In His Words: Why Munson Decided to Retire

David Munson, the president of RIT, announced his intention last April to step down in June 2025.  Munson started his tenure as the university president in 2017 after his previous job as the Dean of engineering at Michigan State University.  In an statement released to the Reporter, Munson explained the reasoning behind the decision to announce his impending retirement as well as the challenges his successor will face as the next university president.     

Why did you feel this year was the right time to step down?  

New people bring new ideas, so turnover in university leadership can be a healthy thing.  Given the progressively challenging nature of a university presidency, the average tenure of a university president has declined to less than six years.  I will have served for eight years when I step down.  During this period, I've been privileged to work with my dedicated leadership team, the trustees, faculty, staff, and students to elevate RIT in nearly every way.  In doing so, we have been following a strategic plan that we crafted in 2017-2018.  Nearly all objectives in that plan have been substantially completed, so work now is beginning on the creation of RIT's next strategic plan.  This is a perfect time to recruit a new president to help shape RIT's future.       

What were the reasons behind your decision to retire?

Nancy and I have four children and six grandchildren.  We have reached a stage in our lives where we wish to spend more time with these dear family members and to also have time to travel.  In addition, I would like to return to some of my old hobbies, including music, woodworking, and landscaping.  Also, Nancy and I have a lake house in northern Michigan, on the shore of Lake Michigan.  We dream of spending more time with family and friends in that special setting.    

What are the unique challenges that exist in the present day the next president must address? 

First, we all know that the cost of higher education has increased dramatically over the last few decades.  Financial aid has increased too, but we worry about maintaining the ability to properly support our students.  Fundraising is more important than ever, especially for scholarships and student support in general.  Another challenge is mental health and wellness.  With faces glued to cell phones and ever-present social media, we now are raising young people to be "together separately."  This has resulted in a significant decrease in personal resilience and a substantial increase in mental health issues.  The new president certainly will have this matter on their plate.  Another change I'll mention is very positive.  Experiential learning, beyond co-op, has become ubiquitous in the form of student groups and clubs, international programs, entrepreneurship, student project teams, and the performing and studio arts.  Many of our students receive at least half of their education in these settings outside of the classroom.  And these special offerings are helping us attract an increasingly talented student body in the face of an upcoming shortage in the number of high-school graduates.  So, it is important that these programs continue to be well supported.  Finally, there are two areas of major opportunity that come to mind for the campus.  The first is the expansion of our research programs, which is very much under way --we just crossed the $100M mark for new awards this year.  Growing our research programs increasingly allows RIT to contribute to the generation of new knowledge and the solution of global problems, and it offers wonderful opportunities for our students.  The second area of opportunity is AI.  The next president will be working with the provost, deans, and everyone else on campus to fully participate in the AI revolution, defining the leading role that RIT will play in AI within the realms of education, research, student services, and university operations.  The prospects of AI are exciting to many and terrifying to some.  You can put me in the optimistic camp as we work creatively to develop and implement this life-enhancing technology in a safe and ethical way.