OCTOBER, 2009 • ISSUE #5
Welcome to the Provost's eZine, a monthly electronic newsletter that shares information to the campus community about events and accomplishments.
	A Message from the Provost I want to welcome you back as we begin the 2009-10 academic year at RIT. We are off to a quick start, as you will see in the reports from our various departments below. The vision and goals set by the Board of Trustess and Dr. Destler continue to shape the priorities shared by the Division of Academic Affairs — student success, faculty success, innovation, research/scholarship/creative work, equity and inclusivity, international education, academic operations and academic program success. I look forward to our continuing journey together as we make RIT into a category-of-one national university. Division of Academic Affairs Middle States Progress Letter Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) accepted our April 2009 Progress Letter with no further requirements stipulated. The next step in the accreditation cycle is the periodic review report which is due June 2012. Thank you to all who helped us respond! Student Success Tiger Team Implementation Planning Committee An implementation team has been established to develop plans to move forward with recommendations from the two Student Success Tiger Team Reports. A list of priority implementation steps is found here. Academic Affairs Academic Program Management Webpage Check out the new Academic Program Planning, Review, Assessment and Evaluation webpage. The new site contains everything you need to know (and shouldn't be afraid to ask) related to developing new program proposals, revising current programs and other types of curriculum change. Learning Communities 2009-2010 This fall, RIT has 51 Freshman Learning Communities established in participating departments where 100% of all entering freshman are enrolled in the LC. The LC Advisory Board meeting is scheduled for Friday October 9th to discuss the current structure for LCs and recommendations from the Greater Expectations team to expand the initiative into second and third year level participation as well as to consider development of Living/Learning Communities. A Fall Fellowship Social for LC Faculty and Instructors is planned for Friday, October 16, during which faculty will exchange experiences, to-date. New Staff Assistant in Academic Affairs Please welcome Felicia Monroe to the Academic Affairs team. Felicia supports both the offices of Student Learning Outcomes Assessment and Institute Advising. Felicia has over 10 years of administrative support experience and worked previously at Florida Atlantic University and the University of Rochester. Academic Enhancement Programs Honors Program Dr. Danielle Taana Smith, Associate Professor of Sociology, is the new Honors Program Director, succeeding Dr. David Mathiason who retired on September 1. Record program growth was noted with 195 Honors freshman and a total of 604 Honors Program students. Program Director Smith and three Honors Program students (David Pearson, Frank Mule and Tracey O'Dowd) will participate in the National Collegiate Honors Council Conference this fall as either a presenter or session moderator. Study Abroad RIT sent a total of 117 students on study abroad this past summer through affiliate or RIT-faculty led programs in Australia, British Isles, China, Denmark, England, Galapagos Islands, Germany, Greece, France, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, and Spain; 16 students enrolled at ACMT. Through an exciting joint venture with Housing Operations, a Study Abroad Housing Cluster has been established in Colby Residence Hall. Twenty nine students—all interested in Study Abroad—are housed in this cluster. Monthly international events are scheduled to promote international education opportunities. In addition, outreach efforts to promote international educational opportunities for all RIT students have begun and the SA Office will be setting up Information Tables in each college during the week of October 12th. Institute Advising Office The RIT Advisors Council and the Center for Professional Development are collaborating to offer an exciting series of workshops for faculty and staff with advising responsibilities. For workshop descriptions and registration information, follow this link. Registrar Double majors can now be tracked and recorded. After a significant amount of work by ITS, we are now able to record and display a student's second major on many student screens in STARS and in many places in SIS and Faculty/Staff Advising. It is important to note that for this first phase of this effort, the second major has not been incorporated into the registration process as it pertains to restrictions on courses. Only the first recorded major is considered. K-12 Partnerships • We are pleased to announce that RIT was approved for funding on a New York State Liberty Partnerships grant, which