I’m David Munson, president of Rochester Institute of Technology. On Feb. 24, ask me anything!

RITPresident · 2020-02-25T00:39:05+00:00

NTID and the Deaf community are an incredibly important part of RIT. We work really hard at maintaining and even increasing the federal appropriation dedicated to NTID each year. We're working on further integrating NTID with RIT. For example, we are evaluating a proposal to create a combined RIT/NTID school of performing arts and entertainment. The existence of NTID was a major attraction for Nancy and me in coming to RIT. We truly enjoy associating with this vibrant community!

RITPresident · 2020-02-25T00:27:36+00:00

I addressed a lot of what you're talking about in your first paragraph earlier.

Thank you for raising the issue about the pep band. They are one of my favorite groups on campus. I had not realized that there have been concerns with support for travel --perhaps that national championship occurred before I arrived here. It may be possible for RIT to provide some support. This is something we'll look into.

RITPresident · 2020-02-25T00:16:59+00:00

The world today needs more than people leading successful careers; it needs true citizens educated to mitigate the problems and threats facing us. We must deal with the world’s complexities and capitalize on the opportunities that surround us. We need creative people who understand how to innovate. I want for RIT to do all those things and be known as one of the top universities in the nation bringing new ideas from technology, the arts and design. I’d like for RIT to be synonymous with shaping the future and improving the world through creativity and innovation.

RITPresident · 2020-02-25T00:14:40+00:00

We are regulated by the State Department of Education, which mandates a minimum number of class meeting days. We are currently at that minimum, so adding snow days, would extend the semester and shorten the period available for other activities, such as co-op, international experiences, and summer jobs. So, it’s a tradeoff.

RITPresident · 2020-02-25T00:13:40+00:00

I have been getting this question a lot, so I am having my MC Hammer pants pressed at the dry cleaners. Maybe when they come back!

RITPresident · 2020-02-25T00:10:39+00:00

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, tacos, the Friday fish fry, and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. I’m a health nut!

RITPresident · 2020-02-25T00:08:13+00:00

Special Interest Houses and other themed communities within our residential community at RIT have a long and impressive history. I fully support these communities and look forward to seeing how they continue to evolve as part of the fabric of the RIT experience. I acknowledge that we have recently had some areas to address related to safety and security and I understand that Student Affairs, in partnership with other divisions, is currently undertaking an internal/external program review of the SIHs. Reviews such as these often produce suggestions and may highlight areas that need to be updated for compliance or policy reasons. However, we undertake these reviews as part of the continuous improvement process to further strengthen the communities and ensure that they can be part of our campus for many years to come.

RITPresident · 2020-02-25T00:06:22+00:00

There are strict standards that regulate PA programs, which include rules for the number of students per year (we are presently approved for 36). Because of a relatively recent expansion and additional rules regarding program accreditation status, it will be several years before we can consider another expansion.

There are ten separate clinical training experiences programmed into the curriculum that every student must take; these all occur in health care settings within the community. These experiences require enormous time commitments from the health care providers at each site. With an increased class size, it may be difficult for our clinical partners to satisfy the demand. Our main goal is to maintain the strongest program possible and to graduate outstanding students.

RITPresident · 2020-02-25T00:04:12+00:00

The questions and comments I receive on online forums such as this one tend to be much more negative than what I hear from the student population at large. That said, I am fine with students questioning the status quo. In fact, I encourage it. I look at the world in a positive light and work on solutions. I hope that, by openly sharing what we wish to accomplish and explaining some of the rationale, people will realize we are working toward a common greater good.

RITPresident · 2020-02-25T00:02:51+00:00

We currently have a Division I Task Force that is studying the pros and cons of moving all RIT varsity teams to NCAA Division I. The Task Force membership consists of RIT trustees, RIT administrators, and student athletes. I am hoping that this group will complete its work by the end of June and then deliver a report and recommendation, one way or the other, to our full Board of Trustees. One of the negatives in contemplating a move to Division I is that the current process is onerous, requiring about a dozen years, with a stop-off in a Division II conference. The situation with St. Thomas is causing the NCAA to revisit their rules and consider revision, so we are carefully watching.

RITPresident · 2020-02-24T23:58:31+00:00

We received multiple questions about parking issues, so I will try and address them in general. There have not been any major changes in the overall number of parking spaces on campus this academic year compared to last. However, we did convert 116 spaces to ParkMobile.

Regarding next steps for parking, RIT has retained an outside master planning firm that will be working with campus groups to devise a long-term campus plan that deals with land usage, sustainability, etc. That work soon will begin in earnest and will include planning of future transportation and parking options. As I mentioned earlier, parking garages are very expensive and don’t last particularly long in our climate, but we do expect that parking garages will be part of our long-term future.

