Shirley M. Collado officially began her role as Ithaca College’s ninth president July 1.

The Ithaca College Board of Trustees announced Collado as the ninth president to the campus community Feb. 22. Following the announcement, she spent the whole day on campus, where she met with constituents and held two open sessions.

Collado wrote in an email to the campus community July 10 that she spent her first week getting settled, becoming familiar with the campus and speaking with as many members of the community as she could.

“I look forward to continuing the process of learning as much as I can about the IC community, and sharing more with you in the weeks and months ahead about my hopes and thoughts as we collectively build a promising future for Ithaca College,” she wrote.

Before becoming president of the college, Collado served as the executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer at Rutgers University–Newark.

“I believe that the college and I — to let you know what I’m really thinking — are really at a pivotal moment together, not only for the history of this college but in the history of this nation and the history of higher education,” Collado said during her speech after her appointment was announced.

The search process to find the ninth president began after former President Tom Rochon announced Jan. 14, 2016, that he would retire July 1, 2017. His announcement came after protests by POC at IC and student and faculty votes of no confidence in his presidency during the Fall 2015 semester.

The presidential search was originally open — meaning final candidates would have interacted with the campus community. The search was closed during the Fall 2016 semester, after which final candidates only interacted with the presidential search committee. This change was based on feedback from candidates and the search committee.

Collado’s first official day on campus was July 3. The Presidential Transition Team planned events to welcome Collado to campus, including hosting an ice cream social July 6.