Rpi Lawsuit

Case 1:20-cv-00498-TJM-DJS Document 1 Filed 05/04/20 Page 1 of 17
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK
ETHAN DEECHER and GRADY HABICHT,

individually and on behalf of all others CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT
similarly situated,
Civil Case No. 1:20-cv-498 (TJM/DJS)
Plaintiffs,
JURY TRIAL DEMANDED
v.
RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC
INSTITUTE,
Defendant.
Plaintiffs, by and through their undersigned attorneys, as and for their class action
complaint, allege as follows.
I. INTRODUCTION
1. Plaintiffs bring this action against defendant Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
(“RPI” or “Defendant”) to recover tuition and fees paid by students for an on-campus academic
experience and related on-campus services which Defendant has failed to deliver as promised.
2. Upon information and belief, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Defendant
has moved all class instruction completely online, resulting in Plaintiffs being denied the
educational instruction, facilities and services that they bargained and paid for. Defendant,
however, continues to charge Plaintiffs tuition and fees for the undelivered services without any
refund or adjustment. Defendant’s conduct has resulted in injury to Plaintiffs, constitutes a breach
of Defendant’s contractual duty owed to Plaintiffs, and it would be against equity and good
conscience to permit Defendant to retain such tuition and fees.

3. As a result of the above, Plaintiffs and the putative class are entitled to legal and
equitable relief, including, but not limited to, monetary damages, disgorgement of sums paid,
injunctive relief, and the costs, disbursements, and reasonable attorneys’ fees of this action.
II. JURISDICTION
4. This Court has subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to the Class Action Fairness
Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1332(d) because this is a class action involving more than 100 putative class
members, some of whom are citizens of states diverse from Defendant, and the amount in
controversy exceeds $5,000,000, exclusive of costs and interest.
5. This Court has personal jurisdiction over Defendant because it is organized and
incorporated under New York law, maintains its principal place of business in this district,
regularly and systematically transacts business in this district, and the wrongful conduct
complained of in this complaint occurred in this district.
6. Venue is proper in this district pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b) because Defendant
resides in this district and a substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to the complaint
occurred in this district, and Defendant is subject to personal jurisdiction in this district.
III. PARTIES
7. Plaintiff Ethan Deecher is an individual residing in Hampshire County,
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
8. At all relevant times, Mr. Deecher was an undergraduate engineering student
enrolled at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and was charged tuition and fees by Defendant for the
Spring 2020 semester and Summer 2020 Arch semester.
9. Plaintiff Grady Habicht is an individual residing in Tolland County, State of
Connecticut.
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10. At all relevant times, Mr. Habicht was an undergraduate engineering student
enrolled at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and was charged tuition and fees by Defendant for the
Spring 2020 semester and Summer 2020 Arch semester.
11. Defendant Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a tax-exempt not-for-profit
corporation and private research university incorporated under the laws of the State of New York
with a principal place of business located at 110 8th Street, in the City of Troy, County of
Rensselaer, State of New York.
IV. FACTUAL BACKGROUND
12. RPI describes its organizational mission as being to “educate[] the leaders of
tomorrow for technologically based careers.” See Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 2017 IRS Form
990 at Part I (1) (“Form 990”).
13. In 1999, under the leadership of President Shirley Ann Jackson, RPI developed and
adopted the “Rensselaer Plan” (the “Plan”), a foundational, university-wide, administrative policy
devoted to increasing the university’s standing and improving the educational experience offered
to its students.
14. Under the Plan, RPI developed and subsequently marketed to its prospective and
current students a unique academic experience fundamentally centered around an in-person, on-
campus academic experience and related on-campus services.
15. The Plan, which was updated in 2013, contains, among other things, specific
commitments by the university administration that it characterizes as “We Will Statements”.
Among the most prominent of these We Will Statements is the university’s commitment to “[o]ffer
a complete student experience, highlighted by: Clustered Learning, Advocacy, and Support for
Students (CLASS).” A copy of the Plan, as revised in 2013, is annexed hereto as Exhibit “A.”
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16. A fundamental tenet of the CLASS program as set forth in the Plan is the
importance of the on-campus experience and related on-campus services to the educational
experience at RPI which is embodied in its emphasis on “Clustered Learning.” Exh. “A”, at p. 4.
17. At all relevant times, RPI marketed its CLASS program to current and prospective
students as “a bold, comprehensive, and holistic residential college model that provides
unparalleled developmental education and support in every sphere of student life—from our
revitalized residential settings to our leading-edge classrooms and laboratories.” Id. at p. 10.
18. In describing the value of the CLASS program to students, RPI advised prospective
students on its website and in other forums that “CLASS provides a programmatic framework for
strengthened counseling, unique co-op experiences, academic skills building, cultural exposure,
leadership opportunities, community building, and global engagement” and notes that “Many of
these activities originate within the residential setting.” Id. The university further described the
CLASS program as one of its “unique strengths” that differentiates it as an institution of higher
learning. Id. at p. 11.
19. RPI promoted the value provided by its on-campus experience and related on-
campus services to prospective students throughout the Plan and elsewhere in its marketing
materials to current and prospective students. For example, on its website, it promised that “[w]ith
over 475 residential programs annually, students will have the opportunity to socialize with hall
residents and the campus community while increasing their knowledge of Multicultural
Sophistication, Intellectual Agility, and a Global View.” Student Living and Learning, Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute Website, (last accessed May 3, 2020), https://sll.rpi.edu/residential-
commons/living-learning.
4
20. On its website, RPI further marketed the value of the CLASS program to
prospective and current students in an informational video that featured students engaged in a
wide-range of on-campus events including working in laboratories, using the athletic facilities,
and socializing in student common areas, and featured students and faculty attesting to the
transformative impact of the on-campus residential academic experience. See CLASS (Clustered
Learning, Advocacy, and Support for Students), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Website, (last
accessed May 3, 2020), https://info.rpi.edu/class.
21. RPI promoted the importance of the on-campus residential academic experience to
its CLASS program, which it described as “Residential Clustering,” on its website, stating:
Id.
5
22. In the Plan and as part of the CLASS program, RPI also promised that “we will
. . . [p]rovide for our students an inclusive community, within a residential college model, that
supports them in their personal growth and success.” Exh. “A”, at p. 20.
23. RPI further acknowledged the crucial importance of on-campus residential and
recreational facilities to the student experience in the Plan, noting that “[r]esidential and
recreational facilities for our students must be inviting and support a robust living/learning
environment.” Id. at p. 23.
24. In fact, RPI deemed the on-campus, residential experience to be so critical to the
overall student experience and its academic product that it mandated that all first and second year
students, transfer students, and rising undergraduate juniors participating in the mandatory “The
Arch” summer semester live on campus and pay fees for room and board.
25. In justifying this on-campus residential mandate, RPI stated on its website that
“[l]iving on campus is a critical component of the CLASS (Clustered Learning, Advocacy, and
Support for Students) experience. It provides students with the opportunity to live, learn, and
experience Rensselaer and the local Troy area with members of their cohort.” Student Living and
Learning, Housing Requirement, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Website, (last accessed May 3,
2020), https://sll.rpi.edu/residential-commons/housing-requirement.
26. The Arch requirement for rising undergraduate juniors was promoted by RPI in the
Plan and elsewhere as another crucial and fundamental component of its academic product.
27. RPI describes The Arch requirement on its website as follows:
“During The Arch, students remain on campus for the summer after
their sophomore year, taking junior-level classes, and receive
focused attention from professors at this pivotal point in their
academic progression. Then, students leave the Troy campus for a
semester during the traditional junior year—either fall or spring—
to pursue their passions in the form of co-ops, internships, civic
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engagement, research, or international experiences. Students who

pursue these opportunities during their academic career are better
prepared for future professional careers and graduate school.”
The Arch, What is the Arch?, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Website, (last accessed May 3,
2020), https://info.rpi.edu/arch/what-arch.
28. In essence, The Arch is a mandatory summer semester for rising undergraduate
juniors that takes the place of a traditional semester during their junior year. After completing The
Arch requirement, students then take part in a “Semester Away” during their junior year in which
they are encouraged to seek out internships and other forms of experiential learning away from the
RPI campus.
29. Students are charged tuition and fees for their Arch Semester in the same manner
as for other semesters.
30. Indisputably, the Plan has achieved transformational results for RPI, and the
commitments made by the university to provide an experiential on-campus learning environment
have attracted increases in enrollment and revenue to the university.
31. In this regard, in its most recently available tax return for the year ending June 2018,
RPI reported annual revenue of $591,700,082 and total assets worth over $1.5 billion. See Form
990, at Part 1(12), (20).
32. Upon information and belief, the success of the Plan and its importance to the
university is also reflected in the compensation paid to the school’s executive president, Dr.
Shirley Ann Jackson, who is reported to be the third highest paid college official in the nation
with total compensation of over $5,000,000 annually. See Bauman et al., Executive
Compensation at Public and Private Colleges, THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, Jan. 14,
2020, https://www.chronicle.com/interactives/executive-compensation#id=table_private_2017
7
33. In or about February 2020, a contagious virus designated “COVID-19” was
observed by state and federal authorities to have spread to the United States and the State of New
York.
34. On or about March 10, 2020, RPI became one of the first colleges in New York’s
Capital District to announce that it was cancelling all in-person instruction and would be
conducting all instruction remotely in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
35. Thereafter, RPI announced that it would be taking immediate action to bring
virtually all on-campus activity to a halt, including:
a. Directing Plaintiffs and all other students living on campus to vacate their on-
campus housing no later than March 20, 2020;
b. Prohibiting Plaintiffs and all other students from accessing any on-campus
facilities or buildings (but for a limited number of students granted special
permission to remain on campus);
c. Cancelling all in-person student activities, special events, travel, and
extracurricular activities; and
d. Cancelling the scheduled commencement ceremony and replacing it with a
“remote” commencement ceremony.
36. Upon information and belief, the fair market value of online academic instruction
is substantially less than the fair market value of the on-campus academic experience and related
on-campus services that were promised by Defendant to its students.
37. Nevertheless, RPI thereafter announced to its students that “Rensselaer will not be
adjusting tuition for the spring semester 2020. Class are continuing through remote instruction.”
Frequently Asked Questions, Division of Student Life, Office of the Vice President, Rensselaer
8
Polytechnic Institute Webpage, (last accessed May 3, 2020), https://rpi.app.box.com/v/covid19-
faq-students
38. RPI also subsequently announced that the above-mentioned restrictions would
apply not only to the Spring 2020 semester, but to the upcoming Summer 2020 Arch semester as
well.
39. RPI conceded on its website that “one intent of The Arch program is for students
to live and learn on campus together” and that “[w]e realize that we cannot completely replace the
community-building elements in an online environment.” Frequently Asked Questions, Division
of Student Life, Office of the Vice President, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Webpage, (last
accessed May 3, 2020), https://rpi.app.box.com/v/covid19-faq-students
40. On or about April 3, 2020, RPI began providing instruction to its students solely
via remote means such as prerecorded videos, telephone, and videoconference.
41. As a result of the restrictions put in place by Defendant, students who were charged
tuition for the Spring and/or Summer 2020 Arch semesters have and will be deprived of an on-
campus academic experience and related on-campus services that were promised to them by
Defendant, including, but not limited to:
a. The ability to engage in in-person, residential, experiential, kinesthetic, and hands-
on learning;
b. The ability to access on-campus facilities such as laboratories, workshops, and
athletic facilities;
c. The ability to participate in on-campus extracurricular activities;
d. The ability to participate in on-campus events and lectures;
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e. The ability to engage in in-person interaction with other students, faculty, and staff;
and
f. The ability to participate in “Clustered Learning”, which Defendant advertised as a
critically important and distinguishing factor justifying attendance at its institute.
42. Despite its inability to deliver the on-campus academic experience and related on-
campus services it promised to students, RPI has failed and refused to refund or adjust any portion
of the tuition paid by Plaintiffs or, upon information and belief, any of its students for the Spring
2020 or Summer 2020 Arch semesters.
43. Additionally, RPI has further failed to refund or adjust fees charged to Plaintiffs or,
upon information and belief, any of its students, for the Spring 2020 and Summer 2020 Arch
semesters in an amount that equitably compensates students for their reduced ability to utilize the
services for which those fees were charged, including, but not limited to student activity fees,
health center fees, and fees for individual clubs and activities.
44. In addition, RPI has refused to reduce or adjust the tuition and fees charged for the
Summer 2020 Arch semester notwithstanding its inability to provide the promised on-campus
academic experience and related on-campus services.
45. RPI’s failure to reduce or refund the tuition and fees charged for the Spring 2020
and Summer 2020 Arch semesters has resulted in Plaintiffs and other similarly situated students
being charged inequitable and excessive tuition and fees.
46. In effect, RPI has sought to reduce the financial burden it faces as a result of the
COVID-19 epidemic by inequitably shifting that burden onto its students.
47. Upon information and belief, RPI has engaged in these acts and omissions at the
expense of its students despite having accepted millions of dollars in federal aid under the
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Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act intended to replace revenue lost as
a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
V. CLASS ALLEGATIONS
48. Plaintiffs repeat and reassert each of the preceding paragraphs as though fully set
forth in this paragraph.
49. Plaintiffs seek class certification pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 23 (a), (b)(2) and (b)(3)
on behalf of the class, which is comprised of the subclasses defined below:
a. Spring 2020 Semester
All students enrolled in the 2020 Spring semester at Rensselaer

