Partnership Provides Select Fisher Students Graduate Admission to RIT’s Golisano Institute for Sustainability

St. John Fisher College and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) have formed a partnership that provides qualified and eligible Fisher students with admission to RIT’s sustainable systems master’s degree program, housed in the Golisano Institute for Sustainability (GIS).

“This program offers our students the opportunity to further their sustainability education and research in one of the greenest buildings in the world,” said Dr. Mike Boller, director of Fisher’s sustainability program.

Fisher launched its sustainability bachelor’s degree program in 2018, following the development of a minor several years earlier. Boller said that the academic programs have provided opportunities for students to better understand the careful stewardship of natural, social, and economic resources required to not only meet present needs, but those of future generations. Fisher’s program includes the theory and practice of sustainability and arms graduates with the highly sought after skills—including data analysis, project management, and cultural competency—that will prepare them well for advanced study or careers in the field.

The RIT Golisano Institute for Sustainability/St. John Fisher College Partnership will offer acceptance to up to 10 Fisher students seeking a master’s in sustainable systems. Qualified students must have earned a grade of “B” or higher during their Fisher coursework, and must have taken a specific set of science, mathematics, and statistics courses. Students admitted to the program also receive a merit award of at least 30 percent tuition remission.

“We have been very impressed with the sustainability program at St. John Fisher College and the caliber of their students, and we’re confident that this partnership will have mutual benefits for years to come,” said Thomas Trabold, RIT research professor and former head of the Department of Sustainability at Golisano Institute for Sustainability.

Dr. Ann Marie Fallon, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Fisher, which houses the sustainability major and minor, said academic partnerships offer students a smooth transition to post-baccalaureate education.

“We are delighted to continue to support students accessing high quality educational opportunities, especially in our region,” Fallon said. “Our partnership with RIT is testament to our students’ abilities and the excellence of our own academic programming.”