RIT enrollment leader Colleen Peterson to retire on July 15 after nearly four decades of service to the university

Rochester, New York – After spending nearly four decades as part of the Rochester Institute of Technology community, Colleen Peterson is preparing to close a remarkable chapter in her professional life. Peterson, who currently serves as associate vice president for Enrollment Management, will retire on July 15, bringing to a close a 35-year career as an employee at RIT and an even longer connection to the university that began when she first arrived as a student in 1987.

Over the years, Peterson became one of the institution’s most influential leaders in enrollment management, helping guide the university through significant periods of growth, technological advancement, and strategic expansion. Her career reflects not only a deep commitment to RIT but also a front-row seat to the university’s transformation from a largely regional institution into one with a national and international reach.

Reflecting on her unique journey, Peterson said, “I arrived as a freshman in 1987, and as my family likes to say, ‘We took Colleen to college and she never left.’ Somewhere along the way, student became staff member in Development (now Advancement), then admissions counselor, assistant director, associate director, director, assistant vice president, interim vice president and, ultimately, associate vice president. Before I knew it, nearly 40 years had gone by.”

That progression through the ranks highlights a career marked by steady leadership and an ability to adapt as higher education evolved. Throughout her tenure, Peterson played key roles in several major initiatives that helped modernize university operations and improve the student experience.

Among her most notable contributions was her involvement in implementing enterprise student systems and advancing enrollment systems and analytics. These efforts helped position the university to make more informed decisions and respond more effectively to changing student needs and enrollment trends. She also supported RIT’s efforts to recruit students from new markets across the United States, helping broaden the institution’s reach far beyond its traditional geographic base.

Peterson’s influence extended beyond enrollment operations. She played a leading role in establishing both the Performing Arts Scholarship and ArtEx programs, initiatives that created new opportunities for creatively talented students and strengthened the relationship between artistic expression and technological innovation at RIT.

Looking back on the university she first encountered as a freshman, Peterson points to the dramatic expansion of RIT’s student population and reputation as one of the most significant changes she has witnessed.

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“When I arrived on campus, approximately 70 percent of our students came from New York state. Today, RIT attracts students from across the country and around the world. That shift alone speaks volumes about the institution’s growth and reputation.”

The changes, however, have not been limited to geography. Peterson noted that student expectations, backgrounds, and circumstances have become increasingly diverse and complex over time.

“Apart from the physical transformation of RIT, I’ve also watched the university become far more sophisticated in how it serves students. Today’s students and families are more informed, more diverse in their backgrounds and expectations, and often navigate much more complicated financial and personal decisions than they did when I started my career.”

Despite that evolution, she believes the university has successfully maintained the qualities that have long distinguished it.

“What impresses me most is that RIT has managed to grow dramatically without losing what makes it special. Students still come here because they want an education that leads somewhere, and RIT still has a culture of people willing to roll up their sleeves, solve problems, and try something new.”

Peterson’s career also coincided with a period of rapid technological change in higher education. Enrollment management, once driven largely by traditional recruitment methods and historical data, has become increasingly dependent on sophisticated analytics and digital tools.

According to Peterson, the profession has changed substantially as institutions have gained access to better information and more powerful technology.

“Enrollment management has always been a data-informed profession, but as technology and analytics capabilities have advanced, the work has become more sophisticated in how we use data to guide strategy and decision-making. Today, we can identify trends faster, model outcomes more effectively, personalize communications at scale, and make much more informed decisions across recruitment, financial aid, and student engagement.”

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At the same time, she emphasized that numbers and reports can only tell part of the story.

“But I’ve also learned that students don’t make decisions in spreadsheets. They make decisions based on hopes, fears, relationships, finances, and sometimes things we can’t fully predict. The institutions that do this well use data to inform decisions but never lose sight of the human side of the process.”

When asked what she will remember most from her years at RIT, Peterson’s answer centered not on systems, strategies, or institutional milestones, but on people.

“What I’ll remember most are the people. I’ve had the privilege of working with incredibly talented and dedicated colleagues across the university over the past 35 years. Many of those professional relationships became lasting friendships.”

She also highlighted the unique nature of enrollment work, where staff members often interact with students and families during some of the most important decisions of their lives.

“I’ll also always remember the students and families. Enrollment work is unique because you’re often interacting with people during major life moments filled with excitement, stress, hope, and uncertainty. Being able to help students find their path and watch them succeed has been incredibly rewarding.”

Like many long-serving university leaders, Peterson accumulated countless stories over the decades. She recalled recruitment trips, orientation programs, marathon application review sessions, celebrations of record-setting incoming classes, and the pressure-filled moments that accompanied major technology transitions.

“There are countless other memories that make me smile. Recruitment travel adventures, orientation programs, application reading marathons, celebrating record classes, and more than a few late nights spent preparing for major system conversions, go-lives, and enrollment milestones. If you’ve ever participated in a major cutover weekend, you know there is usually a moment around 2 a.m., where everyone is tired (or you hear snoring on the line), wondering whether things will work, and surviving on coffee and determination. Somehow those become the stories you laugh about years later.”

She also offered a lighthearted farewell to colleagues who experienced her sense of humor firsthand throughout the years.

“And finally, a ‘thank you’ to everyone who put up with my antics, practical jokes, and occasional attempts to keep things interesting over the years. You all know who you are.”

As retirement approaches, Peterson acknowledges that the transition feels unusual after spending nearly her entire adult life connected to the university. Yet she is looking forward to new opportunities and a different pace of life.

“Retirement feels a little surreal. After all, I arrived on campus in 1987 and never really left.”

While she expects to remain professionally engaged in some capacity, she is eager to devote more time to family, friends, travel, golf, and enjoying Rochester’s summer months. Most of all, she is curious about life without the rhythms that have defined her calendar for decades.

“Mostly, I’m looking forward to discovering what life looks like when I don’t measure the year by application deadlines, FAFSA releases, deposit day, census, and budget season. After nearly 35 years, that may take some getting used to. Well, I guess I finally proved my family wrong. After nearly 40 years, I am finally leaving college.”

With her retirement, RIT will say goodbye to a leader whose career mirrored the institution’s own evolution. For Peterson, however, the memories, relationships, and impact of nearly four decades on campus are certain to remain long after her final day.