Actions taken by the Ithaca College Board of Trustees during its May meeting have already been reported in Intercom, but I’d like to take the opportunity to highlight some of the other topics addressed by the board during this very productive session.
Provost Kelly updated board members on progress made so far on the IC 20/20 plan, noting the 2011–12 objectives that either have been realized or are on-target for implementation. These include:
· College approval of the new Integrative Core Curriculum
· Hiring the Director of the Center for Faculty Excellence and other key personnel
· Implementation of a successful pilot program in New York City
· Creation of the Office of Civic Engagement
· Launch of key committees
· Research and planning for the future China center
Trustees commended the academic leadership and campus community as a whole for their efforts to keep the plan moving forward.
Board members also reviewed the campus master plan, which was first adopted in 2002 and contains five guiding principles for long-term planning of campus land use:
· Concentrate core elements within the 10 minutes walking ellipse
· Relocate parking to the perimeter to foster a pedestrian friendly campus core
· Preserve and enhance green space
· Preserve viewsheds to and from campus (e.g. of the lake)
· Support accessibility by creating vertical transitions with elevators and key campus locations
Trustees reiterated their commitment to sustaining the beauty and the functionality of the campus, and added two new principles to more closely align land-use planning with the objectives of IC 20/20:
· Foster a residential community that integrates learning and living at progressive levels of personal and civic responsibility
· Encourage the free flow of people, perspectives, and skills among the College’s schools and departments
The board was again updated on progress made regarding the creation and implementation of a formalized institutional ethics and compliance program. The trustees take their oversight role very seriously, and emphasized that College leadership must continue to model ethical behavior in order to help establish a campus-wide “community of belief” in integrity and accountability.
You can read more about the College’s Ethics and Integrity Policy at https://www.ithaca.edu/ethics/.
Finally, on a more personal note, I’d like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for the tremendous service that Bill Schwab and Larry Alleva have provided to the College as board chair and vice chair, respectively, over the last six years. As reported previously in Intercom, they will step down from their roles effective July 1. We have been quite fortunate to have two such dedicated leaders helping guide the discussions, deliberations, and decision-making of the board during this critical period highlighted by a presidential transition and by the development and approval of our strategic plan.
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20120605172100676