In a Nov. 11 message to the Ithaca College community, David Fleisher ’91, chair of the Presidential Search Committee, announced the creation of the presidential search prospectus.
Fleisher said in the announcement that through feedback given by students, alumni, faculty and staff, the search firm — Isaacson, Miller — has been able to create the prospectus for the college’s 10th president and can now move forward with the search for prospective candidates. Nominations for the position can be submitted to Kate Barry, partner with Isaacson, Miller; Karen McPhedran, senior associate of Isaacson, Miller; and Stephanie Simon, associate of Isaacson, Miller. Barry is leading the search at the college.
The college still has not announced whether the search will be conducted in an open or closed format. The search for the college’s ninth president, Shirley M. Collado, began as an open search but was later closed. The college faced backlash after closing the search.
“The presidential prospectus is our first and [an] important step in marketing our institution to the potential candidate pool,” Fleisher said in the announcement. “It is a strong and powerful prospectus that showcases the many facets of our beloved institution and all the people that make Ithaca College such a special place.”
The prospectus can be viewed by all community members online. The prospectus listed six different challenges and opportunities the next president of the college will face. They are: to inspire, unite and energize faculty and staff around the next phase of success; support and engage faculty and staff; lead significant cultural changes and actualize the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; provide effective leadership and management; strengthen ties with alumni and accelerate philanthropic successes; and develop enrollment strategies for the future.
There is also a section of the prospectus dedicated to qualities and characteristics that the next president should have. It said the next president should have a demonstrated record of action in supporting diversity, equity and inclusion and should have the capacity to bring the college to new levels of excellence.
“The next president will combine an appreciation for Ithaca’s strategic direction, the skills and experience to guide the journey, and the imagination and courage to navigate a shifting higher education landscape,” the prospectus said.
Additionally, the next president should embrace transformation and provide inspiring and visionary leadership to the college. The president should also be able to understand business and the college’s finances. Recently, members of the college’s Faculty Council discussed how to improve the college’s financial state. While the college’s revenue was down during the 2020 fiscal year — $178,347,216 — it has risen to $220,141,532 for the 2021 fiscal year.
