The Ithaca College community is strongly committed to the principles of shared governance, which hinge on mutual trust, respect, and a collective sense of purpose. Shared governance refers to the formal and informal decision-making responsibilities that are assigned to the various constituencies within an institution of higher learning. At Ithaca College, the Board of Trustees is entrusted with ultimate legal and fiduciary responsibility for the institution. Operational leadership is delegated to the President, who in turn delegates to the Provost, the Vice Presidents, and the Deans leadership responsibility for their various areas. The faculty has primary responsibility for the curriculum, faculty rank and tenure status, and those areas of academic life that are related to the educational process. Faculty, administration, staff, and students are mutually committed to the health and vitality of the institution, wherein our core mission involves the education, engagement and empowerment of the student body. Though their areas of primary responsibility differ, these groups work together collaboratively to ensure that decision-making at the College is foundationally anchored in meaningful conversations among different key constituencies.
Full details of our governance system can be found in The Ithaca College Policy Manual, Volume I: Governance; please refer to the shared governance grid below detailing the process and roles for Board of Trustees, Administration, Faculty, Staff and Students.
This grid is intended to provide a visual summary of the roles of the constituencies. If any member of the campus community spots something in the grid which seems inconsistent with our governance system, they are welcome to let us know by emailing legal@ithaca.edu.