will provide 1.5 million over the next five years for programming geared to successful high school completion and college readiness for students in the Greece Central School District. • Continuing programs this year—focusing on accelerated academic enrichment and college readiness programs—include: STEP and GEAR UP (in the Rochester City School district and the Rush Henrietta School District); and 3rd year implementation of the Middle College program with Rochester City School District (students in the three Franklin High Schools; Global Media High School, International Business and Finance Academy and the Bioscience and Health Careers High School). • Summer programming for 60 middle and high school students included the STEP summer NOVA Academy and the Summer Youth Employment Program. Both groups received support in academic skill building as well as seminars in leadership. The Summer Youth Employment Program introduced students to the elements of building a personal computer as well as functionality of a non- profit. Assembled computers were awarded to local non-profit agencies who responded to a student generated request for proposals. University Studies Program University Studies First Class is Off to a Good Start! 48 new students began their exploration for a major at RIT in the new University Studies Program. These students are academically strong and intellectually curious, and range from being completely undecided about a major to having an interest in multiple majors and multiple colleges. Through University Studies students take courses while exploring their career goals, interests and values in order to make an informed decision regarding a major at RIT. The University Studies Program staff can be reached at 585-475-5263 or at their website here. Student Learning Outcomes Assessment General Education Student Learning Outcomes Update Two faculty teams met this summer to begin developing assessment plans for two of the General Education Student Learning Outcomes: Communication and Scientific, Mathematical, and Technological Literacy. The review and implementation of these plans will begin this academic year. Additional General Education faculty teams will also be launched this year. The following faculty members comprised these teams: Communications Team: David Martens, Richard Santana, Linda Rubel and Lisa Hermsen; Scientific, Mathematical, and Technological Literacy Team: Ron Jodoin, Elizabeth Hane, Carl Lutzer and Josh Faber. University Assessment Council To ensure an infrastructure that supports assessment on campus, a University Assessment Council has been established to provide coordination and leadership to academic and administrative divisions conducting assessment in the areas of student learning outcomes, student development and university operations. Council members include individuals with assessment responsibilities within Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Finance and Administration, Development and Alumni Relations, and Enrollment Management and Career Services. Future Stewards Initiative FSI Director, Jason Younker, Ph.D. (Coquille), provided introductory remarks and led the opening prayer at RIT's The Big Shot reception in Washington, DC on Saturday, September 26th. FSI faculty - Dr. Paul Shipman and Dr. Jeff Burnette, staff- Dr. Laurie Clayton and seven student scholars attended the program. FSI Scholars and CIAS students - Kyleen James and Leah Shenandoah gifted their artwork to the museum. Leah performed with her mother, Grammy award-winning singer songwriter, Joanne Shenandoah as part of the Big Shot Celebration. The Wallace Libraries The Wallace Center: Your One-Stop Solution for Student and Faculty Success After much deliberation and helpful input from the entire campus, we're pleased to introduce The Wallace Center as our new name. Earlier this year, a strategic decision was made to merge the RIT Libraries with Teaching & Learning Services (TLC, Online Learning, ETC). The primary goal was to create a more streamlined operation (all within Bldg. 5) while retaining the myriad services so vital to academic success at RIT. In reaffirming our priorities we've crafted the following new Vision and Mission statements: The Wallace Center's Vision: The heart and intellectual nexus of the Institute. The Wallace Center's Mission: Provide academic support and service for students and faculty, contributing to RIT's recognition as a leader in research, scholarship, innovation and creativity. Please visit our Web Portal for more information. College of Applied Science and Technology The College of Applied Science and Technology is proud to share the following news: • CAST applauds the following staff members on being nominated for the 2009 Staff Recognition Awards: Dewey Lawrence, Elizabeth Fiorica, Lori Harris, Jayne Downes, Thomas Downes, Maureen Shannon and Anne Zachmeyer. • Launched by CAST, the third volume of the Journal of Applied