Dear Tiger colleagues,
There is always a special energy at RIT as students return to campus in the fall. Over the past several weeks, I have seen faculty and staff preparing classrooms, labs, studios, residence halls, offices, and countless other experiences for our students. I know those preparations have also taken place at our campuses in Croatia, Dubai, and Kosovo. Thank you for all you have done to prepare for our students!
The start of the academic year is one of RIT's great traditions, bringing new energy and inviting us to renew our commitment to a shared purpose.
RIT continues to make a meaningful impact, as evidenced by our progress:
- Student success: A record 5,593 students graduated from RIT across all our campuses this spring, ready to take what they have learned into their careers and communities. Their success reminds us why helping students persist, graduate, and thrive is one of our most important responsibilities.
- Academic alignment: This fall, RIT is launching a new interdisciplinary bachelor's degree in artificial intelligence, AI-related MS degrees, and an AI-related pilot course for first year students, preparing students for a rapidly changing future of work. These are examples of how RIT continues to adapt its programs to emerging needs and opportunities.
- Faculty excellence: Among many faculty accolades, four RIT faculty members earned prestigious NSF CAREER Awards for research spanning biomedical engineering, computer science, physics and astronomy, and imaging science. We also had two prestigious Fulbright scholar program recipients, in museum studies and imaging science. Research and scholarship like this extend RIT's impact on society and strengthen the student experience.
These examples share something important: They are outcomes of our mission and reminders of the impact our community creates every day.
At the same time, higher education continues to face unprecedented challenges. Universities are navigating economic hurdles due to demographic shifts, a changing federal landscape, and changing expectations from students and families. As referenced in our June message to the Rochester campus, RIT also faces these pressures. RIT Dubai faces special challenges due to conflict in the region. These challenges will require RIT, along with many other universities, to evaluate how we operate to ensure we are positioned for long-term success. Our Strategic Framework provides direction, but progress will depend on the ideas, judgment, collaboration, and problem-solving of people across RIT.
After my first year at RIT, I have great confidence in our future. I see it in our students, faculty, and staff and in the outcomes of their work. The progress we have made does not diminish the challenges before us. Rather, it reminds us of what this community is capable of accomplishing together.
I hope you will join me for the State of the University Address on Thursday, September 10 at 3:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. I will share more about what I learned during my first year, the opportunities and challenges ahead, and where I believe RIT should focus its attention.
At the start of a new academic year, our students remind us why we are here. Their curiosity, aspirations, creativity, and determination are at the center of what we do. Some of that excitement is captured in this short video that celebrates Orientation Week. These first weeks are a powerful reminder of how people across RIT come together to support their success.
Thank you for all you have done to start another academic year and for all you do for RIT! I am excited about what we will accomplish together.
Go Tigers!
Bill
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William H. Sanders
President, Rochester Institute of Technology
