Ithaca College

Responses from the Student Interview

From a student  who identifies as Major: Communication Management & Design – Concentration in Corporate Communications
Minor: Sociology
Student Self Identifies as: White Bisexual Male

Summary

I’ve had four jobs since I started college, two being on-campus but they don’t offer a lot of hours so I got jobs off-campus. I’m also part of the Outing Club.

Background

Gender Identity: Male
Race/Ethnicity: White
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual

High School Experience: Private Catholic school in Syracuse, NY with about 55 students in the graduating class. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Communication Management & Design – Concentration in Corporate Communications
Minor: Sociology

Extracurricular Activities: I’ve had four jobs since I started college, two being on-campus but they don’t offer a lot of hours so I got jobs off-campus. I’m also part of the Outing Club.
Did any of your extracurricular activities have a particularly big impact on your experience? In what ways?
The Outing Club has given me the chance to meet a lot of new people and experience cool things off-campus.

Academic Experience

Can you describe the weekly coursework for your major?
At times, there are a lot of essays, which make up the bulk of our grade. I do work on a lot of big projects and throughout the semester, and we’ll work on one big project like a case study or a public relations campaign.
Is there anything you feel your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
The Park School of Communications does a great job of connecting students to alumni, as well as providing them with many opportunities to get professional experience before even graduating.
What has been your favorite part of Ithaca academically?
The Los Angeles program. I learned a lot about my future career and what I might want to do.
What has Ithaca done academically to prepare you for the real world?
I feel like it’s given me the opportunity to partake in all these different case studies and campaigns that I’ve worked on. I have a good idea of what that’ll look like in a professional setting, as well as having the opportunity to go to Los Angeles to do an internship in the entertainment industry. That’ll be very good for my transition when I decide to move out there.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
They try to make it collaborative. However, the learning environment isn’t great. I’d say that since it is a smaller school with smaller classes, it’s very competitive. The idea of forcing very different people to work together consistently is helpful but also isn’t ideal.
How accessible are your professors?
The advantage of having a smaller class is that they’re very accessible. In my major, you’re never in a class bigger than around 20 students. [About 43% of classes have between 10-19 students, and the student-faculty ratio is 11:1.]
Do you feel that people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
Yes, I think that we do learn a lot of different things in my major. The people I take classes with are usually open to learning all the different things and understanding that people do things differently. However, it is still competitive because everyone wants to be the best. I’d say everyone is open to learning whatever.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I’m very happy with my choice. I chose the major because I was unsure about what I wanted to do, but it’s such a broad major and I can do many different things with it post-graduation.

Reasons to Attend

1) The small class sizes and easier access to help if you need it.
2) The nature around campus.
3) The administration listens to the students when making decisions.

Reasons Not to Attend

1) I wouldn’t go if I knew about the overall demeanor and attitude of the student body. There is a sense of entitlement.
2) It’s a small town and there isn’t much to do.
3) It’s super expensive. [The 2018-2019 tuition cost is about $44,000.]

Around Campus

Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: Boothroyd Hall with one roommate
Sophomore: On-campus apartment with one roommate
Junior: I did a semester in Los Angeles living with two other people, but now I’ll be living in an apartment off-campus
How was transitioning from Syracuse to Ithaca in terms of location?
It was very easy because it’s only an hour away and I have my own vehicle. I could go home whenever I wanted and moving in wasn’t hard.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
They often have public safety officers patrolling the campus, so they want to promote safety. I do feel safe.

Social Opportunities

What kind of nightlife or weekend activities do you participate in at Ithaca?
I do a lot of hiking. I go home a lot to work because I only work Monday through Thursday between both of my on-campus jobs. I also go to parties sometimes, and I’d always go to a concert in downtown Ithaca or even in Syracuse if there is somebody I want to see.
What have been some of your favorite times at Ithaca?
We have Cortaca where Ithaca and Cortland play each other. Everyone wakes up and parties at 7 in the morning. We have something similar to that the Saturday after classes finish called Kendall Day where they shut down Kendall Avenue and there’s a huge block party.
How has identifying as LGBT influenced your weekend options? Is there much of an LGBTQ nightlife scene at Ithaca?
It’s a very diverse school, so the LGBTQ presence is there. Acceptance is one of the things the school pushes the most. I feel like that extends to the whole city of Ithaca, as well. There’s a large LGBTQ presence and there’s a bar that has specific nights where it’s a gay bar.
How happy are you with the weekend options at Ithaca? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m not terribly happy. Everyone kind of goes to the same place every weekend because that’s all there is. I’d add that there’s nothing to do on campus during the weekend. I’d be happier if there was a bigger club or bar at Ithaca that would diversify the playing field a little bit.

Campus Culture

How did you meet your closest friends?
I met my closest friend years ago before college and then reconnected through sharing our hometown at Ithaca. I met my other friends through her because she’s a year ahead of me so she made friends before I got there.
How would you describe the overall social scene?
Everyone is kind of cliquey since it’s so small. I’m not a fan.
How would you describe the student body?
There are a lot of rich people. I think that plays into why it’s so cliquey. I think it needs some work in terms of who they recruit for the student body. I think it’s a very specific demographic, partially due to the cost of tuition. There’s not a big [person of color] community there and I think that contributes to why the [person of color] community doesn’t mix with other races and ethnicities. [Socioeconomically, 21% of students come from families in the top 5%.]
How do you like the size of Ithaca in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has it impacted your experience? [There are about 6,250 undergraduates.]
The class sizes are smaller because it’s a small school. It shapes it in a way that you see the same people, but academic wise it’s helpful.
To what extent do you feel people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
I feel like people of different sexual orientations mix socially often. People of different races don’t often mix. The whole [person of color] community at Ithaca sticks together and don’t really care to try to mix. However, I do have many friends of different ethnicities and races. [About 72% of students are White, 9% of students are Hispanic, and 5.5% of students are Black.]
How would you describe the LGBTQ community on campus? How strong is it?
It’s very strong and there are a lot of LGBTQ events. I’d say a good percent of the student population identifies as something other than straight.

Careers

Has the alumni network helped you find internships or jobs?
Yes, I was able to get a recommended internship in Los Angeles through [the Ithaca alumni network].
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that will be helpful professionally?
I learned how to use Excel, Blender, and I was required to learn Photoshop for my major.

Financial Aid

Have you used financial aid? If so, how accommodating was the office to your needs?
They’re very easy to work with. If I had any questions, I’d call them. I never had to wait and they were very helpful.