Ithaca College

Fresh off the most recent meeting of the Ithaca College Board of Trustees, held Oct. 8-10, I wanted to let the campus community know about some of the important discussions that took place. We value the opportunity to get together on South Hill every October, not only because of the beautiful fall weather, but also because it allows us to take the pulse of the community as another school year begins.

In addition to the Provost, the Deans of the five schools were invited to take part in the meeting, providing valuable input to trustees on all the hard work being done by faculty and staff in continuing to implement the ambitious IC 20/20 plan.

We also heard reports on enrollment and on measures being taken to increase the desirability of Ithaca College among the many college choices available to the high-quality students who apply for admission. The college administration has a good grasp of what is needed to leverage the college’s strengths, while at the same time recognizing the challenges that need to be met and overcome.  

Trustees are strongly supportive of the fund-raising campaign that will be needed to help the college fully realize the vision laid out in the IC 20/20 plan. In addition to fund-raising, we are emphasizing campaign goals related to engaging a higher proportion of alumni, members of the campus community, and other supporters of the college. One of the keys to the future success of the college is to create a widespread culture of philanthropy among those who know us best. Members of the President’s Roundtable advisory group joined trustees for a dinner and discussion on how best to enlist the college’s intergenerational network of supporters in this effort.

Trustees were especially pleased to have the opportunity to tour the newly renovated Hill Center, to join student, faculty, and staff leaders for lunch, and to toast the newly tenured and promoted faculty at a dinner held in their honor. Several board members also participated in the “College for a Day” program sponsored by the Division of Institutional Advancement, visiting a variety of classrooms to get an up-close view of student-faculty interactions.

This is an exciting time for Ithaca College. There is so much happening that lays the foundation for a strong future and at the same time so much more that we will be able to accomplish together. I offer the collective thanks of the Board of Trustees for the efforts that each and every one of you makes in working toward our shared commitment to excellence.