Intercom

Dear Campus Community,

We are pleased to share with our campus community exciting news related to the office previously known as Ithaca College’s Center for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Social Change (IDEAS). This key office within the Division of Student Affairs and Campus Life (SACL) has been officially renamed the BIPOC Unity Center to better align with the mission, vision, and future goals of the Center. The BIPOC Unity Center will continue to occupy its same space on the third floor of Egbert Hall (Campus Center), Suite #339.

The BIPOC Unity Center works to build and bridge communities that welcome and affirm people to be their whole selves, honoring their multiple identities and lived experiences, by empowering IC students to resist and interrupt systems of oppression. The Center coordinates initiatives aimed at creating a sense of belonging for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) students through support, resources, education and programs at Ithaca College. The BIPOC Unity Center and its programs are open to all students. You can visit the BIPOC Unity Center About the Office webpage to learn more about its mission, vision, values and goals.

The BIPOC Unity Center is excited to offer a robust programming schedule during the upcoming academic year with specific emphasis on continuing to build community connections and foster the creation of more culturally validating spaces where BIPOC students feel a stronger sense of belonging at IC. The Center will be kicking off the Fall 2023 semester with a BIPOC Unity Barbeque event on Friday, September 1, from 3:00-7:00 p.m. in the Campus Center Quad. We encourage you to follow the BIPOC Unity Center Engage site for the latest updates on upcoming events and programs sponsored by the Center.

The BIPOC Unity Center will continue to be funded and housed within the Division of Student Affairs and Campus Life. It will also report to and receive oversight from Ithaca College’s newly launched Center for Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, working to identify new avenues for augmenting and amplifying programs and resources to support student equity, inclusion and belonging initiatives.

Why Change the Name? 
Since its restructure to a separate unique department within SACL in 2018, the Center for IDEAS has provided leadership in supporting Ithaca College students with educational opportunities, resources and community building to foster an IC student experience rooted in the college’s values of inclusion, equity and belonging. However, consistent feedback received from students and other members of our IC community indicated that the acronym, IDEAS, did not adequately resonate with our community regarding the types of educational programs, resources and supports offered by the Center. During the Fall 2022 semester, student leaders drafted and shared a proposal to develop a named initiative for creating a sense of belonging for BIPOC students within the Center. The proposal sparked a larger dialogue among SACL leadership to review the focus and mission of the department and consideration of a name change. Under the leadership of Director Angélica Carrington, the Center for IDEAS formally began the process of exploring a potential name change for the department during Spring 2023 semester.

Name Change Process
The process for developing and approving the title change for the Center was meticulous, spanning the course of several months. The process included an extensive self-study of common themes present in feedback received from past and current IC students, faculty and staff, as well as a national study of name trends and interviews with colleagues at related offices at other higher education institutions. A series of focus group sessions comprised of students, faculty, staff and IC alumni was held during the month of April to discuss the title change. Ultimately, the title BIPOC Unity Center was recommended. 

We respectfully ask all campus partners who may have a reference to the former Center for IDEAS on any departmental webpages or other associated media materials to please take a moment to review and update relevant areas to reflect the office’s title change to the BIPOC Unity Center and new site URL: https://www.ithaca.edu/bipoc-unity-center. You can also connect with the BIPOC Unity Center on Instagram at its updated handle @icbipocunity. 

If you have any questions or would like to connect with the BIPOC Unity Center, you may contact them via email at BIPOCunity@ithaca.edu or by phone at (607) 274-7777.

We look forward to the launch of the new semester in the coming days and to the exciting possibilities that lie ahead for the BIPOC Unity Center.

Sincerely,

Bonnie Solt Prunty
Vice President for Student Affairs and Campus Life

Angélica Carrington
Director, BIPOC Unity Center