News and Updates from the October 2025 Ithaca College Board of Trustees Meeting

By John Neeson '84 and La Jerne Terry Cornish, October 14, 2025

A message from Board of Trustees Chair John Neeson ’84 and President La Jerne Terry Cornish

The Ithaca College Board of Trustees held its fall meeting on South Hill from Wednesday through Friday, October 8–10. In addition to attending to college business, board members enjoyed several opportunities to engage with students, faculty, and staff.

Trustees spent much of this meeting learning about and reviewing current issues facing both Ithaca College and the wider higher education community. Plenary sessions included a presentation by EAB Consulting on the state of the higher education sector, and discussions with vice presidents and other campus leadership on such topics as the college’s marketing strategies, pricing and value strategy, and financial and enrollment outlook.

A new and exciting feature of this meeting was the inaugural gathering of the Council of Former Trustees. All former term trustees have been invited to participate in this informal group, which is led by Chair Emeritus David H. Lissy ’87 and former Board vice chair and newly elected Honorary Trustee James W. Nolan Jr. ’77. Former trustees are individuals who have been deeply engaged with the college and who have substantial institutional knowledge dating back decades. We are pleased to be able to harness their insights and continuing contributions to the well-being of the college, while also ensuring that this vital constituency understands and appreciates our ongoing work.

Several former trustees participated in this initial gathering, meeting among themselves, joining our newer trustees for a walking orientation tour of the campus with a focus on recent capital projects, and attending several of the plenary sessions. Their time on campus included a presentation about AI by Dave Weil ’87, MS ’89, senior vice president for strategic services and initiatives; a panel discussion with the deans of each of the schools; and lunch with students who are the beneficiaries of endowed scholarships. We look forward to the Council of Former Trustees becoming a regular feature of our fall meeting going forward.

Campus Engagement
Current and former trustees had the opportunity to learn more about the college’s newest school—Music, Theatre, and Dance—during an immersive experience. Dean Steve TenEyck provided an overview of the school and discussed some of its current initiatives, following which trustees engaged with students, faculty, and staff.

Man talks to people sitting in chairs in a circle.

Associate Professor of Music Education Matthew Clauhs details the student teaching experience to current and former members of the Board of Trustees. Photo by Kayla van Dinther.

At the Whalen Center for Music, trustees learned about the hands-on training our junior music education students receive through student teaching, a unique aspect of the MTD program. We also did some hands-on learning of our own by trying out a few musical instruments. In Dillingham Center, we were introduced to the production process, getting a literal backstage view at how theatre and dance performances come together. We met with student designers and actors, gaining firsthand insight into the collaborative and creative work happening in our theatre and dance spaces. We further engaged with members of the MTD community over lunch.

Another highlight of our meeting was the Tenure and Promotion Dinner, at which we joined the President’s Cabinet and department chairs in celebrating members of our faculty who have achieved tenure and/or promotion, Dana Professorship, and emeriti status in the 2024–25 academic year.

Cost of Attendance for Academic Year 2026-27
In the board’s business meeting, trustees approved tuition, room, and board for the 2026-27 academic year, with modest increases planned for both new and returning students. This represents our ongoing efforts to keep an Ithaca College education affordable and accessible for students and their families while continuing to invest in the resources necessary to provide the best possible learning and living environment.

Most returning students will see a 3.9% increase in direct cost of attendance. The actual increment varies somewhat between class years, in line with the IC Commitment, which began several years ago and offers incoming students cost predictability over the course of their time at Ithaca College.

We are proud that Ithaca College continues to be recognized for providing a high-quality private college education and experience, and we greatly appreciate all of the hard work that our campus community continues to put in to ensure that the college remains an affordable choice for students and families.

After the meeting on Friday, Board Chair John Neeson ’84 and Vice Chair Christopher Palmieri ’96 continued a tradition of hosting an open conversation with members of the IC community, sharing a summary of the meeting and then fielding questions from students, faculty, and staff. The conversation included such topics as what the biggest challenges are that trustees think the college is facing, what data are being considered in assessing the college’s progress toward meetings its goals, how the college can address the effects of shrinking resources, the promises and perils of artificial intelligence, and how the college is responding to the pressures being put on higher education at the federal level.

President Cornish and other college leadership will be providing additional updates at the State of the College meeting on October 21.

We look forward to gathering again in February, when our board meeting will take place in Philadelphia in conjunction with opportunities for engagement with our substantial alumni community in the region. Until then, we thank you for your commitment to the college and to the educational experience we provide for our students.

Sincerely,

John Neeson ’84
Chair, Board of Trustees

La Jerne Terry Cornish
President