# Ithaca College

Ithaca College is an Endowment / Foundation based in Ithaca, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Ithaca, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 953 Danby Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, United States
- **Founded:** 1892
- **Assets under management:** 403 (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** ithaca.edu
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/school/ithaca-college/

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Ithaca College was established in 1892 as a music conservatory and later expanded into a comprehensive liberal arts institution. Its endowment originated to provide stable funding for academic programs and financial aid. La Jerne Terry Cornish has led the college since 2017 while John Neeson chairs the Board of Trustees. The endowment allocates across public equities via commingled funds, private equity through Commonfund Capital International Partners VII, venture capital via Commonfund Capital Venture Partners VI and VII, hedge funds advised by Private Advisors, and real estate holdings including JER Investors Trust. Geographic exposure centers on North America with additional commitments to global private equity and venture strategies. Ticket sizes for external fund commitments typically range from $5 million to $15 million. The portfolio also holds direct real assets such as the main campus, student housing complexes, and the Athletics & Events Center. The college employs 1,708 staff and maintains membership in NACUBO and the Council of Independent Colleges. Prime Buchholz serves as investment advisor and Grant Thornton LLP as auditor. October 2025: The Board of Trustees discussed endowment performance and capital campaign feasibility during its fall meetings. A 2.9-MW solar array supplies renewable energy to campus facilities. Governance rests with the Board of Trustees investment committee, which oversees manager selection and policy adherence separate from day-to-day college operations. The endowment structure channels returns directly to institutional support rather than external limited partners.

## Sectors

- Education

## People

- La Jerne Terry Cornish — President
- John Neeson — Chair of the Board of Trustees
- Tim Downs — Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at Ithaca College?

The Board of Trustees investment committee oversees manager selection and policy. Prime Buchholz acts as external investment advisor. La Jerne Terry Cornish serves as president and John Neeson as board chair.

### Does Ithaca College participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

The endowment commits to external funds including Commonfund Capital International Partners VII and Commonfund Capital Venture Partners VI and VII. It also holds direct ownership of campus real estate and the Handwerker Gallery art collection.

### What investment stages does Ithaca College typically target?

Commitments span early-stage venture through buyout and secondaries via Commonfund vehicles. Public equity exposure occurs through commingled index funds such as MSCI ACWI.

### How is Ithaca College related to Commonfund?

Commonfund serves as a primary manager for private equity and venture capital allocations within the endowment.

### What is Ithaca College's known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?

No direct co-investment program is disclosed. Allocations occur through fund commitments and separate account relationships managed by Prime Buchholz.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/ithaca-college

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology