Welcome Back: A Message from AES Vice President and Associate Provost / Professor of Communication Keith Jenkins |
Hello. It is my honor, on behalf of the Division of Access, Engagement, and Success (AES), to welcome you to the start of AY 2026-27!
For those new to the RIT family, AES is an RIT division that empowers and enriches the RIT Community through a range of comprehensive events, programs, and services that widen the windows of access and broaden the pathways to success. Whether you connect with us through our many student-facing programs and services, our Office of Faculty Recruitment, the departments of Community and Education or Brick by Brick Theater, or via our newsletters and signature events, know that all of us in AES welcome you as we embark on this new year.
In focusing this message on RIT’s work to create an environment where everyone belongs and can thrive, I wanted to share some specific highlights regarding AES student-facing programs and services.
First, AES remains committed to strengthening a culture of well-being and belonging for all students, with particular attention to first-generation students. AES recognizes that several of its programs have served first-generation students for decades through federally funded and state-supported initiatives, including the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), the McNair Scholars Program, and the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP).
Second, building on proven student-success strategies, AVPs Phillippa Thiuri and David Wick worked last year to expand our first-generation efforts, including something new: securing RIT’s membership in the FirstGen Forward Network—a national collaboration of colleges and universities dedicated to advancing support for first-generation students through shared best practices. This membership is especially important because nearly one in four RIT students is first-generation, meaning they will be the first in their family to earn a bachelor’s degree.
Third, further examination of AES staff reveals that nearly two-thirds of AES staff members self-identify as First-Generation, myself included, and have earned college degrees that surpassed the educational attainment of their own parents, guardians, or caretakers. Their firsthand experience navigating higher education, combined with the dedication of their Continuing-Gen colleagues, drives AES’s mission to support and empower RIT’s First-Generation student community. Whether the students AES serve come from families with highly educated parents or are first generation in their families to attend college, we all succeed together.
So, in closing, as we embark on this new year, we embrace the opportunities to partner with each of you in the great work of access, engagement, and success, whether supporting first-generation populations at RIT or through other AES events, programs or services. We look forward to a productive and rewarding year.