Polytechnic Institute who were charged tuition or fees for services
and benefits that were not fully accessible or delivered; and
b. Summer 2020 Arch Semester
All students enrolled in the 2020 Summer Arch semester at

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute who were charged tuition or fees
for services and benefits that were not fully accessible or delivered.
50. Upon information and belief, the scope of the class may be further refined after
discovery of Defendant’s and/or third-party records.
51. The exact number of members of the class, as identified above, is not known to
plaintiffs, but upon information and belief, exceeds 7,000 persons and is sufficiently numerous
such that joinder of individual members herein is impracticable.
52. The members of the putative class are mutually and commonly aggrieved and the
relief sought is common to the entire class and, if granted, would commonly benefit the entire
class.
53. There are numerous questions of law and fact common to plaintiffs and the class,
including:
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a. Whether Plaintiffs paid tuition to Defendant for the Spring 2020 and/or Summer
2020 Arch semesters.
b. Whether Plaintiffs paid fees to Defendant for the Spring 2020 and/or Summer
2020 Arch semesters.
c. Whether Defendant was unjustly enriched by Plaintiffs’ payment of tuition for
the Spring 2020 and Summer 2020 Arch semesters.
d. Whether Defendant was unjustly enriched by Plaintiffs’ payment of fees for the
Spring 2020 and Summer 2020 Arch semesters.
e. Whether it would be against equity and good conscience to permit Defendant
to retain the full unrefunded amount of tuition paid by Plaintiffs for the Spring
2020 and Summer 2020 Arch semesters.
f. Whether it would be against equity and good conscience to permit Defendant
to retain the full unrefunded amount of fees paid by Plaintiffs for the Spring
2020 and Summer 2020 Arch semesters.
g. Whether a legal contract was formed between Plaintiffs and Defendant.
h. Whether Defendant failed to perform its obligations to Plaintiffs under the
contract.
54. Common questions of fact and law predominate over any questions affecting only
individual members of the class, including but not limited to the alleged acts and omissions and
breach of Defendant’s legal duties set forth herein.
55. Plaintiffs’ claims herein are typical of the claims of the class, in that the claims of
all members of the class, including Plaintiffs, depend on a showing of the acts and omissions of
Defendant giving rise to the right of Plaintiffs to the relief sought.
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56. Plaintiffs will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the respective class
members in that plaintiffs have such a plain, direct, and adequate interest in the outcome of the
controversy to assure the adequacy of the presentation of the issues involved herein. Plaintiffs
have no interest which is adverse to any interest of the class members.
57. Plaintiffs have retained competent counsel with substantial experience litigating
class claims in both state and federal court.
58. Plaintiffs and their counsel are committed to vigorously prosecuting this action on
behalf of the class and have the financial resources to do so. Neither Plaintiffs nor their counsel
have interests adverse to the class.
59. Class action treatment is superior to other available methods for the fair and
efficient adjudication of the controversy.
60. Absent class certification, individual litigation of the claims would be
unreasonably expensive in light of the probable recoverable damages, burdensome upon the court,
and would waste resources otherwise available to compensate the class.
61. Absent class certification, the claims of infant class members may never be timely.
VI. CAUSES OF ACTION
FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION

(Breach of Contract)
63. Defendant Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute extended an offer to provide Plaintiffs
with an on-campus academic experience and related on-campus services during the Spring 2020
and/or Summer 2020 Arch semesters in consideration for the payment of certain tuition and fees.
13
64. Plaintiffs accepted Defendant’s offer and tendered the agreed upon consideration
to Defendant which Defendant accepted.
65. Defendant thereafter failed to provide the agreed upon on-campus academic
experience and related on-campus services in breach of the parties’ contract and in violation of the
parties’ agreement.
66. Defendant failed to act fairly and in good faith in its contractual dealings with
Plaintiffs.
67. Plaintiffs have been damaged by Defendant’s breach of contract by, among other
things, being deprived of the full value of the bargained for on-campus academic experience and
related on-campus services and by the future diminution of the value of their academic degree and
earnings.
68. Plaintiffs are entitled to recover damages as a result of Defendant’s breach,
including, but not limited to, reimbursement of tuition, fees and other expenses, in an amount to
be determined upon the trial of this action.
SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION

(Estoppel)
70. At all times relevant, defendant Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute made a clear and
unambiguous promise to provide students, including Plaintiffs, with an on-campus academic
experience and related on-campus services.
71. The promises made by Defendant are incorporated into the Plan, which
characterizes the commitments by Defendant as “We Will Statements.” Exh. “A”, at p. 5.
14
72. Plaintiff incorporates by reference herein each of Defendant’s statements made in
the Plan.
73. Among the most prominent of the We Will Statements is Defendant’s commitment
to “[o]ffer a complete student experience, highlighted by: Clustered Learning, Advocacy, and
Support for Student (CLASS).” Exh. “A”, at p.10.
74. It was reasonable and foreseeable that students would rely on Defendant’s promise
to provide students with an on-campus academic experience and related on-campus services.
75. Plaintiffs reasonably relied on Defendant’s promise to their detriment, in among
other things, being deprived of an on-campus academic experience and related on-campus
services.
76. Defendant should be equitably estopped from retaining the full amount of the
tuition and fees paid to Defendant by Plaintiffs for an on-campus experience and related on-campus
services.
77. Accordingly, Plaintiffs are entitled to recover damages in an amount to be
determined upon the trial of this action, including, but not limited to, reimbursement of tuition,
fees and other expenses, and such other and further relief as this Court deems just and equitable.
THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION

(Unjust Enrichment)
79. Plaintiffs paid tuition and fees to defendant Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for an
on-campus academic experience and for related on-campus services during the Spring and/or
Summer 2020 Arch semesters.
15
80. Plaintiffs’ payment of such sums conferred a direct benefit upon Defendant and
Defendant accepted such benefit.
81. Defendant’s acceptance of such benefit was at the expense of Plaintiffs who were
deprived of the further beneficial use of such funds.
82. Defendant has failed to provide plaintiffs with an on-campus academic experience
for the Spring or Summer 2020 Arch semesters or to provide the related on-campus services.
83. It would be against equity and good conscience to permit Defendant to retain the
full amount of the tuition and fees paid to it by Plaintiffs for an on-campus experience and related
on-campus services which Defendant has failed and refused to provide.
84. As a result of Defendant’s acceptance of tuition and fees paid by Plaintiffs,
Defendant has been unjustly enriched and Plaintiffs are entitled to the disgorgement of such sums
in an amount to be determined upon the trial of this action and such other and further relief as this
Court deems just and equitable.
85. In the alternative to the claims alleged above, Plaintiffs have no other adequate
remedy at law.
VII. DEMAND FOR TRIAL BY JURY
Plaintiffs demand a jury trial on all issues so triable.
VIII. PRAYER FOR RELIEF
WHEREFORE, Plaintiffs demand judgment against defendant as follows:
A. Certifying this action as a class action;
B. Appointing the named Plaintiffs as class representatives;
C. Appointing the undersigned counsel as class counsel;
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D. Awarding compensatory and special damages, together with pre and post judgment
interest, in an amount to be determined at trial;
E. Granting declaratory relief adjudicating the parties’ legal rights and obligations;
F. Granting injunctive relief directing defendant to return all payments made by
Plaintiffs to Defendant for tuition and fees for the Spring 2020 semester and
Summer 2020 Arch semester or, in the alternative, the amount of such payments as
would prevent Defendant from being unjustly enriched;
G. Granting such other and further equitable relief as justice requires;
H. For the costs, disbursement, and reasonable attorneys’ fees of this action; and
I. For such other and further relief as this Court deems just and proper.
DREYER BOYAJIAN LLP

