Senior Vice President

Message from the Senior Vice President and Treasurer

The division of Finance and Administration is organized and operated to provide premier service to the university in the stewardship of its human, physical, financial, technological and informational resources. The staff members of Finance and Administration are among the most talented and dedicated professionals in higher education. Learn more about Finance and Administration >

University Town Hall Recording

A recording of the 2025 University Town Hall is available on the Zoom Webinar. To access it, log in using your RIT Account.

Biography

Dr. James Watters is Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration and Treasurer. He oversees the activity of over 880 full-time employees and 1,500 student workers. He is responsible for administering the university’s annual $1.1 billion operating budget and $337 million capital budget; $1.6 billion endowment and working capital portfolios; and $400 million public debt portfolio. Dr. Watters is responsible for the departments within the Division of Finance and Administration.

He is vice chair of RIT’s Global Delivery Corporation which overseas RIT’s international campuses located in Zagreb and Dubrovnik, Croatia; Pristina, Kosovo; and Dubai. He holds the position of chairman of the RIT Croatia Board of Trustees and trustee for RIT Dubai’s Board of Trustees.

Dr. Watters serves on several non-profit and for-profit boards, including the New York Kitchen, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Broadstone Net Lease Board of Directors, and Canandaigua National Bank Board of Directors.

Dr. Watters came to RIT from the University of Pittsburgh, where he spent his academic and previous professional years and earned a BS, MS, and Ph.D.

University Leadership

President’s Roundtable was formed in 2001 to provide a means by which RIT’s executive leadership and the President can benefit from the advice and counsel of a select group of RIT’s most successful alumni and friends. Participation in the Roundtable is by invitation.

Dr. Watters is a member of the President's Leadership team. Learn more >

RIT Venture Fund provides investment capital and guidance to entrepreneurial ventures with a strong connection to the RIT community. Dr. Watters is the fund's Chief Investment Officer. Learn more >

Dr. Watters is a member of the University Council. The University Council is an integral part of the shared governance model of leadership at RIT. Learn more >

Campus Aesthetics Committee

The architecture of RIT is characterized by a high degree of recognized design excellence, and was purposefully designed in a consistent vocabulary of architectural form.

It is imperative that any proposal to change or add to the campus environment be subject to close analysis and regulation.

It is the role of the Campus Aesthetics Committee to fulfill this responsibility in an advisory role to the Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration.

In the News

April 25, 2025

How college campuses in Rochester are fighting food waste with composting

WXXI speaks to Don LaFlam, executive director of RIT Dining; Neha Sood, director of Sustainability; and Jack Penland, student and zero-waste ambassador, about how RIT is handling food waste.
April 3, 2025

RIT community members honored for excellence at Presidential Awards for Outstanding Staff

The annual awards are presented to staff members who exemplify outstanding service and dedication to the university and who exhibit a high degree of personal ethics and integrity, while consistently demonstrating a strong commitment to student success.
March 7, 2025

Campus Connect brings programming to students on their home turf

Campus Connect provides programs that help students engage with faculty, participate in workshops, and connect with peers, all in a convenient residence hall location.