Two members of the Ithaca College BIPOC Unity Center’s professional staff, Angélica Carrington, former director of the BIPOC Unity Center, and Radeana Hastings, former program coordinator of the BIPOC Unity Center, are no longer employed at the college as of Nov. 10.

Carrington served as the director of the BIPOC Unity Center starting in January 2022. Carrington led the initiative to rename and revitalize the BIPOC Unity Center, which was formerly called the Center for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Social Change. Hastings started as program coordinator of the BIPOC Unity Center on Sept. 18.

As of Nov. 14, the college has not released a statement announcing Carrington and Hastings’ departure from the college.

Carrington was no longer listed as a staff member on the BIPOC Unity Center’s website as of 2:30 p.m. Nov. 10. When The Ithacan tried to contact Carrington via her Ithaca College email, Outlook delivered an automatic reply.

“Angélica Carrington is no longer working at Ithaca College. If you need assistance with anything related to the BIPOC Unity Center, please contact Luca Maurer, Executive Director for Student Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at [email protected],” the reply said.

David Maley, director of Public Relations, confirmed in an email to The Ithacan on Nov. 10 that Carrington was no longer an employee at the college.

“The college does not comment on personnel matters, but I can confirm that as of Thursday afternoon [Nov. 9] Angélica Carrington is no longer working at Ithaca College,” Maley said via email.

Carrington declined a request for an interview with The Ithacan but said in a statement via Facebook Messenger that she is sad that her time at the college has ended.

“It was an honor to have worked alongside and with such an amazing student body,” Carrington said in the statement. “Even more grateful to have been blessed with such a wonderful student staff that stood by me through all of our challenges and success.”

Carrington said in the statement that she plans to spend more time with her family and finish her doctoral degree. She thanked those who made her time at the college meaningful.

“Thank you to the great colleagues who guided and were there for me when I needed it,” Carrington said in the statement. “Thank you so much to the students who trusted me enough to come to me for support. I put my heart into all I did, and I did it all for the students to create a better sense of belonging. One chapter closes, while another one opens.”

Luca Maurer, executive director for Student Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, confirmed in an email to The Ithacan Nov. 10 that Hastings also no longer worked at the college.

“The college does not comment on personnel matters, but I can confirm that Angélica Carrington and Radeana Hastings are no longer at Ithaca College,” Maurer said via email.

Hastings did not respond to a request for comment before publication.

The BIPOC Unity Center added two new staff members during Fall 2023: Hastings and Cliff-Simon Vital, assistant director of the BIPOC Unity Center. Following Carrington and Hastings’ departures from the college, Vital is now the only remaining professional staff member of the BIPOC Unity Center.

When The Ithacan requested an interview with Vital, he asked The Ithacan to contact Maurer.

Sophomore Leticia Rebelo de Oliveira is a peer educator in the BIPOC Unity Center. Rebelo de Oliveira said that during the BIPOC Unity Center’s weekly staff meeting Nov. 10, Maurer and Vital told the student staff members that Carrington was no longer employed at the college. They said they could not share more information about her departure with the student staff.

Rebelo de Oliveira said Hastings told the BIPOC Unity Center student staff that she planned to leave the college a few days before Carrington’s departure was announced. Rebelo de Oliveira said Hastings was present at the staff meeting to listen to students’ concerns.

Rebelo de Oliveira said the center’s student staff members were unsure of how much information they could share with other students about Carrington’s departure because the college did not announce it.

“We were like, ‘Can we tell people?’” Rebelo de Oliveira said. “We were like, ‘What is happening?’ And then Luca was like, ‘No, yeah, you can tell [everyone], that’s a final decision.’ … So the [student staff] team asked them to send an email about it. I did never receive an email.”

Rebelo de Oliveira said the college’s lack of transparency has been frustrating for the BIPOC Unity Center’s student employees as they try to continue the center’s work without direction from Carrington.

“I honestly think that [it] will be hard to regain trust from the students and from the community,” Rebelo de Oliveira said. “I honestly want clear information from the school, but I don’t think they will give [it to] us.”

According to its website, the BIPOC Unity Center works to support students from underrepresented groups through advocacy, education, empowerment and solidarity and works to promote equity and inclusion on campus. This includes 23% of students at the college who are people of color, 3% who are international students and 18% who are first-generation college students.

Maurer said the college will determine how to support these students through the BIPOC Unity Center going forward.

“We will be considering the best path forward for leadership of the BIPOC Unity Center in order to ensure that it can continue to support and empower our BIPOC students,” Maurer said.

During the Nov. 13 Student Governance Council meeting, President La Jerne Cornish said the college is planning to search for a new director for the BIPOC Unity Center. She said Marsha Dawson, dean of students in the Office of Student Affairs and Campus Life, has volunteered to support students for the time being. Cornish also said Shadayvia Wallace, program director for the MLK Scholar and First Generation programs, will be supporting the center.