Don Hudspeth, president and dean of RIT Croatia, announces retirement

Dear RIT community,

I am writing today to share that Don Hudspeth, president and dean of RIT Croatia, has announced his retirement, effective June 30th. Congratulations to Don, who played a key role in the establishment and development of RIT Croatia, formerly known as the American College of Management and Technology (ACMT), when it opened in 1997.

Don brought his business background, working in both the banking and the food industry in Vancouver, Canada, to the new role of associate dean at ACMT before being named president and dean in 1999.

During Don’s tenure, he weathered and successfully worked through the challenges associated with the post-war period in Croatia, the NATO campaign in neighboring Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia, transitions in domestic and municipal governments, and of course, the pandemic.

Some accomplishments at RIT Croatia under Don’s leadership include:

• Expansion from the initial 2-year degree to offer a 4-year degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management.
• The move into RIT Croatia’s own building in Dubrovnik, the coastal city along the Adriatic Sea.
• The addition of the 4-year degree in Information Technology (now Web & Mobile Computing).
• The establishment of a second campus in the capital city of Zagreb (eventually moving into its own facility), and expansion to a 4-year degree in International Business.
• Delivery of the Service Leadership & Innovation MS, and Information Technologies and Analytics MS.
• Attainment of Croatian Research Institute status.
• Development of the 4-year degree program in New Media Design

RIT Croatia, the oldest of RIT’s global campuses, recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. Today, with approximately 800 students between the two campuses, over 90 full-time and part-time faculty and staff, and more than 3,000 alumni, Don is leaving a solid foundation for RIT Croatia’s future.

In a recent interview, Don noted how proud he was that RIT Croatia has alumni living in more than 40 countries across the globe. “Now alumni are really moving up in their positions,” he said. “We’re also very excited that about 25 percent of our alumni have their own businesses either on a full-time basis that they've developed and are growing quite significantly. We are also pleased to see that many of them have gone abroad and our working in international settings.”

Dr. Irena Guszak, associate dean, will serve as the interim president and dean for the next academic year at RIT Croatia.

I extend my appreciation to Don for his amazing career.  Please join me in wishing Don and his family all the best in retirement. He will be on campus in May participating in convocation as well as attending his daughter’s commencement at Saunders College of Business where we will have a chance to wish him well.

Sincerely,

Ellen Granberg
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs