Assembly Resolution No. 1286

BY: M. of A. Bronson

COMMENDING the Rochester Institute of Technology
(RIT) upon the occasion of celebrating the 50th
Anniversary of its Henrietta, New York campus

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
commend those institutions of true purpose and high achievement whose
exemplary programs and accomplishments clearly demonstrate an enduring
pursuit of excellence in higher education for the youth of this noble
Empire State; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to commend Rochester
Institute of Technology (RIT) upon the occasion of celebrating the 50th
Anniversary of its Henrietta, New York campus to be celebrated with a
myriad of events including NTID's 50th Anniversary Reunion,
Re-dedication of the Henrietta Campus, a Walking Tour of Downtown
Campus, and the Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend; and

WHEREAS, From its beginnings, RIT has been deeply connected to the
educational and practical training needs of citizenry and industry; the
university's roots go back to 1829, when the city's founder established
the Rochester Athenaeum, a literary society that offered public lectures
and debates and attracted such luminaries as Ralph Waldo Emerson and
Oliver Wendell Holmes; and

WHEREAS, In 1891, the Athenaeum merged with the Mechanics Institute,
which had been created and funded by local business and community
leaders to provide technical training to meet local industry's growing
demand for skilled workers; the merged institution combined cultural
education and practical technical training; and

WHEREAS, In 1912, cooperative education was added to the
programmatic mix and the core foundation was in place for Rochester
Institute of Technology, as it has been named since 1944; and

WHEREAS, In 1968, the RIT was relocated from downtown Rochester, New
York, to Henrietta; and

WHEREAS, After World War II, RIT experienced a large influx of
student enrollees; the number of students doubled between 1950 and 1960,
and projections indicated more of the same in the foreseeable future;
existing facilities were strained, and in some cases, inadequate; and

WHEREAS, The RIT Board and President Mark Ellingson agreed that
growth was positive and integral to the institution's mission to serve
the community, and subsequently, began to look for a site outside the
city which would provide the required room for growth far into the
future; the current site in Henrietta was a top choice; and

WHEREAS, In early 1961, RIT received a gift of $ 3.27 million from
Grace Watson, who had attended classes; the Trustees decided to use the
donation, the largest in RIT's history, toward the purchase of the land
in Henrietta; and

WHEREAS, On November 22, 1961, the Trustees announced that RIT was
going to move from the current downtown location to a new site in
Henrietta; then President Ellingson called the move "the most
significant single act in the 132-year history of the Institute"; and

WHEREAS, An editorial in the Reporter noted: "The action that the
board has so courageously taken is unparalleled in its significance to
RIT and the community it serves, and will be applauded by untold
generations of students"; and

WHEREAS, The morning after the announcement, the Student Association
presented a check for $10,000 to President Ellingson to start a building
fund, morning classes were canceled, and students drove in a motorcade
to the new campus site in Henrietta; and

WHEREAS, Today, RIT is one of the world's leading innovative
institutions, a vibrant, connected community that is home to diverse,
ambitious, creative students, and faculty from around the world; as of
fall 2017, RIT expected to enroll nearly 19,000 students who represent
all 50 states and 100 nations; and

WHEREAS, Nearly 3,200 students from diverse racial and ethnic
backgrounds are enrolled on the main campus along with approximately
2,700 international students; an additional 1,760 students are enrolled
at RIT's international locations in Croatia, Kosovo, United Arab
Emirates, and China; and

WHEREAS, Through the National Technical Institute for the Deaf
(NTID), one of nine academic units on campus, RIT has achieved
international prominence as a leader in preparing deaf and
hard-of-hearing students for successful careers in professional and
technical fields; and

WHEREAS, NTID was created by federal law in 1965, under President
Johnson and located at RIT in 1966; the university provides unparalleled
access and support services for the more than 1,200 deaf and
hard-of-hearing students who live, study, and work with hearing students
on the RIT campus; and

WHEREAS, RIT is well known for its commitment to undergraduate
students and, increasingly, for offering a broad range of innovative
graduate programs that combine the theoretical with practical
applications and align with demonstrated needs in the marketplace; and

WHEREAS, RIT offers numerous degrees within its nine colleges:
College of Applied Science and Technology, B. Thomas Golisano College of
Computing and Information Sciences, Kate Gleason College of Engineering,
College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, College of Science, E. Philip
Saunders College of Business, National Technical Institute for the Deaf,
College of Liberal Arts, and College of Health Sciences and Technology;
other degree-granting academic units include the School of
Individualized Study and the Golisano Institute for Sustainability; and

WHEREAS, Through the years, RIT has steadily grown its doctoral
programs, and in 2016, the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of
Higher Education reclassified the university from "Masters -
Comprehensive" to "Doctoral University - Moderate Research Activity"; in
May 2017, RIT awarded 32 doctoral degrees in eight Ph.D. programs; and


WHEREAS, Under the visionary guidance of President Dr. David C.
Munson Jr., RIT stands proud and prominent, always looking to the future
and the needs of those it serves; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) upon the occasion of
celebrating the 50th Anniversary of its Henrietta, New York campus,
noting the propriety of its goals, the constancy of its commitment and
the significance of its accomplishments in preparing the youth of today
and leaders of tomorrow; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Dr. David C. Munson Jr., President, Rochester Institute
of Technology (RIT).