The Athenaeum
We were originally known as The Athenaeum at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) for many years. The Athenaeum name was in honor of RIT’s own history—the university was founded in 1891 when the Rochester Athenaeum (liberal arts) merged with the Rochester Mechanics Institute (engineering). From our first days in 1987, we were focused on creating a peer-led learning organization.
The Athenaeum Becomes Osher
In 2009, we became an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, joining a growing national network of 120+ university-based programs for senior learners. Our name change from The Athenaeum to Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at RIT marked this important national affiliation with The Bernard Osher Foundation.
Our University
RIT is a growing and vibrant presence on the national and international higher education scene. Osher is part of its Government & Community Relations division. Find out more about the university.