s/Donald W. Boyajian (101196)
s/James R. Peluso (105634)
s/Joshua R. Friedman (520628)
75 Columbia Street
Albany, New York 12210
Telephone: (518) 463-7784
dboyajian@dblawny.com
jpeluso@dblawny.com
jfriedman@dblawny.com
Counsel for Plaintiffs and Proposed Class
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initiatives including “Beyond the Internet: Digital Meets Reality” and “Infrastructural Resilience, Sustainability, and Stewardship.” In Undergraduate Education, we will target an under
Case 1:20-cv-00498-TJM-DJS
student population of 5,000 students. Broaden curricular offerings. Launch new Document 1-1 Filed
modalities of interactive 05/04/20
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through CLASS. Create new opportunities for research and international experiences. Launch a research-focused Honors Program. In Graduate Education, we will target a resident
student population of 2,500, with 1,600 Ph.D. students. Extend CLASS to graduate students. Grow interdisciplinary, research-based graduate programs. Focus graduate education and
on Global Challenges. Develop advanced professional programs that leverage interdisciplinary research. Create new technology-enabled learning environments. In Research, we will b
tenured and tenure-track faculty size to 500. Grow sponsored research expenditures to $250 million annually. Launch two new research umbrellas: “Beyond the Internet: Digital Meets
and “Infrastructural Resilience, Sustainability, and Stewardship.” Extend the Signature Thrusts to holistically address Global Challenges. Expand cross-sectorial research partnership
Communities of Rensselaer, we will strengthen our ethnic, gender, intellectual, and geographic diversity. Involve alumni/ae as partners in mutually beneficial ways to help advance the I
and to strengthen their connections to the Institute. Foster and support an innovation ecosystem to bring ideas from the classroom and the laboratory to the marketplace. Seek more d
collaborations at the local, regional, national, and global levels. In Enabling Change, we will mount a comprehensive fund-raising campaign, building upon the success of the $1.4 bi
naissance at Rensselaer Campaign. Target a goal of $150 million in annual philanthropic support. Maintain a robust infrastructure to support academic, research, and administrative a
Rensselaer will build upon its distinguishing strengths in interdisciplinary inquiry, interactive learning, and entrepreneurship to enhance national and international leadership in in
learning and teaching by providing an outstanding and distinctive education for resident undergraduates and graduate students, and for working professionals. Dramatically expand the
enterprise, including associated graduate education, by (i) creating new Institute-wide initiatives in signature research thrusts closely aligned with societal and global priorities; (ii) build
and enhancing existing core research strengths; (iii) strategically supporting additional critical priorities in areas that offer opportunities for research impact and leadership; and (iv)
new infrastructure that enables growth. Increase our focus on innovation and entrepreneurship across education, research, media and the arts, technology commercialization, and new
creation, to spur regional and national economic development, and to use science and technology for social advancement and environmental stewardship. Strengthen ethnic, gender,
tual, and geographic diversity among our students, faculty, and staff in order to draw upon the best talent available, and to prepare our students to work and lead in a global economy. R
our diverse communities on our campuses, among alumni/ae and friends, and in all of our activities locally, nationally, and globally. Redesign and invigorate enabling activities to foc
selaer people, administrative processes, information infrastructure, physical facilities, and financial resources on the realization of strategic goals. As Rensselaer moves toward its bicen
we will continue to build upon our unique strengths: interdisciplinary inquiry; interactive learning; innovation and entrepreneurship; CLASS; and leading-edge platforms. We will enhan
lectual diversity by developing unique degree programs in architecture; management; and humanities, arts, and social sciences, that incorporate the rich scientific and technological s
of the Institute, embracing as well the humanistic, artistic, and social dimensions of technology. Embed curricular and co-curricular activities designed to foster a culture of creativity, d
and innovation. Integrate outcomes assessment and evaluation into all education programs, ensuring timely and continuous improvement. We will target an undergraduate student bo
from which we recruit—nationally and internationally. Create new modalities of interactive learning by making use of structured online content and generating new tools to access, ag
and analyze unstructured data. Develop “online virtual environments” that extend the student experience in time and space, to create digitally connected classrooms, discussion gro
project settings with faculty and students at other universities, and with researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and policy-makers around the world. Use EMPAC, linked to other camp
forms, to develop and deploy highly developed immersive environments for digitally augmented learning. Expand the use of interactive assessment techniques to improve learning ou
We will create the opportunity for research or independent study for all undergraduate students. Establish an Honors Program to recognize and nurture distinctive achievement in r
Promote “Entrepreneurship Across the Curriculum” as a differentiator of a Rensselaer education. We will fully develop CLASS to anchor the developmental experience for all undergr
Use CLASS as a laboratory for pedagogical innovation. Integrate the Global Challenges as foundational elements of CLASS programming. Embrace diversity and inclusion as fundament
of CLASS. Develop appropriate metrics to measure outcomes of CLASS. We will target a resident graduate student population of 2,500, with 1,600 Ph.D. students. Strengthen the s
for admission to our graduate programs, drawing students from an expanded national and international base. Dramatically expand federally funded graduate training programs, partic
the intersection of basic and applied sciences, and engineering. Focus on comprehensive professional development for our graduate students. Align our professional degree programs
Global Challenges, linked to our signature research thrusts. Integrate the use of interactive assessment techniques to improve learning outcomes for all graduate education and training p
We will establish a Graduate Center to provide advocacy, support, and guidance for graduate students, and their families, throughout their tenure at Rensselaer. Develop concomitant p
ming and support for postdoctoral researchers, acknowledging that the postdoctoral position represents the culmination of formal graduate education. Significantly expand residential
options for graduate students and their families. Extend the precepts of CLASS to our working professional programs, including Rensselaer at Hartford. We will offer a complete studen
ence, highlighted by Clustered Learning, Advocacy, and Support for Students (CLASS). We will lead in pedagogical innovation, introducing new learning paradigms including the Mu
and Mixed Reality Classroom and Cyber-Enabled Discovery and Learning. We will extend our impact on humanity through forward-looking research initiatives including “Beyond the
Digital Meets Reality” and “Infrastructural Resilience, Sustainability, and Stewardship.” In Undergraduate Education, we will target an undergraduate student population of 5,000 s
Broaden curricular offerings. Launch new modalities of interactive learning. Develop an ever more engaging and transformative student experience, through CLASS. Create new oppo
for research and international experiences. Launch a research-focused Honors Program. In Graduate Education, we will target a resident graduate student population of 2,500, with 1,60
students. Extend CLASS to graduate students. Grow interdisciplinary, research-based graduate programs. Focus graduate education and research on Global Challenges. Develop advan
fessional programs that leverage interdisciplinary research. Create new technology-enabled learning environments. In Research, we will build the tenured and tenure-track faculty size
Grow sponsored research expenditures to $250 million annually. Launch two new research umbrellas: “Beyond the Internet: Digital Meets Reality” and “Infrastructural Resilience, Sus
ity, and Stewardship.” Extend the Signature Thrusts to holistically address Global Challenges. Expand cross-sectorial research partnerships. In the Communities of Rensselaer, we will s
en our ethnic, gender, intellectual, and geographic diversity. Involve alumni/ae as partners in mutually beneficial ways to help advance the Institute, and to strengthen their connectio
Institute. Foster and support an innovation ecosystem to bring ideas from the classroom and the laboratory to the marketplace. Seek more deliberate collaborations at the local, regional
al, and global levels. In Enabling Change, we will mount a comprehensive fund-raising campaign, building upon the success of the $1.4 billion Renaissance at Rensselaer Campaign.
goal of $150 million in annual philanthropic support. Maintain a robust infrastructure to support academic, research, and administrative activities. Rensselaer will build upon its distin
strengths in interdisciplinary inquiry, interactive learning, and entrepreneurship to enhance national and international leadership in innovative learning and teaching by providing an out
and distinctive education for resident undergraduates and graduate students, and for working professionals. Dramatically expand the research enterprise, including associated graduat
tion, by (i) creating new Institute-wide initiatives in signature research thrusts closely aligned with societal and global priorities; (ii) building upon and enhancing existing core research st
(iii) strategically supporting additional critical priorities in areas that offer opportunities for research impact and leadership; and (iv) building new infrastructure that enables growth.
our focus on innovation and entrepreneurship across education, research, media and the arts, technology commercialization, and new venture creation, to spur regional and national e
development, and to use science and technology for social advancement and environmental stewardship. Strengthen ethnic, gender, intellectual, and geographic diversity among our s
faculty, and staff in order to draw upon the best talent available, and to prepare our students to work and lead in a global economy. Revitalize our diverse communities on our campuses
alumni/ae and friends, and in all of our activities locally, nationally, and globally. Redesign and invigorate enabling activities to focus Rensselaer people, administrative processes, inf
infrastructure, physical facilities, and financial resources on the realization of strategic goals. As Rensselaer moves toward its bicentennial, we will continue to build upon our unique s
interdisciplinary inquiry; interactive learning; innovation and entrepreneurship; CLASS; and leading-edge platforms. We will enhance intellectual diversity by developing unique degree p
in architecture; management; and humanities, arts, and social sciences, that incorporate the rich scientific and technological strengths of the Institute, embracing as well the human
tistic, and social dimensions of technology. Embed curricular and co-curricular activities designed to foster a culture of creativity, discovery, and innovation. Integrate outcomes assessm
evaluation into all education programs, ensuring timely and continuous improvement. We will target an undergraduate student body size s from which we recruit—nationally and interna
Create new modalities of interactive learning by making use of structured online content and generating new tools to access, aggregate, and analyze unstructured data. Develop “onlin
environments” that extend the student experience in time and space, to create digitally connected classrooms, discussion groups, and project settings with faculty and students at othe
sities, and with researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and policy-makers around the world. Use EMPAC, linked to other campus platforms, to develop and deploy highly developed im
environments for digitally augmented learning. Expand the use of interactive assessment techniques to improve learning outcomes. We will create the opportunity for research or inde
study for all undergraduate students. Establish an Honors Program to recognize and nurture distinctive achievement in research. Promote “Entrepreneurship Across the Curriculum” as
entiator of a Rensselaer education. We will fully develop CLASS to anchor the developmental experience for all undergraduates. Use CLASS as a laboratory for pedagogical innovation. I
the Global Challenges as foundational elements of CLASS programming. Embrace diversity and inclusion as fundamental tenets of CLASS. Develop appropriate metrics to measure o
of CLASS. We will target a resident graduate student population of 2,500, with 1,600 Ph.D. students. Strengthen the standards for admission to our graduate programs, drawing stude
an expanded national and international base. Dramatically expand federally funded graduate training programs, particularly at the intersection of basic and applied sciences, and eng
Focus on comprehensive professional development for our graduate students. Align our professional degree programs with the Global Challenges, linked to our signature research thrus
grate the use of interactive assessment techniques to improve learning outcomes for all graduate education and training programs. We will establish a Graduate Center to provide a
support, and guidance for graduate students, and their families, throughout their tenure at Rensselaer. Develop concomitant programming and support for postdoctoral researchers,
edging that the postdoctoral position represents the culmination of formal graduate education. Significantly expand residential housing options for graduate students and their families
the precepts of CLASS to our working professional programs, including Rensselaer at Hartford. We will offer a complete student experience, highlighted by Clustered Learning, Advoc
Case 1:20-cv-00498-TJM-DJS Document 1-1 Filed 05/04/20 Page 3 of 28
At the beginning of the new millennium, we set out on an ambitious journey.

Armed with our intellects, our energy, and a bold vision for the future, we launched a process to
realize the mission of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in new and tangible ways. We conceived and
implemented The Rensselaer Plan, to bring new meaning, and new substance, to the question we
ask ourselves as the first technological university in the nation: “Why not change the world?”
We began our journey of transformation where necessity demanded. We have made major
investments in our people, programs, platforms, and partnerships; and, together, we have
brought about a true Renaissance at Rensselaer. These investments have enabled us to transform
Rensselaer into a top-tier technological research university with global reach and global impact.
That transformation serves as a solid foundation on which we will build even greater achievements
in the future.
Our journey of transformation continues, under The Rensselaer Plan 2024. In the same spirit as
its precursor, the revised Plan is evergreen, prepared to grow and evolve, as the Institute grows
and evolves. In advancing The Rensselaer Plan 2024, we are moving from transforming Rensselaer
to Rensselaer being transformative—transformative in our students’ lives; transformative in our
innovative pedagogy, nationally and internationally; transformative in the global impact of our
research.
As we anticipate the bicentennial of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2024, we look forward

to addressing the Global Challenges that face the world of the 21st century—to change lives, to
advance society, and, indeed, to change the world.
Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D.

President
Professor of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy
Professor of Engineering Sciences
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
e xec ut i ve s um m a ry 4
1 THE GOAL 6
2 FU NDAM ENTALS 8
2.1 Rensselaer Today 8
2.2 Accomplishments Under The Rensselaer Plan, 2000-2012 8
2.3 Unique Strengths 11
2.4 Opportunity and Global Challenges 11
3 U NDER GR ADU ATE EDU CATI O N 12

3.1 Resident Undergraduate Education 12
3.2 Interactive and Digitally Augmented Learning 12
3.3 Participation in Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship 12
3.4 Clustered Learning, Advocacy, and Support for Students (CLASS) 13
4 GR ADU ATE EDU CATI ON 14

4.1 Resident Graduate Education 14
4.2 CLASS for Graduate Students 14
4.3 A Distributed Rensselaer 14
5 R ESEAR CH 16
5.1 Growth of Signature Thrusts 16
5.2 Addressing Global Challenges 18
5.3 Intellectual Property, Technology Commercialization,
and Entrepreneurship 19
6 THE COMMU NI TI ES OF R EN S S E L A E R 20
6.1 The Diverse and Inclusive University Community 20
6.2 Alumni and Alumnae 20
6.3 Neighborhood, City, and Region 21
6.4 National and International Reach 21
7 ENABLI NG CHANGE 22
7.1 Administrative Process Re-engineering 22
7.2 Information and Cyber-Infrastructure 22
7.3 Physical Facilities 22
7.4 Advancing the Institute 23
7.5 Managing Financial Resources 23
7.6 Expanding the Resource Base 23
8 LEADER SHI P I N THE 21ST C E N T URY 24

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY We are guided by the following premises:

4
The goal of The Rensselaer Plan 2024 is • Education and research are inextricably linked
the rensselaer plan 2024
to enable Rensselaer to have even in world-class universities.

greater success, and to continue to gain • Research potentiates education.
prominence in the 21st century as a • Research and education drive reputation.
top-tier world-class technological • Intellectual congruence leads to excellent
research university with global reach education.
and global impact. • Addressing Global Challenges leads to
transformational education.
We are moving from transforming • Diversity and inclusion are essential to
Rensselaer to Rensselaer being academic excellence and innovation.
transformative—for our students, in • Strategic focus is essential to achieving
our pedagogy, in the global impact of our goal.
our research. As a multigenerational
community of learners, engaged in deep As we advance The Rensselaer Plan to its next
stage of development, we are building our
discovery, discourse, and technological strength, our impact, and our reputation on the
innovation, we will make a difference for principles upon which the university was estab-
the world. The fundamental markers of lished in 1824, and that have been reinforced
Excellence, Leadership, and Community by the success of The Plan. We are creating a
Rensselaer that engenders in our students intel-
will drive our actions. lectual agility, multicultural sophistication, and
a global view. We are creating a Rensselaer that
enables our faculty to make world-changing
scientific discoveries, technological innovations,
and significant contributions to commerce, the
arts and culture, and public policy. To those ends,
we will:
• Offer a complete student experience,

highlighted by:
lustered Learning, Advocacy, and Support
C
for Students (CLASS)
• Lead in pedagogical innovation, introducing

new learning paradigms:
M
ultiplayer and Mixed Reality Classroom
Cyber-Enabled Discovery and Learning
• Extend our impact on humanity through

forward-looking research initiatives:
eyond the Internet: Digital Meets Reality
B
Infrastructural Resilience, Sustainability,
and Stewardship
To realize this vision, a multifront, focused, Launch two new research umbrellas:
5
and engaged community effort will be required
Beyond the Internet: Digital Meets Reality
the rensselaer Plan 2024

to advance the Institute and to expand its
resource base. I nfrastructural Resilience, Sustainability, and
Stewardship
In implementing the original Rensselaer Plan we
Extend the Signature Thrusts to holistically
were well served by making commitments to
address Global Challenges.
ourselves and our community—embodied in our
“we will” statements. Under The Rensselaer Plan Expand cross-sectorial research partnerships.
2024, we have made 110 commitments.
In the Communities of Rensselaer, we will:
In Undergraduate Education, we will:
Strengthen our ethnic, gender, intellectual, and
arget an undergraduate student population
T geographic diversity.
of 5,000 students.
Involve alumni/ae as partners in mutually
Broaden curricular offerings. beneficial ways to help advance the Institute, and
to strengthen their connections to the Institute.
Launch new modalities of interactive learning.
Foster and support an innovation ecosystem
evelop an ever more engaging and transforma-
D
to bring ideas from the classroom and the
tive student experience, through CLASS.
laboratory to the marketplace.

Create new opportunities for research and
Seek more deliberate collaborations at the local,
international experiences.
regional, national, and global levels.
Launch a research-focused Honors Program.
In Graduate Education, we will: A Rensselaer education is rigorous, holistic,

multifaceted, and supportive. A pedagogical approach
Target a resident graduate student population
of 2,500, with 1,600 Ph.D. students. that is multidisciplinary and that connects the classroom,
design studio, or laboratory to the living environment
Extend CLASS to graduate students.
of the students, cultivates robust and sustained learning.
Grow interdisciplinary, research-based graduate
programs.
Focus graduate education and research on
In Enabling Change, we will:
Global Challenges.
ount a comprehensive fund-raising campaign,
M
Develop advanced professional programs that
building upon the success of the $1.4 billion
leverage interdisciplinary research.
Renaissance at Rensselaer Campaign.
Create new technology-enabled learning
Target a goal of $150 million in annual
environments.
philanthropic support.
In Research, we will: Maintain a robust infrastructure to support
academic, research, and administrative activities.
Build the tenured and tenure-track faculty size
to 500.
The Rensselaer Plan 2024 will enable us to build
row sponsored research expenditures to
G on our proud legacy, by educating students to
$250 million annually. lead in complex environments, by enabling
research that addresses the most compelling
Global Challenges, and by building a worldwide
community of supporters who are bound by the
common purpose of “changing the world.”
THE GOAL discovery and to remain open to inquiry.