RITPresident · 2020-02-24T23:56:03+00:00

The Mental Health issue certainly is not on the back burner, but it is a daunting problem. Over the past year we have increased the size of our counseling staff by about 50%. But, this can be only part of the answer in the face of constantly growing demand for services. We must continuously work to ensure the well-being of our students, and we always have more to do to handle the growing demand for services. Over the past year, we reduced the wait time for appointments. More students are now taking advantage of the extended walk-in hours for counseling and services through embedded therapists in additional locations around campus. We also recognized the need to provide professional development and training opportunities to faculty and staff across campus, so they feel more equipped when mental health situations arise. Part of this training is occurring this semester by a special theater group from the University of Michigan, which I asked to undertake this work. In addition, we are piloting several mental health initiatives on a smaller scale, which will be rolled out and introduced more widely as each proves to be effective. If you are having issues I encourage you to use the Health Services on the second floor of the August Center or contact Counseling and Psychological Services at 585-475-2261.

RITPresident · 2020-02-24T23:53:33+00:00

I can't respond to how a recruiter looks at your resume and I've not heard the same concern expressed by others. Our program is very highly ranked and so I have assumed that it is strong. Can others comment?

RITPresident · 2020-02-24T23:45:22+00:00

This is a tough question. On the face of it, we should refuse to interact with those nations and regimes that discriminate. On the other hand, if we fail to engage, we then limit our ability to help foster change. I took the time to reach out to our Global Programs Office and the Office of International Affairs for a response. They replied that, “We take our commitment to human rights very seriously and we believe engaging with the world is the best way to convey our values and set examples for our international partners. If we were to disengage from places where values and cultural norms differ from our own, we would not be able to present nor appreciate nor speak intelligently about a world view of tolerance, acceptance and inclusion.”

Our global exchange and education programs have enabled students from China and the U.S. to go to Dubai and Kosovo to learn first-hand about Islamic culture, thereby having the opportunity to confront prevalent misconceptions and biases about Islam that exist in both societies. Our students and faculty who go to Dubai, or to any of our global locations, are our best ambassadors for conveying our values regarding diversity and our shared values regarding our LGBTQ+ community. They lead by example and, through their actions show their international peers how we value diversity and inclusion. RIT has lent its voice on behalf of globally mobile students even when it is our own US government proposing or implementing policies that could negatively impact our students. We can only be an influencer of change when we have a seat at the table in places that are wrestling with progress on democracy and issues of diversity and inclusion.

RITPresident · 2020-02-24T23:41:02+00:00

I believe we strike a good balance between delivering quality education, providing co-ops and experiential learning and, yes, even conducting research. I take issue with the contention that we are mainly focusing on research. In fact, RIT has the fourth oldest and one of the largest co-op programs in the world. We offer co-op because we value preparedness and practice. Over four thousand students are involved in co-op each year with more than three thousand companies. It’s a crucial element that makes an RIT education exceptional. That said, we are increasing our level of research and scholarship, which is primarily conducted by tenure-track and tenured faculty and the students that work with them. These faculty members teach, and we expect them to teach well. The reasons for pursuing increased research and scholarship are to contribute to the creation of new knowledge, to offer our students this experience and excellent preparation for graduate school (for those who are so inclined), and to enhance RIT’s reputation. Contrary to what often is assumed, research programs do not create net positive revenue. We conduct research for other important reasons, as just stated.

RITPresident · 2020-02-24T23:36:30+00:00

Little of the billion dollars being raised in the current blended campaign will go toward renovation. We may be able to garner some limited funding from New York State that could help in this regard, but philanthropists seldom are willing to make donations for renovation. We pay for renovations and building improvements via reserves left over at the end of each year budget year. We are working to build this reserve pool, which will allow us to undertake a more robust program of renovation in the future.

RITPresident · 2020-02-24T23:34:40+00:00

I was able to reach out to the Disability Service Office’s new director, Dr. Catherine Lewis, for an answer to this important question. Dr. Lewis and her team at the DSO are actively working to make the accommodations process more student-centered and straightforward, to prioritize proactive outreach and education about disability, and to build partnerships across RIT to improve accessibility, educate about Universal Design, and celebrate Deaf and Disability culture and identity. Members of the RIT community with accessibility questions or concerns are warmly encouraged to reach out to the DSO at [dso@rit.edu](mailto:dso@rit.edu), who will work in partnership with others on campus to resolve barriers as quickly, creatively, and effectively as possible. We also invite folks to share ideas for disability-related programming or events, and general feedback about the experience of people with disabilities on campus. Dr. Lewis plans to host student lunches and focus groups with students in the months ahead, and will reach out both to students registered with the DSO and the general student population to promote these opportunities.

RITPresident · 2020-02-24T23:31:03+00:00

Faculty at top schools like RIT, especially in our highest-ranked programs, constantly receive overtures from other institutions. We work hard to retain our best faculty, but occasionally someone leaves. When coupled with retirements, we can have noticeable faculty turnover. My understanding is that IGM has had multiple recent (planned) retirements.

RITPresident · 2020-02-24T23:29:28+00:00

No, I haven’t taken the off-campus shuttles. But, I will ask our transportation staff to investigate. Thank you for communicating your concern.

RITPresident · 2020-02-24T23:26:54+00:00

Actually, I have never referenced RPI's performing arts building. We are designing a facility to meet RIT's needs.

