We, the undersigned members of the Ithaca College faculty and staff, wish to express our heartfelt support for Ithaca College President Shirley Collado, who has recently become the subject of widespread attention because of an anonymous package sent to various news outlets, including The Ithacan, about a matter that was legally resolved nearly 20 years ago. As is now widely known but was no secret to the Board of Trustees, the Presidential Search Committee, and, in its broadest outlines, all members of the Ithaca College community who read her March 1st, 2017, “IC View” interview, President Collado decided to follow legal counsel and plead nolo contendere to a misdemeanor sexual abuse charge in response to a complaint that was brought against her by a former patient whom she had briefly permitted to move into her home. Then and now, President Collado claims she was innocent, but a lack of resources and support as well as a recent and devastating personal trauma left her feeling incapable of fighting the charge. Hence, she accepted a conviction, underwent probation and did community service as required, and proceeded to go on with her life.  As her professional accomplishments demonstrate, she has done so with integrity, industry and honor in the years since, and has earned the respect, admiration and devotion of countless people with whom she has worked, as evidenced by the letters of support and praise that have been published in The Ithacan since its story first appeared.

We rehearse these background details for several reasons. We think it is important to remind both our own community and those beyond it that there has been no cover-up here: President Collado was transparent throughout the hiring process and beyond, though to varying degrees with different constituencies. It is true that the campus did not know the full details of the “steps” President Collado took “to end the legal action” that was brought against her, though she said enough in the “IC View” interview we just quoted to enable anyone who so wished to learn more, court cases being a matter of public record. For those who believe she should have been more forthcoming, we urge them to recall, as we emphasize in our first paragraph, that this matter was resolved in a court of law. While she asserts that she was innocent, she nevertheless accepted and abided by the terms of her conviction. Does she not deserve the right to carry on with her life with some degree of privacy, while also being honest, as she was, with those who had the primary responsibility for deciding whether to employ her?

While maintaining her innocence, President Collado freely admits that it was an error of judgment to allow a former psychiatric patient to move into her home. However, this was an error she describes as having been born out of compassion at a moment when she had recently endured a terrible loss—the suicide of her husband. Again, her youth and lack of resources should be taken into account when reflecting on this past mistake, as well as the fact that there is nothing in her life since then that would indicate a pattern. Indeed, in just five and a half short months, President Collado has unified our campus in a manner that contrasts strikingly with the discord, conflict, and suspicion that prevailed at Ithaca College for some time before her arrival. She has rapidly gained our affection, our admiration and our trust, and these recent disclosures have not altered that, though they will no doubt spark productive and nuanced conversations on our campus about how people move forward after terrible events, recover and learn from their own failings and those of others, and need not be defined by the worst thing that ever happened to them.

In short, we hereby affirm our faith and confidence in President Collado and in the process that brought her to our campus, as well as our optimism about the future toward which we trust she will ably steer our college.

Sincerely,

Claire Gleitman, Professor, English
Jennifer Tennant, Associate Professor, Economics
Carla Golden, Professor, Psychology
Julia Lapp, Associate Professor, Health Promotion and Physical Education
Zillah Eisenstein, Professor Emerita, Politics.
Chrystyna Dail, Associate Professor, Theatre Arts
Carlos Figueroa, Assistant Professor, Politics Department
Osman Yurekli, Professor, Mathematics
Asma Barlas, Professor, Politics.
Marsha Nicole Horsley, Assistant Professor, CSCRE
Chris Holmes, Associate Professor, English
M. Louise Cannon, Assistant Professor, Writing
Cory Brown, Associate Professor, Writing
Saviana Stanescu (Condeescu), Assistant Professor, Theatre Arts.
Jennifer Spitzer, Assistant Professor, English
Scott Thomson, Assistant Professor, Communication Studies
Luke Keller, Charles A. Dana Professor in the Natural Sciences, Physics and Astronomy
Jim Rothenberg, Associate Professor, Sociology
Kathryn Caldwell, Assistant Professor, Psychology
Amy Walker O’Brien, Instructor of Dance, Theatre Arts
Hugh Egan, Professor, English
Jean Hardwick, Professor, Biology
Shaianne Osterreich, Associate Professor, Economics.
Susan Witherup, Professor, Biology
Nia Michelle Nunn, Assistant Professor, Education
Enrique Gonzalez Conty, Assistant Professor, Modern Languages and Literatures
Bruce G. Thompson, Associate Professor, Physics and Astronomy
Paula Ioanide, Associate Professor, Center for the Study of Culture, Race & Ethnicity
Dara Engler, Associate Professor, Art
Jamie Rombach, Instructor, Mathematics
Rick Kaufman, Professor, Philosophy & Religion
Jonathan Laskowitz, Associate Professor, Sociology
Chris Sinton, Associate Professor, Environmental Studies and Sciences
Brian Karafin Assistant Professor Philosophy and Religion
Gustavo Licon, Assistant Professor, CSCRE
Kevin Murphy, Professor, English
James M. Swafford, Associate Professor, English
Stan Seltzer, Associate Professor, Mathematics
Nancy Brcak, Professor, Art History
Judith M. Levitt, Adjunct Instructor, Theatre Arts
Stephen D. Mosher, Professor, Communication Studies & Sport Studies
Robert Sullivan, Associate Professor, Communication Studies
Annette Levine, Associate Professor, Modern Languages and Literatures
Pamela Rozelle Drix, Adjunct Professor, Art
Jenna Heffron, Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy
Faten Houissa, Lecturer, Modern Languages and Literatures
Jim Stafford Assistant Professor, Writing
Anthony Di Renzo, Professor, Writing
Luanne Andersson, Associate Professor, SLPA
Judith Pena-Shaff, Associate Professor, Psychology
Raul Palma, Diversity Fellow, Writing
Mary Bentley, Associate Professor, HSHP
Andrew M. Smith, Professor, Biology
Stewart Auyash, Chair & Associate Professor, Health Promotion and Physical Education
Yvonne Rogalski, Associate Professor, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
Bruce Henderson, Professor, Communication Studies
Patricia Capaldi, Assistant Professor, Art
David Barry, Lecturer, Modern Languages and Literatures
Cornell F. Woodson, Lecturer, Women’s and Gender Studies
Marella Feltrin-Morris, Associate Professor of Italian, Modern Languages and Literatures
Mary Ann Erickson, Associate Professor, Gerontology
Nancy Menning, affiliate faculty, Environmental Studies and Sciences
Nancy Jacobson, semi-retired Lecturer, Biology
Julie Dorsey, Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy
Don Tindall, Associate Professor, Theatre Arts
Jason Hamilton, Professor,  Environmental Studies and Sciences
Diane Long, Chair and Associate Professor, Occupational Therapy
Vanessa R. Mirabito, Instructor, Exercise and Sport Science
Elizabeth Medina-Gray, Assistant Professor, Music Theory, History, and Composition
Richard Faria, Professor of Music, School of Music
Harold Reynolds, Professor of Trombone, School of Music
Janet Galvan, Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Music
Dann Coakwell, Assistant Professor of Voice, School of Music
Chad West, Associate Professor and Chair, Music Education
Paige R. Morgan, Professor of Music (oboe)
Kelly Dietz, Assistant Professor, Politics
Jeanette Ostrander, Lecturer of Music, School of Music
Matt Vosler, Assistant Professor, Recreation and Leisure Studies
Tina N. Caswell, MS, CCC-SLP, Clinical Assistant Professor, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
Christine A. McNamara PT, DPT, Clinical Associate Professor/ Clinic Director, Physical Therapy
Hilary Greenberger, Professor, Physical Therapy
Carol McAmis, Professor of Voice, School of Music
Alex Perialas, Director SRT, School of Music
Thomas Girshin, Assistant Professor, Writing
Julie A. Carr, Lecturer, Music Education
David Turkon, Associate Professor, Anthropology
Rivka Green, Spanish Lecturer, Modern Languages and Literature
Sybil Conrad, Campus Center – Student Affairs and Campus Life
Michael Twomey, Charles A. Dana Professor of Humanities and Arts, English (retired)
Jennifer Jolly, Associate Professor, Art History
Ruth Barber, Instructor of Scenic Art and Design, Theatre Arts
Patricia R. Zimmermann, Professor, Media Arts, Sciences and Studies
Harriet Malinowitz, Lecturer, Writing
Rumit Singh Kakar, Assistant Professor, PT
Derek McKown, Lecturer, Writing
Christine Kitano, Assistant Professor, Writing and English
Catherine Taylor, Associate Professor, Writing
Ashley R. Hall, Assistant Professor, Communication Studies
Lauren O’Connell, Professor, Art History
Rachel Wagner, Associate Professor, Philosophy and Religion
David Diggin, Assistant Professor, ESS.
Thomas Pfaff, Professor, Mathematics
John Barr, Professor, Computer Science
Paula Twomey, Spanish instructor, DMLL
David Prunty, Executive Director, Auxiliary Services
Fred A. Wilcox, Associate Professor, Writing, retired.
Nick Kowalczyk, Associate Professor, Writing
Kelley Sullivan, Assistant Professor, Physics and Astronomy
Laura Campbell Carapella, Associate Professor, Health Promotion and Physical Education
Greg Shelley, Associate Professor, Exercise and Sport Science
Alicia Swords, Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the Honors Program
Maki Inada, Associate Professor, Biology
Jacob White, Assistant Professor, Writing
Sara Haefeli, Associate Professor, School of Music
Shehnaz Haqqani, Dissertation Diversity Scholar, Women’s and Gender Studies
John Scott Associate Professor Media Arts, Sciences and Studies
Jeff Claus, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Education Dept.
Ron Denson, Assistant Professor, Writing.
Elizabeth Bleicher, Associate Professor, English
Giovanna Rivero Santa Cruz, Visiting Assistant Professor, Modern Languages and Literatures
Jennifer Germann, Associate Professor, Art History
Deborah Martin, Professor, School of Music, Performance Studies
Jonathan Bowen, Lecturer, Music Education
Anne Stork, Assistant Professor, ENVS
Vivian Bruce Conger, Associate Professor, History
Paula Turkon, Assistant Professor, Environmental Studies and Sciences
Hormoz Movassaghi, Professor, Finance and International Business
Randi Millman-Brown, Visual Resources Curator, Art History
Cyndy Scheibe, Professor, Dept. of Psychology, and Executive Director, Project Look Sharp
Tom Shevory, Professor, Politics
Amie Germain, Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy
Zenon Wasyliw, Professor, History
Elisabeth Nonas, Associate Professor, Media Arts, Sciences, and Studies
Andy Watts, Assistant Professor, Media Arts, Sciences, & Studies
Karen Edwards, Associate Professor, HPPE
Jeane Copenhaver-Johnson, Chair, Education
David Kramer, Assistant Professor, English
Howard Kalman, Associate Professor, Strategic Communication
Ivy Walz, Associate Professor, Voice, Performance Studies, School of Music
Carrie Mae Smith, Assistant Professor of Sculpture, Art
Gladys M. Varona-Lacey, Professor, Modern Languages and Literatures
Bonnie Solt Prunty, Director of Residential Life and Judicial Affairs
Barney Beins, Professor, Psychology
Linda Price, Instructor, Art
Tom Kerr, Associate Professor, Writing
Kenny Christianson, Lecturer, Economics
Marybeth Ruether-Wu, lecturer, Philosophy & Religion
Katharine Kittredge, Professor, English
Patricia Rodriguez, Associate Professor, Politics
Belisa Gonzalez, Director, Center for the Study of Culture Race and Ethnicity
Maria DiFrancesco, Professor, Modern Languages & Literatures
Chip Gagnon, Professor, Politics
Nancy de Villiers Rader, Professor, Psychology.
