6% over the previous record set two years ago. The majority of the additional applications are from international students, 74% of whom are seeking financial aid. In this year's pool, 27% of applications are from international students, in comparison with 22% last year and 20% the year before. We also received a record number of Early Decision (ED) applications: 547 this year, a 30% increase over last year's 411. The ED Round II Committee meets next week, so final numbers are not yet available, but we are hoping to enroll 42% of the class through ED this year, compared to 38% last year.
Campaign at $101 million
We are making excellent progress on our comprehensive fundraising effort, Creating Our Future: The Campaign for Skidmore. We just passed $101 million in gifts and pledges, and we are already seeing the Campaign's impact in a number of areas—additional support for our financial aid program, new internships and collaborative research opportunities, the Valentine Boathouse (where we have just started the permitting process), and the Moore Documentary Studies Collaborative (MDOCS).
Strategic Plan on its way to the board
The Plan has now received the endorsement of the Strategic Planning Committee of the Board of Trustees, the Institutional Policy and Planning Committee (IPPC), the Staff Advisory Group, the Student Government Association (SGA) Senate, and our faculty. Many thanks to Professor Tim Harper for presenting it at Friday's Faculty Meeting, where a vote endorsed it with two amendments. The Plan has also been sent to the Alumni Board and will be taken up by the full Board of Trustees later this month. Thank you all for your good work in getting us to this point. Once the Board approves the contents of the document, it will be copy-edited and sent back out to the campus community. It is very exciting to have this blueprint in place to guide our next decade.
Middle States process well in hand
We were successful in the Middle States document review stage of the reaccreditation process, and now we are eagerly awaiting the campus visit (March 6-9) from an external review team led by Dr. Janet M. Riggs, President of Gettysburg College. The Self-Study can be accessed here, using your Skidmore login credentials.
General Education work progressing
The Committee on Educational Policies and Planning (CEPP) continues to work on the proposed new curriculum, making refinements based on feedback received. January's Academic Summit provided another opportunity for members of the community to comment on the proposal, and CEPP will now make adjustments based on those latest comments.
Federal complaint filed
The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has notified us that a complaint has been filed related to the handling of a sexual assault case at Skidmore in 2014. We are responding to this action and the Department's request for documents and will comply with all requirements. Skidmore is now one of the 276 OCR investigations at colleges and universities around the country. We will keep you apprised of further developments.
Research continues at Starbuck Center
As we informed you in an earlier campus memo, several members of President's Cabinet and I met with colleagues working in Starbuck Center who expressed concerns about three current cases of breast cancer. Since that time, the new Starbuck Steering Committee (SSC) has met on several occasions and hosted a campus meeting to share information from the last round of testing in 2012. The SSC has been in contact with the New York State Department of Health and other organizations, and work continues to develop future assessments. You can find the latest news at their blog, using your Skidmore login credentials.
Diversity and inclusion initiatives and actions move forward
The Fall Semester was marked by student activism around campus climate and inclusion. I appreciated our students' willingness to work collaboratively with the administration and their continuing conversations with the Committee on Intercultural and Global Understanding (CIGU). We are moving on actions to address some of the issues they have raised. We are in a time of transition with regard to a number of leadership roles relating to diversity and inclusion at the College, and I expect us to make progress in filling those positions and continuing to move forward as we go through this semester. In January, Sarah Willie-LeBreton, Professor of Sociology and Department Chair of Sociology and Anthropology at Swarthmore College and noted expert on diversity and higher education, consulted with President's Cabinet, presented at Academic Summit, and met with other groups, including the Advisory Council on Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct.
Academic Affairs continues to underscore the importance of engaging in important work related to diversity—especially its commitment to recruiting and retaining faculty and staff from underrepresented groups. The Dean of the Faculty, together with the Center for Leadership, Teaching, and Learning, is offering a series of workshops and trainings related to diversity and inclusion. And, of course, other areas of Academic Affairs—in particular, the Tang—continue to organize their work around this broad topic.
Cabinet searches underway
Foundations have now been laid to fill important positions on the President's Cabinet. For the Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs position, the search firm of Storbeck/Pimentel & Associates has been hired to advise the process. We will make an announcement soon about the makeup of the search committee. (I am very grateful to Gail Cummings-Danson for taking on this cabinet role while retaining her position as Director of Athletics.) After getting the search for the Dean of Students underway, we will launch the search for the Vice President for Marketing and Communications. Both positions are key to achieving the goals set forth in our new Strategic Plan, and we will involve the campus in helping us to make these critical decisions.
New shows at the Tang
On Saturday the Tang officially launched three exciting new shows. Alma Thomas brings awareness of a great American artist to a new generation in a partnership with the Studio Museum of Harlem. Borrowed Light, which highlights the gift of more than 500 photographs to the Tang last year, forms the core of three courses this semester being taught by Ian Berry, Mimi Hellman, and Robert ParkeHarrison. Critter & Guitari is an interactive sound exhibition created by 2002 Skidmore graduates Owen Osborn and Chris Kucinski that reveals the skills and entrepreneurship they developed as students here. The Tang is happy to set up group tours for faculty and staff.
Legal updates
The driver in the terrible Halloween night crash that killed our student Michael Hedges and injured two others recently pled guilty to vehicular manslaughter and will be sentenced in March. And the former campus safety officer involved in a sexual misconduct case off campus was sentenced to five years' probation.
Space planning
Last fall the Space Planning Working Group, chaired by Crystal Moore and Dan Rodecker, made recommendations that were approved by cabinet and IPPC for the first of many projects that will serve our students, faculty, and staff over the next two to three years while the Center for Integrated Sciences (CIS) is being planned. Projects now underway include the move later this year of the Office of the Dean of Special Programs from Filene Hall to the recently acquired Van Patten House at the far north end of North Broadway. Van Patten will undergo substantial renovation this spring and summer to prepare for the move. Filling the vacated space in Filene will be the Economics and Classics Departments, joining MDOCS there. Also, on May 16, CIS-related geothermal work will begin and will put the Palamountain parking lot out of commission for much of the summer; we appreciate your planning and patience.
Hoverboards banned on campus
An IPPC policy went into effect on January 25 prohibiting the self-balancing scooters known as hoverboards, battery-operated scooters, and hands-free Segways from our campus. This step was taken because of fire hazards and other concerns raised by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Anyone who has brought one of these devices to campus should contact Campus Safety, who will work with our facilities team to find safe storage until the devices can be removed from campus. If such items are found on campus, they will be confiscated for safe storage until the end of the semester.
Skidmore Cares another great success
Marie and I thank you for your enthusiastic involvement in Skidmore Cares. In December the program collected 2,218 food items, 1,017 school supplies, nearly $3,000 from our vendors, and over $8,000 from the campus, primarily from Beatlemore Skidmania—for a grand total of $11,091 in contributions, which were distributed to ten Saratoga County helping agencies. We should all be proud of this generous community effort!
I wish you all a wonderful spring semester.
Next Strategic Plan
Dear Members of the Skidmore Community,
I am writing to share the final draft of the next Strategic Plan, v. 15.2: Creating Pathways to Excellence: the Plan for Skidmore College, 2015-2025, which is posted on the College's planning website here. Please note that I have also posted two versions with track changes so you are able to view the edits to the document since December 2, 2015 when I shared the last version, 14.5.
