The Ithaca College Office of Student Affairs and Campus Life hosted a virtual All Student and Family Gathering July 27 to provide new and returning students with information for Fall 2022.
At the Zoom webinar, representatives from different offices provided plans and guidance for the fall semester. These offices included the Offices of Public Safety and Emergency Management, Auxiliary Services, Dining Services, New Student and Transition Programs and Residential Life. The event ended with a question and answer session.
“I just want to tell you how incredibly much we’re looking forward to seeing all of you and welcoming our students as they return to campus in just a few weeks,” said Bonnie Prunty, vice president of the Office of Student Affairs and Campus Life.
Residential Life and Move-In
Jenny Pickett, assistant director in the Office of Residential Life, said fall move-in would have fewer COVID-19 restrictions than previous years. Pickett said that although freshmen have been assigned to move in between 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. or 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. August 16, students will not be individually assigned shorter time slots like in the past.
Pickett also said students will not be restricted in the number of guests they can bring to help them move onto campus. Fall move-in will occur Aug. 14–20.
Samm Swarts, assistant director of Emergency Preparedness and Response, said that although guests helping with move-in are not required to take a COVID-19 test prior to arriving on campus, they should not come to campus if they are not feeling well. Swarts said students are required to take a COVID-19 test prior to returning to campus and some tests will be available if students are not able to acquire a test prior to their arrival.
Dining Services
Scott McWilliams, director of Dining Services, said Towers Marketplace will be open for expanded hours starting in Fall 2022. In the Towers Marketplace, McWilliams said dining hours would be expanded to 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday and will be open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays. In Spring 2022, Towers Marketplace was open for dinner and late night options from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
McWilliams said Towers Marketplace is adding an express breakfast option during the week as well. Hours for some other dining locations will also be expanded and are currently being finalized for Fall 2022. McWilliams said there will also be a new retail bakery opening on campus.
New Students
Representatives from many college offices provided guidance and advice for new students to help them prepare for Fall 2022. Registrar Vikki Levine, as well as Elizabeth Bleicher, dean of Student Success and Retention, discussed how to access resources for registration and college planning.
Bleicher said freshmen are already able to register for classes and students should learn how to use course registration systems now because they will continue to use them every semester at Ithaca College. Bleicher encouraged new students not to feel stressed when making their Fall 2022 schedules because they will be able to change them until August 28, when the Add/Drop period for courses ends.
“It almost doesn’t matter what courses you take in your first semester,” Bleicher said. “The real purpose of your first semester of college is learning how to do college, learning how to learn and making that transition from high school learning to college learning.”
Mame Ndiaye, assistant director in the Office of New Student and Transition Programs, and Michele Lenhart, director of the Office of Student Engagement, discussed opportunities and events available for new students before classes start Aug. 22.
Ndiaye said new student orientation, which will take place from Aug. 17 to 21, will feature events including academic blocks, evening socials, resource tours and guest speakers as well as individual events such as a carnival, silent disco and a pride event.
Lenhart said 332 new students are participating in the college’s Jumpstart programs Aug. 15. According to the college’s website, the goal of this program is to introduce new students to each other as well as college resources and the Ithaca community.
