Position vacancies have been increasingly obvious at Ithaca College and are impacting the experiences of students, faculty and staff alike. It is past time that the college fills these vacancies, as the absence of professors and administration is reaching a point of fundamentally altering students’ education.

For the 2024 fiscal year, Ithaca College has dedicated a considerable budget to fill vacancies at the college, which is an important step in the right direction. However, the college has been dealing with these vacancies for multiple years. 

For students, this has meant that classes they want to take or must take to meet graduation requirements are being offered less frequently or not at all. Students are being forced to waive courses or take substitution classes that may be entirely unrelated to their major. Not only is this a tedious process, but it prohibits students from taking crucial courses for their own professional development, career trajectories and even enjoyment. 

For faculty, this means taking on larger workloads to pick up the slack in open positions, including teaching more classes and overseeing more advisees. This prohibits faculty from giving each student the support they need and deserve and dedicating as much time as they would like to each of their classes. 

In administration, this has meant departments and offices going without leadership and crucial resources for students, faculty and staff lacking guidance. These vacancies have impacts that trickle down to the entire college. 

It is understandable that the hiring process takes time and due diligence is needed to find the right people. However, the longer that positions remain open, the less stability the college sees and the less key resources and opportunities can be offered.