Navigating Ithaca College: A Comprehensive Guide to the Campus
Ithaca College, a private institution located in Ithaca, New York, is renowned for its media and entertainment programs, particularly those within the Roy H. Park School of Communications and the Ithaca College School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. Founded in 1892 as a conservatory of music, the college has evolved into a comprehensive institution offering a wide array of programs. This article provides a detailed overview of the Ithaca College campus, its history, key locations, and resources available to students and visitors.
Historical Overview
Ithaca College's roots trace back to 1892 when William Grant Egbert, a local violin teacher, established the Ithaca Conservatory of Music. Initially, the conservatory occupied just four rooms and instructed eight students. Over the next seven decades, the institution expanded its curriculum to include elocution, dance, physical education, speech correction, radio, business, and the liberal arts. In 1931, the conservatory was officially chartered as a private college, adopting the name Ithaca College.
By 1960, the college's enrollment had grown to approximately 2,000 students. To accommodate this growth, a new campus was constructed on South Hill during the 1960s. During the construction period, students were shuttled between the original location in downtown Ithaca and the new campus. As the campus expanded, so did the college's academic offerings. By the 1990s, Ithaca College offered around 2,000 courses across more than 100 programs of study, housed within its five schools.
In October 2020, facing declining enrollment, the college announced the elimination of 130 faculty positions out of 547 to reduce the school's budget by $30 million. Despite these challenges, Ithaca College continues to adapt and evolve.
Campus Overview: South Hill
The current Ithaca College campus is situated on South Hill, providing a scenic and conducive environment for learning. This location was established in the 1960s to accommodate the growing student body and expanding academic programs.
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Key Academic Buildings
The campus houses several key academic buildings, each dedicated to specific disciplines and programs. These include:
Roy H. Park School of Communications: Known for its media-related programs, this school houses facilities for television, radio, film, and other communication-related studies. Ithaca College Television (ICTV), the world's oldest student-operated college television channel, is housed and operated in the Roy H. Park School of Communications. Approximately 15 to 20 production teams operate simultaneously, utilizing around 400 volunteers each semester.
Ithaca College School of Music, Theatre, and Dance: This school offers a wide range of programs in music, theatre, and dance, providing students with numerous performance opportunities. The School of Music offers many audition-based ensembles, such as symphony orchestra, chamber orchestra, wind ensemble, concert band, multiple choir ensembles, multiple jazz ensembles ranging from instrumental to vocal, as well as several other chamber groups focusing on a multitude of instruments. The School of Music also offers multiple opportunities to perform opera works, such as the school's Opera Workshop, which offers a variety of focused training in such areas as audition technique, interpretation, and scene study through multiple performance opportunities. The school also offers several non-auditioned ensembles, such as the symphony orchestra Sinfonietta, as well as several non-auditioned ensembles for band, jazz, and choir opened up to non-music majors.
School of Business: This school was the first college or university business school in the world to achieve LEED Platinum Certification.
Residential Facilities
Ithaca College offers a variety of residential options for students, including traditional dormitories, suites, and apartment-style living. These facilities are designed to foster a sense of community and provide students with comfortable living spaces.
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Student Support and Services
The campus also includes buildings dedicated to student support and services, such as the library, student affairs offices, and career services. These resources are designed to help students succeed academically and personally. Ithaca's Peggy Ryan Williams Center is LEED Platinum certified. It makes extensive use of day light in occupied spaces. There are sensors that regulate lighting and ventilation based on occupancy and natural light. Over 50% of the building energy comes from renewable sources such as wind power.
Campus Media and Publications
Ithaca College has a vibrant campus media scene, with several student-run publications and media outlets. These include:
The Ithacan: The official weekly newspaper of Ithaca College, written, edited, and published by students.
Ithaca College Television (ICTV): The world's oldest student-operated college television channel. The show also received ICTV's first College Emmy Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
WICB: A student-operated, 4,100-watt FM station that serves Tompkins County and beyond, reaching from northern Pennsylvania to Lake Ontario, with a potential audience of over 250,000. The majority of programming on WICB - which broadcasts from 91.7 on the FM band - is modern rock, but the station also airs a number of specialty shows, which includes a number of genres (including blues, Broadway, jam band music and "homeless" music) that is not normally heard on public airwaves.
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VIC Radio: Ithaca College's second student-run radio station. Previously available on 105.9 FM, VIC Radio is now an online-only radio station.
Buzzsaw Magazine: An independent monthly alternative magazine written, produced, and distributed by Ithaca College students. It is a progressive publication with a goal to "publish original creative journalism, commentary, and satire that works to deconstruct society, pop culture, politics, college life, and dominant Western beliefs."
Park Productions: A professional production unit within the Roy H. Park School of Communications that allows students to collaborate with faculty and industry professionals to create interdisciplinary media projects.
Distinct Magazine: Ithaca College's "fashion magazine devoted to the style and culture of the students on campus…[it aims] to break gender and social class stereotypes in the fashion world, and to build a safe space for people to express themselves."
Embrace: An IC magazine that aims "to create a platform in which underrepresented students are able to see a representation of themselves on campus and within society."
