News
James Hall

School of Individualized Study student Harrison Canning and his business partner, Colin Fausnaught, a 2019 software engineering graduate from RIT, formed the BCI Guys, which stands for brain-computer interface technology. They recently launched an online educational series to lower the barrier of entry and inspire others to join the field.

RIT is joining University of Rochester and others in a National Science Foundation-funded project to learn about the different creative skills that tomorrow’s workforce needs. The study is centered on the idea that intelligent machines are replacing the routine tasks that people do and creative skills will become even more valuable for future workers.

RIT is among the colleges and universities from 20 states that are participating in the Degrees When Due initiative, which aims to reach the nearly 4 million near-completers and uncredentialled completers in the United States who stopped college for financial reasons, family obligations or a variety of other reasons. By joining the initiative, RIT will learn best practices in degree reclamation and provide targeted support while re-engaging students who have paused, or “stopped out,” their studies.

The Gap Year Entrepreneurial Fellowship allows SOIS students to take time off of school to focus on personal business ventures while still working toward their degrees. Students in the fellowship also receive a $15,000 award to create the time and space needed to build their businesses.

SOIS launched the inaugural Napier Leadership Experience with a day-long leadership retreat during which Sharon D. Napier ’04 MS (service leadership and innovation), chair and founder of Partners + Napier, delivered an interactive presentation to the students to show them how to own their personal brands.

The Rochester Beacon interviews Jim Hall, dean of University Studies and the executive director of the School of Individualized Study.