6
At the intersection of research and education is

Prominence in the 21st century as a the entrepreneurial spirit that drives Rensselaer
top-tier world-class technological faculty and students to address societal aspira-

research university with global reach tions and challenges of substance with imagina-
and global impact. tive solutions. The Institute will, therefore,
continue to assign added emphasis to research
and scholarship as key components of excellence
A great university has at its core an in education.
intergenerational community of learners
engaged in the pursuit of new knowl- Research potentiates education.
Research brings education to fruition by enhanc-
edge, committed to disseminating that ing fundamental understanding of the world.
knowledge, and seeking to use their Research, therefore, is about learning. At the
skills and talents to make a difference same time, education teaches students how to see
for themselves, and for the world at large. what others do not, how to pose thoughtful ques-
tions, and how to proceed when the answer is not
This requires intellectual agility, multicul- obvious. Education, therefore, is about research.
tural sophistication, and a global view, in Ultimately, one cannot exist without the other.
order to make important linkages across
disciplines and to operate within Research and education drive reputation.
As the impact of the research and education of
a broad scholarly and social milieu. Rensselaer grows, its prominence as a world-class
technological research university also increases.
Excellence, Leadership, and Community are the
This positions Rensselaer to continue to attract
fundamental values that drive our actions.
highly talented students and well-respected fac-
Excellence is the mantra and the metric.
ulty and staff, to expand its global reach, and to
Leadership means we shape the agenda and
garner increased financial support from private
discourse in areas related to our mission and
philanthropy and public sources.
plans. Community is what we are. We are
“One Rensselaer.”
Intellectual congruence leads to excellent
education.
As we build toward our overarching goal, we
A Rensselaer education is rigorous, holistic,
insist on excellence, leadership, and community
multifaceted, and supportive. A pedagogical
in each core enterprise—resident undergraduate
approach that is multidisciplinary, and that con-
education, graduate education, research, innova-
nects the classroom, design studio, or laboratory
tion, and entrepreneurship. This is imperative in
to the living environment of the students, culti-
each academic and administrative unit, and most
vates robust and sustained learning. Rensselaer
importantly, in the people of Rensselaer—its
will continue its commitment to providing an
faculty, students, staff, alumni/ae, partners,
education that extends from traditional settings to
and friends.
every sphere of student living and learning.
Education and research are inextricably linked
Global Challenges lead to transformational
in world-class universities.
education.
Discovery and innovative pedagogy are core
Rensselaer asks: Why not change the world? The
characteristics of the Institute. The creation of
answer to this question requires groundbreaking
new knowledge is critical to fostering an engag-
discoveries and contributions to public policy that
ing and inspirational learning environment for
will have a powerful impact on the most pressing
our students. To provide a superlative education,
issues we face as global citizens. Rensselaer will
we must be trailblazers in key research fields.
draw upon the resources of its distinguished fac-
Research enables our students to be partners in
ulty, talented students, and outstanding social advancement and environmental
7
educational and research platforms to create and stewardship.

disseminate knowledge, and to devise solutions
• Strengthen ethnic, gender, intellectual, and geo-
for the world’s greatest challenges. In this way,
graphic DIVERSITY among our students, faculty,
Rensselaer honors and invigorates its founders’
and staff in order to draw upon the best talent
mission: The application of science to the
available, and to prepare our students to work
common purposes of life.
and lead in a global economy.
Diversity and inclusion are essential to academic • Revitalize our diverse COMMUNITIES on our
excellence and innovation. campuses, among alumni/ae and friends, and
In an increasingly intertwined world and amid in all of our activities locally, nationally, and
global demographic shifts, Rensselaer faculty, stu- globally.
dents, and staff benefit from an educational envi-
• Redesign and invigorate ENABLING ACTIVITIES
ronment where diversity is a hallmark of excel-
to focus Rensselaer people, administrative
lence. Rensselaer will strengthen and advance its
processes, information infrastructure, physical
commitment to diversity and inclusion to provide
facilities, and financial resources on the realiza-
a research, teaching, and learning experience that
tion of strategic goals.
is democratic in nature and global in scope.
Strategic focus is essential to achieving THE GOAL.

Rensselaer will build upon its distinguishing
strengths in interdisciplinary inquiry, interactive
learning, and entrepreneurship to:
• Enhance national and international leadership

in innovative learning and teaching by providing
an outstanding and distinctive EDUCATION for
resident undergraduates and graduate students,
and for working professionals. Educational pro-
grams will incorporate interactive pedagogies,
provide an engaging student experience, and
create lifetime connections with Rensselaer.
• Dramatically expand the RESEARCH
ENTERPRISE, including associated graduate
education, by (i) creating new Institute-wide
initiatives in signature research thrusts closely
aligned with societal and global priorities; (ii)
building upon and enhancing existing core
research strengths; (iii) strategically supporting
additional critical priorities in areas that offer
opportunities for research impact and leader-
ship; and (iv) building new infrastructure that
enables growth.
• Increase our focus on INNOVATION AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP across education,
research, media and the arts, technology com-
mercialization, and new venture creation, to
spur regional and national economic develop-
ment, and to use science and technology for
FUNDAMENTALS 2.2 Accomplishments Under The Rensselaer Plan,

8
2000-2012
We will achieve our goal by embracing The Rensselaer Plan brought an examination of the
our fundamental values, identifying the intellectual core in key disciplines and a restructur-
key strengths on which we will build, ing of undergraduate and graduate offerings. To
and integrating our planning and action. advance The Plan, we have focused on the develop-
ment of people, programs, platforms, and partner-
2.1 Rensselaer Today ships. In the process, we have brought compre-
Building on its storied legacy, under The hensive change to every aspect of the Institute.
Rensselaer Plan the Institute has transformed
itself into a fully realized university that provides People: The Faculty
undergraduate and graduate education of undis- An exceptionally gifted professoriate—the very
puted intellectual rigor, with research impact and heart of educational excellence, and academic and
promise that extend to every continent. scientific rigor—is drawn to Rensselaer by bright
and motivated students, outstanding colleagues,
The Schools of Architecture; Engineering; supportive staff, advanced research facilities, and
Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences; The Lally a culture that celebrates interdisciplinary inquiry.
School of Management and Technology; and We have established 34 new named chairs,
Science educate approximately 7,000 students— including 24 Constellation Professors. Over the
enrolling 5,300 undergraduates and approximate- course of The Rensselaer Plan, 275 faculty mem-
ly 1,250 graduate students in full-time programs bers have been hired, including outstanding early
on the Troy campus. Rensselaer at Hartford offers career people, helping to revitalize the faculty.
graduate programs for approximately 500 work- Over the decade, the National Science Foundation
ing professionals in engineering, business, and has honored 53 of our early career faculty mem-
the management of science and technology. bers with its prestigious Career Award.
During the life of The Rensselaer Plan, annual Rensselaer faculty members are deeply engaged
research funding has tripled, to $100 million. in discovery, knowledge creation, technological
The Institute is a leader in interdisciplinary and business innovation, and creative design.
research, and has made strategic investments Faculty members, well known for their forward-
in important new and existing research arenas. looking research and scholarship, welcome and
Rensselaer has attracted outstanding faculty encourage students as partners.
whose research programs represent a wide array
of fields including nanoelectronics; information Today, Rensselaer is home to 421 full-time faculty,
technology and Web science; computational sci- including 343 tenured and tenure-track faculty.
ence and engineering; business analytics; nano- As Rensselaer continues to build its faculty ranks,
technology and advanced materials; biotechnol- it has aggressively pursued greater representa-
ogy and the life sciences; environmental studies; tion of women and underrepresented minorities.
lighting and acoustics; and media, arts, science, We have developed systemic, university-wide
and technology. Our research programs are mak- approaches to advance and diversify faculty in
ing an impact on the problems facing society. academic engineering and science careers. The
They are leading to pivotal academic advances, percentage of women faculty has risen from 15
often with applications across multiple percent to 21 percent, and underrepresented
disciplines. minority faculty from 4 percent to 7 percent.
There is more to do.
New curricula and programs have enriched the
academic offerings at the Institute. Rensselaer People: The Students
has extended its distinction in interactive learn- Undergraduate admissions applications have
ing and the application of information and digital grown dramatically, with a threefold increase
technologies to education. compared to 12 years ago. Applications for full-
time graduate study have reached their highest Computational Science and Engineering;
9
levels ever. We have raised undergraduate and Media, Arts, Science, and Technology; Energy,

graduate admission standards. The average SAT Environment, and Smart Systems; and
scores of our incoming undergraduate students Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials—
have risen dramatically. The academic qualifica- areas that intersect decisively with, and leverage,
tions of our entering graduate students have risen existing Rensselaer research excellence.
sharply. We are more selective and, as a result,
our student body is better equipped than ever We have sought and hired scientific and
before to succeed academically and professionally. engineering leaders to anchor research
“Constellations”—multidisciplinary teams of
The ethnic and cultural, gender, intellectual, and senior and junior faculty, graduate students, and
geographic diversity of incoming students has undergraduates—creating a nexus of intellectual
increased. Twelve years ago, women made up and scientific capacity in key academic arenas.
22 percent of the freshman class. Today, women
represent 31 percent of all students. New policies To further bolster our research capabilities, focus,
designed to attract and retain female students and impact, we have established new research
are enabling women at Rensselaer to pursue centers that capitalize and expand upon our
their academic goals in a welcoming atmosphere. core strengths and focal areas, including energy
The attraction of underrepresented minorities to research, lighting, stem cell research, the built
Rensselaer, who represent 10 percent of the stu- environment, astrobiology, and social and cogni-
dent body, remains a challenge and is a key prior- tive networks. Out of these investments have
ity in The Rensselaer Plan 2024. come remarkable discoveries and innovations,
including: understanding the structure of the
People: The Staff Milky Way; unlocking the cell signaling and func-
Prominent academic and administrative lead- tional characteristics carried within polysaccha-
ers have been appointed to key positions. rides; bioengineering synthetic heparin; creating
Administrative portfolios have been created, the world’s darkest (most light absorbing) mate-
elevated, and restructured to facilitate the key rial; and developing sentient digital beings.
enterprises of the Institute. Portfolio leaders have
effectively managed the performance planning One significant result of our investments has
process initiated under The Rensselaer Plan. been a threefold increase in sponsored research
expenditures to $100 million per year.
Highly talented and dedicated staff are working
together to improve administrative and service sup- Programs: Academics
port for the educational, research, and student life Several new degree programs have been
dimensions of the Rensselaer experience. The staff launched, including undergraduate degree pro-
has contributed to the vitality of the Institute by grams in Cognitive Science; Electronic Arts;
focusing on the highest priorities, by achieving new Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences;
levels of efficiency through increased process inte- Design, Innovation, and Society; Sustainability
gration and collaboration, and by offering creative Studies; Bioinformatics and Molecular Biology;
solutions for more effective resource utilization. Information Technology and Web Science; and
a new management concentration in account-
Programs: Research and Scholarship ing. B.S./M.S. co-terminal programs have been
To invigorate research under The Rensselaer Plan, added. The MBA curriculum has been revamped.
we have extended our focus and taken risks to The M.S. in management curriculum has been
move into new domains of significance at the expanded to include Financial Engineering
intersections of disciplines. and Risk Analytics. A new MBA/M.S. in Law
has been established in collaboration with
We have invested in five Signature Research Albany Law School. A new B.S. in Biomedical
Thrusts: Biotechnology and the Life Sciences; Engineering/M.D. has been launched with
Albany Medical College. Several new Ph.D. pro- Programs: The Student Experience
10
grams have been initiated in Cognitive Science, Driven by The Rensselaer Plan, we have revitalized
Biochemistry/Biophysics, Architectural Sciences, the student experience through the creation of a
and Electronic Arts. comprehensive living/learning approach.
Course work and extracurricular/co-curricular The First-Year Experience (FYE) has transformed
opportunities are more deliberately global in the transition of new students into Rensselaer.
outlook, intellectually rigorous and sophisticated, We have fostered a greater sense of community
and socially nuanced, creating an environment within the residence halls and off-campus living
that promotes powerful, mind-opening new groups, enhanced support and counseling ser-
experiences, which foster intellectual agility and vices, and streamlined student-focused adminis-
greater multicultural understanding. trative processes.
Education in entrepreneurship is thriving across Indeed, the success of the First-Year Experience,
all schools and programs. We have created or and other initiatives, has given birth to a new
enhanced the entrepreneurial content of more living/learning paradigm: Clustered Learning,
than 100 courses across all five schools. We have Advocacy, and Support for Students (CLASS).
forged new curriculum tools, launched competi-
tions, and generated flourishing undergraduate We have expanded cultural offerings by broaden-
entrepreneurship research opportunities. ing our program of lectures, forums, music, and
the arts, by bringing programs into the residence
Our faculty, students, and staff actively embrace a halls, and by identifying opportunities for civic
culture of discovery, invention, innovation, and engagement.
partnership. They discover, design, build, serve,
and lead. We have re-energized our international educa-
tional and research outreach. We have launched
Because of the impact of our research, the talents REACH (Rensselaer Education Across Cultural
of our faculty and staff, and the capabilities of our Horizons), which sends undergraduate students
students, the Rensselaer degree is highly regard- abroad, and we have created exchange agree-
ed. Our graduates are actively sought by industry, ments in 12 countries with 22 institutions.
universities, and the public sector. They also The result for our students is a stronger affinity
create new wealth.
Clustered Learning, Advocacy, and Support for Students (CLASS)
Stemming from our award-winning FYE CLASS embodies these core themes: Commons.” The Dean of the Off-Campus
program, we have developed a bold, personal, professional, leadership, and Experience extends CLASS precepts to
comprehensive, and holistic residential cultural development; communiversity; students who do not live in university
college model that provides unparalleled and community. CLASS provides a pro- housing. There are Class Deans who work
developmental education and support grammatic framework for strengthened with each undergraduate class, begin-
in every sphere of student life—from counseling, unique co-op experiences, ning in the sophomore year, to support
our revitalized residential settings to our academic skills building, cultural expo- academic, professional, and personal
leading-edge classrooms and laborato- sure, leadership opportunities, community growth as each class progresses through
ries. CLASS builds upon both residential building, and global engagement. its undergraduate years. Our substantive
and time-based clustering. It supports commitment to the physical well-being of
personal growth, social and academic Many of these activities originate within students is reflected in full-time athletic
excellence, and preparation for leader- the residential setting. The on-campus staff, the upgrade of women’s ice hockey
ship, by placing faculty and staff mentors residential clusters (“Commons”) have status to Division I, increased club and
and unique opportunities at the center of live-in Commons Deans who lead theme- intramural sports offerings, and sophis-
students’ lives. based programming in the residential ticated new facilities, including the East
setting. The clusters include the “Greek Campus Athletic Village (ECAV).
and connection to Rensselaer, a greater emphasis 20th centuries. They continue to do so in the 21st
11
on community and leadership, and a more holis- century.

