NEW YORK--Epson America Inc. and the Rochester Institute of Technology will be launching a partnership to change the way the school teaches photography to give students critical expertise in digital imaging. Officials announced the partnership in conjunction with the opening of "Epson's America in Detail" photographic collection in the New York City Photo District. As imaging technology has evolved, so has RIT's curriculum and facilities to help students thrive in the changing industry. Under the Epson/RIT Partnership, Epson will provide digital imaging equipment that will enable RIT's School of Photographic Arts and Sciences to shift the emphasis in photographic education to encompass both analog and digital technologies. Officials say the school will begin teaching photography digitally next fall because the immediacy of computer-generated and edited images printed on ink jet printers offers greater efficiency than a silver-based darkroom. Therefore, the 850 students enrolled in the school's seven majors will study both analog and digital technologies from day one of their time on the campus. "This partnership will launch a revolution in photographic education as we set a new standard for all photographic programs," said Bill DuBois, chair, Photographic Arts, RIT. "We no longer view digital photography and imaging as separate entities but rather as new and powerful tools for creating images. With Epson's technology, which has long been a favorite among photographers for photographic printing, we can establish valuable research and photo-quality output facilities that will enable our faculty and students to test, evaluate and create imagery. This new efficiency in teaching will strengthen their learning experience."