A Chat with RIT’s Neeraj Buch: His Focus is on Student Success | January 2024
January marks one year since Neeraj Buch arrived at RIT as the new Dean for Undergraduate Education and Associate Provost for Student Success. In addition to making the physical move here from Michigan with his family and adjusting to a new city, Buch has been busy on campus working to ensure undergraduate programming is meeting students’ needs. We began our interview with a question about his responsibilities and what “student success” looks like to him.
The Dean for Undergraduate Education and Associate Provost for Student Success has an exceptional opportunity to champion the quality of the undergraduate academic student experience at RIT and to bolster the extraordinary reputation of the university and its students across the nation and the globe.
The dean holds ultimate responsibility for the quality of the undergraduate academic experience. Broadly, this refers to improving measures of student success, supporting the development of innovative and interdisciplinary curricula, and ensuring maximum effectiveness of the undergraduate education infrastructure. The Dean will need to work in partnership with enrollment, student affairs, finance & administration, academic leadership, and senior leadership in order to garner university-wide attention and buy-in to the efforts that will advance these critical elements of the RIT undergraduate experience.
During your 20+ years at Michigan State University, you served in a variety of roles including professor, director, chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and that of associate dean of Undergraduate Studies in the College of Engineering. What impact has that had on your professional journey?
The various leadership roles have given me the opportunity to work on matters related to curriculum development and management, student success, faculty development, ABET accreditation, budget planning, fund raising, strategic planning, recruitment and retention of students, global engineering, student organizations and scholarships. My professional track record of entrepreneurial, transformative leadership has inspired and encouraged faculty, staff, and students to commit to a unified, strategic vision that moves the university towards greater prominence as a national leader in education and student success.
You have also been heavily involved in mentoring students one-on one and advising student organizations. Why is that important to you?
As an educator I have a passion for student success. For me, this passion has grown from a desire for excellence in student learning. I approach teaching and learning primarily as a personal investment in the growth of students as people and secondarily as a means of enabling students’ learning of the course content. It is my strong belief that a university education is more than just earning a degree, it is about preparing the students for the future. The office of the Dean, Undergraduate Studies and Associate Provost for Student Success should ensure that all RIT students receive the support needed to learn, persist and graduate in a timely fashion; that equity, inclusion, diversity and global competency are interwoven into all aspects of the undergraduate programs.
During a presentation before the Division of Diversity and Inclusion in September, you talked about changing the way students receive services from the university by providing services on the “residential side” where they are. Why is that important?
We are in the midst of a transformation in pedagogy (the pandemic notwithstanding), delivery modes, and credentialing structures that will permanently change higher education within the next two decades. Universities that embrace these changes, and actively engage in shaping the future of education will be leaders that gain “market share” of the “best and brightest” students.
What role does diversity and inclusion play in the undergraduate academic student experience?
As Dean, Undergraduate Studies and Associate Provost for Student Success at RIT, I have the exciting opportunity to work with individuals from across the university, each with a unique contribution to the team’s diversity. I value differences of opinion and constructive, civil disagreement. It is impossible to address big challenges without broad vision informed by individuals encouraged to be honest and respectful. I know that I cannot understand all of the nuances of others’ experiences and perspectives, but I can listen and thoughtfully consider their input. Likewise, it is essential that contributions are recognized and celebrated, as this builds a culture and safe space in which all can engage in tackling the challenges at hand. I am immensely grateful for the support I have received in my career and will seek out opportunities to “pay it forward” for others.
“Fun Facts “
I am an avid tennis and pickle ball player and share this passion with my wife. My other passions include watching cricket (no this is not like baseball!) and watching cooking shows on the Food Network Channel.