Dear Editor:

It is unfortunate The Ithacan chose to publish an opinion piece, complete with a tabloid headline (“ICLA Lacks Transparency with Students”), about the Ithaca College LA Program, which Ms. de Jong has never attended, that contains misinformation, innuendos, and disparaging remarks about ICLA and its dedicated staff.

Ms. de Jong’s assessment of the reduced number of courses in LA is accurate, yet she is unaware that students can fulfill some requirements with the courses we are offering. Her implication that my office is purposely deceiving students by not updating our website is absurd.

As for internships, let me set the record straight. All students attending the Los Angeles Program are guaranteed an internship. Some students secure an internship prior to arriving in Los Angeles. This has ALWAYS happened because companies have their own timeline for hiring their interns. Starting an internship two or three weeks into the semester has no bearing on the quality of an internship.

Ms. de Jong’s criticisms of the ICLA staff, which consists of myself; Jon Bassinger-Flores, program and services coordinator; and Prof. Steven Ginsberg, Pendleton Chair, are false and without merit. We offer our assistance at EVERY stage of securing an internship, advise them throughout the semester, and provide them with whatever they need to have a rewarding semester in LA.

If anyone has any further questions about ICLA, contact our Los Angeles-based office by  e-mail ([email protected]) or phone (323-851-6199).

Stephen Tropiano ’84

Founding Director, Ithaca College Los Angeles Program

Professor, Screen Studies