Dear Ithaca College Community,
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I write today to share an important update about the future leadership of Ithaca College.
President La Jerne Terry Cornish will complete her term as Ithaca College’s 10th president on June 30, 2027. Until then, she remains committed to advancing key institutional priorities throughout her final year and to ensuring a smooth transition to the next president. Ithaca is home to dedicated faculty, loyal alumni, and engaged students doing remarkable work every day, and this transition lays the groundwork for the next exciting chapter for the college.
President Cornish joined Ithaca College in 2018 as Provost and has served this institution through an extraordinary and consequential period. Since being named president in 2022, she has steadied the college following the pandemic, brought our community together, and strengthened the bonds that define Ithaca. We are deeply grateful for her dedication and for all she has given to this community.
Ithaca College was founded 134 years ago on a belief in the transformative power of education, and that belief remains as vital today as ever. The landscape of higher education continues to change, and that reality is well known to our community. With this transition on the horizon, the Board now turns to identifying Ithaca's next leader, with a specific focus on advancing the college's financial sustainability, enrollment growth, innovation, and external engagement. It is a forward-looking moment, grounded in the strong foundation President Cornish and this community have built together.
The leadership that positioned Ithaca College to navigate a period of significant change has laid a strong foundation, and the Board is committed to building on that work by identifying a leader whose skills and vision can meet the evolving demands ahead.
We are committed to approaching this search with the care, diligence, and transparency our community deserves. We believe that the best searches are inclusive ones. Throughout this process, we will create meaningful opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and alumni to help shape the qualities and priorities that will define the leadership profile for Ithaca College's next president. This is your institution, and your voices will be central to this work.
As a first step, the Board is forming a Presidential Search Committee, which will be chaired by Chris Palmieri, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees. The committee reflects the breadth and diversity of our community. It will include trustees and representatives from our faculty, staff, student, and alumni communities, and a member of the senior administration.