Turning Intention Into Action

By Dan DeCaria, May 17, 2022
Ithaca College launches exciting new initiatives to support inclusive student experience.
rainbow flag

Over the years, Ithaca College has regularly earned national recognition for its vibrant and engaged LGBTQ community. This commitment to fostering an ever-more inclusive environment in which all students are welcomed, empowered, and valued resides at the very heart of the college’s core values. Although this commitment has manifested itself in a variety of ways, it is most keenly showcased in the college’s continued efforts to address and remove barriers to full inclusion to create an environment where all can equitably pursue success and be valued and affirmed within our campus community. 

As Ithaca College ends the 2021-22 academic year, which also coincided with the 20th anniversary of the formal establishment of the Center for LGBTQ Education, Outreach and Services on campus, IC is excited to unveil two landmark initiatives set to debut in Fall 2022 that will continue to push the college forward in its efforts to be an innovative institutional model for student belonging and success. 

Open Pages Residence Learning Community Set to Debut in Fall 2022

Ithaca College has long prided itself in its residential college model, recognizing the developmental value of on-campus living as a key component to the student’s overall experience. Under this model, Ithaca College has maintained an on-campus residential experience requirement for all students during their first three academic years. However, typical housing infrastructures throughout higher education tend to unintentionally center cisgender students, and are not always adequate to meet the needs of transgender and nonbinary students. 

While Ithaca College already has a mechanism in place to support transgender and nonbinary students through the transgender housing accommodation process, the addition of the Open Pages Residence Learning Communities (RLC ) adds a deeper layer to the college’s intention to ensure that all students have a safe space to call home during their time on South Hill.  

This new housing opportunity is set to debut in Fall 2022 and is specifically created for transgender and nonbinary students. RLCs are unique housing options made available by Ithaca College’s Office of Residential Life designed to foster meaningful peer connections and belonging through shared interests and lived experiences. Residents of RLCs have access to special programs, events, and community resources. The Open Pages RLC is one of 10 RLCs currently available to students for next year.  

One of the first of its kind nationally, the Open Pages RLC will be in West Tower and participation in this housing opportunity will be available to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors for the 2022-23 academic year. The West Tower location for this community was a strategic choice for a variety of reasons including presence of entirely single occupancy all-gender restrooms, ADA accessibility, as well as its proximity to the LGBTQ Center that moved to its new home in the Towers Concourse during the Fall 2021 semester. It will be the only RLC located in West Tower during the upcoming academic year. 

“I am most excited to see and interact with other students involved in the RLC. The opportunity to see people truly inhabit the space and live as their full selves is an incredible privilege. The ability to create and be a part of this shared space and experience is a wonderful addition for any current or future transgender and nonbinary student at Ithaca College.” 

Cecil Decker ’24.

The creation of this opportunity was powered by the passion and drive of current IC students, specifically a student-led team of second-year IC students Jay Barrett ’24, Gwyneth Cole ‘24, and Cecil Decker ’24. Along with support from peers, these students are largely responsible for leading the process from initial development of the RLC concept all the way through to securing final approval. 

“The Idea for the Open Pages RLC developed naturally between us and other transgender and nonbinary students at the college,” said Barrett. “It began as more of a hypothetical than an official plan, but as the three of us kept talking about our previous residence hall experiences and how much this type of RLC would benefit us, the concept really began to take shape. What we wanted was an actively supportive community, where students can explore and express themselves without fear.” 

With support from Luca Maurer, interim executive director for student equity and belonging and director of the Center for LGBTQ Education, Outreach and Services; the student group was connected with Ron Trunzo, associate director of Residential Life, Student Conduct and Community Standards; and Eileen Roth, assistant director for Residential Education and Assessment, who serve in advisory roles to the RLC program and the plan officially got underway.  

“I’m so excited about this, not just as the Center director, but remembering myself as a young person in college who would have really benefited from this kind of an RLC but nothing like that existed,” Maurer said. “I don’t think my peers and I would have been able to even imagine something like this. This was a student-led, student-driven initiative, and that’s one of the best kinds of initiatives to refocus and center the experiences and needs of students that higher ed has traditionally ignored, overlooked or left behind.” 

The key part of the process was the work advocating for the RLC’s preferred location in West Tower and approval for converting traditional double rooms into single-occupant rooms to better support the needs of prospective residents.  

“During and after the request for singles, we had information sessions for prospective residents,” Barrett continued. “We had many residents show up in-person and on Zoom to express interest and ask questions. Seeing the outpouring of interest and the energy behind the concept felt like a major turning point for us as we got closer to finalizing the RLC approval process.” 

With the approval process complete, focus this spring has turned to program planning for the fall.  

