Celebrating the IC Spirit

By President Shirley M. Collado, May 10, 2021
Historic and remarkable academic year.

Dear Ithaca College Community,

This has been one of the most historic and remarkable academic years ever at Ithaca College. Our institution has been tested—in fact, the whole of higher education has been tested—and the reason why this college and this community has persevered is clear: the indomitable IC spirit. 

Throughout this year of challenge, our students have been exemplars of the IC spirit, finding new ways to collaborate and learn. Our faculty have demonstrated excellence in their teaching and pushed their scholarship forward. Our staff have shown remarkable care and creativity as they have reenvisioned how to deliver the programs and services that are so critical to the Ithaca College student experience. I offer my deep gratitude to each member of this community for your resilience and heart. 

This institution is rising and will continue to rise. As we look ahead to a vibrant fall, we see major milestones on the horizon—milestones that richly embody the core of what makes this place so unique: our commitment to melding theory, practice, and performance in sophisticated ways that contribute to the greater good.

Our new Physician Assistant program and our selection as a Davis United World Colleges Scholars Program member institution demonstrate our mission to be a global destination for bold thinkers seeking to build thriving communities. New majors, such as Screen Cultures—a collaboration between multiple departments in Park and H&S—and Race, Power and Resistance Studies, the first major for our Center for the Study of Culture, Race and Ethnicity, showcase how our curriculum is adapting to meet student interest. These are only a few examples of many that demonstrate our progress in realizing our Ithaca Forever strategic goals. 

As we break for the summer, my wish for you is that the coming months bring restoration, healing, and renewed energy, and I ask that you hold the college close to your heart—keep the IC spirit alive within you. We have much to look forward to as an institution and as a community. Just as we have demonstrated this year, it is within all of us to bring the promise of Ithaca College to life.

Sincerely,

Shirley M. Collado
President