Ithaca College

Submitted on behalf of Wendy Kobler:

I am pleased to share with you information on priority events and programs from the Division of Philanthropy and Engagement, each of which superbly demonstrates Ithaca College’s commitment to supporting IC families and increasing alumni engagement. Please feel free to share within your influential networks.

All my best,

Wendy Kobler, Ph.D.

Vice President for Philanthropy and Engagement 

Alumni Weekend: June 25 – 27, 2021

Our division is dedicated to welcoming our IC alumni community back to campus next summer to celebrate the IC experience through a series of activities on campus and in Ithaca. The college will hold special reunions for alumni from class years ending in 0,1,5, and 6, and we have been working hard to encourage our entire alumni community to consider joining us for Alumni Weekend. We are especially looking forward to celebrating the class of 2020 with special experiences during this weekend to honor their accomplishments and new status as IC alumni. You can help us maximize Alumni Weekend 2021 by reminding alumni in your networks to save the date.

New IC Family Council

Ithaca College is preparing to launch a Family Council soon. The goals of this council include:

• Creating and supporting a highly diverse family community who are engaged with IC and know they and their student(s) are supported through IC programs and resources.
• Instilling pride and connection with IC as a community and honorary alma mater.
• Creating purposeful connectivity between students, families, and alumni.

Members of the Family Council will be representative of the IC student body and offer extremely valuable perspectives as they serve as the informed voice of families of current students. Members will:

• Serve as a resource to Ithaca College students and alumni in areas of mutual interest, including careers, internships, externships, community service and political engagement.
• Help create a sense of community among parents of students and alumni through various communication opportunities.
• Support the college in nurturing a tradition of family giving through the Ithaca College Annual Fund, which supports financial aid, learning and teaching, student life, Ithaca College athletics, and overall helps make the IC experience possible for all students.

Cortaca Replay

On November 14 at 1:00 p.m. we will re-broadcast the record-shattering Cortaca 2019 game that was played at MetLife Stadium and netted the largest-ever gathering of IC alumni in one place, ever. Along with replaying the game, the broadcast will include fun, new content that is student-, staff-, and alumni-driven, including a message from President Collado, “chalk talks” with Coach Dan Swanstrom with current students, alumni-led highlight packages, college PSA announcements, and promotion of Giving Day 2021.

We will begin promoting this effort on October 16 and encourage our IC community, alumni, and perspective students to register for this exciting event. While we likely won’t capture the 45,161 people in the stands that day, we plan to engage our community, relive the Cortaca magic, and messaging all the while showcasing our current students and alumni.

Giving Day 2021

This spring, our division will host a 24-hour giving contest to bring together our entire IC Community in support of Ithaca College! This fun and exciting Giving Day will challenge students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends to support the areas of IC they love most. We hope you’ll join us in making this day a major success – stay tuned for more details!

Friends of Ithaca College

The Friends of Ithaca College (FIC) is a vital cohort of local donors who live and work in Tompkins County and its contiguous counties. FIC members support IC students with their philanthropy and help to build bridges between Ithaca College and the local community. To re-energize the college’s FIC community, we’ll be working with FIC President Tam Warren to collaborate with individuals and businesses in the area to seek their support as we forge ahead in these particularly challenging times.