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THURSDAY, VOLUME 88 APRIL 29, 2021 THE ITHACAN ISSUE 11 ACCURACY • INDEPENDENCE • INTEGRITY Some students violate Community Agreement BY CAITLIN HOLTZMAN mask-wearing that were classified as Student AND ASHLEY STALNECKER Conduct Code or drug violations, according During a typical academic year, a large to the public safety activity logs. COVID-19 SAFETY group of students playing basketball would From Jan. 24 to April 18, there were not break any college rules or attract any at- 19 calls to Public Safety regarding people tention. However, this year, large groups and partying, not wearing masks or not social parties of unmasked students are part of a distancing — with 11 directly cited as Com- REPORT CARD list of community violations that pose a dan- munity Agreement violations, Tom Dunn, Violations reported in: ger to the wider community because of the associate director and deputy chief of Public COVID-19 pandemic. Safety, said. There were three calls made to Ronald Trunzo, associate director of the Public Safety for students playing recreation- Resident Assistant/Apartment Office of Residential Life and the Office of al sports and not wearing masks. In many of Student Conduct and Community Stan- the calls, the officer reported that the stu- Assistant General dards, said that since Jan. 1, there were 115 dents were wearing masks upon arriving, people who used the Community Agree- according to Public Safety’s activity logs. Conduct Report ment Reporting Form to report violations. Trunzo said residential life staff have 122 That form can be used by anyone on or off been working to educate students about campus, whether they are students, staff, fac- COVID-19 guidelines to ensure that they Community Agreement ulty or community members. He said there are followed and understood by the were 112 reports from the Resident Assis- campus community. Reporting Form tant/Apartment Assistant General Conduct To return to campus for Spring 2021, 115 Report and 253 reports from the Testing students had to sign the Community Agree- Non-Compliance Reporting Form, mean- ment. Part of the agreement states that Testing Non-Compliance ing students neglected their twice-weekly students will wear their masks indoors — COVID-19 testing. except when eating — and avoid indoor or Reporting Form During Ithaca College’s in-person semes- outdoor mass gatherings. The agreement 253 ter this spring, the Office of Public Safety also says that students will not travel outside and Emergency Management received 11 of Tompkins County or bring guests into community violation complaints — one off the county. *Since Jan. 1 campus and 10 on campus. There were at least eight other calls to Public Safety about AGREEMENT, PAGE 4 Contingent faculty union starts Students voice issues negotiations for new contract with housing process on-campus apartments specifically BY ALEXIS MANORE BY ARLEIGH RODGERS are filled prior to all students who re- The Ithaca College Contingent Following Ithaca College’s de- quest them being housed in them,” Faculty Union begins negotiations cision to eliminate the 2021–22 Davis said via email. “Once larger for its second contract April 29 off-campus housing process, many apartments were filled, the groups because the current collective bar- rising juniors are frustrated by the who were unable to be housed in gaining agreement is set to expire housing process. an apartment were provided an op- May 31. Rising juniors are finding that portunity to adjust their groups so The current collective bargain- housing spaces in the on-campus that they could determine how they ing agreement was going to expire Garden Apartments or Circle Apart- wanted to proceed (such as having in May 2020, but because of the ments — an alternative to off-campus housing set up as an individual or COVID-19 pandemic, the adminis- housing for many upperclassmen with a requested roommate).” tration agreed to extend it to the because of their kitchens and private Two petitions on Change.org are next year, said James Miranda, lec- bathrooms — have been filled. On circulating among students at the turer in the Department of Writing April 23, an email from the Office of college. “Petition for Ithaca College and chair of the Contingent Facul- Residential Life was sent to students Off-Campus Housing for Juniors” ty Union. However, the COVID-19 in housing groups larger than three has over 1,000 signatures, and “Ju- pandemic and the Academic people notifying them that the re- niors should not be forced to live in Program Prioritization (APP) has maining housing spaces available on dorms” has over 100. This semes- resulted in the union rethinking The Ithaca College Contingent Faculty Union is pushing for more campus are for no more than two ter, there are 1,094 students in the the types of protections that union benefits and aid for faculty impacted by the pandemic and