On January 27, 2016, the Pilot Staff Advisory Group unanimously endorsed the Plan at its meeting. This Friday, (2/5/16), the Plan will be presented to the Institutional Policy and Planning Committee (IPPC) and the Faculty. We are seeking endorsement from both groups. Over its next two meetings, the Student Government Association's Senate is also considering the Plan. It has also been shared with the Alumni Board. The Strategic Planning Committee of the Board of Trustees unanimously voted to send the Plan to the full Board of Trustees, which consider the Plan for approval at its Board Retreat at the end of this month.
From white papers to surveys to green dot exercises to roundtable discussions to office hours, our strategic planning process has certainly been robust. I want to take this opportunity to express gratitude for all of your participation and input over the last two academic years. I look forward to working with you to bring our shared vision into an exciting reality. Thank you for your attention.
Legal Update on October's Tragedy
Dear members of the Skidmore community:
I write to let you know that the driver involved in the terrible crash that killed our student Michael Hedges and injured Toby Freeman and Oban Galbraith pleaded guilty this afternoon to vehicular manslaughter and vehicular assault. The press release from the District Attorneyss Office announcing the plea is available here. Our thanks go out to the DA and all of the members of the police and legal community for their time and efforts in this difficult case.
I realize that for many this news will bring to the surface deep emotions connected with the tragedy that befell our campus last fall. I hope that the disposition of this legal case can provide some sense of closure.
Please keep in mind that the Counseling Center and Office of Religious and Spiritual Life are available to students if and when you need them.
We hold a special place in our hearts today, and always, for Michael's family and friends and celebrate that Oban, Toby, and others in the vicinity of the crash are safely back among us.
News regarding Starbuck Center
Dear members of the Skidmore community:
Last week, several members of President's Cabinet and I met with colleagues working in Starbuck Center who expressed concerns that environmental factors in the building could be related to three current cases of breast cancer. The news that any of our colleagues are dealing with serious health issues is disturbing, and we in senior leadership are deeply concerned.
We are following up on many levels. The Cabinet has convened a Starbuck Steering Committee (SSC) to oversee the investigation of the current health concerns that have emerged in the building. The SSC is chaired by Crystal Moore (Associate Dean of the Faculty). Its members include Bill Tomlinson (Director of Sponsored Research), Dan Rodecker (Director of Facilities Services), and Patty Bosen (Director of Health Services). It also includes one representative from each of the four divisions in Starbuck: Lisa Hobbs (Academic Affairs), Lisa Tuttle (Financial Aid), Cindy Hurley (Financial Services), and Elizabeth Kopraski (Student Academic Services). In addition, the SSC is consulting with Loretta Greenholtz (Academic Safety Officer) and other colleagues on our campus who have expertise and knowledge that can help us with this work.
The SSC has been charged with engaging in the process to locate and hire a firm or firms to conduct a new round of environmental testing and an epidemiological study, and to consult with the New York State Department of Health and other relevant parties. President's Cabinet has made it clear that all decisions about this process are under the SSC's purview. SSC will meet every few days over the next several weeks to ensure that progress is being made on the testing, and on securing the needed information to allow us to make important health decisions. Employees will be given frequent updates. The mandate of the SSC is immediate action, transparency, and timely communication with the goal of keeping our employees safe.
So far, the SSC has contacted the New York State Department of Health and will partner with it to assist us in implementing further environmental and epidemiological assessments to, once again, determine whether there are any identifiable factors present in Starbuck Center that could possibly be related to the new health issues that have arisen.
Most of us will recall that in 2012 similar concerns were raised about Starbuck Center. At that time, we undertook a comprehensive environmental study of the building. That study determined that there were no identifiable factors that could be causally related to illnesses suffered by our employees. Nevertheless, in an abundance of caution, we moved everyone out of the building for several months and undertook major replacements and refurbishments inside the structure. These changes included new flooring and carpeting, new ceilings, and new ductwork – indeed, the entire HVAC system was replaced. We also engaged an outside expert from The Ohio State University School of Medicine who conducted a medical review of current and former employees suffering from breast cancer to determine if there was any evidence of an environmental link. That study also concluded that there was no evidence of any such connection.
At this time, we want not only to review the building again for any possible carcinogens or health risks that were studied in 2012 but also to learn of any new research findings, knowledge, or protocols for testing that have arisen in the past four years. While we don't yet know how long these follow-up studies will take, we do know that the previous investigation was conducted over a period of approximately three months.
Because of the absence of health risks found in previous comprehensive studies and the fact that the building was nevertheless completely refurbished, there is no justification for relocating offices from Starbuck Center in the short term. In the event that you feel that you simply cannot remain in the building, we ask that you inform your supervisors, who will do their best to collaborate with you to determine if an alternative work plan is feasible. At the same time, all offices in Starbuck Center performing essential services for students, and those services must be maintained.
To keep the larger community informed, particularly our employees who work in Starbuck, the SSC will launch a blog with frequent updates regarding the testing and study process. The link to the blog was sent to the campus community on Wednesday, January 20, with directions to access it.
In addition, a community meeting will be held during the week of January 25 in which Loretta Greenholtz (Academic Safety Officer) will go over the findings from the last round of tests, present the SSC current plan, and answer any questions the community may have. The date and time will be announced by the end of the week.
To those employees currently serving in Starbuck: While we complete new assessments of Starbuck, please know that you can speak with your supervisor, any member of the SSC, Crystal Moore, Barbara Beck (Associate Vice President for Finance & Administration and Director of Human Resources), Mike West (Vice President for Finance and Administration), or me about any and all concerns that you may have.
Above all, everyone should be fully assured that we are assiduously following up on this issue and are fully committed to providing a safe place to work for every Skidmore employee.
To the Skidmore community:
I want to thank every one of you who stepped up to be helpful after the terrible tragedy that resulted in the death of Michael Hedges and serious injuries to Toby Freeman, and Oban Galbraith. I am relieved to report to you that both Toby and Oban are healing very well and expected to make a full recovery.
To lose such a promising young man as Michael, and to see his friends so hurt, would have been incomprehensible just one short week ago. And yet, by coming together as a community, we have somehow managed to comprehend this cruel reality and to find the strength to do what needs to be done.
Over the course of the last several days, we have witnessed the true character of our community – its compassion, its strength, and its generosity. This was particularly apparent on Monday when more than 1,500 students, faculty, staff, family, and friends packed the gathering at the Arthur Zankel Music Center and the candlelight vigil that followed. Together, we grieved and honored Michael and supported Oban, and Toby and the friends and families of the three young men. It was also apparent at the beautiful funeral for Michael that I attended in Lenox yesterday in the company of a large Skidmore delegation. I know our presence was a source of comfort to the Hedges family.
This was true for the Campus Safety officers and first responders who rushed to the scene, as well as the other students who provided aid. It was true for all the health care workers who helped save the lives of Toby and Oban and our own health services staff who consulted with the families. And for all the Student Affairs employees who continue to reach out to students across the campus. And for the events staff and dining crews who planned such beautiful ceremonies and fed a large, unexpected number of students and visitors over the past few days.
