Message from the President
RIT is a special place that takes a distinctive approach on its path to excellence.
Our success comes from charting our own way—being strategic in picking the intellectual areas that we focus on and creating an identity that does not seek to replicate what others are doing. RIT stands apart by integrating technological strengths with the arts, business, and humanities, fostering a dynamic environment where creativity and innovation permeate all areas of inquiry.
Today, we are navigating headwinds on many fronts. Changing demographics, technological disruptions, and national and global challenges require us to be nimble and calculated. Yet, RIT is uniquely positioned to lead. We turn disruption into opportunity.
This moment calls for bold thinking and decisive action. The urgency of today’s challenges is matched only by the scale of tomorrow’s opportunities.
Our history of adapting to technological change for nearly two centuries positions us to lead in this era of convergence—AI, health care science and technology, creative technology and technical creativity, quantum science and computing, and a cyber- and data-driven physical world. This moment also presents an opportunity for us to contemplate profound questions we will seek to answer over the next decade:
- How should universities evolve as higher education is redefined?
- How do we prepare students for today’s careers while providing them with the education, skills, and experience for jobs and fields that don’t yet exist?
I am proud to share RIT’s new Strategic Framework: Transforming Lives Through Creativity and Innovation. This document captures the essence of RIT: A university powered by people, driven by ideas, and committed to turning knowledge into action. It reflects our belief that education is more than learning—it is the catalyst for progress and the foundation for shaping a better future.
The process to develop the Strategic Framework began in spring 2024, with an intensive series of engagements where we listened to our students, faculty, staff, and community members about where they see RIT now and the opportunities that lie ahead for our university. We are proud to say that this process connected us with more than 1,000 people across our community, and their investment in our shared vision for the future will no doubt ensure our success.
Through strong enrollment, funded research, collaborative partnerships, strategic communication, and philanthropic growth, we will steward resources and cultivate an agile organization ready to experiment, learn, and adapt.
Our strength lies in our people—our students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, and partners. This is our moment to imagine boldly, act with intention, and lead with heart. Let’s build the future of RIT—together.
William H. Sanders
President
Rochester Institute of Technology
February 2026