The Ithaca College Board of Trustees is in the process of reviewing proposals from executive search firms to assist with the search to replace President Tom Rochon, who announced his resignation Jan. 14 after a semester of protests led by the group POC at IC and student and faculty votes of no confidence. A subcommittee of the board is assisting in interviewing the prospective consultants to identify the firm by the end of February, according to a Feb. 7 announcement.

According to the announcement, before the board of trustees’ meeting Feb. 10, the board will hold meetings with the executive boards of Faculty and Staff Councils and the Student Government Association to discuss the involvement of the campus community in the ongoing search process, with opportunities for input at “listening sessions” in March and April.

A presidential search website will be launched “very soon,”  and will contain information on all matters related to the search from now until the finalists for the presidential position visit campus near the end of the process.

“We plan to be very inclusive as we solicit input from all members of the campus community regarding the future of Ithaca College, and the desired qualities and competencies needed in the next president to lead us toward this future,” the announcement stated.

The announcement was posted on behalf of Thomas H. Grape, chairman of the board of trustees, and David H. Lissy, vice chairman of the board of trustees, giving further details concerning how the search would be conducted. The post called the message “the first of many” directed at keeping the campus community informed during the process.

“Our goal is to be as transparent as possible at each step along the way to identifying the next president of Ithaca College,” the statement said.