The Ithacan

Accuracy • Independence • Integrity

The Ithaca College Student Governance Council spoke with President La Jerne Cornish at its Nov. 28 meeting about diversity, equity and inclusion.

My sexuality was becoming the forefront of what people wanted to know about me, and I was being forced to think about it more and more, even though I didn’t want to.

The time spent waiting for these initiatives raises the question of how dedicated the administration is to improving the campus climate for its students.

Despite the multitude of issues plaguing the college, Rochon has given the impression that he remains oblivious to the current campus climate.

Ithaca College is beginning to encourage alumni volunteers to complete diversity and inclusion training, beginning with sessions during alumni weekend

Faculty and staff are looking for ways to ramp up student interest in the college’s weekly diversity and inclusion discussion groups. These groups were created in response to student protests last fall to address complaints about the administration’s lack of emphasis on diversity and inclusion. However, students do not seem to be attending the discussion groups.

Just four questions were asked during the Q&A portion of a diversity and inclusion panel held Sept. 13. Among them was an anonymously submitted question about how the administration would continue to prioritize these initiatives amid high administrative turnover.

Ithaca College’s senior leadership has seen a significant number of administrative departures, leaving the college with uncertainty about what will be accomplished throughout the remainder of his tenure.

News Editor Sophia Tulp and Assistant News Editor Grace Elletson spoke with Linda Petrosino, who assumed the role as interim provost once before in 2014, to discuss her role, initiatives that will be continued this year and an idea of the leadership strategy for the college.

The Ithaca College administration took a different approach to the biannual All-College Meeting on Aug. 18. Instead of the traditional meeting structure consisting of updates on the budget, enrollment data or upcoming initiatives, President Tom Rochon focused on two “commitments” to the campus community — diversity and inclusion, and shared governance.

Sean Eversley Bradwell, former assistant professor in the Center for the Study of Culture, Race and Ethnicity, has been hired for the newly created position of Director of Programs and Outreach within the Division of Educational Affairs at Ithaca College.

It initially misses a key point that this community cares about: its stance on diversity and inclusion initiatives.