Dear Students,
I share this message with you today to express my sincere appreciation for all you have accomplished this semester. Despite unprecedented challenges, your steadfast commitment and accountability to our shared community health measures has been nothing short of remarkable. Thanks to your unwavering diligence we have been able to showcase what we can accomplish when we are #ICinThisTogether and have truly brought our beloved South Hill campus back to life this spring. Now I encourage us all to remain committed to finishing what we have started!
Traditionally, this point of the semester has been a time when IC students have begun gathering together to celebrate the impending conclusion of the academic year. The most notable of these unsanctioned, unstructured events is Kendall Day, typically held on the weekend after the last day of classes in advance of Finals Week. I remind you that the Ithaca College Community Agreement prohibits members of our IC community from participating in mass gatherings. Those who host or participate in such gatherings will be subject to sanctions from the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. Additionally, I ask our IC students to please be mindful of the potential negative impacts – both personally and for our greater IC community – that large-scale gatherings could have.
There is so much at stake should we decide to cast aside the practices that have allowed us to navigate the semester smoothly in favor of taking part in activities like Kendall Day. A COVID-19 outbreak stemming from such a super-spreader event could have the following impacts: - Inability to move forward with plans for in-person Senior Week activities, including Senior Splash and Commencement.
- Inability for students to move out or otherwise leave Ithaca for the Summer at their planned time due to isolation/quarantine guidelines.
- Potential to overwhelm local health care systems.
- Student conduct violations rising to the level of suspension. Please view this webpage that clearly articulates sanctions related to COVID-19 public health violations.
Please also be aware that area law enforcement agencies will continue to monitor and respond to potential violations of New York State public health regulations, local noise ordinances, and other issues in the South Hill neighborhoods.
I encourage our students to explore some alternative ways to celebrate. Visit IC Engage to learn about structured Ithaca College sponsored activities that will be available. I also encourage our students to follow the Instagram accounts @ic_offcampus and @ithacasacl for some great resources on how to celebrate safely over the coming weeks.
Thank you for your cooperation. Let’s finish this semester strong!
Sincerely,
Rosanna Ferro, Ed.D.
Vice President for Student Affairs and Campus Life
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