Collaboration enhances a strong tradition of academic partnership.
Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT/NTID) in Rochester, N.Y., and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (CSB) in the Philippines have signed a formal memorandum of understanding in order to strengthen their cultural, educational and research ties. The two colleges have partnered for the past 20 years to provide educational outreach for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Robert Tang, left, chancellor of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde in the Philippines, and Gerry Buckley, NTID president and RIT vice president and dean, signed a formal memorandum of understanding to strengthen cultural, educational and research ties.
The collaboration, designed “to enhance mutual understanding and promote academic collaboration and cooperation,” will provide short- and long-term teaching and seminar development and other forms of faculty collaboration and exchange with several RIT colleges, including NTID, College of Applied Science and Technology and Saunders College of Business. Initial faculty collaboration will place special emphasis on the shared understanding of curriculum, teaching methods and research related to the education of people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Representing RIT/NTID at the signing was Gerry Buckley, NTID president and RIT vice president and dean, along with NTID’s Center for International Educational Outreach staff, led by Thomastine Sarchet. Chancellor Robert Tang and a delegation composed of CSB’s vice-chancellor for academics, deans and directors from several programs and schools were in attendance.
“The linkages established through this and other MOUs recognize the inherent quality and value each partner offers and the synergy that can be created by such cooperative endeavors,” Buckley said. “We are committed to further advancing our longstanding partnership with CSB and developing knowledge of the educational resources and research opportunities that exist between our institutions.”
The partnership also will provide undergraduate and graduate degree programs, student exchanges, study abroad and an exchange of academic information with a focus on deaf education, access technology and support services.
About De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde
De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde is a private Catholic college in the Malate district of Manila, Philippines, that features programs in deaf education and accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
About Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology is home to leading creators, entrepreneurs, innovators and researchers. Founded in 1829, RIT enrolls about 19,000 students in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs, making it among the largest private universities in the U.S.
The university is internationally recognized and ranked for academic leadership in business, computing, engineering, imaging science, liberal arts, sustainability, and fine and applied arts. RIT also offers unparalleled support services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation. Global partnerships include campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai and Kosovo. For news, photos and videos, go to www.rit.edu/news.
About the National Technical Institute for the Deaf
Established by the U.S. Congress in 1965, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf is the first and largest technological college in the world for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. NTID offers associate degree programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing students and provides support and access services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students who study in the other eight colleges of RIT. NTID also offers a bachelor’s degree program in sign language interpreting and a master’s degree program in secondary education for individuals interested in teaching deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Deaf and hard-of-hearing students come from all over the United States and around the world to take advantage of the opportunities available to them at RIT/NTID. Go to www.ntid.rit.edu.