It was apparent among the religious and counseling staffs who worked long hours opening their doors and hearts to provide comfort and even arranged for nearly 40 therapy dogs to visit campus and bring smiles to 500 students.
It was true of the faculty and Dean's offices that reached out to and accommodated students who were affected by such a traumatic event in their young lives. It was true of the students who spoke so eloquently and provided such beautiful music at the gathering, including an original piano piece. And the communicators who worked around the clock to get the word out, respond to the media, and write and post such meaningful stories and photographs. And the hundreds of Skidmore and Saratoga community members who signed the huge cards and wrote notes for Toby and Oban and for Michael's family.
It was true of the concerned parents and faithful Skidmore alumni who shared condolences and offered their heartfelt support. And of the many, many others who cared and gave so much to make this senseless tragedy more bearable.
Your good work goes on all across our campus. First-Year Experience (FYE) peer mentors and faculty members are continuing to meet with students. Many of you are working together to coordinate a complex calendar of multiple comfort and healing events. These activities are open to our entire community and will continue over the next few weeks.
As I said in my remarks at Zankel, "We come together to share our sorrow but also to do what genuine communities do: to care for and support one another in our difficult hour. A community built on care and respect does that. We care for one another. This caring means that, first of all, we simply are there for one another; we are present."
Thank you for your gracious presence and for the way you care for our community.
Philip A. Glotzbach
Sad News
To the Skidmore community:
I write with a heavy heart to share with you the news that no college president ever wants to share with a campus community. One of the students involved in a vehicle-pedestrian accident early this morning has passed away and two others remain in intensive care at Albany Medical Center.
All of the families have been at the hospital with their children since early this morning. Marie and I will see them today and we will assure them that Skidmore will do everything we can for them.
The student who died is Michael Hedges of Lenox, Massachusetts, a first-year student. The injured students are Toby Freeman, a first-year student from New York and Oban Galbraith, also a first-year student, from Shelburne, Vermont. I know I speak for the entire Skidmore community when I say that we are mourning with Michael's family and praying for the speedy recovery of Toby and Oban. We will keep you informed of their progress when we have more news.
Students and counselors are gathering at the Wilson Chapel at noon and the hours of the Counseling Center have been extended. You can reach the Counseling Center at 518-580-5555. Tomorrow night at 8 p.m. we will hold a campus gathering.
This is a very sad time for every member of our campus community. Please do everything you can to console and look out for each other as we send our thoughts and prayers to the students and families involved in this tragedy.
Philip A. Glotzbach
Strategic Planning
Dear members of the Skidmore community,
I am writing to share two planning documents: Institutional Planning, Community, and Celebration: Strategic Action Agenda 2015-2016 and Creating Pathways to Excellence: The Plan for Skidmore College, 2015-2025 v. 12.5. This year's Strategic Action Agenda (SAA) reflects the major strategic priorities of the administrative divisions of the College.
In mid-September I shared draft 9.7 of the next Strategic Plan and this current 12.5 draft reflects feedback received from many people, including members of the community, the Institutional Policy and Planning Committee (IPPC), the State of the College Address/Institutional Planning Event on September 25, the Board of Trustees Strategic Planning Committee, and the full Board of Trustees.
There are three upcoming opportunities for members of our community to comment on this latest version: first, we are holding an open IPPC meeting, Friday, November 6, where we will discuss this draft from 11:00 a.m. to noon upstairs in Murray-Aikins Dining Hall. Second, later that same day at 3:30 p.m., part of the Faculty Meeting will include an open discussion of the draft. I ask students, staff, and faculty members to participate in these important discussions. If you are unable to join us for either of these meetings, the third way to participate is to send your comments via email to the President's Office. Please note that we are seeking ratification of this plan during our February Board of Trustees Meeting.
At this time, I ask for your renewed commitment to promoting and participating in our shared agenda that calls upon each of us to exemplify excellence in all that we do each day.
Thank you for your attention.
Philip A. Glotzbach
Recent discussions
Dear members of the faculty, staff, and administration:
As many of you know, Marie and I were away from campus last week on College business. I know that a number of very important issues were raised related to shared governance and diversity at the Institutional Policy and Planning Community (IPPC) and the Faculty Meeting. I regret that we could not be present to listen and participate in those conversations.
I sent a statement to our community on September 24th that included details regarding my appointment of a CDO and my expectations for this position. Joshua C. Woodfork's initial work as Vice President of Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity is to listen to a broad range of community members, to hear their concerns and ideas. From these critical listening moments, next steps will emerge.
For now, I respectfully ask that we look forward. Despite the progress we have made together, many issues for our increasingly diverse community still remain unresolved. We need to work together to find new ways to address them. To begin moving toward realizing our shared goals, I ask that we all – both collectively and individually – begin by renewing our commitment to a few simple ideas: first, talking together with respect. We can disagree sharply but yet do so within a personal and rhetorical frame that acknowledges one other's value.
Second, let us please actively affirm that we are operating from positions of good will and concern for the College. We can and should interrogate and test one another's ideas and positions; let us, however, also intentionally shape our discourse more as a discussion and less as a debate. There is an important role for debate in the academy, just as in our national political process, but debates by their nature are divisive. Dialog can bring a community together.
Third, we need to find better ways to connect more deeply to one another, to work together in exploring ways to make Skidmore a better place for everyone. This project will require our full powers of imagination and good will. Yes, some of this work needs to be done in public spaces, at Faculty Meetings or Community Meetings. But to strengthen our community and move beyond the fragile moment at which we find ourselves, we also need to develop new positive, professional relationships among people who may not be talking at present – relationships that allow us to talk colleague-to-colleague, in one another's offices or over coffee in Case Center.
I have shared a few general ideas. But there is much more to be done, and the work is not easy. Indeed, as we are so painfully reminded on too regular a basis, society as a whole still struggles to overcome the range of challenges that fall under the heading of diversity. But I firmly believe that, as a liberal arts College that is dedicated to the educational ideals we all espouse, we have reasons for optimism. We can be wiser working together than any of us can be individually, provided that we do work together and not against one another in this important undertaking. Above all, we need to acknowledge that it is we who will determine the outcome.
Please note that we will be holding Community Meetings October 12 at 3:00 p.m. or October 13 at 11:00 a.m. both in the Payne Room of the Tang, as well as an Open Office Hour on October 13 from 1-2 p.m. in the President's Office, Palamountain 4th Floor. Details will be forthcoming for both.
Thank you for your attention.
Philip A. Glotzbach
Sexual misconduct article in Scope Magazine
Dear Skidmore families,
The fall issue of Scope magazine will be arriving soon in your mailbox. Its cover story provides an in-depth look at how Skidmore College is responding to the national issue of sexual and gender-based misconduct, which is challenging colleges and universities across the country. If you would like to see the story on-line in advance, you can click here. Although this issue is not confined to colleges, it is of great concern to all of us at Skidmore who are charged both with ensuring the safety and well-being of our students.
