2008 Commencement Speaker:
RIT Provost Stanley McKenzie

Stanley McKenzie, RIT provost and chief academic officer, is the 2008 Commencement speaker.  With 41 years of dedicated service to RIT, Dr. McKenzie has played a major role in past commencements, often behind the scenes. Now it is his turn to deliver this important address on Friday, May 23 during the highlight of the academic year.

Dr. McKenzie will be stepping down as provost in June. He will be back in the classroom in the fall to teach literature, including Shakespeare. Dr. McKenzie has a B.S. in science and humanities from MIT. He holds a M.A. and a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Rochester.

His prior administrative roles at RIT include director of judicial affairs, assistant to the provost, acting dean of the College of Liberal Arts and assistant to the vice president for student affairs/judicial affairs. He has been on the RIT faculty since 1967. He counts his 16 years dealing with matters of student misconduct as director of judicial affairs as among his most gratifying assignments.

Other milestone contributions include serving as co-vice-chair of the RIT Strategic Planning Committee, co-chair of the RIT Priorities and Objectives Committee, chair of Faculty Council, President's Search Committee member, the Reporter Magazine advisory board member, Residence Life Advisory Board member, and faculty advisor of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity.

RIT has marked momentous changes since Dr. McKenzie’s arrival, when the campus was still located in downtown Rochester. Enrollment has grown from fewer than 10,000 students to nearly 16,000. More than 100 academic programs, including four Ph.D. degrees (plus two more under development), have been launched. The campus has transformed in countless ways.

Our college commencement ceremonies held on both Friday, May 23, and Saturday, May 24, 2008, will recognize the graduates individually. We’re proud of our students - they are the heart of this university. We feel the Academic Convocation and the accompanying college commencement celebration will be a culminating experience for graduates, families and friends; a capstone of their time at RIT; and a fitting finale to years of hard work and sacrifice.

Join us for this memorable and happy occasion!