Greek Life
Historically, various independent and national fraternities and sororities had active chapters at Ithaca College. However, there are various Greek letter organizations at Ithaca College that are unaffiliated with the school, and therefore not subject to the same housing privileges or rules that contribute to the safety of their members such as non-hazing and non-drinking policies. Additionally, while not particularly common, Ithaca College students may rush for Greek houses affiliated with nearby Ivy institution Cornell University, subject to the rules of each individual fraternity or sorority. There are a few unaffiliated fraternities that some Ithaca College students join - ΔΚΕ (Delta Kappa Epsilon), ΑΕΠ (Alpha Epsilon Pi), ΦΚΣ (Phi Kappa Sigma), ΦΙΑ (Phi Iota Alpha), ΛΥΛ (Lambda Upsilon Lambda), and ΚΣ (Kappa Sigma).
Athletics and Recreation
Ithaca College competes in athletics at the NCAA Division III level as a member of the Liberty League and the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). Along with Intercollegiate athletics, Ithaca College has a large intramural sport program. This extracurricular program serves approximately 25% of the undergraduate population yearly. For most activities, divisions are offered for men's, women's, and co-recreational teams.
Sustainability Initiatives
Ithaca College is committed to sustainability and has implemented several initiatives to reduce its environmental impact. In the spring of 2007, then-President Peggy R. Williams signed the American College & University President's Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), pledging Ithaca College to the task of developing a strategy and long-range plan to achieve "carbon neutrality" at some point in the future. In 2009, the Ithaca College Board of Trustees approved the Ithaca College Climate Action Plan, which calls for 100% carbon neutrality by 2050. The college purchases 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources.
Satellite Campuses
Besides its Ithaca campus, Ithaca College has also operated satellite campuses in other cities. The Ithaca College London Center has been in existence since 1972. Ithaca runs the Ithaca College Los Angeles Program at the James B.
Transportation and Accessibility
Ithaca College offers free parking and shuttles will be provided from a variety of parking lots. Upon arrival to the campus from Route 96B, follow signs and the directions of the staff who will direct you to available parking spaces for Ed Tech Day. As lots fill up the staff will adjust the signs and direct you to the appropriate locations. There will be free shuttle service, although some of the lots that we will be using are within a 10 minute or less walking distance of the Campus Center should you wish to walk. To avoid a ticket, please be sure to only park in the lots designated for Ed Tech Day parking.
Directions to Ithaca College
- From the East: Follow Route 17 (soon to be I-86) west to Binghamton and take I-81 north to exit 8 at Whitney Point. Follow Route 79 west into Ithaca. At T-intersection turn left onto Route 96B (Aurora Street) and follow 96B south for approximately one mile.
- From the East via Thruway: Follow the New York State Thruway (I-90) west to I-88 (exit 25A). Take I-88 west to Bainbridge (exit 8) and then Route 206 to Whitney Point. Pick up Route 79 west to Ithaca. At T-intersection turn left onto Route 96B (Aurora Street) and follow 96B south for approximately one mile.
- From the West via Thruway: Follow the New York State Thruway (I-90) east to exit 41 at Waterloo. (Do not follow the signs that direct you to Ithaca via Geneva.) Turn right after the toll booth (onto Route 414 south), then left at the red light (onto Route 318 east). Follow Route 318 east several miles. At the T-intersection turn left, then a quick right onto Route 89 to Ithaca. Pick up Route 13 south in Ithaca. After passing Green Street, move into the far left lane and go straight onto Route 96B (Clinton Street). Turn right onto Aurora Street (still 96B) and continue for approximately one mile.
- From the North: Take I-81 north to Whitney Point (exit 8). Pick up Route 79 west to Ithaca. At T-intersection turn left onto Route 96B (Aurora Street) and follow 96B south for approximately one mile.
- From the Southeast: Follow I-86 east to exit 54 and take Route 13 north into Ithaca. Turn right onto Route 96B (Clinton Street) and continue to Aurora Street. Turn right onto Aurora Street (still 96B) and continue for approximately one mile.
- From the South: Follow I-81 south to Cortland (exit 12). Take Route 281 south to Route 13 south to Ithaca. After passing Green Street, move into the far left lane and go straight onto Route 96B (Clinton Street). Turn right onto Aurora Street (still 96B) and continue for approximately one mile.
Public Transportation
Several bus companies have routes that include stops in Ithaca: Greyhound Lines, ShortLine Coach USA, Trailways of New York, and Chenango Valley Bus Lines. Delta, American Airlines, and United Airlines all fly out of and into the Ithaca area. The airport is just outside the City of Syracuse, which is itself about a 90 minute drive from Ithaca. This transportation hub is served by Amtrak rail service.
Accessibility
Ithaca College is committed to providing individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in Ed Tech Day events. The request should state the auxiliary aids and services requested. All requests for auxiliary aids and services received by Ithaca College on a timely basis will be fully reviewed. Upon completion of the review, a written response will be sent to the requester prior to the event indicating the action to be taken by Ithaca College. The all-gender restroom closest to the Ed Tech Day activities is located down the hallway between the Men’s room and the Ithaca Falls Meeting room on the main floor of the campus center. Another all-gender restroom is located at the front of the Clark Lounge meeting room.
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