Skidmore College – An Overview

Skidmore is a highly selective, independent, liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 men and women from some 40 states and 30 countries. With its relatively small size and student-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, the College is a close-knit academic community. Skidmore is known for its faculty of teacher-scholars devoted to the instruction and mentoring of undergraduates.

The College emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to all areas of study and fosters experimentation and creativity across the disciplines. A central belief at Skidmore is that every life, every endeavor, and every career is made more profound with creative ability at its core, and creative thinking is an integral part of the campus culture. The cornerstone of the curriculum is the belief that a liberal arts education is the best preparation both for a life of continued learning and for a meaningful career, particularly as graduates face the challenges and opportunities of a world of rapid and unpredictable change.

Founded in 1903 by Lucy Skidmore Scribner to meet the educational needs of women in the Saratoga Springs area, Skidmore was chartered as a four-year liberal arts college in 1922. The College’s history includes several bold initiatives that have helped define the Skidmore of today, including the decision in the early 1960s to build a new campus, and the move to coeducation in 1971. Also in 1971 the College established the University Without Walls, one of the earliest nontraditional degree programs in the nation. In 1991 Skidmore implemented its first graduate-degree program, an interdisciplinary, nonresidential program offering the master of arts degree in liberal studies. In 2000, the College opened the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery, which has earned a national reputation for pushing beyond the boundaries of a traditional college museum in bringing fields of study together in creative ways.

The Academic Program

Skidmore offers the bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degree in 65 areas, including majors both in traditional liberal arts disciplines and in such fields as exercise science, management and business, and social work. The curriculum’s flexibility allows students to pursue interdepartmental majors, minor programs, and self-determined majors. Internships and growing service-learning and faculty-student collaborative research programs enable students to explore specific areas of interest and gain valuable work experience.

For students who find traditional residential programs unsuited to their educational needs, Skidmore offers the University Without Walls (UWW), as well as the master of arts in liberal studies (MALS) program. UWW grants bachelor’s degrees through a flexible system that combines independent study, college courses, internships, and academic credit for knowledge gained outside the classroom. UWW’s nearly 300 students live throughout the U.S. and in foreign countries. MALS, also an external degree program, offers multidisciplinary graduate study to adult learners.

Campus and Community

The building of a new campus in the 1960s had a profound effect on Skidmore, enabling it to move from its charming but antiquated collection of buildings in downtown Saratoga Springs to an expansive, wooded campus. Located one mile from downtown Saratoga Springs, Skidmore’s campus offers buildings that are designed and arranged to blend with the wooded surroundings and to foster intellectual and social interaction. Though the buildings are contemporary in style, the campus architects have borrowed from the area’s Victorian architecture, adopting such features as bay windows, copper roofs, and covered outdoor areas.

Saratoga Springs, N.Y., a lively city with a strong sense of history and culture, sets a tone for Skidmore. The city has evolved into a unique mixture of year-round resort, college town, convention site, and growing economic center. New York’s scenic Adirondacks, the Berkshires in Massachusetts, and Vermont’s Green Mountains are within easy driving distance. Boston, New York City, and Montreal are each approximately 180 miles from the campus.

Saratoga Springs has long been famous for its spas, mineral waters, Victorian charm, the country’s oldest thoroughbred racetrack, and the nearby Saratoga battlefield, site of the pivotal 1777 Revolutionary War battle at which the Colonial forces defeated British General John Burgoyne. The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) features a wide range of entertainment, from classical music and ballet to top rock and jazz groups. SPAC is the summer home to the New York City Ballet and Philadelphia Orchestra.

Skidmore is an important community resource for education, cultural activities, entertainment, and community service. Thousands of people visit the campus year round for lectures, performances, sports events, and other programs. Through its Community Education Program, Skidmore offers noncredit courses and seminars on topics of public interest and concern. Skidmore students, faculty, and staff play active roles in the community, and many contribute their time and energy as volunteers. With an operating budget of  $110 million and some 800 employees, Skidmore is a key economic engine for its home city, county, and region.