Contributed on behalf of Tom Grape ’80, chairman of the Board of Trustees, and David Lissy ’87, vice chairman of the Board of Trustees.
Dear Ithaca College Community,
As many of you know, the board of trustees was on campus during the week of February 8 to hold our winter meeting. The February meeting was slated to be held in Los Angeles, but we moved it to the Ithaca campus so we could stay close to the campus community and provide more opportunities for members of the community to engage with us.
During our visit, trustees were able to meet with faculty and students across campus in small groups to listen, learn and make progress on several important issues, as well as discuss the presidential search process. Our conversations were substantive, the energy was positive and optimistic, and we left confident in the strength of the Ithaca College community.
We want to share with you some key updates from the work conducted during our meetings, as well as some next steps you can expect in the coming weeks and months.
Presidential Search Process
Prior to the board meeting, we met with the Executive Committees of the Faculty Council and Staff Council, and the Executive Board of the Student Government Association. We discussed how we can collectively ensure the entire campus community is engaged in the search for and selection of our next president.
An essential part of the presidential search process is establishing the presidential search committee, which is on track to be named by mid-March. The committee will be made up of representatives from key constituencies at Ithaca College, all of whom are expected to have a clear sense of and dedication to the college’s mission, a commitment to shared governance and collaborative leadership, and both a respect for the college’s history and a vision for its future. The primary role of the committee is to evaluate the candidates presented by the executive search firm and deliver a list of qualified finalists to the board of trustees, which ultimately has the legal and fiduciary responsibility to select IC’s next president.
The selection of the faculty, student and staff representatives for the search committee will be conducted with the assistance of the Faculty Council, Staff Council and Student Government Association. Each of these leadership groups will nominate candidates to serve on the committee. In order to help ensure a balanced perspective from the college as a whole, the committee will include three faculty members, one student, one staff member, one administrator, and six or seven members of the board of trustees (the majority of whom are Ithaca College alumni).
We are in the process of selecting an executive search firm, and expect to choose the firm before the end of March. The firm and the search committee will solicit feedback from all members of our campus community who wish to have a voice in the process. The search firm will also be responsible for recruiting and narrowing down a list of qualified candidates for the search committee to review.
Selecting a president is one of the most important responsibilities of the board of trustees. We are grateful for the input from the Faculty Council, Staff Council, and SGA, and look forward to beginning the selection process. You can follow updates and all other information as it becomes available at ithaca.edu/president_search. For specific comments or questions, you can e-mail presidentialsearch@ithaca.edu.
Shared Governance
Provost Ben Rifkin and the shared governance task force, which includes representatives of the faculty, staff, students, and administration, provided an update on their work around helping IC devise new ways to foster more collaboration and clearer, more supportive governance systems and structures for all constituents in our community.
We were pleased to see that this committee, which just kicked off its work in January, has already begun seeking input from the IC community and is conducting thoughtful research about shared governance here and at other institutions. We fully support the task force’s efforts. We believe, as the task force and so many in our community do, that improving our ability to collaborate will make a meaningful and lasting impact on our culture. The task force will be holding listening sessions this spring and sharing more details throughout the semester. We are looking forward to seeing this work unfold.
Diversity & Inclusion
Interim chief diversity officer Dr. Roger Richardson provided an update on the diversity and inclusion initiatives and spoke to the importance of diversity and inclusion on the campus both now and in the future. Dr. Richardson also shared with the board the multitude of work being done by various workgroups.
The board was impressed with the scope and progress made to date on the action steps and extended its gratitude to Dr. Richardson for providing oversight and direction to this very important initiative. In addition, board members expressed appreciation for the commitment evidenced by the campus community in getting the work on diversity and inclusion underway in all schools and divisions, and through all levels of the college. There was a strong acknowledgement of the importance of this work to creating a climate that supports the learning experience for all students.
As we said in our letter last month, the board understands that stepping up our own diversity and inclusion efforts is critical to proving our commitment to the campus community. Through a combination of board engagement, candid discussion and an increased focus on diversity recruitment efforts, we remain vigilant in improving our cultural awareness and education.
Dr. Belisa Gonzalez, associate professor and director, Center for the Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity, and Dr. Sean Eversley Bradwell, assistant professor, Center for the Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity, led a powerful and interactive workshop for us that helped to provide national context for the issues we are facing as a campus community. This discussion enabled the board to engage in frank dialogue about our own perceptions and misperceptions of these issues.
This was our first step in our journey as a board to our commitment to a more diverse and inclusive Ithaca College. We are grateful to all of those individuals across campus who have brought greater focus to our work together.
Directions and Goals for Ithaca College
In addition to the work on these initiatives, the board, as it does at all of its meetings, also devoted considerable time on matters relating to IC’s reputation, financial soundness and student access. The board continues to pursue IC’s long-term goals of making the college more affordable and supports the administration and campus community in implementing areas of IC 20/20 already in progress. The board also reviewed and approved the 2016-2017 budget, received an update on fundraising efforts, and reviewed enrollment trends both for this cycle and moving forward. Most importantly, we approved a highly qualified and impressive group of faculty for tenure and promotion.
President Rochon is working with college deans, VPs, and other members of the leadership to publish a clear set of goals to achieve between now and June 2017.
Our conversations and meetings were such positive steps forward for IC. We want to thank those who met with us for speaking candidly, and we are proud of the commitment and respect that was demonstrated throughout every interaction. We believe that this past trustee meeting was our most collaborative in recent memory, especially in regards to our ability to interact directly with students, faculty, and staff. The partnership with various leadership groups was encouraging and we look forward to continuing this level of engagement in future meetings and discussions.
As we said in our January letter, it is often during difficult times that the true character of an individual or institution is revealed. After our time on campus earlier this month, we are more confident than ever in the community’s strength, determination, and abilities to make meaningful progress on the issues raised last semester.
There is much work to be done, but the true spirit of Ithaca College is guiding the work to making our community a place in which we can all be proud.
Sincerely,
Tom Grape ’80
Chair, Ithaca College Board of Trustees
David Lissy ’87
Vice Chair, Ithaca College Board of Trustees
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20160222142147912