I am certain that Ithaca College will emerge from this chapter stronger and more resolute in its direction forward, and the board and I are actively partnering with Tom Rochon and other campus leaders to make sure that happens."Īt Vanderbilt, many minority students have in recent days renewed a push for the university to take action against Carol Swain (right), a tenured professor of political science and law, over a column she wrote in January after the terrorist attacks in Paris against the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. The Ithaca College board chair, Tom Grape, gave a statement to The Ithaca Voice that said, "We understand that the issues are serious and significant, and we are listening. Is the president just a figurehead? Of course, but the point is that the campus body has removed that figurehead and has in turn opened the door for retrieving real sources of power." It also opens the doors for the complete restructuring of top-down administration on college campuses. This push is not reactionary but strategic because now it brings the campus community directly into administrative affairs. The removal of an administrator brings influence back into the hands of the people. The group issued a statement that said in part, "The removal of a college president is possible and the reason why should be considered by IC is very clear.
"Other institutions have been able to engender lasting change by establishing this level of accountability, and I am confident that this is the right thing for Ithaca College as well."īut that was not enough to stop calls for his removal. "It has become clear to me that, although we have taken some steps in the right direction, I will need the counsel and full-time focus of a strong and experienced leader with deep knowledge in this area in order to make progress with appropriate speed, inclusivity, accountability and transparency," Rochon said in a statement. On Tuesday, he announced that he is creating a chief diversity officer position. On Wednesday, hundreds of students and faculty members walked out of class and instead participated in a rally calling for the removal of Rochon, who has been pledging to do more to make the campus inclusive and welcoming for all students. Minority students have also complained about social events that make fun of black culture and an environment in which they feel unwelcome. Nationally, black students are going online to share information about their experiences at predominantly white institutions.Īmong the campuses where students staged protests to back the Missouri students Wednesday were Smith College, where 200 students and professors left classes at noon, and the University of Iowa, where students didn't walk out of classes but rallied at the Old Capitol (above right), wearing black to show their empathy with black students at Missouri.Īt Ithaca, students have been pushing for the removal of Thomas Rochon as president, citing what they consider his failure to adequately respond to several racially charged incidents, including one at a forum where two alumni referred to a third (a black woman) as “the savage” after she said, “I had this savage hunger” to build a successful career. Meanwhile, students are renewing campaigns to force out the president of Ithaca College and to dismiss a controversial professor at Vanderbilt University. On some campuses, students are staging walkouts or protests to show solidarity with those at Missouri. The sustained protests at the University of Missouri, which led to the ouster of a system president and campus chancellor, are inspiring minority students at many campuses.
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