Skidmore has been actively addressing this issue for many years, and we continue to enhance our training, counseling, and education aimed at helping students act responsibly toward one another, while also strengthening our policies, procedures and adjudication of complaints in line with best practices and local and national laws and regulations. As you will read in the Scope article, the most recent changes to our policy reflect changes to the law in New York State. If you would like know more about our policies and procedures, you can go to our website where they are detailed.
While I am pleased with the work College staff have put into this effort, I am also acutely aware that the issue of sexual and gender-based misconduct remains an enormous challenge for Skidmore and, indeed, for all of higher education. We will continue to do all we can to address this issue that is so deeply and profoundly corrosive to our community and our society.
Thank you for continuing to care about Skidmore and our students.
Philip A. Glotzbach
To members of the Skidmore community:
As we continue the new semester, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the good work done by so many to get the year off to a terrific start. Marie and I spoke with a number of families during new-student orientation, and they were quite appreciative of the professional way the College has welcomed new students into our community, which was facilitated by the excellent work of a many offices, staff members, faculty members, and students from across the campus.
I also want to acknowledge several notable milestones that we are celebrating this year. Later this week (September 25-27), Salmagundi will mark its 50th (!) anniversary as a leading journal dedicated to literature and social and political commentary with its "Belief and Unbelief" conference. On October 16, the Tang will commemorate its 15th anniversary with a series of special presentations and exhibitions. On October 23-24, the Zankel Music Center will mark its 5th anniversary with two concerts, one by Joshua Redman and The Bad Plus, and one by San Fermin. On December 4, we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Skidmore Cares Holiday Open House at Scribner House. I can't imagine our community without any one of these four remarkable institutions, and I hope you will join in celebrating their significant anniversaries.
Focus on Planning and Community
Earlier this month, I noted that my focus this year would be on two key areas: planning and community. I write now to update you on our progress in each area and to highlight several important upcoming events.
Several key planning initiatives are currently underway. These include our review of the General Education Curriculum, our ten-year Middle States Reaccreditation, and, most significantly, the completion of a new Strategic Plan. With regard to the strategic planning process, the President's Cabinet and I have worked over the summer to synthesize what we heard over the previous year from the campus, the Institutional Policy and Planning Committee (IPPC), the Board of Trustees, and alumni about the future direction of the College. That effort has led to the production of a draft plan, The Creativity Imperative: The Plan for Skidmore College, 2015-2020, that we now will review with the campus community.
As a start to this stage of the process, I invite all members of the community to join in a public discussion of the draft Plan at the State of the College Address, which will be held upstairs in Murray-Aikins Dining Hall from 3:00-4:30 PM, tomorrow, Friday, September 25. Our goal is to ratify the plan at the February 2016 meeting of the Board of Trustees. At this time, I welcome the input of all members of the community.
This semester we also will be holding several public discussions of our draft Middle States Self-Study. We have scheduled three public forums – October 5, 27, and November 16 from 4:00-5:30 PM – in Gannet Auditorium. Our Self-Study draft needs to be completed by mid-December in time for a formal review by a Middle States Reaccreditation Visiting team from March 6-9, 2016. We will need everyone to be well aware of this process throughout the year. So please do what you can to participate in this conversation.
Lastly, the Committee on Educational Policy and Planning (CEPP) is continuing its work that began two years ago to revise our general education curriculum. This work will continue throughout this academic year.
As I noted in my "Welcome to the Academic Year" communication, though there are many positive aspects to the Skidmore community, we certainly have ongoing challenges that we must face to become the inclusive and affirming campus community that we want to be– one that fully supports all our efforts to achieve excellence in our work. Our own experience over the past several years with repeated incidents of bias as well as the continuing pattern of race-related violence across our nation has made it clear to me that we need to take additional steps to address the various issues that have impeded our growth as a community. To move this agenda forward, I am announcing two key initiatives.
First, I have appointed Dr. Joshua C. Woodfork to serve in the newly created position of Vice President for Strategic Planning and Institutional Diversity. This decision arises from the very thorough and thoughtful work of the Committee on Intercultural and Global Understanding (CIGU), which, in December of last year, presented a report to the IPPC and President's Cabinet that outlined a number of steps to move us toward becoming a more inclusive community.
After being asked by IPPC to prioritize its proposals for improving campus climate and increase inclusion, CIGU's primary recommendation was that we create a Cabinet-level position of Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) to provide additional expertise and leadership within the College for these important efforts. The Cabinet reviewed CIGU's report and recommended unanimously to me that we take this action; after some reflection, I decided to accept that recommendation in a way that I believe will be effective, without significantly increasing costs or disrupting existing institutional structures.
Dr. Woodfork's appointment reflects both my determination to address the larger concerns referenced above as well as a belief in his particular qualifications for this position. His title also emphasizes the crucial link I see among institutional planning, diversity, and inclusion. As most of us know, Joshua held the position of Assistant Professor of American Studies at Skidmore from 2005 to 2010. He then left to become an Assistant Professor of American Studies and faculty liaison to the Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholars Program at American University, a position he held until 2012. At that point, he took the position of Director of the Consortium on High Achievement and Success (CHAS) at Trinity College (Hartford), where he also taught as an adjunct faculty member in the American Studies Department. In September 2013, he returned to Skidmore as Executive Director of the Office of the President and Coordinator of Strategic Initiatives.
In his time at Skidmore and most especially in his present position, Dr. Woodfork has impressed me with his knowledge, his judgment, and his ability to collaborate effectively with a wide spectrum of people. His charge will be to work across our campus community, beginning with the President's Cabinet, to help us be smarter and more successful in becoming the truly inclusive and respectful community we want to be: to ensure that, institutionally, we are asking the right questions, identifying crucial connections, and developing the creative solutions needed to help us address issues we continue to face regarding diversity – in the broadest sense of that term – and inclusion. As noted above, this appointment does not change any existing reporting relationships in other areas. I will continue to emphasize that people holding leadership positions across the College retain responsibility for attending to issues of diversity and inclusion. I am also considering the possibility of creating an auxiliary position of Diversity Fellow (analogous to the highly successful model of Sustainability Fellows) to provide some additional support to these efforts but will hold on that appointment to allow Dr. Woodfork time to establish his new role. Going forward, Joshua will retain his previous responsibilities within the President's Office. As his previous title suggested, he already played a significant role in the planning and execution of the College's strategic priorities.
The second new initiative pertaining to community is the launch of a Pilot Staff Advisory Group. This is one outcome of the extensive staff surveys we conducted and reported on last year, and we will be discussing other developments following from this process as the year progresses. It is my hope that the Staff Advisory Group will provide a valuable forum to engage staff members in the work of strengthening our community and providing advice to the President's Cabinet, Human Resources, and to me in a variety of contexts. I strongly support its formation. The Group will hold its first meeting Wednesday, September 30, from 3-4 PM in the Intercultural Center. I appreciate the engagement by interested staff members thus far and encourage others to participate as we launch this initiative.
There will be two other new faces on the President's Cabinet this year, and I am grateful to have two experienced Interim Vice Presidents in place as we begin the academic year.
