Welcome to the 2006–2007 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 how you can be a part of Intercom in a little bit, but first here is some news worth noting as the new academic year begins.
Opening Enrollment
Last weekend, Ithaca College welcomed to campus 1,676 new students—a number that represents 1,526 freshmen and 150 transfers. Coming off a year in which we graduated another 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, especially given this was the year our staff implemented our new student information system, HOMER. The School of Business, in particular, had another exceptional recruiting year. With retention of returning students expected to slightly exceed our planning number, we project our overall undergraduate and graduate enrollment to approach 6,500 students.
The incoming class has an outstanding academic profile, including among it 13 valedictorians, 12 salutatorians, and 10 national merit scholars. This is also one of the most diverse classes, as a record 12% have self-identified as students of color. The gender balance continues to run counter to the national trend, with no erosion evident in the number of males who make up 47% of the class versus only 43% three years ago. The far-reaching appeal of an Ithaca education is evident in the geographic distribution of the class of 2009, with students coming from 37 states and 25 other countries. It is also worth noting that 31 students are children of alumni, 29 are children of faculty or staff members, and 52 are siblings of current students.
IC in the Rankings
Ithaca once again has been ranked as one of “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S. News and World Report magazine. Ithaca placed seventh in the north region in its category while also being cited as a “best buy” for offering both quality and affordability. The Princeton Review has also weighed in, including Ithaca among its list of the nation’s “Best 361 Colleges.”
Intercom: “U.S. News & World Report America’s Best Colleges”
Most Welcoming Campus
Ithaca College has also been recognized as one of the 100 best campuses in the nation for LGBT students. The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students says the programs and services at Ithaca College are uniquely aligned to meet the needs and interests of the campus, and the LGBT Center is viewed as a standard of excellence.
Intercom: “Ithaca College Among Country’s Most Welcoming Campuses for LGBT Students”
New Look for IC Website
Congratulations and thanks to the dedicated team of staff members from across the campus who worked so hard to develop the Web Infrastructure and Branding Initiative (WIBI), which has resulted in a stunning new look for the College’s website. Much of their work on improving the website is actually invisible to the casual user, but nevertheless vital in ensuring that faculty, staff, and students have the tools to best use this still-emerging medium.
Intercom: “Web Team Launches New Ithaca College Website”
Library Website--Also undergoing a major change is the Ithaca College Library website. Developed in response to usability tests and usage analyses, the new structure highlights the resources most frequently used and allows for the promotion of library initiatives, resources, and projects.
Special Events
An early-semester highlight will be a campus visit by Azar Nafisi, author of Reading Lolita in Tehran, on Tuesday, September 5. Her presentation is in conjunction with the First-Year Reading Initiative, which this year selected Yann Martel’s Life of Pi as the community reading. Please visit the special website created by the Ithaca College Library for more information on these authors and their works.
Intercom: “Dr. Azar Nafisi, 2006 First-Year Reading Initiative Guest Speaker”
Also on tap for this fall is an exciting series being hosted by the Center for the Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity. Look for more information in the coming weeks on the Global Fury/Global Fear: Engaging Muslims series, but mark your calendars now for the five presentations.
Intercom: “CSCRE Lecture Series: Global Fury/Global Fear: Engaging Muslims”
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.
Events Calendar -- A valuable resource to help keep you up-to-date on campus events and visitors is our online events calendar. 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 to welcome both new and returning students to the new year as members Ithaca College community. The site contains links to important information and to resources of particular interest to students.
Intercom: “Welcome to the 2006–2007 Academic Year”
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 and other offices across campus continuously endeavor 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:
• Ithaca College will offer new health plan options to better meet both employee benefit and cost needs.
Intercom: “2007 Health Plan Benefits”
• Benefits-eligible employees and their eligible dependents can take advantage of Balanceworks, an integrated EAP and Work/Life benefit.
Intercom: “BalanceWorks Program”
• Information Technology Services has scheduled a series of workshops to help faculty members get the best use out of the eClassrooms on campus.
Intercom: “Workshops for Faculty Teaching in eClassrooms”
• The Center for Faculty Excellence is sponsoring a whole host of programs, including a workshop series on Problem Based Learning, discussions on Critical Race Theory, and the All-College Group Mentoring Program.
Intercom: “Early Fall Events from the Center for Faculty Excellence”
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.
Fitness Center Hours:
Monday–Thursday: 7:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m.
Friday: 7:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m.
Intercom: “Fitness Center Offers Many Fun Things to Do”
Robert R. Colbert Sr. Wellness Clinic Hours:
Monday–Friday: 6:30–8:30 a.m., 4:30–6:30 p.m.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Thursday: 11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Intercom: “The Wellness Clinic: Faculty and Staff's Place to Work Out”
Indoor Pool Hours
Monday–Friday: 7:00–8:00 a.m.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Noon–1:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Thursday: 12:30–1:30 p.m.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 8:00–10:00 p.m.
Friday: 7:00–9:00 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday: 2:00–5:00 p.m.
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:
Sports: You can find all the latest news and results on the Bombers at the official website for Ithaca College Athletics. Visit the sports calendar to find out when and where to cheer on your favorite team or student-athlete.
Theater: The 2006–7 mainstage season of Ithaca College Theatre promises a challenging and entertaining range of comedies, dramas, and musicals featuring superb student talent under the direction of the renowned faculty and staff.
Music: In addition to the Ithaca College Concerts season, which will provide audiences with some “Extreme Chamber Music,” the School of Music offers a range of talented guest artist, faculty, and student performances second to none. For the most up-to-date listings, visit the Concert Calendar frequently.
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20060830140550281