IC News

The EdUp Experience podcast spoke with President Shirley M. Collado about the infrastructure changes that are happening at Ithaca College. The hosts of the EdUp Experience, Elvin Freytes, Elizabeth Leiba and Dr. Joe Sallustio, asked Collado questions about aligning the infrastructure of the college with enrollment, as well as diversity in higher education. 

Sallustio started by asking Collado about the enrollment realities caused by demographic shifts resulting in fewer college-aged students. Collado said that those enrollment realities have been looming for over a decade, and now the college is at an advantageous point to follow its bold and realistic strategic plan. 

“One of the biggest parts of what we have to do is recalibrate the size of the institution,” said Collado. “For us that means we're getting more focused and responding more to academic programs in areas of interest that are relevant to students. Students are voting with their enrollment, they're voting with their majors and the classes that they take, and we need to be nimble enough to be very student–centered, and that doesn't always mean doing the same thing over and over again.” 

Collado spoke about her hope for the future of Ithaca College, which includes restructuring and reorganization as well as identifying growth in strategic areas. 

“This is not something that we historically have done well in higher ed,” said Collado. “It's a bit taboo to do what we're doing a little bit here, and we're doing it with a lot of shared governance and input from our campus constituents.”  

Leiba asked Collado about diversity in higher education and the value that it can bring to an institution. Collado talked about the assets that a diverse population can bring to an institution including students who are resilient, multilingual, and disciplined and know how to multitask and manage a complicated schedule. 

“I think when we create environments where we affirm those assets and then students see themselves in us, then you know magic can happen, especially if you’re willing to shift the model that you’ve occupied for a long time. That’s healthy disruption,” said Collado. “It's imperative, not just for business, and running a business, but for innovation.” 

Sallustio ended by asking Collado about the future of higher education, and Collado reiterated the need to have leaders, faculty and a curriculum that better reflects the lived experiences of the students.  

“What I mostly want in the future is a higher ed sector that really gets what it means to be student-centered and that more students get to have access to one of the greatest privileges in America, and that is the ability to go to college, regardless of your background,” said Collado. “We owe that to all young people in our country, and we all have a role to play in that.”