RIT Office of the Provost miscellaneous materials

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: RITArc-0069

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The RIT Office of the Provost miscellaneous records consist of various documents and materials donated to the RIT Archive Collections by the Office of the Provost. Many of these items precede the creation of a provost position at the university. The collection includes several historical items including brochures on the early history of the university, information on the history of academic regalia, and materials related to past convocations. There is also a packet of architectural renderings for several new buildings on the Rochester Institute of Technology's (RIT) Henrietta campus.

The collection also includes several items on the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID). Started in 1968 as one of RIT's colleges, NTID is the largest technical college for deaf and hard of hearing students in the world. The collection contains documents related to NTID's founding and dedication including a letter from Mrs. Lyndon B. (Lady Bird) Johnson. Mrs. Johnson officially dedicated NTID's buildings. Her husband, President Lyndon B. Johnson, had signed into law the act establishing NTID in 1965.

Many of the folders in the collection include correspondence and miscellaneous planning documents.

Dates

Creation: 1926-1979

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to researchers.

Biographical / Historical

The first provost for the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) was appointed in March 1970. RIT had recently relocated from the city of Rochester to the suburbs of Henrietta. The school already had eight colleges including the newly-formed National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) and was quickly growing. Unable to properly address the academic needs of the expanding campus on his own, President Dr. Paul A. Miller appointed Dr. Todd Hupp Bullard as RIT's first provost.

Provosts were becoming more popular on college campuses, partially as a result of the growing number of applicants under the G.I. Bill following World War II. College administrators could no longer handle the increasingly complex nature of a school's administration. Although other individuals had filled the role of the provost at RIT, such as Dr. Leo F. Smith who served as the Dean of Instruction during the 1950s and 1960s, Bullard was the university's first official provost. In this position, Bullard was charged with overseeing the development and strengthening of RIT's academic curriculum. By 1973, a ninth college was added, Institute College, as a place for emerging programs to develop. Adding to the challenge was the fact that President Miller was also enacting new budgeting procedures for the college. Thus, Bullard needed to help the school grow, while keeping a balanced budget.

The Office of the Provost remains an important part of RIT's administrative structure. As of 2011, the office included eight members of the Provost's Leadership Team including the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Research, Assistant Provost for Undergraduate Education, Senior Associate Provost, Assistant Provost for Academic Affairs, Director of CIMS & Golisano Sustainability Institute, Assistant Vice President, and the Associate Provost for Faculty Success.

Rochester Institute of Technology Provosts (current Jan 2011)

1970-1980
: Todd H. Bullard
1980-1983
: Robert G. Quinn
1983-1995
: Thomas R. Plough
1995-2008
: Stanley D. McKenzie
2008-present
: Jeremy A. Haefner

Extent

0.5 Linear Feet (1 document box)

Language

English

Additional Description

Overview

Various materials donated to the RIT Archive Collections by the Office of the Provost in 1997. The items include historical information on the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) such as brochures on the university's history and architectural renderings. Also included is information on the National Technical Institute for the Deaf's (NTID) founding and dedication ceremonies.

Arrangement

This collection is currently unprocessed.

Other Finding Aids

In addition to this finding aid, an inventory is available below. For more information, please contact the RIT Archive Collections.

RIT Office of the Provost miscellaneous materials, 1926-1979