This past Friday I met with the football team to announce and introduce Michael Toerper as their new head coach. I entered the room with my face covering on and briefly removed it so that I could be more clearly heard in a large group setting. I apologize for my unfortunate violation of our community agreement in removing my face covering while indoors. The situation is made worse by the public nature of the social media sharing of the video of that celebratory moment. I understand and respect the concerns that have been raised by members of our community.
Additionally, Coach Toerper, who was on campus as a finalist for two days earlier in the week, appropriately wore a face covering while indoors. He had his face covering on in the corridor while waiting for his introduction and similarly removed his mask to greet the team. Neither of us expected the overt reaction of joy from our student-athletes, which distracted us from the appropriate compliance with wearing a face covering while indoors on our campus.
As director of athletics, I am committed to the safety of our community and to promoting “The Bomber Bubble” which has served IC so well for the majority of the pandemic. Ithaca College Athletics embraces and promotes our community standards and all of our Covid-19 safety protocols. Together let’s continue to keep our college community safe so that we can operate at an optimal level through the spring semester.
Susan Bassett '79
Associate Vice President of Student Affairs
Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational Sports