First day celebration with RIT President Bill Sanders

On July 1, 2025, Bill Sanders officially became RIT’s 11th president. He was greeted by a throng of students, faculty, and staff as he arrived at his office on day one. Here are his first remarks to the RIT community as president:

Good morning, Tigers!  

What an incredible way to start my time at RIT.  Thank you for this warm and spirited welcome.

Thank you, Sandra, for those very kind words, and for everything you do as Senior Vice President of Student Affairs to support our students.  As you know – students are the reason that we are all here – and you and your team’s support of them are an important part of why RIT is so special.

Let’s also have a round of applause for those that planned and executed this event.  I know it was extra work for you, and I deeply appreciate the effort that you made to pull it off so expertly.

I’m deeply honored to join this extraordinary community — and I already feel the energy that makes RIT so unique.

Emily, Ollie, and I have moved into Liberty Hill, and we are ready to embrace RIT and the Rochester community.

Today marks a new chapter — not just for me, but for all of us. I step into this role with humility, excitement, and a deep sense of responsibility.

I want to thank President Munson for his visionary leadership and for leaving RIT in such a strong position.  I have been working closely with him and other leaders at RIT since the announcement of my appointment in late January to prepare for this transition and appreciate the support of the entire leadership team.

I also want to explicitly acknowledge our faculty and staff, department heads, deans, the provost, other leaders, and our board of trustees for the work that they do to support our students and create new knowledge. That’s all of you! Universities hold a sacred place in our society, and the work that we do to educate the next generation of leaders, innovate, and create justice and beauty in the world is even more important now than ever. 

Mark my words – we will continue to do that during my time at RIT and continue to uphold our shared values while doing so.

RIT is a university that charts its own course — bold, creative, and forward-looking. Together, we will continue to shape the future and take RIT to the next level.

I believe deeply that students, faculty and staff are the source of the most creative ideas, and as such I’m here to listen, to learn, and to lead alongside you.  Whether you are a student, faculty member, staff colleague, alumni, parent—your voice matters. This is a shared journey.  Please reach out to me and the other RIT leaders with your thoughts.

I’ve been counting down the days to this moment. And yes—I’ve already got my RIT gear ready to go.

I look forward to meeting many of you in the days ahead—at events, on the Quarter Mile, and maybe even over coffee at Java Wallys.  If you haven’t heard – coffee is good for you, and I drink 4 or 5 cups a day.

Let’s make this a year of momentum, creativity, and connection. This is RIT’s time—and I’m thrilled to be part of it.”

Thank you for the warm welcome. Let’s get to work — and let’s do it together.

GO TIGERS!