tic development of mind, body, and spirit.
As Rensselaer moves toward its bicentennial, we
Platforms will continue to build upon our unique strengths:
The physical transformation of the Troy campus
Interdisciplinary inquiry
over the past decade has been the most exter-
Interactive learning
nally visible sign of institutional metamorphosis.
Innovation and entrepreneurship
We have invested over $725 million to provide,
CLASS
enhance, enable, animate, and secure the plat-
An Example of Leading-edge platforms
Strong Collaboration forms, facilities, and Institute physical infrastruc-
ture for the benefit of students, faculty, and staff.
Integrated effort has created The Rensselaer Plan.
The Computational Integrated effort has moved us forward, and
Center for We have built four transformative platforms
will continue to realize the vision articulated in
Nanotechnology to anchor and animate Rensselaer education,
The Plan.
Innovations (CCNI), research, and the student living/learning environ-
a partnership among ment. The East Campus Athletic Village (ECAV)
We are a diverse community comprising a broad
Rensselaer, IBM, and —the most extensive athletic facilities project
New York state, created array of talents and perspectives. As we celebrate
in Institute history—together with the Mueller
one of the most power- this diversity, we are united in pursuit of a com-
Center, broadens and elevates the Rensselaer
ful university-based mon goal: greater prominence as a top-tier world-
experience for our scholar-athletes, for all of
supercomputers in the class technological research university with global
our students, and for the greater Rensselaer
world. The CCNI supports reach and global impact.
community. Three platforms specifically invigo-
research in fields rang-
ing from the life sciences rate research and scholarship: the Center for
2.4 Opportunity and Global Challenges
to the physical sciences Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies,
Our ability to educate the leaders of tomorrow,
and engineering that the Computational Center for Nanotechnology
and to continue to have impact, requires attract-
involve massive amounts Innovations (CCNI), and the Curtis R. Priem
ing and retaining the best faculty, students, and
of data and/or require Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center
staff. While we have realized extraordinary gains
computationally intensive (EMPAC). Both ECAV and EMPAC are
solutions. The capabilities with limited resources, the gap between our asp-
LEED-certified complexes.
of the CCNI support over irations and our means remains. To maintain
800 users, 200 projects, access to a Rensselaer education for talented stu-
Partnerships
and 20 affiliated com- dents, to continue the progress we have achieved
Engaging in productive partnerships with aca-
panies, which has led to in research and pedagogy, and to expand our nat-
demic institutions, industry, government, and
greater collaboration with, ional and international prominence, our endow-
and support from, enter- other entities enhances Rensselaer and reinforces
ment and financial support must grow to be com-
prises small to large. its impact. We have increased significantly our
parable with other major research universities.
collaborations across all industry and academic
sectors, particularly with major enterprises in
To strengthen the economic foundation of the
our core research and academic focal areas.
Institute, and to enable Rensselaer to continue to
One such example is the Computational Center
attract and retain the best faculty, students, and
for Nanotechnology Innovations, our supercom-
staff, we must give even greater focus to philan-
puting center.
thropy. While the Renaissance at Rensselaer Capital
Campaign raised $1.4 billion to implement The
2.3 Unique Strengths
Rensselaer Plan, we must embark upon a new
Rensselaer was founded in 1824 “for the purpose
campaign to secure the financial underpinning
of instructing persons ... in the application of sci-
of the Institute for the 21st century.
ence to the common purposes of life.” The people
of Rensselaer have performed the research,
developed the technologies, produced the innova-
tions, and formed the enterprises that defined
and accomplished the agendas of the 19th and
UNDERGRADUATE •Integrate outcomes assessment and evaluation

12
into all education programs, ensuring timely

EDUCATION and continuous improvement.
A strength of Rensselaer lies in the

ability to educate students to develop Outstanding programs are geared to talented
students who will be enriched by, and add value
concepts and ideas across disciplines
to, Rensselaer and its mission. This requires a
and relate them to global challenges. vibrant student community with diverse perspec-
tives and experiences. We will:
As a fundamental intent, Rensselaer
is committed to an undergraduate edu- •Target an undergraduate student body size of
5,000 students.
cation that produces graduates known
for their intellectual agility, multicultural •Seek student diversity in its broadest and
richest sense—ethnic, gender, intellectual,
sophistication, and global view. We do
and cultural.
this through theoretical and experien-
•Significanatly broaden the geographic base from
tial learning grounded in fundamental
which we recruit—nationally and internationally.
scientific and technological concepts,
and linked to an appreciation of the 3.2 Interactive and Digitally Augmented Learning
social forces that shape human history. As new generations of learners arrive on our
campus, there is an urgent need to develop dis-
Institute programs are distinguished by
tinctive new approaches to engage these students
innovative pedagogy; by partnerships in novel ways that enhance learning outcomes,
with faculty in research, innovation, and and ensure that all of our graduates are digitally
entrepreneurship; and by a campus savvy and responsible. We will:
culture that creates a lifelong relationship
• Create new modalities of interactive learning by
with the Institute. making use of structured online content and
generating new tools to access, aggregate, and
analyze unstructured data.
3.1 Resident Undergraduate Education
Excellence in undergraduate education requires • Develop “online virtual environments” that
programs that lead to meaningful and exciting extend the student experience in time and
futures; provide a firm grounding in the funda- space, to create digitally connected classrooms,
mentals; bridge knowledge to practice; emphasize discussion groups, and project settings with
discovery, reasoning, and action; and inculcate a faculty and students at other universities, and
global perspective and cultural understanding. with researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and
We will: policy-makers around the world.
• Use EMPAC, linked to other campus platforms,
•Enhance intellectual diversity by developing to develop and deploy highly developed immer-
unique degree programs in architecture; man- sive environments for digitally augmented
agement; and humanities, arts, and social sci- learning.
ences, that incorporate the rich scientific and
technological strengths of the Institute, embrac- • Expand the use of interactive assessment tech-
ing as well the humanistic, artistic, and social niques to improve learning outcomes.
dimensions of technology.
3.3 Participation in Research, Innovation, and
•Embed curricular and co-curricular activities Entrepreneurship
designed to foster a culture of creativity, Creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial think-
discovery, and innovation. ing are critical to the Rensselaer ethos. To enable
Pedagogical Innovation
Rensselaer pioneered the studio classroom as an interactive and

our students to attain their full potential within team-based learning model in the mid-1990s. We received several
13
national honors for these enhancements of the student educational
this context, it is essential that our graduates have
experience. Our “next-generation studio” was an evolved version of

a research experience. We will: the “flipped classroom,” long before this concept was popularized
by the Khan Academy. Now, we must create the next fundamental
• Create the opportunity for research or indepen- revolutions in teaching and learning.
dent study for all undergraduate students.
• Establish an Honors Program to recognize and The Multiplayer and Cyber-Enabled Discovery
nurture distinctive achievement in research. Mixed Reality Classroom and Learning
Rensselaer has developed an The use of ubiquitous mobile
• Promote “Entrepreneurship Across the innovative pedagogical model, computing platforms at
Curriculum” as a differentiator of a Rensselaer with classes designed as games, Rensselaer has led to innovations
education. where the sustained narrative in teaching, learning, and men-
and applied gameplay engage toring activities. From the Web
3.4 Clustered Learning, Advocacy, and Support for students in an intensely inter- posting of supplemental course
Students (CLASS) active learning environment. content, to live discussion boards
Further, Rensselaer has EMPAC and online office hours, to the
We are creating, through CLASS, a transforma-
as a flexible immersive platform, use of social media across mul-
tive, integrated living/learning approach to sup-
which, coupled with our new tiple mobile platforms, our faculty
port our students in their social and personal have succeeded in engaging the
Emergent Reality Laboratory,
growth, academic excellence, and preparation for will augment storytelling and current generation of digitally
leadership. We will: gameplay through an immersive sophisticated students in new
mixed reality experience more ways. These new techniques will
• Fully develop CLASS to anchor the developmen- ambitious than any to date. allow students to access a wealth
tal experience for all undergraduates. These platforms and advances of online content, including
in Artificial Intelligence and unstructured data from disparate
• Use CLASS as a laboratory for pedagogical Cognitive Modeling allow us to sources, and to aggregate and
innovation. add sentient synthetic characters extract knowledge in a manner
• Integrate the Global Challenges as foundational in accurately rendered visual that best promotes collaborative
scenarios, through the use of learning.
elements of CLASS programming.
virtual reality and motion track-
• Embrace diversity and inclusion as fundamental ing. The linkage of our high
tenets of CLASS. performance computing resourc-
es with immersive spaces allows
• Develop appropriate metrics to measure out- for the creation of real-time digi-
comes of CLASS. tal environments that are critical
to new pedagogical approaches
for enhancing cognition and
CLASS provides a unique mechanism to build
learning.
identity and affinity among students, and to
create lifetime connections between Rensselaer
and its graduates. We will:
Honors Program
• Foster:
– Strong faculty/student mentoring relationships.
Active participation in research is at the very core of a distinctive under-
– Enduring connections between students and graduate education. It sharpens curiosity, provides a natural avenue
alumni/ae. for creative endeavors, and enhances the students’ research promise
in postgraduate studies. To recognize the most promising undergradu-
• Celebrate achievements and honor traditions. ate researchers, Rensselaer plans to establish a Research Exemplars
• Sponsor campus-wide signature events. Program to bring greater intellectual engagement among selected under-
graduate students, advanced graduate students, and faculty. The pro-
gram would be directed at rising seniors who have demonstrated excel-
lence in academics and research. The program requires an honors thesis.
GRADUATE EDUCATION • Integrate the use of interactive assessment

14
techniques to improve learning outcomes for all

A leading technological research univer- graduate education and training programs.
sity must educate and prepare the next

generation of research and professional 4.2 CLASS for Graduate Students
leaders. A successful research-based graduate program
rests in a residential experience that comple-
We will graduate those who have mas- ments their training as scholars. As is the case
for our undergraduates, CLASS must enable a
tered the specialized knowledge of their distinguishing experience for our graduate stu-
chosen disciplines and who are gaining dents. We will:
the maturity and experience to assume • Establish a Graduate Center to provide advocacy,
positions of research and technological support, and guidance for graduate students,
leadership across multiple sectors. and their families, throughout their tenure at
Rensselaer.
4.1 Resident Graduate Education • Develop concomitant programming and sup-
Research provides the intellectual grounding and port for postdoctoral researchers, acknowledg-
training for the next generation of scholars and ing that the postdoctoral position represents the
technological leaders. This requires a vibrant culmination of formal graduate education.
graduate student body and a strong research-
based resident graduate program that attracts the • Significantly expand residential housing options
most talented students. We will: for graduate students and their families.
• Target a resident graduate student population of • Extend the precepts of CLASS to our working
2,500, with 1,600 Ph.D. students. professional programs, including Rensselaer at
Hartford.
• Strengthen the standards for admission to our
graduate programs, drawing students from an 4.3 A Distributed Rensselaer
expanded national and international base. We have witnessed the development of new tech-
nologically based pedagogical tools, the expansion
of new knowledge at unprecedented rates, and a
Research provides the intellectual grounding and training profound shift in the demographics and location
for the next generation of scholars and technological leaders. of potential students. The ability to host content
This requires a vibrant graduate student body and a strong on the Web, as well as to engage collaboratively
with students at remote locations, has opened
research-based resident graduate program that attracts new possibilities for delivering educational pro-
the most talented students. grams in different formats, in order to meet the
learning needs of working professionals.
• Dramatically expand federally funded graduate The Rensselaer Plan 2024 calls for a distributed
training programs, particularly at the intersec- Rensselaer that operates from its campuses in
tion of basic and applied sciences, and engineer- the Northeast, while reaching out to a broader
ing. audience of working professionals through
regional sites, technology-enabled distributed
• Focus on comprehensive professional develop- education, and international presence and part-
ment for our graduate students. nerships. We will:
• Align our professional degree programs with • Position Rensselaer as the educator of choice
the Global Challenges, linked to our signature in our areas of strategic focus through partner-
research thrusts. ships with major corporations, government
agencies, and other top-tier research
15
universities.