cuts. students. Students were given until college’s sophomore class. There members need. The union is now FLE PHOTO/THE ITHACAN April 26 to adjust the size of their are 1,274 available spaces in the Gar- pushing for increased aid and housing groups. den and Circle Apartments. benefits for contingent faculty contract that builds on the current members who are at risk of los- Laura Davis, assistant director Both petitions request a change members who have been impact- contract, and the union has add- ing their visas, a paid sick leave for housing services and commu- to the housing process by letting ed by the COVID-19 pandemic ed a number of memorandums of agreement, helping facilitate un- nication, said that there is enough juniors choose where they want or were terminated as a result of understanding (MOUs) to the employment insurance claims and housing for students on campus to live and state that the college’s the APP. Miranda said the union collective bargaining agreement. expanding the Dissertation Diver- but that interest in the apartments financial instability should not be had an informal meeting with the These include the extension of sity Fellowship program, Miranda usually outweighs the apartment their burden. administration April 23, but bar- access to Netpass and the Itha- said. Miranda said recall for ter- spaces available. The alternative to The college’s financial mod- gaining officially begins April 29. ca College Library for 18 months minated faculty members is very on-campus apartment housing is a el relies heavily on student fees, The union and administration for terminated faculty members, dorm in a residence hall. HOUSING, PAGE 4 are working to develop a new support for terminated faculty NEGOTIATIONS, PAGE 4 “As is the case every year, the LIFE & CULTURE | page 11 OPINION | page 7 SPORTS | page 14 HANDWERKER STUDENTS NEED CLUB RUGBY HOLDS SENIOR BETTER CAMPUS RETURNS TO THE SHOWCASE HOUSING OPTIONS PRACTICE PITCH 2 | NEWS THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 2021 IC groups discuss impacts of APP BY ELIZABETH KHARABADZE, of 38 faculty members who identi- SYD PIERRE fied themselves as being terminated, AND CAITLIN HOLTZMAN approximately 10% were BIPOC. By getting rid of BIPOC facul- Organizations at Ithaca College ty members, the facilitators said held three events to address racism, students who are members of the the impact of the Academic Program BIPOC community will struggle to Prioritization (APP) on BIPOC mem- make connections with individuals bers of the campus community and who have a shared experience. neoliberal austerity measures within The group also called for more higher education. conversations in classrooms regard- The APP has resulted in back- ing the BIPOC community through lash from groups like the Open anti-racist curriculum. Students voice their opposition to the APP faculty cuts at a protest organized by the Open the Books the Books (OTB) coalition and “Inside Hire Ed: Neoliberal Aus- coalition Feb. 22. Protesters held a banner at the crosswalk outside of the Peggy Ryan Williams Center. Alumni Against Austerity (AAA) who terity and the Politics of Data” JORDAN BROKING/THE ITHACAN oppose the cuts and are pushing for A teach-in that focused on ex- financial transparency. amining the links between higher University and president of the Debrief Event been consulted enough about the BIPOC Town Hall education, labor and inequality was Rutgers Faculty, Grad Workers AAA and OTB held a de- APP process. Stella Rivera ’19; senior Alex held April 22. and Postdoc Union (AAUP-AFT), briefing meeting April 27 to “I think for our administration, Paredes-Ruíz, co-chair of the Stu- The event was hosted by IC Fu- spoke about progress made by the discuss the events. consulting faculty often means send- dents of Color Coalition (SOCC); tures, Students for Labor Action, AAUP-AFT at Rutgers University. Elijah Breton ’16 said that there ing us something and telling us that and junior Sebastian Chavez, SOCC the Contingent Faculty Union, the “We also need to fight over needs to be shared governance we can comment if we want to, and senator for the Student Governance college’s chapter of the American how the university is run,” Wolfson and that alumni should use their then the comments will be ignored,” Council, facilitated the discussion Association of University Profes- said. “And as we’ve seen, those voices to advocate for change at she said. April 21 in collaboration with mem- sors, OTB, AAA, the Department people who run it right now the college. bers of AAA, the Asian American of Politics and the Park Center for cannot run it in the interest of stu- “Faculty come and go, but alum- CONTACT ELIZABETH KHARABADZE Alliance, African Students Associa- Independent Media. dents and people who make the ni are forever,” he said. [email protected] CONTACT SYD PIERRE tion, Ujima Black Student Union, At the event, Todd Wolfson, university work.