After only two students enrolled in the Washington D.C. program for Fall 2011, Ithaca College decided to suspend the program. Now the college needs to spend the fall semester figuring out why there is such little interest to study in our nation’s capital — especially as it moves forward to create a center in New York City under the IC20/20 plan.
It’s extremely vital to understand the reasons why there have only been between 10 and 15 students consistently in D.C. To attract more students, the college needs to market the D.C. program better to underclassmen. It may also help to team it with a specific school, like the L.A. program does with the Roy H. Park School of Communications.
Students need to be consulted on what types of classes and internships they would like to take in D.C. If a focus for the D.C. program is found, the college can work with alumni in the area that can network with students better.
When the D.C. program reopens next spring, it should be as a test run. The college may discover that more students would rather study in New York City for a semester than in D.C. If that is the case, the D.C. program should be cut.
While evaluating the D.C. program, the college needs to make sure the New York City program will have students’ interest — and not just two.