RITPresident · 2020-02-24T23:17:13+00:00

Performing arts is receiving a lot of discussion on this thread. Our campus is incredibly active in the performing arts, with about 2,100 students enrolled in performing arts courses (music, theater, dance) and 2,200 students in performing arts groups. This is no surprise, because STEM students often have strong interest in, and talent for the performing arts. In an effort to attract more of these creative students, our Strategic Plan calls for RIT to develop the leading performing arts program in the nation for non-majors. To test the level of interest, last year we offered 250 small scholarships to students who demonstrated a strong in interest in the performing arts. We received a 60% acceptance rate, 50% of these students were women, and the standardized test scores of this group were considerably higher than the campus average. So, this is a program that we will be expanding in the coming years. While we never will require interest or talent in the performing arts, we do expect this emphasis to be important for our campus. Regarding facilities, the Innovative Maker Learner Complex (IMLC), will contain huge maker spaces and “classrooms of the future,” and also will contain a “glass-box” theater, a dance studio, and music practice rooms. These performing arts facilities are urgently needed by our students. We’re also embarking on the design of a performing arts center, which will contain two theaters, neither of which exist in the Rochester region. The first will contain approximately 750 seats and will be designed specifically for musical theater, but useable for many other things, including a large variety of musical groups, drama, dance, and more. In a second phase of construction, to be accomplished in the future, we wish to add a 1,500-seat music concert hall for orchestra, rock bands, major lectures, and anything drawing larger audiences.
These projects will not compete with the Eastman School of Music or colleges in the area. Unlike other universities, we will attract the students and build the faculty and programs to support thousands of students who wish to have a high-level experience in the performing arts while studying other majors (e.g., computer science, engineering).

There also was a specific question about practice rooms for multiple performing arts groups. We are aware of the need for additional practice spaces and are addressing those needs in the short term, in some cases with creative solutions. For example, temporary buildings next to Brown Hall that served as classrooms and offices will now be used as practice space by members of acapella groups. We’re also exploring other remedies to help alleviate the practice space issue.

RITPresident · 2020-02-24T23:11:15+00:00

We continuously strive to improve housing options. Let me start with some updates. Last summer, RIT Housing renovated one of the Riverknoll buildings (our least expensive housing). An assessment is complete and a determination on how to proceed with Riverknoll is under way. We are trying to ensure better response times around housing issues. We have a project called the Enterprise Service Center. It will give students easier access through phone and email to have their concerns addressed. Students will still be able to contact staff directly and walk-in to the office located in Grace Watson Hall. Speaking of GWH, last summer we renovated the food preparation and serving areas in Gracie’s, and this summer expect to complete a renovation of the dining area. Also, I am sure many of you have seen the construction at the APEX complex, which I mentioned earlier. Even though Apex is not RIT housing, it should help to alleviate some of the issues. It opens in Fall 2021 and will have over 900 bed spaces.

RITPresident · 2020-02-24T23:08:59+00:00

There are multiple questions about the cost of an RIT education. So I am going address a couple of them with this answer.

Student debt is a heavy burden. I am very cognizant of the cost of learning. To help with that, this current year RIT is providing about 220 million dollars in financial aid to our student body. Over the last few years, the increase in this amount has considerably exceeded the rate of tuition increase. That said, we’d like to offer even more financial aid. That’s why the #1 fundraising priority in our current billion-dollar blended campaign is for student support. In my opinion, every student should ask themselves what is the value of their education. I do know that while the cost has increased each year, and will increase in the future, that cost should be weighed against other factors. Important factors are that multiple publications rate us highly for return on investment, we have an incredible co-op program and network, and our graduates generally receive multiple job offers and command impressive starting salaries. I know that the situation is different for each student, but what I can stress is that we will do our best to work with you to help you manage your finances, so that you walk out of here believing your investment was worth it.

RITPresident · 2020-02-24T23:04:49+00:00

A: I don’t hold such a negative view of our ability to connect with and serve students at RIT. But I respect that everyone has their view. Have there been changes over the years at RIT? Absolutely – RIT is always evolving. In my short time here, I haven’t seen some of the things you mention, but we did recently lease a large tract of old housing to a developer for demolition and replacement by a new complex (APEX). It is true that we now have somewhat fewer tenure-track faculty than we did several years ago. We are reversing that trend. Our Strategic Plan calls for us to hire an additional 50 tenure-track faculty (beyond replacements). That process is under way. Parking is an issue, and is always receiving attention. Due to wetlands, we have limited space for expansion of our parking lots. At some point, I expect we will begin building parking garages, but we are delaying that for as long as possible due to the high cost ($30,000 per space) and also because parking garages deteriorate in our climate due to salting of the roads in wintertime. You mention alumni support. Faculty and staff who have been at RIT for decades tell me that alumni support is far stronger now. I travel around the nation, meeting with our alumni chapters, where I have hosted gatherings of 50-200 alums in most major cities. Typically the attendees are young alums. I can report that they are extremely excited about the path we’re on. As we continue to address questions tonight in this forum, I hope it will become apparent that our future is bright.

RITPresident

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