Michael D. Richardson, Professor, Modern Languages and Literatures
Fahri Unsal, Professor, Marketing/Business
Iokepa Casumbal-Salazar, Assistant Professor, Center for the Study of Culture Race and Ethnicity and Department of Anthropology
Regina Carpenter, Lecturer, Communication Studies
Pamela Pospisil, Assistant Professor, Mathematics
Barbara Adams, Associate Professor, Writing
Abraham Mulugetta, Charles A. Dana Professor of Finance and International Business, School of Business
Srijana Bajracharya, Professor and Interim Graduate Chair, Health Promotion and Physical Education
Dana Tischler, Instructor, Physical Therapy
Tom Swensen, Professor, Exercise Science and Sports Studies
Nicholas Walker, Associate Professor, Music Performance
Nicole M. Koschmann, Director of the Park Scholar Program
Daniel Wilber, Lecturer, Writing
Julie Blumberg, Assistant Professor, Media Arts, Sciences, and Studies
Jack Bryant, Assistant Professor, Media Arts, Sciences, and Studies
Kathy Schlough, Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy
Leann Kanda, Associate Professor, Biology
Rachel Gould, Director of Study Abroad, International Programs, & Extended Studies
Candy Ross, Senior Assistant Director, Student Financial Services
Barbara Belyea, Clinical Professor, Physical Therapy
Paul Dickson, Assistant Professor, Computer Science
Barbie Bargher, Assistant Director, Student Financial Services
Sergio Pedro, Assistant Professor, Modern Languages and Literatures
Melinda Cozzolino, Associate Professor and Graduate Chair, Occupational Therapy
Anne Woodard, Associate Director, Student Financial Services
Jill E. Mayer, Clinical Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy
Katie Brody, Administrative Assistant, Occupational Therapy
Vincent DeTuri, Associate Professor, Chemistry
Julie Boles, Assistant Professor, Health Promotion and Physical Education
Nancy Pierce, Administrative Assistant, Biology
Laura Amoriello, Assistant Professor, School of Music
Rachel Paparone, Assistant Professor, Modern Languages and Literatures
Paul Wilson, Associate Professor, Art History
Bradley A. Rappa, Assistant Professor, Department of Media Arts, Sciences and Studies
Peter Martin, Associate Professor, Education
Ian Woods, Associate Professor, Biology
Octavio Mas-Arocas, Director of Orchestras, School of Music
Stephen Tropiano, Associate Professsor, Screen Studies; Media Arts, Sciences and Studies; Director, Ithaca College Los Angeles Program
Leah Richards, Associate Director, Office of Advancement Services
Peter Johanns, Associate Professor; Media Arts, Sciences and Studies; Program Director; Television-Radio Degree
Brandy Bessette-Symons, Assistant Professor, Psychology
Jessica Fernando, Office of Donor Relations
Erik Kibelsbeck, Concert and Facility Manager, School of Music
Yvette Sterbenk, Assistant Professor, Strategic Communications
Kitty Whalen, Administrative Assistant, School of Music
Brian Dozoretz, Manager of Recording Services, School of Music
Bradley Whittemore, Assistant Director of Music Admission, Music
Nicholas Muellner, Associate Professor, Cinema Photography and Media Arts; Co-Director, Image Text MFA
Matthew McConnell, Lecturer, Writing
Michael A. Malpass Charles A. Dana Professor in the Social Sciences,Anthropology
Taña Barajas, Admission Counselor, Office of Admission
Dennis Charsky, Associate Professor, Strategic Communication
Kari Brossard Stoos, Assistant Professor, Health Promotion and Physical Education
Amy Frith, Associate Professor, HPPE
E. Christine Thompson, Lecturer, Communication Studies
Cathy Lee Crane, Associate Professor, Media Arts, Sciences, and Studies
Ronnie Benion, Residence Director, Office of Residential Life
Gordon Rowland, Professor, Communications