• Create new sites in strategic national and inter-
national locations for the delivery of programs
for working professionals, with a particular
focus on emerging economies around the globe.
• Exploit our leading-edge interdisciplinary
research to develop content for new graduate
and executive programs for working
professionals.
• Give particular emphasis to professional
and executive graduate programs targeted to
Rensselaer alumni/ae.
• Establish the Office for Advanced Professional
Studies to create and coordinate new opportuni-
ties in postgraduate educational offerings for
working professionals.
Rensselaer at Hartford
For more than 55 years, Rensselaer at Hartford
has offered master’s degree and certificate pro-
grams to working professionals in management,
engineering, and computer science. More than
22,000 alumni/ae have earned advanced degrees
at Hartford. Courses are offered on the main
Hartford campus and at satellite campuses and
corporate facilities. Instruction occurs in tradi-
tional classrooms and in a blended format.
We will:
• Grow the Hartford enrollment to 1,200 working
professionals in degree programs.
• Significantly broaden the base of corporate
clients served at Hartford.
• Link the Hartford educational offerings to the
core research strengths of the Institute.
Interdisciplinary Studies; the Computational

RESEARCH
16
Center for Nanotechnology Innovations; the

The most significant transformation at Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and
Rensselaer over the past decade has Performing Arts Center; and the Center for
been the creation of a research portfolio Materials, Devices, and Integrated Systems,
which includes the Micro/Nano-Fabrication
of a size, significance, quality, and prom-
Facility and the Materials Characterization Core.
inence that positions us to impact
Global Challenges. Collectively, the Signature Thrusts, centers, and
platforms provide the basis for significant contri-
Over the past 12 years, Rensselaer has butions in the years ahead.
solidified its place among the important
As we enter the next phase of research at
technological universities of the 21st cen- Rensselaer, it is essential to link our strengths in
tury by investing in topnotch research- the five Signature Research Thrusts to the Global
ers, broad-based programs, sophisticated Challenges facing society.
research platforms, and strategic part- We now have a broad, collaborative and vibrant
nerships. Important new research has research community at Rensselaer, focused on
emerged from strategic investments in the growing interface of the basic sciences, social
the Institute-wide signature research sciences, and engineering. This provides the
basis for innovative solutions to today’s Global
thrusts of Biotechnology and the Life Challenges, including: mitigating disease; provid-
Sciences; Computational Science and ing clean food and water; developing new sources
Engineering; Media, Arts, Science, and of clean and renewable energy; and establishing a
Technology; Energy, Environment, and sustainable and resilient national and internation-
al infrastructure. We are inventing new routes to
Smart Systems; and Nanotechnology and advanced manufacturing that lead to new prod-
Advanced Materials. ucts and processes. We are developing new mate-
rials for advanced computing, energy storage, and
Rensselaer has developed a broad and unique medicine. We are pioneering new technologies
network of outstanding research centers such to manage the explosion of data from new com-
as: the NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering munication networks and control systems. We
Center; the NSF Smart Lighting Engineering are working to understand human cognition in
Research Center; the Lighting Research Center; communication and culture and to navigate the
the Center for Modeling, Simulation, and complexity of global markets.
Imaging in Medicine; the Scientific Computation
Research Center; the U.S. Army Research We will address these challenges and opportuni-
Laboratory—Social Cognitive Networks Academic ties to have even greater levels of impact in the
Research Center; the Center for Cognition, years ahead.
Communication, and Culture; the Bioengineered
Heparin Consortium; the Center for Architecture 5.1 Growth of Signature Thrusts
Science and Ecology; the New York Center Our five Signature Thrusts and core research
for Astrobiology; the Center for Automation strengths will serve as the foundation for contin-
Technologies and Systems; and the Center for ued growth and impact. Therefore, we will:
Future Energy Systems.
• Grow research funding to $250 million in
Our research efforts are undergirded by an inte- annual research expenditures.
grated network of major research platforms, • Strengthen basic research endeavors across
including: the Center for Biotechnology and the Institute.
Signature Thrusts and Global Challenges Sign atu re T h ru sts
g lo b al ch allen g es Nano energy comp/it Biotech media
17
Energy, water, food
n n n n

Climate change
n n n
Infrastructure, sustainability, resilience

n n n n n
G l o ba l Cha l l e n ge s
Global markets
n n
Cognition, communication, & culture

n n
Science, technology, & society

n n n n n
Disease & disease mitigation

n n n n n
Beyond silicon/advanced materials

n n n n n
Advanced manufacturing
n n n n n
Data/networks/HPC
n n n
Core Research Strengths Within the Institute Signature Thrusts
In Energy, Environment, and Smart manufacturing new functional hybrid Enabled by the capabilities of the CCNI,
Systems, we explore renewable technolo- materials, and the hierarchical systems Rensselaer has developed important
gies, energy efficiency, and the under- and products based upon them. In programs in Computational Science and
standing of global environmental change Biotechnology and the Life Sciences, we Engineering focused on high perfor-
to preserve the bio-diversity of the planet. are creating new routes to drug discovery mance computing, big data, and data
Our excellence in Nanotechnology and and development, and understanding analytics, which supports research and
Advanced Materials builds from the fun- the fundamental mechanisms of dis- innovation across a broad front. Research
damental understanding—experimental, ease, from Alzheimer’s and diabetes to in Media, Arts, Science, and Technology
theoretical, and computational—of the cancer. The intersection of life sciences facilitates new approaches to networking,
underlying atomic and molecular proper- with the physical sciences and engineer- advanced visualization, sensor design,
ties of a wide range of nanostructured ing fosters advances in areas such as haptics, and multiscale modeling and
materials. We now are developing robust, biomanufacturing, antimicrobial surfaces simulation, which are supported by the
affordable, and sustainable methods for and coatings, and regenerative medicine. core capabilities of EMPAC.
• Promote applied research that enables rapid 5.2 Addressing Global Challenges
translation of innovative solutions to key Global In building on our achievements in Signature
Challenges. Thrust areas, in order to address one or more
Global Challenges, we choose to address topics
• Continue to recruit and support leading faculty
that are scientifically rich and challenging—from
in identified priority areas, with a goal of build-
data analytics, healthcare technologies, sustain-
ing the tenured and tenure-track faculty size to
able infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing
500.
to cyber-infrastructure/security, big data, and
• Continue to invest in exceptional research infra- environmental change. Therefore, we will:
structure, including important core facilities
within flexible research platforms. • Strengthen existing and develop new Signature
Thrusts that link to Global Challenge areas.
• Establish partnerships through multiple sectors
to expand the research reach and impact of the • Create new “constellations” of exceptional facul-
Institute. ty, staff, and students in Signature Thrust areas
linked to Global Challenges.
• Position Rensselaer to shape the national and
international scientific, technological, economic, • Select and nurture new areas of focus that
and societal agenda. match our core strengths and physical infra-
structure.
• Measure key outcomes related to impact and
leadership, including faculty recognition and • Expand mechanisms for extramural research
sponsored research growth. and activities with the federal government,
industry, and non-government organizations.
Critical Research Umbrellas That Address Global Challenges
BEYOND THE INTERNET: culture, and politics. Such research rests Data Analytics. Data-driven innovation is
DIGITAL MEETS REALITY on interdisciplinary breakthroughs link- critical to addressing healthcare econom-
ing computer science, cognitive science, ics, quality of care, and therapeutics;
The ubiquitous availability of data and
Web science, and the life and physical translational medicine; advanced manu-
information, coupled with massive digital
sciences. facturing; transformative materials; smart
interconnectivity, has enabled new means
logistics; discovery and innovation; and
of discovery, sharing of information, and
CyberInfrastructure, Cyber-Security, and workforce productivity and effectiveness.
enhanced analysis and data validation.
Technology-Assisted Decision Making. Exploiting semantic technologies to access
Information extracted from massive data
A robust cyberinfrastructure depends on and use unstructured data from disparate
sets will elucidate relationships from
digital data management, stewardship, sources will yield unique insights across a
seemingly disparate contexts, while com-
analysis, and preservation in industry and broad spectrum.
putationally based modeling and simula-
tion will enhance real-time decision mak- academia. Fundamental to this is cyber-
security, which requires breakthroughs INFRASTRUCTURAL RESILIENCE,
ing in research, education, business and
finance, healthcare, and public policy. in algorithmic and system development SUSTAINABILITY, AND STEWARDSHIP
and validation, and in network architec-
Addressing water, food, and energy
ture design. Research rooted in synthetic
Engineering Natural and Man-made security, public health, climate change,
immersive worlds and digitally enriched
Networks. Advances in computation, data and the built environment is critical to a
environments can enhance technology-
aggregation and data analytics, and artifi- sustainable future. This requires a holistic
assisted decision-making under normal
cial intelligence provide the new underpin- approach to improve resilience, sustain-
and emergency conditions.
nings of social, cognitive, and computer ability, quality of life, and the stewardship
networks that are enabling the study of of our natural and man-made resources.
the impact of such networks on society,
Emerging Ventures
Ecosystem
The original Rensselaer
incubator has been trans-
5.3 Intellectual Property, Technology • Increase awareness of intellectual prop- formed into the Emerging
19
Commercialization, and Entrepreneurship erty, preserving its value in agreements Ventures Ecosystem

Rensselaer has a long and successful his- that cover the use of intellectual property (EVE). EVE works with
tory of partnering with industry. A strong developed in research. faculty and students to
approach to intellectual property, technol- exploit important intel-
• Continue to develop intellectual property lectual property generated
ogy commercialization, and entrepre-
policies that encourage entrepreneurship, from their discoveries and
neurship, coupled with the fundamental
protect Rensselaer intellectual property, innovations, to link them
strengths of our research, will facilitate the
and allow the university to take equity with investors, includ-
formation of substantive new public-pri-
positions in new ventures as appropriate. ing alumni/ae, and to
vate partnerships, and the launch of new broker incubation space
enterprises. • Create competitive licensing opportuni- for startup companies
ties for companies interested in support- throughout the New York
With an expanding research base, we will ing sponsored research at Rensselaer. Capital Region. EVE is
cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit, and the part of the Institute-wide
• Ensure that intellectual property policies
motivation for innovators to pursue com- entrepreneurship council
have adequate and appropriate conflict- that includes the Office
mercialization. We will:
of-interest and conflict-of-commitment of Entrepreneurship,
provisions. the Severino Center
• Expand and strengthen the Emerging
for Technological
Ventures Ecosystem (EVE) to foster the
Entrepreneurship, the
development of a broad range of start-
Rensselaer Technology
up ventures, including those based on Park, the Office of
important emerging technologies. Research, and the
Office of Intellectual
Property, Technology
Commercialization, and
New Ventures.
Affordable Healthcare Technologies. with high performance computing, FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCOVERY

Our strengths in biomanufacturing of opens the possibility for the modeling,
The innovations needed to address
therapeutics, assistive robotics, and design, and development of entirely
Global Challenges rest on understanding
regenerative medicine allow partnerships new materials.
the fundamental laws of nature, and on
with academic medical centers and bio- breakthroughs in mathematics and fun-
technology/pharmaceutical companies to Smart Logistics and Infrastructure. damental computer science. Important
accelerate low-cost strategies for safe and Short- and long-distance transportation foci include: (1) Life in the Universe,
sustainable healthcare. systems are improved through the use which seeks to determine whether life is
of advanced technologies that build on ubiquitous throughout the cosmos; (2)
Transformative Materials. The manipu- human behavioral and cultural patterns, Synthetic Biology that views biological
lation of materials at the atomic and municipal and societal structures, political systems as combinations of malleable
molecular scales, with advances in and legal constraints, and social inter- biological parts to generate systems with
measurement and modeling, enables actions. Advances in the development functions not seen in nature for use in
the development of new technologies for of multifunctional sensors and sensor chemical plants and under non-terrestrial
computational systems, energy storage networks, that are built into machines, environments; (3) Fundamentals of
and conversion, and information stor- devices, structures, and communication Matter and Energy that build on expertise
age and transmission. New materials of systems, which are coupled with real-time in particle, condensed matter, and
interest today go beyond silicon to wide data analytics, can reduce energy con- computational physics and astrophysics;
bandgap semiconductors and graphene, sumption, lower environmental impact, (4) Cognition, Communication, and
that enable new classes of electronic and and monitor infrastructural resilience. Culture; and (5) Data Science.
optoelectronic devices. The understand-
ing of materials at the nanoscale, coupled
THE COMMUNITIES • Provide for our students an inclusive com-

