A year after its successful introduction, the Ithaca Fund continues to benefit students in the School of Humanities and Sciences. The donor-backed fund provides small grants to innovative student and faculty research projects. Because the program relies on small, annual gifts rather than an endowment, its future is directly tied to the generosity of small donors. Among this year's funded projects, assistant professor of sociology Signe Kastberg and student David Coleman used an Ithaca Fund grant to support their group counseling videotaping project.

The project used two cameras to record groups of students in a series of team-building exercises. The video was edited and compiled on CD-ROM, allowing students to analyze the interaction of each group in depth. Through this analysis, students discovered the impact of both their verbal and nonverbal behaviors on other group members. In follow-up reviews, the 45 students who participated described the enhanced video technique as an excellent learning experience.

The Ithaca Fund supports 20 to 30 such projects annually. These can be course-related projects, independent initiatives, or collaborations between students and faculty. Students and their faculty sponsors apply for grants through a simple application outlining their project, the use of the funding, and the expected outcome. Applications are solicited twice annually. Associate dean David García and a three-member, volunteer faculty board make the final approvals.