Serving the greater good

We shape the future and improve the world through creativity and innovation. As an engaged, intellectually curious, and socially conscious community, we leverage the power of technology, the arts, and design for the greater good. - RIT vision and mission, 2018-2025 Strategic Plan

Our university isn’t like any other. RIT strives to be distinctive, to do things in our own way. That mentality of uniqueness is baked into our university, as we have no interest in the status quo.

In November, the RIT Board of Trustees approved the university’s new strategic plan—Greatness Through Difference: 2018-2025. The approved plan, along with a new vision and mission that capture who we are and who we plan to be, is now available at rit.edu/strategicplan.

Greatness Through Difference is the product of 14 months of collaborative planning throughout the RIT community. Its 25 goals support four critical dimensions: People, Programs, Places and Partnerships. The animating theme of the plan is innovation—the pivotal innovation that can only be achieved through harnessing the power residing within the intersection of RIT’s core strengths of technology, the arts and design. In the RIT context, “innovation” is not about novelty or originality; it is about leveraging these signature strengths to produce graduates in every discipline capable of practicing transformative change that serves the greater good.

How are we doing this?

We are supplementing our classroom and online teaching with experiential and interdisciplinary learning, which ranges from paid cooperative education positions with startup and Fortune 500 companies to international experiences. On the global front, we are expanding our influence with strategic partnerships and overseas learning opportunities at our campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai and Kosovo.

RIT prides itself in preparing our graduates to be citizens of the world. That means preparing our students not just for jobs and careers, but also for life. Today’s world needs people who know how to create and innovate, analyze and implement, collaborate and lead.

Creativity begins with people, and at RIT we have an unusual assembly of exceptional individuals. Just take a look at pages 20-29 for examples of RIT Tigers doing good around the world.

You’ll meet, among many others, Sabina Ismailova ’13 (telecommunications engineering technology), who is helping children with disabilities in Kazakhstan. And Associate Professor Marcos Esterman, who with senior engineering students is helping at-risk residents of a Cali, Colombia, neighborhood develop marketable skills in fields like advanced manufacturing and agricultural technology. Elizabeth Bondi ’16 (imaging science) is using her education to take action against elephant and rhino poachers in Botswana.

From Rochester to Honduras to Ghana to Tanzania, RIT alumni, students, faculty and staff are making a difference.

Now that’s Tiger pride.

Sincerely,

David C. Munson Jr., President
munson@rit.edu
Twitter: @RITPresident

P.S. We invite you to join us on Saturday, April 27, when nearly 400 exhibits will be on display at our signature Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival.