Ithaca College

Dear Ithaca College Community,

The Ithaca College Public Health Task Force, which President Shirley M. Collado announced in her August 18 message to the campus community, has formally convened. This group will support my work as Director of Public Health Emergency Preparedness, building upon the tremendous foundation laid over the summer by the Return to Campus Task Force and its associated subgroups, which prepared the college’s reopening plan submitted to the state in August.

The 17-member task force includes representation from faculty, staff, and students across campus. A primary responsibility of this group will be to advise me regarding appropriate policies and procedures to protect the health and wellness of our college community. This fall, they will provide guidance as the college continues to strengthen its infrastructure to operate in the new reality being shaped by COVID-19. True to our roots in theory, practice, and performance, the task force will explore experiential learning opportunities that may exist for students while navigating our public health response. It will also monitor established warning signs and metrics regarding COVID-19 prevalence and recommend appropriate actions.

COVID-19 Tracking Dashboard

We are pleased to announce the release of our COVID-19 Tracking Dashboard. Ithaca College recognizes that we must navigate this pandemic in partnership with the broader Ithaca and Tompkins County community. This is one of several tools that we will use to keep our campus and community informed. Please note that the dashboard will be updated daily Monday through Friday as new test data becomes available from our surveillance testing partnership with Cayuga Health System, or if we become aware of Ithaca College cases outside of our on-campus testing process.

We are grateful that we have no positive COVID-19 cases to report since our testing began in mid-August; however, we share this information cautiously. We are very conscious that the trajectory within our college community can change quickly. Individual choices and behaviors matter. To navigate this pandemic successfully, we must do so together and adhere to public health recommendations to wear face coverings, maintain six feet of distance, and avoid gatherings when possible.

Any members of our college community who recently attended a gathering, and especially if you did not wear a face covering or maintain six feet of physical distancing, are strongly encouraged to obtain testing at the Athletics and Events Center during one of the upcoming testing dates. Those dates are regularly posted on Intercom.

On Wednesday, Sept. 2, we announced the launch of our Community Agreement Reporting Form and the addition of an Off-Campus Community Living Coordinator position. Together, these help illustrate the seriousness of the college’s commitment to the health and well-being of not only our students, faculty, and staff, but of the local community as well.

Like many higher education institutions across the country that chose a remote fall, we continue to work toward a common goal of welcoming our full college community back to campus in the spring. I look forward to working with the Public Health Task Force and our entire campus community in helping make that goal a reality.

Sincerely,

Christina Moylan, Ph.D.
Director of Public Health Emergency Preparedness