Ithaca College

Contributed on behalf of Tom Grape ’80, chairman of the Board of Trustees

On behalf of the entire Board of Trustees, I would like to share with the Ithaca College community some news from our most recent meeting, held on campus May 19–21.

First, I wish to congratulate our newly promoted/tenured faculty and newly elected board members. Separate notices will be posted to Intercom announcing these individuals.

Diversity and Inclusion

As part of our meeting, trustees were updated on the status of the diversity and inclusion initiatives that were launched this past year. We were encouraged by the progress made on a number of the initiatives and look forward to seeing continued momentum on this important work.  One of the newest initiatives is a program to increase the recruitment and retention of ALANA (African American, Latino/a, Asian, and Native American) faculty and staff members. While the college has made significant strides in increasing the numbers of ALANA students in recent years, we have been less successful on the faculty and staff side. We were pleased to hear about the plans being developed to improve this critical component of campus diversity. We are also mindful of the distinction between diversity and inclusion, and we are confident that progress is also being made by our community to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment.

Community Engagement

The board is committed to continuously building and strengthening our relationships with campus constituencies. I believe this is best accomplished by continuing to engage in frank conversations with one another and exchanging ideas. During our time in Ithaca, the Board of Trustees Educational Affairs Committee had another productive annual meeting with the Faculty Council Executive Committee. Additionally, the entire board had the opportunity to attend a reception held for all faculty members, a dinner with the Alumni Association Board of Directors, and our annual meeting with student donors.  

Presidential Search

On the presidential search front, the board met with our consultants from Spencer Stuart and offered feedback on the opportunity statement that will be used as a prospectus for the position. The opportunity statement will be shared with the campus community very soon, posted publicly, and provided to all those who wish to be considered for the position. The board also had a reception with the Presidential Search Committee to discuss the search process and become better acquainted.

Financial Outlook

Vice President Gerald Hector presented trustees with a long-range financial plan for the college, which he developed with his team in the Division of Finance and Administration. We are in a strong financial position at this time, thanks to both the recent programs and policies put in place and the conscious efforts by the campus community to be fiscally prudent. This strong financial outlook is due in part to the difficult work we have all done to cut costs and identify new revenue sources.  It is imperative that this work continues and our budget evolves to become less tuition dependent. We must continue to find ways to keep costs as low as possible for our students if we want to remain a competitive choice in the marketplace.

Congratulations to Hector and Turbide

I want to take this opportunity to thank Gerald for his commendable leadership and all the great work he has done during his time at IC. His series of Dollars and $ense workshops and open discussions on race, diversity, and inclusion have left a positive impact on our community. Though he is moving to the next hill over to serve as Cornell’s vice president for financial affairs, the tremendously talented leadership team he has assembled here will serve us well in the years ahead.

I also want to take the opportunity to congratulate Gerard Turbide on his new appointment as vice president for enrollment management. His deep loyalty and knowledge of IC make him a tremendous asset to our leadership team.

Enrollment

The board was briefed on the fall enrollment picture for 2016, and we were very pleased to see such strong results. Although we came very close to meeting our numbers at the all-college level, some individual academic programs will be under/over enrolled. I truly appreciate all of the hard work, and personal connections that went into recruiting our new class. Additionally, I want the faculty and staff in the programs with larger-than-expected enrollments to know that the administration will support you in serving students to our expected level of excellence and will provide any additional resources that are needed.

Shared Governance and Marketing

In other business, trustees were updated on the work of the Shared Governance Task Force and discussed the evolution of the “Ready” campaign for marketing the college to prospective students. Results from the first phase of the marketing campaign showed it made a positive, measurable impact on how the college’s academic reputation is perceived.   

Our Community

When I spoke to our graduates at Commencement, I applauded their passionate participation in the life of a campus that is striving to become a truer expression of its values, to become far more than the sum of its parts, and to become the best version of itself it can possibly be. I noted that the events that took place at IC last fall brought that striving into sharp relief, and that the work to build a better community does not dissipate just because an academic year, or an undergraduate career, comes to a close.

With the closing of this academic year, I want to thank each and every member of our student body, faculty, staff, and administration for the part you have played in helping build a better community. Your continued hard work and commitment have helped move this institution in a positive direction.

This is a time of great transition at Ithaca College, and transitions are stressful on everyone. While there is much work to accomplish over the summer, I hope everyone in the campus community can also take some time to reflect, refresh, and re-energize as we look ahead to the fall.

Sincerely,
Tom Grape ’80 
Chair, Ithaca College Board of Trustees