Science & Engineering Technology, has been released. Scott Anson, Ph.D., mechanical engineering technology program chair, serves as JASET's editor-in-chief. • CAST Faculty Emeritus John Stratton received the Engineering Society Award for making significant contributions to engineering technology education. American College of Management and Technology ACMT Dubrovnik Launched RIT's IT Program To ensure an infrastructure that supports assessment on campus, a University Assessment Council has been established to provide coordination and leadership to academic and administrative divisions conducting assessment in the areas of student learning outcomes, student development and university operations. Council members include individuals with assessment responsibilities within Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Finance and Administration, Development and Alumni Relations, and Enrollment Management and Career Services. RIT's campus in Dubrovnik, Croatia, started with the delivery of Information Technology program in the fall quarter of 2009/2010 academic year. Information technology is one of the fields with biggest potential in Croatia and the whole Balkans region, where a significant lack of IT experts is present in the job market. ACMT carefully prepared the first American IT program prior to its launch and also accredited the program in Croatia so the students will be earning both Croatian and American diplomas upon completing the studies. In order to match RIT's technological standards computer labs were equipped with new machines. Apple Mac Lab, which will also be serving the community as an Apple Regional Training Center, is especially interesting, as it is unique in the region. ACMT celebrated its 11th commencement in June. National Technical Institute for the Deaf • Justin Drezner, a graduate student studying service management, appeared live on CNN to make a "30 Second Pitch" to help him find employment upon graduation. Justin also said it is harder for deaf people to find employment in these rough economic times. • David Conyer, executive producer for Educational Design Resources at NTID, is traveling to Moscow to present at the 1st International Conference "Raising Effectiveness of Social Advertising in Russia." He will talk about his work in films and documentaries that portray positive images of people with disabilities. • "Hamill," a film based on the early life of RIT/NTID graduate Matt Hamill, is being filmed on the RIT campus. Hamill, who graduated in 1999, won three NCAA Division III national wrestling championships while at RIT and has since gained fame in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The film is expected to be completed in 2010. • Robert Panara, NTID's first deaf faculty member, was recently heard on NPR radio stations across the country talking about meeting his childhood hero Babe Ruth in 1931. Panara, 89, participated in StoryCorps, a traveling oral history project. Kate Gleason College of Engineering KGCOE Welcomes Unique Freshman Class (see Dean's article, p.1, 6-7) This KGCOE freshman class is unique in several respects. • There are 108 women, which exceeds last year's record breaking total of 102, making it the second year in a row that the number of women has hit triple digits. • It has the largest number of under-represented minority students in the history of KGCOE. The 61 AALANA freshmen reflect a jump of nearly 61% over the college's previous high of 38. • It includes the first cohort of chemical engineering majors—39 freshmen, with more expected when several freshmen in the Engineering Exploration program choose ChemE as their major. Biomedical Engineering Program Approved by NYS Education Department (see Dean's article, p.7) This new BS degree program in biomedical engineering is unique in that it focuses on the systems engineering of the human body and other living organisms. Unlike many of the 90 other BS programs in biomedical engineering across the country, every effort has been taken to make the KGCOE program distinct from the foundational engineering disciplines (i.e. chemical, electrical, mechanical, etc.). Guided by input form a wide spectrum of biomedical companies, the curriculum has been structured to develop graduates who understand the challenges and constraints of interfacing devices to the human body to address healthcare issues. B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences School of Informatics Debuts On July 1, the School of Informatics was launched. The newly formed School of Informatics will house the Department of Information Sciences and Technologies, the Department of Interactive Games and Media, and the Department of Networking, Security, and Systems Administration. The college formed the school as part of an ongoing effort to advance computing as a discipline. Recent Publications Dean Jorge Díaz-Herrera co-authored the book Software Architecture and Design Illuminated published