During the Fall 2015 semester, colleges and universities across the country were rocked by student protests addressing racial tensions on campuses. Ithaca College was also affected by these issues, and it is among many other institutions that are now trying to heal their communities while also facing losses in enrollment and retention.

Students protesting the racial climate at Ithaca College are not the only ones finding a collective voice with which to address institutionalized racism. In a tumultuous fall semester, at least 75 other colleges and universities have begun bringing their demands for change to their administrations.

A string of race-related controversies at the University of Missouri mirror incidents that have been occurring at Ithaca College. At both institutions, student protest groups have spoken out against systemic racism and called for the resignation of their college’s presidents.