20
munity, within a residential college model, that

OF RENSSELAER supports them in their personal growth and
The university community comprises success.

students, faculty, staff, administrators, • Provide all members of the Rensselaer com-
and trustees; a broad group of regional, munity with the opportunities for professional
national, and international alumni/ae development and growth.
and friends; and business and profes- • Create a lively community discourse on impor-
sional partners. Rensselaer draws its tant cultural, social, gender, and geopolitical
issues.
vitality from, and adds vitality to, each of
these communities. • Support a Board of Trustees that is philanthropi-
cally oriented, and reflects a rich mix of influ-
6.1 The Diverse and Inclusive University Community ence, backgrounds, and perspectives, as well as
Gifted and accomplished people are the lifeblood wealth, wisdom, and work.
of the best universities. Rensselaer draws bright
and talented students. It attracts faculty who are 6.2 Alumni and Alumnae
recognized scholars, who receive peer recognition The Rensselaer community is fortunate to have
and research funding, who define the discourse 100,000 alumni/ae around the world who
in their fields, and who set scholarly and profes- embody the global reach and global impact of the
sional agendas in national and international Institute, as well as many successful and eminent
arenas. Rensselaer hires staff who exemplify friends and colleagues in industry, academia,
excellence, commitment, and integrity; many are research, and the public sector. The success of
leaders in their fields who bring vision, strategic our alumni/ae is rooted in the superior educa-
focus, and managerial ability to their work. The tion they received at Rensselaer. Concomitantly,
Board of Trustees provides the sustaining stew- the reputation of the Institute is reflected in the
ardship, fiduciary oversight, and financial support accomplishments of its alumni/ae. Our success
that help Rensselaer achieve its plans and aspira- depends upon their continued interest, involve-
tions. Therefore, we will: ment, and philanthropy. Rensselaer seeks to
engage and empower all alumni/ae as active and
• Recruit, empower, and competitively compen- effective partners in the Rensselaer community.
sate a diverse faculty and staff.
To cultivate and strengthen lifelong partner-
• Maintain the highest standards for hiring, ships among the Institute and its alumni/ae and
promotion, and tenure of faculty with regard friends, we will:
to research distinction, teaching quality, and
service. • Engage alumni/ae as partners and volunteers,
• Develop recruiting and admissions processes and as recruiters, mentors, and employers of
that identify the best students, who will succeed undergraduate and graduate students.
at Rensselaer and contribute to the Institute • Provide varied and comprehensive linkages
community. that create a seamless transition from student
• Provide students with an informative, exciting, to graduate, assist alumni/ae in career success,
and seamless process for joining our university. and reinforce connections between alumni/ae
and their alma mater.
• Recruit substantially more women, and ethni-
cally and culturally diverse students. • Celebrate, recognize, and communicate the
achievements of alumni/ae as leaders in aca-
• Focus participation in research as a means to demia, industry, research, and government.
cultivate underrepresented groups to pursue
academic careers.
• Encourage greater philanthropy from • Redevelop communities adjacent to our cam-

alumni/ae in order to enable the university puses, by joining in carefully selected neighbor-
to grow, expand, and prosper. hood renewal, housing, hospitality, and com-
mercial projects with private developers and
6.3 Neighborhood, City, and Region public agencies.
Greatness in a university is inextricably linked to
• Offer to the New York Capital Region, the
the vitality of the region in which it is situated.
Hartford Metropolitan Region, and our other
Rensselaer has contributed intellectual leadership
communities, the student, staff, and faculty
and a history of technological innovation to the
expertise to improve the quality of life and
regions around its campuses. The Institute has a
economies of our shared communities.
tradition of close and mutually beneficial relation-
ships with its surrounding communities. We will:
As we educate citizens of the world,
• Foster and support an innovation ecosystem to we must extend our reach and impact.
bring ideas from the classroom and laboratory
to the marketplace, launch and grow new busi-
This requires that our students experience
nesses, and nurture and grow existing business- cultures that expose them to diverse
es, all while attracting new enterprises, people, outlooks and deepen their understanding
and resources to the New York Capital Region of their own cultural heritage.
and the Hartford Metropolitan Region.
6.4 National and International Reach

As we educate citizens of the world, we must
extend our reach and impact. This requires that
our students study and experience cultures that
expose them to diverse outlooks, expand their
ability to communicate and collaborate across cul-
tural boundaries, and deepen their understanding
of their own cultural heritage. Faculty must be
leaders on a national and global scale, collabo-
rating with colleagues and placing graduates in
top-tier organizations worldwide. We also seek
a broad representation of international students
and scholars on our campuses. We will:
• Seek prominent roles in shaping economic,

technology, and research agendas on a national
and global level.
• Forge strategic student exchange and faculty
research partnerships with leading national and
international academic institutions and research
laboratories.
• Target our international endeavors to emerging
economies.
• Expand corporate partnerships, especially with
multinational technology-based enterprises.
ENABLING CHANGE • Build stronger cooperation and collaboration

22
among portfolios and functional activities.

Achieving the goal set by The Rensselaer
Plan 2024 requires a relentless commit- • Streamline administrative processes through

better understanding and coordination of
ment to change. policies and associated protocols.
• Strengthen awareness and knowledge of the
The Rensselaer Plan enables change, and statutory and regulatory environment in which
change defines The Rensselaer Plan. the university operates.
The founders of Rensselaer Polytechnic • Provide a high baseline quality of service for
Institute—Stephen Van Rensselaer and all members of the Rensselaer community.
Amos Eaton—launched their “mag- • Maximize efficiency through the use of
nificent experiment” in 1824 with The technology.
Rensselaerean Plan, a historic statement • Implement policies to foster creativity in
that gave form to Professor Eaton’s vision research, while complying with statutory and
for applying science to common purpos- regulatory requirements.
es of life. The Rensselaer Plan is the 21st- • Emphasize access, simplicity, and measurable
century expression of this tradition. outcomes in each administrative process.
The Rensselaer Plan 2024 articulates a strategic 7.2 Information and Cyber-Infrastructure
vision for the Institute, and delineates the means An integrated information environment is essen-
to achieve it. An “evergreen” plan, designed to be tial to teaching, learning, and research. We must
updated on a regular basis, The Plan guides our enhance our first-rate information culture and
decisions, and provides the framework for school powerful information infrastructure by valuing
and divisional performance plans that serve as information and cyber-literacy at every level and
the basis for each year’s overall operating plan implementing new methods for scholarly com-
and budget. Performance plans define means and munication and electronic interactions. We will:
metrics, and when prioritized, create the case for
major new resources. The means and metrics • Provide an integrated portfolio of education,
must link to key outcomes in each area that we access, and support technologies, policies, and
pursue. services for teaching, learning, and research.
• Develop a sophisticated business analytics
We will focus new resources—be they substantial
culture to improve distributed decision support
new assets or savings from effective use of exist-
throughout the Institute.
ing resources—to areas of the highest priority.
Under The Rensselaer Plan 2024, discretionary, • Create new delivery models for improved user
incentive, and new resources will be directed experience and increased accessibility, connec-
toward identified priorities in research, pedagogy, tivity, reliability, and operational efficiency.
and other core activities.
• Maintain a secure cyber-infrastructure that
provides for appropriate levels of access,
7.1 Administrative Process Re-engineering
security, and privacy.
The Plan requires that we achieve high perfor-
mance levels in key administrative processes in • Provide intuitive multimedia access to scholarly
increasingly efficient ways. We will: materials for research and education purposes.
• Partner with other universities, companies, and
• Focus all portfolios on the goals and strategies
public agencies to augment the intellectual and
of The Rensselaer Plan 2024.
capital resources of the Institute.
7.3 Physical Facilities • Pursue aggressive risk management and

Rensselaer requires land, buildings, and infra- regulatory compliance.
structure that undergird and complement all that
we do. Academic facilities must be first-rate and 7.6 Expanding the Resource Base
support innovative pedagogy. Research facilities Great universities enjoy philanthropic leader-
must have modern capabilities, services, and the ship by their Boards of Trustees and major
flexibility to meet changing needs. Residential philanthropic support from their alumni/ae. The
and recreational facilities for our students must Rensselaer Plan 2024 requires substantial new
be inviting and support a robust living/learning investment. A multifront and focused effort led
environment. We will: and supported by the President and the Board of
Trustees of Rensselaer will be required to garner
• Develop the next generation Master Plan for substantial new resources. To that end, we will:
platforms and infrastructure to support the
Institute highest priorities. • Mount a comprehensive fund-raising campaign
to maximize giving at all levels, building upon
• Build a new Center for Science to enhance edu-
the success of the $1.4 billion Renaissance at
cational and research opportunities in the sci-
Rensselaer campaign. Key targets are:
ences and enable expansion of other programs.
Doubling the endowment, to include:
• Complete Phase II of the East Campus Athletic
Village. –Significant endowment growth for
student financial aid.
• Implement “best practices” for sustainability,
throughout the university. –Enhanced resources for Constellation and
other endowed chairs.
7.4 Advancing the Institute
–Competitive research start-up packages for
Rensselaer is a dynamic, transformative institu-
new faculty.
tion. To expand our worldwide recognition and
influence, we must refine our institutional brand- – The new Center for Science.
ing and engage our constituents in ways that are
– Phase II of the East Campus Athletic Village.
of mutual benefit to them and to Rensselaer.
Branding plays an important role in advancing – New student residences.
the Institute. It begins with establishing value,
• Achieve $150 million in annual philanthropic
which rests with the quality of the work of our
support.
faculty, students, staff, alumni/ae, and leader-
ship. Therefore, we will: • Build and maintain the Annual Fund at a mini-
mum of $20 million a year.
• Promote a thorough understanding of the
• Develop a strong parent-giving program.
accomplishments of Rensselaer.
• Cultivate a philanthropic orientation among
• Employ a strategic integrated communications
students.
approach to project a cohesive identity.
• Pursue support from leading technology
• Expand global name recognition.
companies in priority areas.
7.5 Managing Financial Resources l
ursue major federal and state support for
P
Excellent stewardship and use of existing finan- specialized facilities and equipment.
cial resources is a fundamental precept of a pru- l
obilize and integrate the entire Institute
M
dent university management. We will:
community to achieve the financial goals of
The Rensselaer Plan 2024.
• Focus resources for maximum strategic impact.
• Base performance plans and annual operating
plans and budgets on The Plan.
LEADERSHIP IN THE
24
21st CENTURY
The Rensselaer Plan 2024 is a renewed and

expansive commitment to the future.
It draws upon a sense of mission that is
rooted in our founding principles and
emboldened by our accomplishments
over the past decade.
To realize our goals will require relentless focus,

additional resources, and collaboration across
our diverse communities. Together, we will attain
greater impact and prominence with the support
—intellectual and financial—of all members of
the Rensselaer family: trustees, faculty, students,
staff, alumni/ae, friends, and partners.
Rensselaer and its graduates have always had a