“I’m looking forward to getting to the fun part of actually living in the community and interacting with the residents,” Cole said. “As the RA for the RLC, I am looking forward to planning events and watching the community build as we begin to get to know one another this fall. As someone who also identifies in the same identity group, I am hoping my residents will feel more comfortable using me as a resource.” 

“I am most excited to see and interact with other students involved in the RLC,” Decker added. “The opportunity to see people truly inhabit the space and live as their full selves is an incredible privilege. The ability to create and be a part of this shared space and experience is a wonderful addition for any current or future transgender and nonbinary student at Ithaca College.” 

Barrett concluded by sharing his thoughts on how creation of the RLC can serve as a roadmap to sparking future initiatives to continue making Ithaca College and colleges in general more inclusive. 

“For me, the best part about forming the RLC is the opportunities this will provide to future transgender and nonbinary students,” Barrett said. “A large part of creating this RLC is forcing ourselves to confront the ways in which our college was not originally designed with all students needs in mind. The transgender housing accommodation process has been great in working against these inherent injustices, and the Open Pages RLC joins it in a longer battle to make IC and colleges in general more accessible and inclusive. Not only are their immediate benefits to students in the short-term, but hopefully this serves as part of a larger shift towards transgender and nonbinary inclusion beyond correct pronoun usage to more active restructuring of our traditional imbalances.” 

Ithaca College Announces Creation of Pride Fellow Position

As an additional layer to Ithaca College’s efforts to build a more vibrant and inclusive culture at all levels of the college, it is proud to announce the creation of the IC Pride Fellowship. One of the first of its kind nationally, the IC Pride Fellowship is a two-year fixed term paid fellowship position made available to recent graduates and young professionals looking to gain access and insights into the fields of LGBTQ campus resource professionals, higher education, and student affairs. The role provides an early career experience designed to instill key core competencies to become effective leaders and changemakers to make a meaningful impact both during their time at Ithaca College and beyond. 

“The new professional in this role will learn to put research into practice, explore innovative ways to support LGBTQ student success, and increase equity and access. The interconnectedness and mutuality of our campus community is woven into our fellowship model; as the fellow learns and grows this will benefit not only them as an individual, but also our students, and our institution.”  

Luca Maurer, Interim Executive Director for Student Equity and Belonging and Director of the Center for LGBTQ Education, Outreach and Services.

Spearheaded by Rosanna Ferro, vice president for Student Affairs and Campus Life and Maurer the creation of the fellowship demonstrates Ithaca College’s institutional commitment to increasing the number of traditionally under represented and historically disenfranchised people in higher education. The work to create this position has been a key goal for Ferro and Maurer throughout the 2021-22 academic year. The creation of the fellowship brings another significant and needed layer of support to Ithaca College’s students. 

“The new professional in this role will learn to put research into practice, explore innovative ways to support LGBTQ student success, and increase equity and access,” Maurer said. “The interconnectedness and mutuality of our campus community is woven into our fellowship model; as the fellow learns and grows this will benefit not only them as an individual, but also our students, and our institution.”  

Maurer also shared praise for IC’s leadership for their support in the creation of this exciting professional opportunity. 

“I’m especially grateful to President Emerita Collado who imagined this transformational opportunity and creatively repurposed funds to make this fellowship a possibility; to President Cornish who wholeheartedly supported and affirmed Collado’s commitment; and to Vice President Ferro for all her efforts to make this vision a reality.” 

The Pride Fellow will be integrated into a fully immersive experience during their term in the role. Under the mentorship of Maurer, they will be tasked with supporting programming, developing innovative ways to connect with and support LGBTQ student success, as well as devising strategies to tackle barriers to increased equity, inclusion and accessibility on IC’s campus. 

The search process for the inaugural IC Pride Fellow is currently underway and interested applicants are encouraged to view the position listing and apply. 

“It gives me great pride to see this innovative fellowship position come to fruition,” said Ferro. “I am excited not only for the impact this new role will have in improving the IC experience for our current and future students, but also for how Ithaca College is taking a leading role in providing access and fostering the development of the young leaders of today and tomorrow.” 

Bonnie Prunty, current Dean of Students who is set to transition to the role of vice president for Student Affairs and Campus Life following Ferro’s departure from the college in June, is also excited for the impacts these two additions will have for the campus this coming fall. 

“It gives me great excitement to see the Open Pages RLC and the addition of the IC Pride Fellowship this coming fall,” Prunty said. “Together, these two amazing and pioneering initiatives will go a long way towards supporting and enriching the IC experience for current and future students. As a division, our goal is to continue to add unique initiatives such as these as we endeavor to build an environment that fosters greater equitable access and student sense of belonging.”