With Rochelle Calhoun's departure over the summer to take the position of Vice President for Campus Life at Princeton University, we lost a thoughtful College leader who spoke forcefully on behalf of our students and for the cause of diversity and inclusion. To lead the division of Student Affairs this year, I have appointed Gail Cummings-Danson Interim Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs. Gail was named Athletic Director at Skidmore in 2005 and has served as an Associate Dean of Student Affairs for several years, so she is well known to the Skidmore community. Before coming to Skidmore, she spent 13 years at the University at Albany as Associate Athletic Director. During her tenure there, she also served in two interim roles – one as Interim Athletic Director and one as Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs. Previously, she had served in Assistant Athletic Director roles at Temple University and Connecticut College. I very much appreciate Gail's willingness to assume these new responsibilities, while staying connected to her role as Athletic Director. I know that it is not easy to perform both functions. We will soon launch a national search for a new Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs.
In May, I announced the creation of a new administrative division – Communications and Marketing – to be headed by a Vice President. This decision is closely linked to our current strategic planning process, and it follows a yearlong analysis of those functions, which previously had been located within Advancement. That process involved not only members of the Advancement team but also others across the College and the Board of Trustees. It was initiated by Collyer Vice President for Advancement Michael Casey who wanted to ensure that the College was positioned to meet the challenges of a rapidly-changing and increasingly competitive environment, an environment that demands even more effective communications and marketing across digital media platforms. Almost all of the necessary financial resources for this new department and additional services have come from reallocations within the existing budget.
I have appointed Debra Townsend as Interim Vice President for Communications and Marketing. Debra is an experienced professional who has advised on a variety of projects at Skidmore since 2001 and has assisted over 40 other colleges and universities in their communications functions – including Colgate, Washington State University, Bates, Union, Trinity, Bowdoin, Bennington and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She has previously served in nine interim roles, including two at Skidmore, and will do so this year as we conduct a national search for the permanent head of this division. That search will get under way later this year.
As always, we will seek broad community involvement in these important searches, including input from the Committee on Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure (CAPT), the Faculty Executive Committee (FEC), the Student Government Association (SGA), and the Staff Advisory Group.
Despite its length, this report leaves much unsaid. I might just mention the "Science Summit," which also will occur on Saturday, October 24. We also will be holding several more Community Meetings and President's Open Office Hours on differing days and times throughout the semester. Please save the date for the annual Skidmore Cares Holiday Open House at Scribner House on Friday, December 4th. And, of course, there is much, much more going on across the College and throughout the year.
Thank you for your attention. And please accept my best wishes for a productive and fulfilling fall semester.
Philip A. Glotzbach
Welcome – and for most of us, welcome back.
Tomorrow, we officially begin the College's 104th year as more than 800 courses, a dozen varsity sports, a wide range of performing groups and student organizations come together to begin their work for the fall semester. The Class of 2019 has arrived on campus and in London. Selected from more than 8,500 applications (our second-highest total ever), the class numbers 694 students, including 35 in our London program. A record 13 percent are international students (99) hailing from 32 countries and another 7 percent hold dual passports. 23 percent self-identify as domestic students of color and 14 percent are the first in their family to go to college.
I expect this to be an extraordinary year for the College, and it is exciting to look ahead with you at all the strategically significant projects that we will tackle together in the coming months.
This fall will see a confluence of major efforts that will set important directions for our future. First, we will come together again in shaping our next Strategic Plan, with continued input from faculty and staff members, students, trustees, and alumni. As we reflect upon all of the accomplishments associated with our 2005-2015 Strategic Plan, Engaged Liberal Learning, and our annual action agendas, we are determined to develop an even more ambitious blueprint to guide us going forward. We will begin circulating a draft of that Plan for campus reaction in the near future.
Along with strategic planning, we will be completing our preparations for the upcoming Middle States accreditation, as well as the continuing review and revision of our General Education requirements. In addition, this year we will prepare for the public launch of a $220-240 million Comprehensive Campaign around the theme of "Creating Our Future." This Campaign, which already has raised more than $90 million in its "quiet" phase, will focus on increased endowment support for financial aid and academic programs, the new Center for Integrated Sciences, and a new home for Admissions and Financial Aid. Other priorities will involve funding to increase the endowment for the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, to enhance experiential academic and career opportunities, to make athletic facility improvements, and to grow the Skidmore Fund, which provides budget support for so many of our academic and extra-curricular programs.
The thread that will knit all of these efforts together is a continuing focus on building community. As we all know, last year presented significant challenges as we addressed issues related to both sexual assault and diversity and inclusion. Since then we have engaged in very frank and useful campus discussions, reviewed policies in these important domains, and we will step up our efforts in the months ahead. The appointment of a Chief Diversity Officer, implementing revised policies on sexual and gender-based misconduct, and enhancing training are just a few of the steps we will take this fall.
We aspire to be a community that values a diversity of perspectives and that can engage productively in conversations about even the most challenging issues. I am committed to this proposition and call upon all of us to redouble our efforts to realize this vision through our work this coming year. Accordingly, I ask for your participation in making Skidmore an even better place to learn, live, and collaborate as teachers, scholars, and community members in 2015-16 and wish you an exceptional year.
Philip A. Glotzbach


text:
The Things They Carried
by Tim O'Brien
The Things They Carried Notes Summary
- Norman Bowker asks O'Brien to write "Speaking of Courage," and then hangs himself three years later.
- In 1975, Bowker writes O'Brien a seventeen-page letter where he explains how he can't seem to adjust back to life in America after the war.
- He tells O'Brien that he still feels like he's back in the field with Kiowa. He suggests that O'Brien should write a story about the field, and a guy who feels like he's still stuck there, even when he's driving around his hometown.
- When O'Brien gets the letter, he feels guilty about his own easy transition from war to peace. While he doesn't think of his storytelling as therapy, it has actually been a way of navigating his memories in a healthy way.
- O'Brien tries to write the story as part of his novel Going After Cacciato. He introduces the lake, changes the scenery, changes Bowker's name (as he'd requested). He has to take out the sewage field and Kiowa's death to fit in with the rest of the novel.
- Eventually, he publishes it as a separate short story, and sends it to Norman Bowker. Norman Bowker says it's fine, but he left out Vietnam, Kiowa, and the sewage in the field.
- He hangs himself eight months later.
- Ten years later, O'Brien rewrites the story. He puts Bowker back in it, and the night in the sewage field, and the death of Kiowa. But he wants to make it very clear that in real life, it wasn't Bowker who let Kiowa go. It was O'Brien.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- Report: #975302
Report - Rebuttal - Arbitrate
Complaint Review: 3point Lender Services
3point Lender ServicesIrvine, California United States of America
3point Lender Services Kim Guevara Incompetent Management Non Payment Irvine, California
*UPDATE EX-employee responds: The reviews are true
*Consumer Comment: 3 Point Lender Service Is A SCAM COMPANY
*UPDATE Employee: Scam Company, Report is the TRUTH
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full of young girls that have absolutely no idea or knowledge of construction or property preservation in general. The manager Kim Guevara is the most incompetent, condescending and downright rude person I have spoken with in 10 years of industry work. Kim Guevara is even more incompetent than the office staff and has no idea what goes into completing the services 3point Lender Services
offer and can not answer even the simplest of questions regarding payment or work orders. As if the ridiculous wait period for payment isnt bad enough, I've been waiting 6 months, dealing with her alone was enough for my company to sever all ties with 3point Lender Services. Fellow contractors beware! 3 Point Lender Services is a scam company that does not pay and is operated by a
complete fools.
