Cliff-Simon Vital (He/El) began his tenure at Ithaca College as Assistant Director in the Center. He was promoted to Associate Director in July 2024. In January 2025, Cliff-Simon was appointed Interim Director, and after two semesters in that role, he was named Director in September 2025, continuing his leadership through each phase of the Center’s evolution. Throughout these role transitions and their increasing responsibility, he has provided consistent and valued leadership across the many elements of the Center's work, including the Ithaca Achievement Scholar Program, Multicultural Affairs, First-Generation Program, and MLK Scholars Program, to better meet student needs.
As the Director, Cliff-Simon:
- Manages the day-to-day operations of the Unity Center
- Oversees, administers, and directs the Ithaca Achievement, Martin Luther King Scholar, and First-Generation Program
- Supports and advises Spiritual/Identity/Cultural-based student organizations and clubs
- Co-Leads the Students of Color Coalition
- Chairs the MLK Celebration Steering Committee
- Leads, implements, and assesses program initiatives that support historically underrepresented and under-resourced students (Cafe, Unity Fridays, Jumpstart, MLK Campus Wide Celebration, History Heritage Month, Taste of Home)
- Mentors, educates, and trains professional and para-professional full-time and student staff
Prior to their arrival at IC, Cliff-Simon spent two academic years working in Housing and Residential Life at Cornell University. Before moving to Ithaca, they earned a Master of Science in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration (HESAA) from Canisius University in Buffalo, NY, and a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from The State University of New York at Oswego. Vital is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Administration with a specialization in Higher Education from the University of Rochester. Cliff-Simon describes themselves as a student-first, mission-driven student affairs professional working to be a champion for students.
Throughout his half-decade in Higher Education, Cliff-Simon has been a member or presented at various professional conferences, including CSPA-NYS, NODA, NACA, ACUHO-I, ACPA, NADOHE, JASPA, and NASPA, all national organizations centered on Student Affairs. In addition to their work in Higher Education, Cliff-Simon shares that:
