[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 127 (Wednesday, September 19, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1564]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATION AT THE ROCHESTER 
                        INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 19, 2012

  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, It is my esteemed honor to celebrate the 
Rochester Institute of Technology's 100th year of Cooperative 
Education. I am joined by the Honorable Kathy Hochul and the Honorable 
Tom Reed as we congratulate the Rochester Institute of Technology 
(RIT). RIT is home to our nation's fourth oldest established 
Cooperative Education Program. Cooperative Education provides students 
with the opportunity to enrich their traditional higher education 
experience by alternating periods of full-time study with periods of 
full-time, for credit, paid employment appropriate to their educational 
and career goals. It is a true testament to the progressiveness of 
Rochester region to be home to this longstanding educational program.
  Established in 1912, RIT's Cooperative Education has grown to be 
nationally recognized as one of the nation's top programs by U.S. News 
and World Report and the Office of Cooperative Education and Career 
Services. RIT offers one of the largest programs in the world with more 
than 3,800 students completing nearly 5,800 quarterly work assignments 
with more than 2,000 employer partners throughout the U.S. and in 40 
other countries around the world each year.
  In the Cooperative Education program, RIT encourages students to 
explore their interests through hands-on experience while they are 
still working towards their degree. By providing students with the 
opportunity to experience their field of interest outside the 
classroom, RIT's graduates are better equipped to enter full-time jobs 
and thrive.
  Cooperative Education is a required component in several of RIT's 
colleges including the Kate Gleason College of Engineering, the 
Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences, The Saunders 
College of Business, and the College of Applied Science and Technology.
  Through Cooperative Education programs, our universities ensure that 
American students are trained in best practices and have in-depth 
knowledge of the cutting edge technologies of today's global world. 
RIT's program and others like it are crucial to ensuring that the next 
generation of American professionals can compete and win in a 
globalized world.
  Through the support of RIT faculty and administration, countless 
students have expanded their knowledge and skills in the Cooperative 
Education program. They've been exposed to unique experiences and 
unparalleled knowledge that has prepared them for successful careers. 
For one hundred years, RIT has dedicated itself to providing these 
unique learning opportunities, and helped to prepare America's next 
generation for years of success to come.
  Today I stand with Representatives Hochul and Reed to congratulate 
the Rochester Institute of Technology on its 100th anniversary of 
enriching countless students through Cooperative Education. I ask my 
colleagues to join me in celebration of this momentous occasion.

                          ____________________