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 11/28/2012 08:47 PM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/3point-Lender-Services/Irvine-California-/3point-Lender-Services-Kim-Guevara-Incompetent-Management-Non-Payment-Irvine-California-975302. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
Ripoff Report has an exclusive license to this report. It may not be copied without the written permission of Ripoff Report.
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#1 UPDATE EX-employee responds
The reviews are true
AUTHOR: Contractor4Hire - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Wednesday, December 19, 2012POSTED: Wednesday, December 19, 2012
covered. I have been working in the home repair industry for close to 25 years now and have grown accustomed to unpleasant customers and clients alike. That being said, even I was left awestruck at the lack of respect given to me and reprehensible
attitude of 3 Point Lender Services Operations Manager Kim Guevara. Her attitude and treatment of fellow contractors has been quite well documented in these forums so I will spare the additional remarks but must say all I have read on the woman is accurate to the line and reflects my own experiences. I have taken her out of the picture completely, as I no longer need the headaches and now deal directly with the accountant Michael Smith/Sam .While I have had my frustrations with the office staff of 3 Point Lender Services I try not to hold their short comings against them considering they are under the directions of a
manager like Kim Guevara. As we all know training comes from the top and considering the lack of industry knowledge
portrayed by Kim Guevara they can not be blamed for their lack of abilities.
Moreover, the most frustrating issue with 3 Point Lender Services is payment. My first check did not arrive till the 76 day mark and that was only after countless emails, voicemails and the threat of property liens. When I did receive my first check it was short nearly $1500 with no explanation available. I have since stopped working for the company and spend my spare time chasing down my remaining claims. To add insult I have continued to receive emails and voicemails asking why I have not serviced properties I have not been paid for in over 2 months and going as far as to inform me that my payments are being
cut and account back charged for not maintaining the properties. Before you even consider accepting work from 3 Point Lender Services take a read to the links below and see what fellow contractors are saying.
Are you an owner, employee or ex-employee with either negative or positive information about the company or individual, or can you provide "insider information" on this company?
#2 Consumer Comment
3 Point Lender Service Is A SCAM COMPANY
AUTHOR: Shane L - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, December 13, 2012POSTED: Thursday, December 13, 2012
enough knowing that 3Point Lender Services is run by a clueless individual like Kim Guevara is enough to never associate with them. I have now had to go out of pocket yet again and hire a lawyer in order to have liens placed against their properties and pursue legal action in an effort to recoup the money owed to me. Fellow contractors beware! 3 Point Lender Services is the type of company you hear horror stories about.
Are you an owner, employee or ex-employee with either negative or positive information about the company or individual, or can you provide "insider information" on this company?
#3 UPDATE Employee
Scam Company, Report is the TRUTH
AUTHOR: Shane L - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Thursday, December 13, 2012POSTED: Thursday, December 13, 2012
Are you an owner, employee or ex-employee with either negative or positive information about the company or individual, or can you provide "insider information" on this company?
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text:
The Bad Girls Club
Bonding and bickering occur when a group of self-proclaimed "bad girls" share a house in Los Angeles in this reality series from the executive producers of "The Real World."
Last Episode14x07 A Royal Tumble Aired: Sep. 29, 2015
The twins and Jela have a historic final showdown with the other girls resulting in almost half the house being sent home. Lauren and Jenna pick …
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Full Episodes
Bad Girls Club: Season 14, Episode #4 - Flirting With Kat-tastrophe
Cracks form in the twins' relationship with Jela, Jasmine's birthday celebration leads to a breakdown and Kat…
Bad Girls Club: Season 14, Episode #5 - Return to Sender
All of the girls begin to bond, but rivalries quickly resurface when a new bad girl enters the house. Still…
Find Episodes
- VUDU (purchase)
- Verizon On Demand (purchase)
- Xfinity (tv_everywhere)
▶ Episode 11 - Reunion (Part 1)
▶ Episode 10 - Five Dollar Farewell
▶ Episode 9 - Bids, Breakthroughs and Barbecues
▶ Episode 8 - Og Overthrow
▶ Episode 7 - Birthday Blowout
▶ Episode 6 - Recipe for Disaster
▶ Episode 5 - A Family Affair (& Other Tall Tales) Part Deux
▶ Episode 4 - No Room for T.H.O.T.s
▶ Episode 3 - Release The Beast And Other Tall Tales
▶ Episode 2 - Twin Some, Lose Some
▶ Episode 1 - Sis and the City
Character Guide
Series Fun Facts
- Thre Producer also Created Love Games
- The "beach fight" on BGC5 was much longer than they showed.
- The Creator of Bad Girls Club also Created The Real World, The Challenge, And Bad Girls All-Star Battle


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Get to know BioBridges
We are looking for people who have know-how and empathy --- who have the skill sets that make a difference for our clients and an understanding of what our clients 'need.' And if you are looking for a way to apply your hard-earned clinical development expertise in practical and rewarding ways, we invite you to contact us.
BioBridges is in another growth mode!
Currently, we are looking for:
Career Management professionals
Our Career Managers consult with many of the top clinical research minds in the industry and are advocates for their consultants' careers. Career Managers are relationship builders who genuinely care about the work they do and the consultants they service. Leverage your network and work with the people that you have known in and around pharma, biotech and/or medical device companies.
Business Development professionals
Our Business Development professionals reside in strategic areas of the country near concentrations of biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device companies. They are industry trained subject matter experts having the best reputations among their peers. These professionals have the ability to work closely with their clients providing counsel in the acquisition of talent and teams within the drug development process.
Office Manager and Contracts Coordinator
We are looking for an Office Manager with paralegal, contracts and/or human resources experience to support the company's sales and recruitment activity. The ideal candidate enjoys interactions with internal and external clients providing a warm welcome to visitors and internal staff alike.
Qualified candidates will have significant experience in the contracting process, familiarity with either Bullhorn or other Customer Service Management/resume databases/electronic tools utilized in the human services industry and other IT internal needs of the company. The successful candidate will maintain curiosity toward expanding the duties and responsibility of a privately held and growing high-touch service firm.


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- Report: #918157
Report - Rebuttal - Arbitrate
Complaint Review: sprint wireless
sprint wirelessInternet United States of America
sprint wireless debbie weaver lied, misrepresentation, scammed,theafs, stolen money, poor customer service Internet
*Consumer Comment: What are you saying Stacey?????
*Consumer Comment: question
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This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 07/26/2012 08:36 PM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/sprint-wireless/internet/sprint-wireless-debbie-weaver-lied-misrepresentation-scammedtheafs-stolen-money-poor-918157. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
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#1 Consumer Comment
What are you saying Stacey?????
