Cliff-Simon Vital (He/El) began his tenure at Ithaca College as the Assistant Director of the Center for IDEAS. In August 2023, the office was renamed the BIPOC Unity Center, reflecting a broader commitment to supporting students of color. He was promoted to Associate Director in July 2024. In August 2025, the office underwent another name change and is now known as the Unity Center, aligning with the merger of Multicultural Affairs and IAP Scholars with the First-Generation and MLK Scholars Program, to better meet student needs. In January 2025, Cliff-Simon was appointed Interim Director, and after two semesters, Vital was appointed Director in late September 2025, continuing his leadership through each phase of the Center’s evolution.
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 studentorganizations and clubs
- Co-Leads the Students of Color Coalition
- Chairs the MLK Celebration Steering Commiittee
- 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 graduated with their Master of Science from the Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration (HESAA) program at Canisius University in Buffalo, NY, and Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from State University of New York at Oswego. Vital is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Administration with aspecialization in Higher Education from the University of Rochester. Cliff-Simon describes themselves as a student-first and 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: