The Faculty Council concluded the spring semester by welcoming in new council leadership and addressing goals that Benjamin Rifkin, provost and vice president for educational affairs, has for the coming year.
“I do feel they’re important,” Earle said. “I think it’s a good first step. In some ways, the problems we had, like the staff had, are some of the same problems that I think we’re going to have with diversity and inclusion.”
As the Shared Governance Task Force prepares to meet with the Ithaca College Board of Trustees this month to provide an update on its progress, key individuals involved in this process say there are still issues that need to be resolved and communicated to the campus community.
Professors at Ithaca College are paid less than their counterparts at similar four-year private colleges in New York state. Despite this data, some faculty and administrators believe it is not fair to compare these other institutions in New York state to the college.
“What’s really important for candidates is that they are getting the real story,” Asnicar said. “During this time, there probably has to be some healing, and the process of selection of another president can contribute to that.”
Ithaca College has announced the members of the search committee for the college’s ninth president. The committee of 15 is made up of six members of the Ithaca College Board of Trustees, one dean, three faculty members, two staff members, two students and one alumni representative.
Faculty Council has decided to create a task force to gather more information after a group of part-time faculty spoke to the council about issues with negotiating their union contract with the Ithaca College administration.
Faculty Council has decided the criteria by which faculty can be nominated for the Presidential Search Committee and who can vote for those nominees.
The Ithaca College Board of Trustees has approved increases in the tuition, financial aid, salary pool and operating budget of the college during its February meeting.
Attendees of this semester’s faculty town hall meeting discussed the presidential search committee, better communication with the Ithaca College Board of Trustees and issues of diversity and inclusion.
Rochon’s total compensation for the 2013 calendar year, the most recent year for which data is available, was $458,318. This includes base pay, bonus pay, nontaxable and “other.”
Faculty Council is being criticized by faculty members for releasing the results of the faculty no confidence vote to Ithaca College President Tom Rochon and the Ithaca College Board of Trustees before the rest of the college community.