Nidaa Aboulhosn, Assistant Professor, Media Arts, Sciences and Studies
Roseann Arnold, Admission Services Associate, Office of Admission
Cara Rosenberg Nichols, Associate Director of Admission
Eleanor Henderson, Associate Professor, Writing
Sueyoung Park-Primiano, Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow, Media Arts, Sciences and Studies
Chrissy Guest, Assistant Professor, Media Arts, Sciences and Studies
Mark L. Fink, PhD, Director, IT/Teaching and Learning with Technology
Kati Lustyik, Associate Professor, Media Arts, Sciences, and Studies
Amanda Walrad, Housing Specialist, Residential Life
Jessica Kowalewski Dietrich, Senior Assistant Director for Regional Recruitment, Office of Admission
Rita A Daly, MS, OTR/L Academic Fieldwork Coordinator & Clinical Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy
Bri Alderman, Associate Director, Office of Admission
Steve Jenks, Admission Counselor in Office of Admission
Lisa Cavataio, Administrative Operations Manager, College Relations and Advancement
Matthew C. Sullivan, Professor, Physics and Astronomy
Meghan Fouracre, Admission Services Associate
Janine Willis, Application Review Specialist, Office of Admission
Holly R. Tavelli, Application Review Specialist, Office of Admission
Maria McGuane, Admission Services Associate, Admissions
Michael Di Brienza, Information Systems Specialist, Office of Admission
Jeanette Rivera-Watts Associate Director, Donor Relations
Craig Duncan, Chair, Philosophy & Religion
Marilyn Dispensa, Instructional Technology Coordinator, IT
Isabel Frasquillo-Davis, Administrative Assistant, Ithaca College Annual Fund
Jill Fisher, Production & Asset Specialist, College Relations and Communications
Jennifer Wofford, Director, Extended Studies; Lecturer, Writing
Derek Adams, Assistant Professor, English
Nicholas Farthing, Project Manager and Business Analyst, Information Technology
Amy O’Dowd, Academic Services Coordinator, Humanities & Sciences Dean’s Office
Kathleen Mulligan, Associate Professor, Theatre Arts
Mimi Wright, Program Assistant, International Programs and Extended Studies
Mike Leary, Assistant Director, Judicial Affairs
Terry Taney, Administrative Assistant, Alumni Relations
Stephen Sweet, Charles Dana Professor of Sociology
Alyson Pasquale, MS OTR/L Assistant Professor Occupational Therapy
Edward Schneider, Assistant Professor, Strategic Communication
Meredith Brull, Assistant Director, Admission
Shannon Hills, Administrative Assistant, Music
Kelly R. Stern, Director of Enrollment Marketing
Jennifer Mellott, Equipment & Laboratory Specialist, Physics and Astronomy
Jill Ackerman, Administrative Assistant, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Rebecca Lesses, Associate Professor, Jewish Studies
Michael B. Smith, Associate Professor, History/ENVS
Stephen Lahr, Chair, Department of Physical Therapy
Peyi Soyinka-Airewele, Professor, Politics
Jason Freitag, Associate Professor, History
Michael Trotti, Professor, History
Deborah Rifkin, Associate Professor, Music Theory, History and Composition
Teresa Michel, Instructor, Department of Education
Denise Nuttall, Associate Professor and Chair, Anthropology
Julia Cozzarelli, Professor, Modern Languages and Literatures
S. Alexander Reed, Associate Professor, School of Music
Christine Pogorzala, Assistant Professor, Aging Studies Gerontology Institute
Drew Hammond, Clinical Professor, Exercise and Sport Sciences
Jack Powers, Associate Professor, Media Arts, Sciences and Studies
Cristina Gomez, Associate Professor, Mathemetics/Education
Elizabeth Bergman, Associate Professor and Chair, Gerontology
Betty Dean, Advisor, Student Financial Services
Patti Merilahti, Admissions Services Associate, Office of Admissions
Chris Hummel, Clinical Professor, Exercise and Sports Sciences