State of the College Gathering

Angela Reynolds, clinical assistant professor of physical therapy.

Angela Reynolds, clinical assistant professor of physical therapy.

President La Jerne Terry Cornish

Cornish gave an update on two key administrator searches: The search committee for the Chief Human Resources Officer expects to identify semifinalist candidates in early March with finalist interviews in early April, while the search process and timeline for the Vice President for Advancement position is currently being finalized, with further updates to be provided via Intercom.

Before introducing Chad Tessier, Interim Vice President for Advancement, Cornish noted that the college is focusing at this time on ensuring that financial projections, campaign planning, and pipeline data reflect a credible and sustainable trajectory.

"We are building infrastructure, not chasing one-time wins," she said. "The growth in our major gift pipeline, increased prospect engagement across schools, and stronger collaboration with academic leadership demonstrate that our advancement work is becoming more integrated and strategic."

For his part, Tessier outlined the status of fundraising to date for this fiscal year and made a pitch for campuswide participation in the college's annual Giving Day, which will take place over 24 hours on April 23 and 24.

"We have student ambassadors lined up, and they will be reaching out to their networks to push giving on behalf of their affinity groups and we're thankful for that partnership," Tessier said. "Last year was a lively atmosphere on the Quad that will be repeated again this year. So we hope you'll take part, enjoy the fun, the festivities, and most importantly, make a gift to IC. We're looking forward to a good strong day."

Cornish thanked Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Success Rock Hall and his entire team for their work in welcoming record numbers of prospective students and families to campus and putting the college in a strong position for the yield period of the admission process.

Hall said that applications were up by 20% this year and attendance at the first spring open house for prospective students had the largest attendance in the past five years. However, with deposits slightly down compared to this same time last year, he underscored the importance of the campus community in helping students and families make their final decisions on whether to attend IC.

"My charge to the good folk in this room? Keep being you," Hall said. "You make the difference. Every time you respond to an e-mail. Every time you answer a phone call. Every time you shake a hand. Every time you see someone walking across campus looking a little lost. You matter."

Senior Vice President and CFO Tim Downs highlighted the college's fiscal position, priorities, and progress toward long-term sustainability. He said that the college has made great progress in moving toward budget neutrality, with achieving targets for the incoming fall class playing a critical role in meeting the directive from the Board of Trustees for fiscal year 2027.

"That directive is we have to continue showing that improvement and we need to have a deficit of no more than $4 million," said Downs. "Our models right now are showing that we are slightly trailing that. Where is that fall '26 class going to come in? We'll know a lot more as we get to May."

Executive Vice President and Provost Melanie Stein

Executive Vice President and Provost Melanie Stein focused her remarks on the upcoming Middle States reaccreditation site visit, which will take place March 29-April 1. She encouraged all members of the campus community to read the Self-Study Report-or at least the introduction and conclusion portions of it-and to take part in prep sessions ahead of the visit. Both the report and information on the prep sessions can be found on the college's Middle States website.

The Site Visit Team will provide a list of individuals and groups they wish to meet with, based on campus roles and information in the self-study. They will also hold open forums for all community members, the details of which will be announced on Intercom. Stein said to think of the self-study as a narrative of how the college has made changes over the past seven or eight years since the last reaccreditation.

"We have definitely faced challenges as a community, and we've taken actions in response," Stein said. "The self-study tells that story, and we've framed it in terms of the resiliency of this institution. How we have faced those challenges and seized on them as opportunities and leveraged them to help support our mission and goals. If you read through the self-study, you will see pride by the folks who are writing it. Pride in what we've accomplished and how we faced those challenges as an institution. This is our opportunity to share that pride with this external team who's coming to visit. So I invite everybody to lean into that and seize this opportunity collectively. It ideally should be a very celebratory and affirming experience for all of us."

Cornish concluded the gathering by pointing out that the college is truly committed to connection, to collaboration, and to community impact.

"The state of the college is not only about where we stand today, but also about where we're going," said Cornish. "And how we will continue to adapt, imagine, and build together. Dr. Reynolds's work highlights how learning and service intersect, strengthening both our campus and communities that we serve. I am deeply proud of what we have accomplished and even more excited about what lies ahead as we continue to live out our mission."

She also reinforced the call for everyone to "put on your hospitality hat" during yield season.

"Yes, we've had 14,000 applications, but we need to yield at least 1,200 students to make budget. I always tell students that we want this place to feel like your home. Right now, students are trying to decide where their home is going to be for the next four years. And I don't know about you, but I can't think of a better home than Ithaca College."