AUTHOR: The Outlaw Josey Wales - (United States of America)
SUBMITTED: Saturday, July 28, 2012POSTED: Saturday, July 28, 2012
Are you an owner, employee or ex-employee with either negative or positive information about the company or individual, or can you provide "insider information" on this company?
#2 Consumer Comment
AUTHOR: Stacey - (U.S.A.)
SUBMITTED: Friday, July 27, 2012POSTED: Friday, July 27, 2012
Maybe next time you should learn how to spell before you submit a post that makes no sense whatsoever.
And I am sure that Josey will come here with some of its witty comments
Are you an owner, employee or ex-employee with either negative or positive information about the company or individual, or can you provide "insider information" on this company?
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11 May 2008
Asia Series champion capitalises on chaos, but questions will be asked about Senna exit.
10 May 2008
Veteran takes first win with Racing Engineering.
27 April 2008
Kobayashi inherits sprint race win after Grosjean penalty.
26 April 2008
World Series champ wins on series debut.
11 April 2008
Frenchman Grosjean takes third Dubai win after rival robbed by tyre failure.
23 March 2008
DAMS driver takes Sepang sprint race victory as Grosjean strengthens hold on championship.
22 March 2008
Russian defies madness around him to give Campos success at Sepang.
17 February 2008
Malaysian secures first GP2 win.
16 February 2008
Italian victorious after incident-filled Indonesian encounter.
26 January 2008
French rookie takes rare win double on Dubai debut weekend.
25 January 2008
French rookie dominates GP2 Asia Series opener.
30 September 2007
Timo Glock takes victory in the final GP2 Series race of the season at Valencia - taking the title with it.
29 September 2007
Vitaly Petrov takes a surprise - but thoroughly deserved - maiden win at Valencia, ahead of Campos team-mate Giorgio Pantano; Seventh place for Timo Glock and a DNF for Lucas di Grassi puts the German in the title seat.
16 September 2007
Karun Chandhok sweeps to his first GP2 Series victory at Spa-Francorchamps, while Lucas di Grassi closes on Timo Glock in the standings when the German is eliminated before the race.
15 September 2007
Frenchman adds to victory tally as title race tightens.
09 September 2007
Timo Glock extends his championship lead after a fantastic drive in race 2 at Monza.
08 September 2007
Giorgio Pantano thunders to home win.
26 August 2007
Timo Glock makes up for Karun Chandhok and Kazuki Nakajima's collision to claim his third win of the season and win back the lead of the GP2 Series.
25 August 2007
Lucas di Grassi makes the most of Andreas Zuber's mistake to claim his first GP2 victory.
05 August 2007
Javi Villa claims Sunday hat-trick as title fight tightens.


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Definition of crossmember in English:
A transverse structural piece that adds support to a motor-vehicle chassis or other construction.
Example sentences
- Three of these knees are used to help support the cross member and keep it in situ.
- And combined with a passenger safety cell, surrounded by crumple zones, and structural cross members to absorb impact, it all helps to make the car a more enticing package.
- Since any metal covering would block the antenna's signal reception, holes must be blanked in the roof and structural cross members re-routed.
For editors and proofreaders
Syllabification: cross·mem·ber
Definition of crossmember in:
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.
= trending


text:
Tuesday, Aug 30, 2016
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October 9, 2013
Rare orchids show burns boost habitats
TALLAHASSEE - A grouping of rare orchids and other flowers blooms bright in Blackwater River State Forest this year. The brilliant colors are proof of a healthy forest aided by a robust prescribed burning program through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Florida Forest Service.
The forest service's statewide land management program has also brought a resurgence of the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker in Blackwater, once down to a dozen pair and now standing at almost 100 pair.
"Our forestry management programs, especially prescribed burns, bring our state forests back into good health," said Florida State Forester Jim Karels. "The burns are a crucial part of our statewide endangered plant conservation program, one of the longest running such programs in the country."
The blooms in Blackwater now include Pot-of-Gold and Catesby's lilies, White Top Pitcher Plants and several species of rare orchids, including four Yellow Fringeless Orchids (Platanthera integra) blooming together, more than has ever been seen in the state forest since the program began. Conservation efforts will ensure these plants continue to bloom on state forest lands for many years to come.
Prescribed burning helps manage the health of forest lands, control pests and disease, and improve wildlife habitat and control hardwood encroachment in sensitive areas such as pitcher plant bogs or red-cockaded woodpecker clusters. It also contributes to the restoration and maintenance of biological communities and reduces the hazard of wildfire.
Since 1991, Florida has worked with state universities, researchers and other nonprofits to support about 10 endangered plant conservation projects each year. Other than prescribed burns on managed lands, projects include removing exotic and invasive species, inventory of state forest lands for rare plants, and collection and propagation of plants. The program has protected more than 100 species of endangered plants on more than 150 public lands.
GMO-labeling foes get $5 million boost
SEATTLE - The Grocery Manufacturers Association has given $5 million to the campaign to defeat a Washington state ballot measure requiring labeling of genetically modified foods.
With the food industry trade group's donation Sept. 27, opponents have now raised about $17.1 million to defeat Initiative 522. Supporters have raised about $4.7 million.
Campaign finance reports updated last Monday show the Washington, D.C.-based food group is the top donor to the No on 522 campaign, followed by seed giant Monsanto. Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps is the top contributor to the pro-labeling group.
Both sides have been running costly TV ads with weeks until the November election.
Supporters say consumers have a right to know whether food they buy contain genetically engineered ingredients. Opponents say the measure is confusing and costly.
Neb. man pleads guilty to misbranding meat
LINCOLN, Neb. - A northeast Nebraska man accused of trying to have witnesses against him killed and selling uninspected meat to Omaha schools has made a plea deal with federal prosecutors.
The deal ensures Paul Rosberg won't be sentenced to more than 18 months in prison, the Lincoln Journal Star said.
Last month federal prosecutors filed a complaint accusing Rosberg of soliciting a crime of violence and obstructing justice. A court document says a man and his brother reported that Rosberg asked whether they would kill two witnesses against him in the meat case. A U.S. Department of Agriculture special agent said the man had worked for Rosberg for about six weeks at the time. The man said Rosberg told them he would "make it worth their while" if they would take care of the two witnesses.
But in exchange for Rosberg's guilty plea to selling misbranded meat, prosecutors agreed to drop the other charges and reduce a charge they'd filed against Rosberg's wife, Kelly Rosberg.
Court records say the Rosbergs' company, Nebraska's Finest Meats, in fall 2011 sold 2,600 pounds of ground beef labeled USDA inspected to Omaha Public Schools. The records say Paul Rosberg told his workers to mix meat that hadn't been inspected with meat that had been checked and deliver it to the school district in 10-pound rolls.
In another court case involving the Rosbergs' operations, in August a state judge dismissed a libel lawsuit Paul Rosberg had filed against an inspector of organic food.
Evrett Lunquist, of Raymond, had performed inspections at Rosberg's farm from 2003 until 2007 and reported Rosberg for suspected fraud to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Rosberg said in his lawsuit that Lunquist misrepresented facts about the operation to the USDA.
Sugar company to default on USDA loan
FARGO, N.D. - American Crystal Sugar will default on a government loan of $71.2 million under a program that provides relief when a glut of sugar on the market depresses prices.
