BY MATT LINDSEY
North Country This Week

POTSDAM — New and returning SUNY Potsdam students will be back on campus learning inside classrooms starting Monday, Aug. 30.

College officials say special COVID precautions will be in place. 

Meanwhile, a temporary “officer-in-charge,” Dr. John Graham, will lead the college due to the departure of Pres. Kristin Esterberg this month and renovation projects continue at the Crane School of Music. 

The college will require vaccinations for COVID-19 once one of the vaccines receives full FDA approval, according to Alexandra Jacobs Wilke, director of public relations.

Precautions will be in place until that happens.

Campus protocol

In the meantime, Wilke said starting this semester, SUNY Potsdam will require proof of vaccination for students to take part in activities with a high level of interpersonal interaction such as athletics, music and performing ensembles, most lab and studio courses, field trips and fitness center use.

“We will have a process to apply for exemptions due to documented medical conditions or sincerely held religious beliefs,” she said.

SUNY employees are not currently required to be vaccinated, per state policy.

“However, faculty and staff who do not provide proof of vaccination or are unvaccinated must continue to be tested weekly and wear face coverings in all public spaces,” Wilke said.

The public is welcome on campus, including for campus tours, at the fitness center, and other facilities.

“We ask that all visitors follow the guidelines provided for each event or space,” Wilke said. “For instance, performance organizers may ask attendees to wear face coverings indoors, or to provide information for contact tracing purposes.”

Students are allowed to go downtown and are expected to follow all health guidelines -- such as masking at businesses that require it, Wilke said.

The only exception will be students in quarantine or isolation, she said.

Anyone getting a positive rapid test would have to be placed in our quarantine space until their PCR results come back … and obviously remain in isolation if they are positive. Additionally, any vaccinated student who may test positive or starts experiencing symptoms would have to quarantine as well,” Wilke said.

New leadership

SUNY Potsdam starts the academic year with Graham at the helm while a search for a new president is underway.

Graham had been serving as SUNY’s student advocate and senior advisor to Chancellor Jim Malatras, providing system-wide leadership to improve access, retention, and success of SUNY students. He has also served as a member of the chancellor’s executive leadership team.

Esterberg, who was appointed president seven years ago, has accepted a position as chancellor at the University of Washington Bothell.

Renovation & construction

Construction is underway for ongoing renovations to The Crane School of Music.

The scope of the project includes the addition of new space which will adjoin Bishop Hall,  including a 3600 square foot rehearsal room, entrance lobby, and administrative office.

There will be complete renovations of four existing large rehearsal rooms, Percussion Alley, including practice rooms replaced by self-contained Wenger-type sound controlled rooms.

Replacement of the Crane fire alarm system and replacement of ceilings and lighting in all corridors throughout Crane are planned or have taken place. 

There are also planned improvements to the heating and climate control system infrastructure, including a geothermal well energy system

The anticipated completion is this December.

College officials also hope to wrap up construction this semester of the new HEARTH facility at Crane and hold the first sessions there as well.

Once completed, the Handcrafted Experiential Archaeological Research and Teaching Hub (HEARTH) will be a heritage-based living laboratory designed for use by both campus and community, dedicated to teaching traditional skills in hands-on workshops.

The space is designed to host classes and workshops led by master craftspeople and SUNY Potsdam faculty, showcasing traditional skills and heritage artistry, such as blacksmithing, stone masonry, weaving, tanning, beading, and traditional building.