The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), a part of the State University of New York (SUNY), has announced that the school’s president, Dr. Joyce F. Brown, will step down at the end of the 2024/25 academic school year, concluding nearly 26 years with the institution.

“Serving as FIT’s president has been my honor and privilege,” said Brown. “Much has been accomplished over the past two decades, including establishing FIT as a higher education community committed to inclusivity, sustainability and cutting-edge technology. I will spend the next year continuing to move the institution forward while working to find FIT’s next leader who will build on our strengths and take the college to even greater heights.”

“Dr. Joyce Brown’s vision has transformed FIT, and her tenure has been one of the most significant periods of leadership in the college’s history,” said Board of Trustees Chair Robin Burns-McNeill. “Her commitment to technology, innovation and DEI modernized the college while also deepening its commitment to our mission and to graduate success. The college will have the benefit of her strong leadership over the next year as we embark on a search for the next visionary to become the president of FIT.”

Highlights of Brown’s tenure include:

  • FIT awarded 82,389 degrees and certificates, with the number of bachelor’s degrees increasing 348 percent;
  • The institution created 33 new degree and credit certificate programs at the graduate and undergraduate levels (in-person and online);
  • Expanded degree programs in Computer Animation and Interactive Media, Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management, Fashion Design, Footwear and Accessories Design, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Toy Design;
  • Created a flexible learning culture, built faculty ranks, added new programs and interdisciplinary minors, and raised the profile of liberal arts;
  • Established the Social Justice Center at FIT to increase the number of BIPOC roles across creative industries;
  • Worked with faculty to increase technology use in teaching and curriculum; and
  • Launched the Center for Innovation at FIT, an off-campus facility for faculty to pursue research, and the DTech Lab, an on-campus innovation lab where design merges with emerging technologies.

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) is a public college in New York City, founded in 1944. FIT focuses on art, business, design, mass communication, and technology related to the fashion industry. The college offers nearly 50 degree programs and grants AAS, BFA, BS, MA, MFA, and MPS degrees.

Image courtesy FIT