Students at Ithaca College concluded a confidence vote on college president Tom Rochon yesterday. Rochon has faced criticism over his handling of recent racial incidents and accusations of top-down leadership.
A crowd of about 100 gathered in a ballroom on campus to hear student body president Dominick Recckio deliver the news.
“The results of the vote of no confidence are: 71.75 percent of respondents have no confidence in President Rochon,” Recckio declared. Breaking it down by race, 87 percent of respondents of color claimed “no confidence” in Rochon.
It’s important to note that not all students participated in the vote. Ithaca has almost 7,000 students, and just over half of them responded.
Student government plans to meet with the college’s Board of Trustees this week. The trustees have been gathering student, faculty and staff input through emails and meetings. Rochon said in a statement that in the meantime, he will continue working to increase inclusivity on campus.