To Our Ithaca College Community,
As you prepare for the end of the fall semester and look forward to a well-deserved holiday break, we wanted to take this final opportunity on behalf of the Board of Trustees to bid a fond farewell and to express our gratitude to Dr. Shirley M. Collado for the leadership that she has provided to Ithaca College as our ninth president.
Dr. Collado’s role as senior advisor to the Board of Trustees and to Interim President La Jerne Terry Cornish will come to a close on Dec. 31, and she will begin her new position leading College Track beginning on Jan. 10. We have greatly appreciated her help and support during this period of transition, and we know that she will excel in continuing her life’s work of supporting college access and success for deserving students.
It is our honor as the Board of Trustees to grant Dr. Collado the status of President Emerita in recognition of her contributions to this institution, including the creation of our strategic plan, Ithaca Forever, and her focused and steadfast leadership during a time of great challenge in responding to an unprecedented and protracted global pandemic. She joins former Presidents Williams and Rochon in this capacity, creating a leadership legacy that honors our past and provides our next President with a strong foundation on which to build the future of Ithaca College.
In addition, we are very excited to announce the establishment of the Dr. Shirley M. Collado and A. Van Jordan Endowed Scholarship, which will be awarded to IC students in good academic standing with demonstrated financial need, with preference given to first-generation students. As a first-generation student herself, she has championed efforts to recruit, retain, and support these valued members of our campus community, and the board is proud to contribute to Dr. Collado’s legacy in this meaningful way.
We extend our enduring friendship to Shirley and Van and our heartfelt wishes for health and happiness as they embark upon their new journey on the West Coast.
With gratitude,
David H. Lissy ’87
Chair, Ithaca College Board of Trustees
Jim Nolan ’77
Vice Chair, Ithaca College Board of Trustees