After four years of research,
testing and industry outreach, RIT is unveiling expanded programs and
other enhancements within the newly named School of Print Media.
Formerly known as the School
of Printing Management and Sciences, the School of Print Media (SPM)
is responding to fundamental changes in the publishing and printing
industry, due mainly to advances in digital technology.
“The School of Print
Media is poised to contribute cutting-edge resources and expertise to
continue the industry’s evolution,” explains Joan Stone, dean
of RIT’s College of Imaging Arts and Sciences.
RIT enhancements include
new-media publishing and graphic-media curricula at both the undergraduate
and graduate levels. These academic programs have led to a steady climb
in the school’s enrollment since 1999, including a 14 percent increase
during the 2001-02 academic year.
In addition, all graphic
media research and industry education programs at RIT will be administered
by the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, under the umbrella of the
RIT Printing Industry Center, sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
“Our goal is to increase
the benefits of an RIT education to the printing and publishing industries,”
states Frank Romano, former SPM chair and now the Roger K. Fawcett Distinguished
Professor of Digital Publishing. Barbara Pellow, the Frank E. Gannett
Professor of Integrated Publishing Sciences, became SPM chair July 1.
Later this fall, the Heidelberg
Web Press Laboratory will begin operation on the RIT campus. The laboratory
will house a Heidelberg Sunday 2000 web press, featuring the most advanced
technology available.
