Meeting formally three times per year, the Ithaca College Board of Trustees incorporates the following standing committees, which convene when the board is in session. In addition to serving on at least two committees, trustees also participate in plenary sessions during each meeting.

The chair and vice chair of the board serve as ex officio members of all standing committees, serving on some as full members. The president of the college also serves in an ex officio capacity on all committees.  Non-trustees who possess particular skills or expertise may be invited to assist standing committees, but do not have voting power.

Please click on a committee name to read a description and list of 2020-21 members. 

• Academic & Student Affairs
• Audit Committee
• Buildings and Grounds Committee
• Governance & Compensation/Assessment Committee
• Executive Committee
• Finance and Investment Committee
• Marketing & Enrollment Strategy Committee
• Philanthropy & Engagement Committee

Committees

Academics & Student Affairs
Jack H. Dembow '77, co-chair
Luvelle Brown, co-chair
Kristin Muenzen '00
Mary G. Opperman
Jeffrey J. Selingo '95
James E. Taylor '00
Baruch J. Whitehead
La Jerne Terry Cornish (ex officio)
David H. Lissy '87 (ex officio)
James W. Nolan, Jr. '77, P '01 (ex officio) 
The Academic and Student Affairs Committee shall be charged with recommending to the board action on major curricular, and educational policy issues, and on faculty personnel policies, . The Committee shall review the long term analyses of enrollment trends, financial aid, retention, graduation rates, the market forces impacting the recruitment of domestic, international, and graduate students, and the communications and marketing strategies in support of the academic and student life functions of the institution. The Committee shall also recommend to the board candidates for degrees, tenure, promotion, emeritus/a status and honorary degrees in accordance with College procedures and upon recommendation of the president. Recognizing that the IC educational experience encompasses academic and all aspects of campus life, the Committee shall recommend to the board action on policy and oversight in respect to student services and campus life functions, athletics, residential life, civility and campus community issues.  It shall perform such other duties as may from time to time be assigned to it by the Board of Trustees or by the Executive Committee.

Audit Committee
William J. Nelligan III, chair
Rosanna Aybar
Michael Conover '81
Casey Kendall
Peter R. Taffae
Kimberly Zeoli '89
Kalena A. Yearwood '23
La Jerne Terry Cornish (ex officio)
David H. Lissy '87 (ex officio)
James W. Nolan, Jr. '77, P '01 (ex officio) 
The Audit Committee shall be charged with recommending to the board each year the independent auditors to be selected by the board to examine the books and records of the College for that year; to determine the planned audit scope with the auditors; to study and review the results of the auditors’ examination, including financial statements, opinions, comments and recommendations made by the auditors; to review with administrative officers and the independent auditors, current accounting policies or proposed changes to same; make a report and recommendation to the Board of Trustees at the first available meeting after receipt of the auditors’ report; to review conflict of interest policies and reported conflicts of interests disclosed in accordance with such policies; and to assess the adequacy of internal controls, and to provide oversight of the College enterprise risk management system to ensure the College has an effective approach to identifying and managing risk including compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, identifying strategic risks for full board review, and assignment of the oversight of risk mitigation to the appropriate board committees. The Committee shall perform such other duties as may from time to time be assigned to it by the Board of Trustees or by the Executive Committee. You can download the Audit Committee Charter below.

Buildings and Grounds Committee
David Meberg '85, P '23, co-chair
Kristin Muenzen, co-chair
David Bachrach '70
Peter R. Taffae '82
Kalena Yearwood '23
Douglas M. Weisman '78, P '06
La Jerne Terry Cornish (ex officio)
David H. Lissy '87 (ex officio)
James W. Nolan, Jr. '77, P '01 (ex officio)
The Buildings and Grounds Committee shall be charged with the general oversight of the buildings, grounds and campus environment of the College, land and property acquisitions, new construction, and alterations and repairs of buildings and equipment and shall make appropriate recommendations to the board regarding same. The committee shall perform such other duties as may from time to time be assigned to it by the Board of Trustees or by the Executive Committee.

Governance & Compensation/Assessment Committee
Mary George Opperman, chair
David J. Bachrach
Luvelle Brown
Jack H. Dembow
David Fleisher II '91, P' 20
Gary J. Gross '81
Traci Hughes '85
Jan E. Singer '86
La Jerne Terry Cornish (ex officio)
David H. Lissy '87 (ex officio)
James W. Nolan, Jr. '77, P '01 (ex officio)
The Governance and Compensation/Assessment Committee shall be charged with the overarching responsibility of identifying, monitoring, and customizing best practices in governance of the board and the institution; monitoring of board composition to ensure that the membership and leadership of the board consist of highly qualified and committed individuals; it shall ensure that regular programs for new trustee orientation and in-service education for current trustees are maintained and it shall develop and manage a process by which the board and individual trustees shall assess its performance on an ongoing basis. It serves as the agent of the board in reviewing the performance of incumbent trustees and board officers who are eligible for reelection, develops a succession planning strategy and assembles a list of qualified candidates for nomination to the board and board leadership, considers cultivation strategies for promising trustee candidates, develops programs that continue the commitment of former trustees, and proposes and periodically reviews the adequacy of the statement of trustee commitment and responsibilities as adopted by the board.

The Governance and Compensation/Assessment Committee shall be charged with assisting the Board of Trustees in fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities with regard to establishing an effective Executive compensation policy and plan, the assessment of the President, and establishing the compensation and benefits of the President for recommendation to the Executive Committee and ultimately to the full board for final approval.  The Committee shall also exercise oversight of the President who has responsibility for implementing the Executive compensation policy and plan for the Senior Officers and Deans. The Committee shall review with the President the reasonableness of the compensation of designated disqualified persons under the IRS intermediate sanction rules.. The Board Chair shall serve on the Committee ex officio. 

The Committee shall perform such other duties as may from time to time be assigned to it by the Board of Trustees or by the Executive Committee.

Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall, on matters of urgency, act between the meetings of the Board of Trustees and shall exercise all the powers of the board consistent with the acts and resolutions of the board itself and insofar as they do not affect fixed duties of any other standing committee, and it shall report to the full Board of Trustees all of its official actions.

The Executive Committee shall transact such business of the College as the trustees may be empowered to authorize, except to grant degrees, to make removals from office, to fill vacancies on the Board or any committee, to fix compensation of trustees for serving on the Board or any committee, to amend or repeal these Bylaws or adopt new Bylaws, to amend or repeal any Board resolution that is by its terms not so amendable or repealable, or to take any other action prohibited by applicable law. The Executive Committee shall review litigation and the President's assessment and compensation as recommended by the Compensation/Assessment Committee.

The Executive Committee shall be composed of the chair, vice chair, chairs of standing committees, the last Board chair if still serving as an active Board member, and the president as an ex officio member.

Finance and Investment Committee
David Fleisher II, chair
Rosanna Aybar
Lee Bird '86
Michael Conover '81
Thaddeus J. Fortin '81
Casey Kendall
William J. Nelligan III '83
Christopher D. Palmieri '96
Mary George Opperman
La Jerne Terry Cornish (ex officio)
David H. Lissy '87 (ex officio)
James W. Nolan, Jr. '77, P '01 (ex officio)
The Finance and Investment Committee shall be charged with the review of the College’s external financings, and review of the proposed annual operating budget of the College. The Committee shall recommend approval, revision or rejection of the proposed annual operating budget to the Board of Trustees. The Finance and Investment Committee shall be responsible for the development, implementation, and review of the College Investment Policy which is subject to final approval by the Board of Trustees or by the Executive Committee.  When necessary the Committee may recommend to the board the retention of such counsel, as it deems appropriate, to assist the College in the matter of its investments or finance. It shall perform such other duties as may from time to time be assigned to it by the Board of Trustees or by the Executive Committee.

Marketing & Enrollment Strategy Committee
Jeffrey J. Selingo '95, co-chair
Jan E. Singer '86, co-chair
Lee Bird '86
Gary J. Gross '81
Kathy Newlands '89
Kimberly Zeoli '89
La Jerne Terry Cornish (ex officio)
David H. Lissy '87 (ex officio)
James W. Nolan, Jr. '77, P '01 (ex officio)
The Marketing and Enrollment Strategy Committee shall be charged with ensuring that the institution’s policies, strategies, goals, and objectives for enrollment, marketing, admission, retention, and financial aid support the institution’s mission, vision, values, and goals. This includes:

• understanding the trends, practices, market forces, and challenges in higher education and particularly within the institution’s peer group;
• understanding the current state of undergraduate and graduate enrollment at the institution:
  • enrollment variables and potential institutional impacts;
  • brand positioning;
  • enrollment goals, pricing and financial aid strategy, and commitment to student persistence;
  • priority populations including international, transfer, first generation students and students of color;
  • relevant enrollment performance indicators;

• reviewing the institution’s enrollment’s critical elements, trade-offs, and priorities;
• ensuring that the Board of Trustees is informed of the institution’s marketing and enrollment challenges, opportunities, and strategies; and,
• developing and monitoring the progress toward achieving enrollment priorities of the institution.

It shall perform such other duties as may from time to time be assigned to it by the Board of Trustees or by the Executive Committee.

Philanthropy & Engagement Committee
Thaddeus J. Fortin, chair
Rosanna Aybar
Traci Hughes '85
David Meberg '85, P '23
Kathy Newlands '89
Christopher D. Palmieri '96
James E. Taylor '00
Douglas M. Weisman '78, P '06
Baruch J. Whitehead
La Jerne Terry Cornish (ex officio)
David H. Lissy '87 (ex officio)
James W. Nolan, Jr. '77, P '01 (ex officio)
The Philanthropy & Engagement Committee shall be charged with the review of the College advancement and external relations programs and ensures achievement of our ambitious goals around engagement and philanthropy through wisdom and action. The Philanthropy & Engagement Committee shall perform such other duties as may from time to time be assigned to it by the Board of Trustees or by the Executive Committee.

Special Committees
Special committees may be chosen by the board, upon recommendation by the chair if desired, to serve the board or its officers at any time such committees may be desirable.

Page last updated December 1, 2021