Welcome to the 2005-2006 school year and to Intercom, the faculty, staff, and student information center for Ithaca College. Through Intercom, all members of the campus community can learn about news, events, and developments across South Hill as well as receive notices from their IC colleagues.
More on Intercom in a little bit, but first here is some news worth noting as another academic year begins.
Opening Enrollment
Last weekend, Ithaca College welcomed to campus 1,876 new students -- a number that represents 1,704 freshmen and 172 transfers. Coming off a year in which we graduated a very large class in May, we set high expectations for ourselves in our admission efforts and are pleased to have come so close to hitting a bull's-eye on our enrollment targets. The School of Business, in particular, had an exceptional recruiting year. With retention of returning students meeting our expectations as well, we project our overall undergraduate and graduate enrollment to be 6,398 students.
The incoming class has an outstanding academic profile, including among it 37 valedictorians, 30 salutatorians, and 15 national merit scholars. This is also one of the most diverse classes, as a record 10.3% have self-identified as students of color. The gender balance has dramatically improved from last year and is counter to the national trend, with males making up 47.6% of the class versus only 42.8% last year. The far-reaching appeal of an Ithaca education is evident in the geographic distribution of the class of 2009, with students coming from 40 states, 2 U.S. territories, and 32 countries. It is also worth noting that 47 students are children of alumni, 24 are children of faculty or staff members, and 65 are siblings of current students.
IC Up in the Rankings
Ithaca once again has been ranked as one of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S. News and World Report, while The Princeton Review counts Ithaca among the nation's Best 361 Colleges.
Intercom: "Ithaca College Rises in U.S. News and World Report Rankings"
Diversity Task Force Report Released
President Peggy R. Williams has released the report from the Presidential Task Force on Diversity, which will help guide the College in addressing the diversity priority of the Institutional Plan.
Intercom: "Report from the President's Task Force on Diversity"
Special Events
An early-semester highlight will be a campus visit by distinguished journalist Bill Moyers, this year's Park Distinguished Visitor. Moyers will deliver a free public lecture on Tuesday, September 13, then hold a "town hall" meeting the following day exclusively for members of the campus community. Look for more information soon on Intercom.
In 2003 we launched the First-Year Reading Initiative, a program designed to introduce incoming students to the Ithaca College community of learners. This year's selection was Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, about his experiences during and after the Vietnam War. O'Brien will deliver a free public lecture on campus on Thursday, September 8. Two additional public presentations will be held to further the discussion generated by The Things They Carried.
Intercom: "Series of Public Presentations to be Held in Conjunction with First-Year Reading Initiative"
News and Information
All official IC websites can be found through the site index. Here are some websites that are particularly helpful for finding news and information:
Intercom -- The faculty, staff, and student information center.
What makes Intercom special is that you make it work. The stories are submitted by you and your colleagues so that everyone can know about the latest accomplishments, events, and opportunities taking place throughout the Ithaca College community. And it's updated continually, as new stories are submitted.
Helping to keep you abreast of this news is the "roundup," an e-mail digest of the latest submissions to Intercom that is sent to all students, staff, and faculty members twice a week (Mondays and Thursdays). We'd like to remind everyone that, regardless of how often roundups are sent, the best way to stay abreast of campus happenings is to visit the Intercom website frequently -- you'll find new items posted there throughout the week. We always encourage you to log in to Intercom so that you can access more topics to read and comment on stories.
The Intercom team spent the summer working on a number of changes and improvements. You can read all about them in "Intercom Gets More Improvements."
Events Calendar -- A valuable resource to help keep you up-to-date on campus events and visitors is our online events calendar, which has a link on the College's home page. When you enter your confirmed event on this calendar, you're publicizing it to all visitors to the site. Seeing when and where other events are listed will help maximize your planning while encouraging participation and attendance at your event. This also should help everyone avoid schedule conflicts, which often force potential audience members to choose between two or more great events on campus.
News Releases -- The Office of Media Relations is responsible for publicizing the activities and accomplishments of members of the Ithaca College community. All official College news releases are posted on its website.
Policy
The nitty-gritty of running a campus with nearly 8,000 people is spelled out in the Ithaca College Policy Manual. And the student handbook is now online exclusively. These publications address many of the dos and don'ts for life and work at IC.
Included in the student handbook is information of importance to all members of the campus community, such as the College's annual security report as required by federal law.
Intercom: "Student Handbook and Legal Notices"
Just For Students
The Division of Student Affairs and Campus Life has created a website, "Welcome to the 2005-2006 Acdemic Year," with links to important information and to resources of particular interest to both new and returning students.
Faculty and Staff
Aside from being a great place to get an education, IC is also a great place to work. In building on that reputation, the Office of Human Resources continuously endeavors with offices across campus to offer new programs and benefits for our working community here on South Hill. Here are some recent Intercom stories you may find of interest:
General Information on Benefits
Information Technology Services
The Office of Information Technology Services keeps members of the campus community connected to their work and to all aspects of the information superhighway. Here are some recent notices that all faculty and staff members should be aware of:
Wellness and Well-Being
Working on a campus that sits atop a hill almost guarantees you'll get some type of workout on a regular basis. But for those who want to add to their exercise regimen, IC has options for you:
Community Caring
Through the advocacy of President Williams, community service is an integral part of the IC experience. Information at these links can help open doors to volunteer endeavors that make a difference on South Hill and in the Ithaca area.
Athletics and Entertainment
Weekdays, weeknights, weekends -- pick any time! -- you'll most likely find something to your liking on campus. IC's students bring some of the area's top sports, musical, and stage performances to South Hill. And the College's reputation attracts internationally known visitors for special appearances. To find out the latest, and to enjoy the new academic year to its fullest, visit these links often:
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20050828003343207