Growth at RIT

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rochester Institute of Technology
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<p>From Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
<a href="http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060717/OPINION04/607170306/1041/OPINION%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060717/OPINION04/607170306/1041/OPINION&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>July 17, 2006</p>

<p>RIT's fundraising campaign was a huge success</p>

<p>What a phenomenal week it was for Rochester Institute of Technology. The region's largest university closed out its eight-year fundraising campaign with a tally of $309 million, exceeding its goal by $9 million.</p>

<p>That's terrific news for RIT, but it's also good for the Rochester region. After all, as RIT strengthens its position as one of the premier technology schools in the nation, the Rochester area will continue to reap benefits that include economic dividends.</p>

<p>Earlier last week, the school announced that E. Philip Saunders, the Dansville entrepreneur who created TravelCenter truck stops and Sugar Creek convenience stores, donated $13 million to RIT's business school. Saunders, in whose honor the business school is being renamed, characterized his gift as an investment that keeps money in the community. Indeed.</p>

<p>And so will the 100,000 other gifts from 33,000 donors throughout Rochester and from around the world over the past eight years. Included are 52 gifts that exceeded $1 million.</p>

<p>And how about this? More than $55 million in gifts were confirmed in the final week of the fundraising effort.</p>

<p>It's telling, too, that 63 percent of RIT staff and faculty donated $5.1 million to the campaign. Schools considered RIT-peer institutions average participation rates of no more than 50 percent.</p>

<p>Clearly, RIT has widespread support among alumni, faculty and local business leaders such as Saunders and Tom Golisano, who donated $14 million to the school in 2001 to develop what's become the largest comprehensive college of computing in the nation.</p>

<p>The gifts are funding projects ranging from new schools and facilities such as the RIT Inn and Conference Center to hundreds of new scholarships.</p>

<p>No wonder RIT President Al Simone, who is retiring next year, is smiling even more than usual.

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