The development of our 10-year vision was an inclusive and rigorous process, involving diverse perspectives across our community including faculty, staff, the alumni, and the Board of Trustees. Together, we explored emerging challenges and aligned around shared priorities for the future.
At RPI, our DNA is one of groundbreaking innovation, bold ideas, and enduring impact. In 2024, we celebrated our 200th anniversary—a milestone that not only honored our storied past but also reaffirmed our commitment to shaping the future. Now, as we embark on our third century, we stand ready to redefine what it means to lead in higher education.
RPI holds an important place in history as the first and longest-running technical university in the United States. Guided by the vision of our founder—“educating the sons and daughters of farmers … and instructing persons, who may choose to apply themselves, in the application of science to the common purposes of life” —we have consistently pushed boundaries and embraced the transformative power of knowledge.
Today, we face a world more interconnected, complex, and dynamic than ever before. It is our moment to reimagine this vision for today’s and tomorrow’s world and to seize the opportunity to create and sustain a culture of research and a curiosity-driven community of learning, respect, inclusivity, and inquiry.
Our new strategic plan, RPI Forward, charts a pioneering course for the next era of RPI. We will break down traditional silos, rethink outdated binaries—research versus teaching, educating versus learning, and arts versus science—and forge a new polytechnic model. This vision will adapt to the evolving needs of the 21st century and set a standard that others will aspire to follow.
Our Guiding Principles
These core principles, adapted from the Five Pillars used in the RPI Forward planning process, help guide our strategic choices, ensuring we remain focused on what matters most for RPI’s future.
Welcoming and Inclusive Community
Focus on and prioritize a diverse community of belonging and well-being.
Education
Cultivate our academic and research enterprise.
Research
Advance our contributions to knowledge.
Translation
Catalyze the movement of our knowledge and activities between our campus and the world.
Regional Engagement
Lead the region’s economic development.
Our Core Values
At RPI, our values define what sets us apart. They shape our identity, inspire our messaging, and guide us in the types of students we attract, the faculty we recruit, and the staff we hire.
We are resilient and persistent. We are adaptive and gritty.
We are quirky. We welcome the idiosyncratic and are proud to be different.
We are creative. We problem-solve and make our solutions a reality. We are resourceful and create unusual solutions from very little.
We are curious and collaborative. We are confident without being arrogant.
We cultivate a sustained stream of life-changing discoveries and innovations from faculty, staff, students, and alumni.
We are thorough and rigorous. We obsess over details. We hone a laser focus and are goal-oriented.
We are welcoming and inclusive. We are a learning community.
We collaborate with partners and emphasize teamwork. We prioritize regional engagement.
Learning Community
Create a robust and holistic learning community focused on the generation and discovery of new knowledge, processes, and products.
- Foster a welcoming and inclusive mindset for all to reach their full potential.
- Elevate and celebrate curiosity-driven research, whether it’s pursuing new knowledge, finding application for knowledge or sharing knowledge with society.
- Educate our next generation of risk-takers through the integration of research, entrepreneurship, and critical thinking.
- Create a model culture of creativity, inquiry-based learning, entrepreneurship, and translation; and lead the way for revitalizing higher education’s impact on the world’s largest challenges.
- Value polymaths who cross disciplines and derive inspiration in the space between art and science.
- Foster a model where creativity connects and sustains a robust research agenda allowing faculty, students, and artists to inspire and co-create new knowledge together.
First Creativity-Driven Science and Technology University
Become the first premier science and engineering university driving impact through the confluence of creativity, science, and engineering in its creation, translation, and sharing of thought and knowledge.
- Create an ecosystem of five strong and interconnected schools, and recognize the importance of HASS, Lally, and Architecture as critical when designing, developing, and deploying science and technology.
- Establish new models for research, translation, and funding.
- Extend our strength in computing by building a high-performance computing corridor (“Quantum Valley”) connecting Troy to major ecosystem players and leveraging our quantum system.
- Solidify a notable presence in New York City through CEPM and CASE.
- Select one societal challenge in which to establish a center of excellence.
- Transform our campus into a Living Commons for Learning, creating a model for holistic learning experiences.
- Leapfrog our operations to next-generation effectiveness.
Renewal and Integration with the Capital Region
Lead the revitalization and integration of RPI with New York’s Capital Region, strengthening local and regional ties.
- Create a modern, accessible, and sustainable campus integrated with the City of Troy such that Troy becomes known as the “ultimate college town on the Hudson River.”
- Develop RPI/Capital Region into a modern hub for innovation complementary to our research strengths.
- Make the Capital Region a talent magnet such that 20 percent of our graduates choose to stay in the region.
- Establish robust partnerships with other higher education institutions across the region with new models for learning, education, and discourse.
- Amplify EMPAC’s visionary opportunity and role as a destination for performances, research, and learning in the Capital Region.
Strengthen Enrollment Management
Make RPI a top choice for our target students by enhancing the overall student experience and continue increasing the number and quality of master’s and Ph.D. students.
Put simply, our prospective and current students are at the core of our mission. Creating a balanced and diverse student body while enhancing the university's overall academic quality, reputation, and financial health is our ultimate goal.
Facilitate and Grow Research Impact
Increase sponsored research funding by at least $100 million in five years and connect research and translation to the world.
To meet our goal of doubling sponsored research dollars in five years, we must, within the next two years, make it easier for faculty to obtain funding and for them, along with post-docs, graduate students, and undergraduate students, to do the research.
Enhance Alumni Engagement and Philanthropy
Create a robust alumni community that we can leverage to build a stronger student and lifelong experience.
When we think about community we must connect with and inspire our alumni. They are foundational community members: students, faculty, and staff alike have learned so much from our alumni's accomplishments, experiences, perspectives, and advice. We will work to engender mutual pride and connection as part of our shared future success. To generate the resources necessary for our next decade of growth, we must also bolster our bonds with foundations, corporations, and other sources of charitable giving.
RPI Forward is more than a vision—it is a commitment to shaping the next era of innovation, discovery, and impact. As we embark on this transformative journey, your support is vital in achieving our goals. Join us in driving RPI Forward. Make a gift today and be part of the momentum that will define our future.
The seeds have been sown, the future is beckoning, and the journey begins.