by Jones&Bartlett, Illuminated series. His co-authors, colleagues from four other universities, are Kai Quian, Southern Poly in Atlanta, Xiang Fu, Hofstra University, Lixin Tao, Pace University, and Chong-wei Xu, Kennesaw State. The book provides a coherent and integrated approach to the task of software architectural design. It is based on rich practical examples and case studies. Erik Vick, a professor in the Department of Interactive Games and Media, published a new book titled Emotion Notions: Modeling Personality in Game Character AI, through Cengage's Course Technology PTR imprint on August 24, 2009. The book is a continuation of Dr. Vick's research focus and explores the theory and concepts behind video game AI while showing you how to increase believability, interaction, engagement and immersion by modeling human personality, mood, and emotion video game characters. Read more about it here. Dr. Reynold Bailey, computer science department, has been invited to present his research on gaze manipulation at SIGGRAPH 2010—the premiere conference on computer graphics. Dr. Bailey's work combines eye-tracking with subtle image space modulation to change a viewer's natural gaze pattern about a digital image. His paper titled "Subtle Gaze Direction" appeared in the August 2009 issue of the ACM Transactions on Graphics Journal. GCCIS congratulates its recipients of the Provost's Learning and Innovations Grant Program (PLIG) for 2009-10 • Jonathan Schull (with Michael Long and Ian Gatley of COS): Development of a Pilot Honors Course to Address Issues of Local and Global Interest with Agent-Based Modeling • Stephen Jacobs, Eric Grace: Creating a Formal Course in Open Source Development and the One Laptop Per Child Program • Eric Vick, Andrew Phelps: Creating a Game Programming Framework, Phase 1 • Tae (Tom) Oh: Including Real Networking Hardware in the Modeling and Simulation (M&S) Environment Founders of Vicarious Visions, Inc., Address RIT Community Founders of Vicarious Visions, Inc., Guha Bala, president, and Karthik Bala CEO and chief creative officer addressed the RIT community on October 2, as part of Eighth Annual Series of the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences Dean's Lecture Series. They are the developers of Guitar Hero for Nintendo platforms as well as acclaimed Action/RPG Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.The Bala brothers discussed a brief history of innovation in video games and looked to the recent past, current trends, and their personal experiences to offer a perspective on how companies—big and small—can surprise and delight consumers for years to come. Faculty's Work with Visually Impaired Students Featured Stephanie Ludi and Tom Reichlmayr, associate professors of the software engineering department, led the first-ever ImagineIT offered in the San Diego area. ImagineIT is a program designed to expose visually impaired students to computing programming, robotics, and engineering. It is funded by a National Science Foundation program called Broaden Participation in Computing. Read more about it here. Society of Software Engineers (SSE) Hosts Thursday Tech Talks Thursday Night Tech Talks are short talks given by undergraduate students about cool concepts and technologies they've encountered outside of RIT. The talks provide a casual, open forum for exchanging new ideas. College of Science Department of Physics A New Way to Focus Light Grover Swartzlander, a new associate professor with joint appointments in Physics and the Center for Imaging Science, has developed a new type of lens for focusing light. Rather than using the principles of refraction or diffraction, his so-called vectographic lens uses the fundamental property of polarization. He will be presenting an invited talk on this topic at the Annual Meeting of the Optical Society of America on October 13. These computer-designed lenses may be inkjetted on oriented polyvinyl alcohol film, resulting in thin, lightweight, large area lenses. RIT has secured a provisional patent for this technology. Owing to polarization losses, the lenses may be most suitable for imaging systems that require attenuation. Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies CIMS Wins "Green Challenge", Receives DOC Excellence Award A lightweight solar-powered vehicle hand-built by staff and student co-ops of RIT's Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies was co-winner of President Destler's "Green Vehicle Challenge," at the Imagine RIT Festival on May 2. Abby Donner, an industrial engineering major and CIMS co-op, drove the CIMS vehicle. Participants had to complete a 3-mile loop around campus while expending the least amount of energy. And on June 5, CIMS received the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration's (EDA) Excellence in University Led Strategies Award for 2009. This is the first time a New York State university has received the EDA award.