significant impact on society. The Rensselaer Plan
2024 will allow us to expand this legacy, through
distinguished educational programs that prepare
graduates to lead in an increasingly complex
environment, research that addresses the most
compelling global challenges, and a worldwide
community of supporters that are bound by our
common purpose of “Changing the World.”
fer a complete student experience, highlighted by Clustered Learning, Advocacy, and Support for Students (CLASS). We will lead in pedagogical innovation, introducing new learning
cluding the Multiplayer and Mixed Reality Classroom and Cyber-Enabled Discovery and Learning. We will extend our impact on humanity through forward-looking research initiatives
eyond the Internet: Digital Meets Case 1:20-cv-00498-TJM-DJS
Reality” Document
and “Infrastructural Resilience, Sustainability, 1-1 Filed
and Stewardship.” 05/04/20
In Undergraduate Page
Education, we 27 of 28
will target an undergraduate student pop-
000 students. Broaden curricular offerings. Launch new modalities of interactive learning. Develop an ever more engaging and transformative student experience, through CLASS.
pportunities for research and international experiences. Launch a research-focused Honors Program. In Graduate Education, we will target a resident graduate student population of
1,600 Ph.D. students. Extend CLASS to graduate students. Grow interdisciplinary, research-based graduate programs. Focus graduate education and research on Global Challenges.
nced professional programs that leverage interdisciplinary research. Create new technology-enabled learning environments. In Research, we will build the tenured and tenure-track
o 500. Grow sponsored research expenditures to $250 million annually. Launch two new research umbrellas: “Beyond the Internet: Digital Meets Reality” and “Infrastructural Resil-
nability, and Stewardship.” Extend the Signature Thrusts to holistically address Global Challenges. Expand cross-sectorial research partnerships. In the Communities of Rensselaer, we
n our ethnic, gender, intellectual, and geographic diversity. Involve alumni/ae as partners in mutually beneficial ways to help advance the Institute, and to strengthen their connections
te. Foster and support an innovation ecosystem to bring ideas from the classroom and the laboratory to the marketplace. Seek more deliberate collaborations at the local, regional,
global levels. In Enabling Change, we will mount a comprehensive fund-raising campaign, building upon the success of the $1.4 billion Renaissance at Rensselaer Campaign. Target
0 million in annual philanthropic support. Maintain a robust infrastructure to support academic, research, and administrative activities. Rensselaer will build upon its distinguishing
nterdisciplinary inquiry, interactive learning, and entrepreneurship to enhance national and international leadership in innovative learning and teaching by providing an outstanding and
ucation for resident undergraduates and graduate students, and for working professionals. Dramatically expand the research enterprise, including associated graduate education, by (i)
Institute-wide initiatives in signature research thrusts closely aligned with societal and global priorities; (ii) building upon and enhancing existing core research strengths; (iii) strategi-
ng additional critical priorities in areas that offer opportunities for research impact and leadership; and (iv) building new infrastructure that enables growth. Increase our focus on in-
entrepreneurship across education, research, media and the arts, technology commercialization, and new venture creation, to spur regional and national economic development, and
e and technology for social advancement and environmental stewardship. Strengthen ethnic, gender, intellectual, and geographic diversity among our students, faculty, and staff in
upon the best talent available, and to prepare our students to work and lead in a global economy. Revitalize our diverse communities on our campuses, among alumni/ae and friends,
ur activities locally, nationally, and globally. Redesign and invigorate enabling activities to focus Rensselaer people, administrative processes, information infrastructure, physical facil-
ancial resources on the realization of strategic goals. As Rensselaer moves toward its bicentennial, we will continue to build upon our unique strengths: interdisciplinary inquiry; inter-
g; innovation and entrepreneurship; CLASS; and leading-edge platforms. We will enhance intellectual diversity by developing unique degree programs in architecture; management;
es, arts, and social sciences, that incorporate the rich scientific and technological strengths of the Institute, embracing as well the humanistic, artistic, and social dimensions of
mbed curricular and co-curricular activities designed to foster a culture of creativity, discovery, and innovation. Integrate outcomes assessment and evaluation into all education pro-
ng timely and continuous improvement. We will target an undergraduate student body size s from which we recruit—nationally and internationally. Create new modalities of interactive
making use of structured online content and generating new tools to access, aggregate, and analyze unstructured data. Develop “online virtual environments” that extend the student
time and space, to create digitally connected classrooms, discussion groups, and project settings with faculty and students at other universities, and with researchers, innovators,
s, and policy-makers around the world. Use EMPAC, linked to other campus platforms, to develop and deploy highly developed immersive environments for digitally augmented learning.
se of interactive assessment techniques to improve learning outcomes. We will create the opportunity for research or independent study for all undergraduate students. Establish an
am to recognize and nurture distinctive achievement in research. Promote “Entrepreneurship Across the Curriculum” as a differentiator of a Rensselaer education. We will fully develop
chor the developmental experience for all undergraduates. Use CLASS as a laboratory for pedagogical innovation. Integrate the Global Challenges as foundational elements of CLASS
. Embrace diversity and inclusion as fundamental tenets of CLASS. Develop appropriate metrics to measure outcomes of CLASS. We will target a resident graduate student population
h 1,600 Ph.D. students. Strengthen the standards for admission to our graduate programs, drawing students from an expanded national and international base. Dramatically expand
ded graduate training programs, particularly at the intersection of basic and applied sciences, and engineering. Focus on comprehensive professional development for our graduate
gn our professional degree programs with the Global Challenges, linked to our signature research thrusts. Integrate the use of interactive assessment techniques to improve learning
all graduate education and training programs. We will establish a Graduate Center to provide advocacy, support, and guidance for graduate students, and their families, throughout their
sselaer. Develop concomitant programming and support for postdoctoral researchers, acknowledging that the postdoctoral position represents the culmination of formal graduate edu-
icantly expand residential housing options for graduate students and their families. Extend the precepts of CLASS to our working professional programs, including Rensselaer at Hart-
offer a complete student experience, highlighted by Clustered Learning, Advocacy, and Support for Students (CLASS). We will lead in pedagogical innovation, introducing new learning
cluding the Multiplayer and Mixed Reality Classroom and Cyber-Enabled Discovery and Learning. We will extend our impact on humanity through forward-looking research initiatives
eyond the Internet: Digital Meets Reality” and “Infrastructural Resilience, Sustainability, and Stewardship.” In Undergraduate Education, we will target an undergraduate student pop-
000 students. Broaden curricular offerings. Launch new modalities of interactive learning. Develop an ever more engaging and transformative student experience, through CLASS.
pportunities for research and international experiences. Launch a research-focused Honors Program. In Graduate Education, we will target a resident graduate student population of
1,600 Ph.D. students. Extend CLASS to graduate students. Grow interdisciplinary, research-based graduate programs. Focus graduate education and research on Global Challenges.
nced professional programs that leverage interdisciplinary research. Create new technology-enabled learning environments. In Research, we will build the tenured and tenure-track
o 500. Grow sponsored research expenditures to $250 million annually. Launch two new research umbrellas: “Beyond the Internet: Digital Meets Reality” and “Infrastructural Resil-
nability, and Stewardship.” Extend the Signature Thrusts to holistically address Global Challenges. Expand cross-sectorial research partnerships. In the Communities of Rensselaer, we
n our ethnic, gender, intellectual, and geographic diversity. Involve alumni/ae as partners in mutually beneficial ways to help advance the Institute, and to strengthen their connections
te. Foster and support an innovation ecosystem to bring ideas from the classroom and the laboratory to the marketplace. Seek more deliberate collaborations at the local, regional,
global levels. In Enabling Change, we will mount a comprehensive fund-raising campaign, building upon the success of the $1.4 billion Renaissance at Rensselaer Campaign. Target
0 million in annual philanthropic support. Maintain a robust infrastructure to support academic, research, and administrative activities. Rensselaer will build upon its distinguishing
nterdisciplinary inquiry, interactive learning, and entrepreneurship to enhance national and international leadership in innovative learning and teaching by providing an outstanding and
ucation for resident undergraduates and graduate students, and for working professionals. Dramatically expand the research enterprise, including associated graduate education, by (i)
Institute-wide initiatives in signature research thrusts closely aligned with societal and global priorities; (ii) building upon and enhancing existing core research strengths; (iii) strategi-
ng additional critical priorities in areas that offer opportunities for research impact and leadership; and (iv) building new infrastructure that enables growth. Increase our focus on in-
entrepreneurship across education, research, media and the arts, technology commercialization, and new venture creation, to spur regional and national economic development, and
e and technology for social advancement and environmental stewardship. Strengthen ethnic, gender, intellectual, and geographic diversity among our students, faculty, and staff in
upon the best talent available, and to prepare our students to work and lead in a global economy. Revitalize our diverse communities on our campuses, among alumni/ae and friends,
ur activities locally, nationally, and globally. Redesign and invigorate enabling activities to focus Rensselaer people, administrative processes, information infrastructure, physical facil-
ancial resources on the realization of strategic goals. As Rensselaer moves toward its bicentennial, we will continue to build upon our unique strengths: interdisciplinary inquiry; inter-
g; innovation and entrepreneurship; CLASS; and leading-edge platforms. We will enhance intellectual diversity by developing unique degree programs in architecture; management;
es, arts, and social sciences, that incorporate the rich scientific and technological strengths of the Institute, embracing as well the humanistic, artistic, and social dimensions of
mbed curricular and co-curricular activities designed to foster a culture of creativity, discovery, and innovation. Integrate outcomes assessment and evaluation into all education pro-
ng timely and continuous improvement. We will target an undergraduate student body size s from which we recruit—nationally and internationally. Create new modalities of interactive
making use of structured online content and generating new tools to access, aggregate, and analyze unstructured data. Develop “online virtual environments” that extend the student
time and space, to create digitally connected classrooms, discussion groups, and project settings with faculty and students at other universities, and with researchers, innovators,
s, and policy-makers around the world. Use EMPAC, linked to other campus platforms, to develop and deploy highly developed immersive environments for digitally augmented learning.
se of interactive assessment techniques to improve learning outcomes. We will create the opportunity for research or independent study for all undergraduate students. Establish an
am to recognize and nurture distinctive achievement in research. Promote “Entrepreneurship Across the Curriculum” as a differentiator of a Rensselaer education. We will fully develop
chor the developmental experience for all undergraduates. Use CLASS as a laboratory for pedagogical innovation. Integrate the Global Challenges as foundational elements of CLASS
. Embrace diversity and inclusion as fundamental tenets of CLASS. Develop appropriate metrics to measure outcomes of CLASS. We will target a resident graduate student population
h 1,600 Ph.D. students. Strengthen the standards for admission to our graduate programs, drawing students from an expanded national and international base. Dramatically expand
ded graduate training programs, particularly at the intersection of basic and applied sciences, and engineering. Focus on comprehensive professional development for our graduate
gn our professional degree programs with the Global Challenges, linked to our signature research thrusts. Integrate the use of interactive assessment techniques to improve learning
all graduate education and training programs. We will establish a Graduate Center to provide advocacy, support, and guidance for graduate students, and their families, throughout their
sselaer. Develop concomitant programming and support for postdoctoral researchers, acknowledging that the postdoctoral position represents the culmination of formal graduate edu-
icantly expand residential housing options for graduate students and their families. Extend the precepts of CLASS to our working professional programs, including Rensselaer at Hart-
offer a complete student experience, highlighted by Clustered Learning, Advocacy, and Support for Students (CLASS). We will lead in pedagogical innovation, introducing new learning
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

110 8th Street
Troy NY 12180-3590
BNYNDC-5108521 DJS
$400.00 TJM
1:20-CV-498

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Case 1:20-cv-00498-TJM-DJS Document 1 Filed 05/04/20 Page 1 of 17

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

ETHAN DEECHER and GRADY HABICHT,

complaint, allege as follows.

1. Plaintiffs bring this action against defendant Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

2. Upon information and belief, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Defendant

conscience to permit Defendant to retain such tuition and fees.

controversy exceeds $5,000,000, exclusive of costs and interest.

complained of in this complaint occurred in this district.

6. Venue is proper in this district pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b) because Defendant

7. Plaintiff Ethan Deecher is an individual residing in Hampshire County,

8. At all relevant times, Mr. Deecher was an undergraduate engineering student

Spring 2020 semester and Summer 2020 Arch semester.

9. Plaintiff Grady Habicht is an individual residing in Tolland County, State of

Spring 2020 semester and Summer 2020 Arch semester.

11. Defendant Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a tax-exempt not-for-profit

Rensselaer, State of New York.

IV. FACTUAL BACKGROUND

990 at Part I (1) (“Form 990”).

campus academic experience and related on-campus services.

commitments by the university administration that it characterizes as “We Will Statements”.

learning. Id. at p. 11.

Polytechnic Institute Website, (last accessed May 3, 2020), https://sll.rpi.edu/residential-

accessed May 3, 2020), https://info.rpi.edu/class.

environment.” Id. at p. 23.

27. RPI describes The Arch requirement on its website as follows:

engagement, research, or international experiences. Students who

as for other semesters.

commitments made by the university to provide an experiential on-campus learning environment

have attracted increases in enrollment and revenue to the university.

990, at Part 1(12), (20).

33. In or about February 2020, a contagious virus designated “COVID-19” was

conducting all instruction remotely in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

virtually all on-campus activity to a halt, including:

campus housing no later than March 20, 2020;

facilities or buildings (but for a limited number of students granted special

permission to remain on campus);

c. Cancelling all in-person student activities, special events, travel, and

extracurricular activities; and

d. Cancelling the scheduled commencement ceremony and replacing it with a

“remote” commencement ceremony.

on-campus services that were promised by Defendant to its students.

Polytechnic Institute Webpage, (last accessed May 3, 2020), https://rpi.app.box.com/v/covid19-

community-building elements in an online environment.” Frequently Asked Questions, Division

accessed May 3, 2020), https://rpi.app.box.com/v/covid19-faq-students

via remote means such as prerecorded videos, telephone, and videoconference.

Defendant, including, but not limited to:

a. The ability to engage in in-person, residential, experiential, kinesthetic, and hands-

b. The ability to access on-campus facilities such as laboratories, workshops, and

c. The ability to participate in on-campus extracurricular activities;

d. The ability to participate in on-campus events and lectures;

f. The ability to participate in “Clustered Learning”, which Defendant advertised as a

critically important and distinguishing factor justifying attendance at its institute.

2020 or Summer 2020 Arch semesters.

academic experience and related on-campus services.

being charged inequitable and excessive tuition and fees.

COVID-19 epidemic by inequitably shifting that burden onto its students.

a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

forth in this paragraph.

on behalf of the class, which is comprised of the subclasses defined below:

a. Spring 2020 Semester

All students enrolled in the 2020 Spring semester at Rensselaer

b. Summer 2020 Arch Semester

All students enrolled in the 2020 Summer Arch semester at

• Offer a complete student experience,

• Lead in pedagogical innovation, introducing

• Extend our impact on humanity through