David Berg, the company's president and CEO, said that forfeiting the sugar put up as collateral was the best option, given the very low prices that sugar is fetching.
"Everything we have under loan we do intend to forfeit," Berg told the Forum newspaper. "Today, it's about the best place we have to sell sugar."
The loans end with the crop year, which concluded last Tuesday.
The forfeiture, which is the result of sugar being cheaper and more plentiful than at any time in the past decade, is under a U.S. Agriculture Department program. American Crystal Sugar holds about one-fifth of the $355 million in loans held by sugar processors at risk of defaulting.
The regional loan rate for sugar, for American Crystal and other processors in the area, is around 23 cents a pound. The market price for raw sugar is about 21 � cents a pound.
Berg said defaulting on the loan, which is a way the government supports the price of sugar, does not present a financial hit for American Crystal.
"Actually, it's beneficial to our financial health," he said. "This is the way the sugar program is intended to work."
The forfeited sugar will remain in warehouses until the government decides what to do with it.
Soybeans rapidly mature in Minnesota
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Soybean maturity has rapidly advanced in Minnesota in the last week, but soybean maturity still lags behind the normal pace.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday that 40 percent of Minnesota's soybean crop has reached maturity.
That compares with a normal rate of 66 percent by this time of year. But it's a big advance from last week, when only 9 percent of soybeans were mature.
Ninety-three percent of the soybean crop was turning yellow or beyond, six days behind normal.
Soybean harvest has begun and is 9 percent complete.
Minnesota's corn crop also is behind in development. The USDA says 41 percent of Minnesota's corn was mature, compared with last year's 98 percent.
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text:
Develop skills necessary for an ever-changing world.
Learn from world-class faculty and practitioners who are in the business of developing managers, executives and teams.
Keep your skills sharp and learn new techniques that are immediately applicable in the classroom and administration.
High-impact and innovative professional development programs and solutions.
Offering students intensive English as a second language instruction.
Providing professional healthcare workers with the highest quality and latest news to effectively respond to the changing health care landscape.
Offering a wide variety of courses that meet CLE requirements and provide professional growth.
Gain knowledge and tools that enhance the effectiveness of those who govern, manage and volunteer in nonprofit organizations.
Whether you are a certified public manager, police officer or firefighter, we are honored to be a part of your educational goals and to serve those who dedicate their lives to public service.
From natural science, to physical science to the material universe, learn about the laws that govern.
Trends, Education, Race, Gender, Class, Crime, Religion. It's what defines us. Learn and change.


text:
FileBox for Mobile$12.95
Quick Specs
Total Downloads:2,903
Date Added:Sep. 11, 2001
Price:Free to try; $12.95 to buy
File Size:698.91KB
Downloads Last Week:1
From Megasoft2000: The FileBox utility allows to transfer PC files of different extension to the Palm for storing with further transferring all files of the Palm FileBox application back to the PC. In order to save the memory the Palm contains the option for compressing the files transported to the Palm. The FileBox Manager installed on PC helps select, compress, and prepare the files chosen by you for transferring to the Palm. The FileBox Manager allows to determine the directory for transferring the files to the Palm and for receiving the files transferred from the Palm.
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I finished 6 months of Accutane 2 months ago. I stopped the pill 4 months ago, so my body had a chance to be rid of the pill before my husband and I began trying to conceive. It has now been 2 months off Accutane and we are trying to conceive but my cycles have been 45 days or longer! I have been on and off the pill before with no issues. We do have one 4 year old child together, got pregnant the first try with him. Why am I have trouble getting pregnant? Can accutane cause infertility?
Does Accutane Cause Irregular Periods or Infertility?
- Emily84
- 3 years ago
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And the drop down menus are hidden behind it.
And the drop down menus are hidden behind it.
It works on my laptop and tablet but not on the iphone. On the iphone it dropped down so is only 1/2 visible and I can't adjust the size. Also, the menu is totally changed.
The dropdown has a z-index of 1, it needs to be higher than the slideshow so that it layers above it:
.sb-options {
background-color: #FFFFFF;
left: 0;
list-style: none outside none;
margin: 0;
overflow-y: auto;
padding: 0;
position: absolute;
top: 30px;
width: 100%;
z-index: 9999;
I am having the same issue and was unable to resolve the issue with the z-index?
@2jmarshall It looks OK, did you figure it out?
Yes, thank you.
Glad to hear it.
This topic has been closed to new replies.


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I am always amazed at how much people give during the holiday seasons. There are so many others in need, and many that we might not even think of. Here's a great giving opportunity for you and your family!
Living Social is offering up a $60 Warrior Care Package for only $25!, plus they will throw you in a t-shirt for purchasing! We have quite a few veteran family members, as well as one cousin that is on active duty so I know from them just how much these care packages mean!
We are blessed to have the freedoms that we have, and it is all thanks to our military! I think this is such a great opportunity to give something back to those who work so hard on our behalf. Don't miss this great opportunity to give back!!
Some of the Fine Print:
• Limit 1 per person, additional as gifts
• Entire value must be used in a single visit
• Includes shipping
• $60 credit will go toward a care package or other USO efforts
• Customers will check out at the USO and receive a USO t-shirt to commemorate their donation
• Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowable by federal law


text:
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, unique even among corporate crooks
Musk is only the most extreme example of the overcompensated corporate crook running U.S. companies on the AFL-CIO's latest Executive Paywatch list.
When I say the word "capitalist"
Who I'm really talking about are people whose lives are based on the pursuit of profit by any means possible - and who fight creating a moral and democratic basis for that wealth.
Cesar Chavez film is excellent addition to labor history
"Cesar Chavez" tells the important details of the life of the inspiring hero of labor and social justice for Chicanos.
UPS fires 250 workers: class struggle, NY-style (with video)
On Feb. 26, UPS fired a 24-year UPS worker and union activist who was protesting the grueling 12-hour days during a bitter winter, and the company's unwillingness to reach an agreement addressing the issue.
Where is the movement to turn around this economy?
To really keep up with just population growth some 200,000 good jobs, ones that pay a living wage, need to be created each month.
We are not going back!
From slavery to today's struggles against structural racism and for democracy for all, the African-American people continue to play a strategic role.
African-American struggles are key in the fight for progress
Remarks by Jarvis Tyner, national vice chairman of the CPUSA, in a recent teleconference call that was part of the preparations for the coming 30th convention of the party this June in Chicago.
Power, intimidation and jobs at play in VW union vote
Before observers and commentators blame "backward or racist southerners" for voting no, it is useful to look at this narrow vote in the context of power and intimidation.
Going postal: when tragedy becomes a business
"I was doing my usual daily routine, putting the letters into their slots so they would be in order for delivery that day; then I hear it: Pop Pop Pop!"
Seattle's socialist councilmember delivers inaugural address
Sawant made national - and international - news after becoming the first socialist elected to the Seattle city council.


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Healthy school meals are the aim of San Joaquin companyUPDATED 8:24 PM PDT Apr 23, 2013
A San Joaquin Valley company is trying to make it easier for schools to provide healthy meals to their students.
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