Updates and Accomplishments

In 2024–25, Ithaca College advanced key institutional priorities focused on student success, academic distinction, and long-term sustainability. Across the college, work continued to align academic programs, strengthen the student experience, and invest in systems, partnerships, and facilities that support mentorship, learning, and engagement.

The college welcomed 1,128 first-year and transfer students , while intensifying efforts to strengthen future enrollment through targeted outreach in key markets, data-informed recruitment strategies, and earlier engagement with prospective students. Admission and Student Financial Services also moved earlier in the cycle with decision releases and financial aid offers, while introducing new merit-based scholarship strategies to strengthen yield.

Student success indicators remained strong. The college achieved a third-semester retention rate of 84.7% , the highest since 2018, including gains among students of color, New York State students, and international students.

The college strengthened its leadership team and advanced planning aligned with long-term sustainability.

• Welcomed Stanley Bazile as Vice President for Student Affairs and Campus Life, completing the president’s senior leadership team
• Named Steve TenEyck as Dean of the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
• Advanced institutional planning focused on achieving balanced budgets by FY28 and aligning enrollment targets with the college’s educational model

Academic programs continued to evolve, with a focus on experiential learning, innovation, and external recognition.

• The School of Business earned AACSB reaccreditation , with recognition for hands-on learning experiences, career-focused programming, and alumni engagement models such as the Bomber Entrepreneurship Network
• The School of Business redesigned its introductory “World of Business” course , introducing team-based projects including marketing strategy, stock pitches, and business ventures
• The School of Humanities and Sciences launched four microcredential programs in Computer Science , with additional majors and minors under development
• Academic Affairs partnered with Hanover Research to inform development of new academic programs, including areas such as data science
• Continued work to standardize academic policies and processes across schools , including implementation of a common course evaluation platform and shared evaluation questions
• A revised academic schedule grid was implemented to reduce course conflicts and improve scheduling for students
• The college is exploring new graduate programs and modality changes to align offerings with market demand and support enrollment growth
• Psychology professor Leigh Ann Vaughn and her undergraduate research team contributed to a large-scale international study spanning 43 countries , to be published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
• The School of Music, Theatre, and Dance is exploring new academic programs, including BFAs in Dance and Choreography and Music Direction in Musical Theatre, as well as an Integrative Performing Arts BA
• The Ithaca College Orchestra performed with Broadway artists at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, featuring work by IC alum John Riley

Students earned national recognition across media, communications, and academic disciplines.

• The Ithacan was named Best College Newspaper by the New York Press Association for the 23rd consecutive year and received a Gold Crown Award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association
• ICTV was named TV Station of the Year (Division II) , and WICB was named Radio Station of the Year (Division II & III)
• Two students in Advertising, Public Relations, and Marketing Communications were named to the American Advertising Federation’s Most Promising Multicultural Students list

The college continued to invest in emerging technologies, student engagement, and campus infrastructure.

• Launched a Presidential Working Group on Artificial Intelligence to guide institutional strategy and implementation
• The Physician Assistant program received a $100,000 Hearst Foundation grant to integrate mixed and virtual reality into instruction
• Opened a new esports facility , generating more than 7,500 student engagements in its first academic year and participation from over one-third of students
• Introduced a new student portal to improve access to campus services and technology resources
• Continued investment in campus infrastructure, including the replacement of hundreds of Wi-Fi access points to improve connectivity
• Hosted Educational Technology Day , welcoming approximately 1,100 participants from more than 100 institutions
• Construction began on a new track and field facility , scheduled for completion in fall 2025
• Progressed planning and design work for Campus Center improvements and began renovations of Eastman and Landon residence halls

Student life initiatives expanded opportunities for engagement, connection, and belonging.

• Launched a theme housing program with 11 residential communities centered on shared interests
• Hosted a campus event featuring civil rights icon Angela Davis , with more than 600 attendees and additional virtual participation
• Delivered campuswide training on Title IX regulations , led by Linda Koenig , Director of Title IX Compliance

Ithaca College student-athletes achieved success at both conference and national levels.

• Kailee Payne ’25 won NCAA Division III national championships in both one- and three-meter diving for the second consecutive year
• Women’s Swimming and Diving won the Liberty League Championship
• Field hockey, volleyball, and women’s soccer also earned Liberty League titles
• Announced the addition of a women’s wrestling program , with competition beginning in winter 2026