• News and Deadlines
  • Winter Break Planning
  • End of Semester and Winter Break Housing
  • Important Dates
  • Preparing for Spring Semester
  • Updates to FAFSA
• Let’s Talk About It
  • Academics—End of Semester
  • Campus Engagement—Check-In
  • Campus Living—Preparing to be Away from Campus
  • Wellness—Wellness Education Courses
• Information and Updates
  • Final Grades
  • Dean's List Notifications
  • College Restoration Program
  • Repeating Math or Science Courses
  • Instructor-Led Academic Coaching
  • RIT Master Plan
  • Parent Poll
  • Featured Photo

Finals week is upon us and, before you know it, many of your students will be home for winter break. It is hard to believe how quickly this semester went by—congratulations to both you and your students for successfully making it to this point! Parent and Family Programs wishes you all a healthy and relaxing holiday season!

Winter Break Planning
The university will be closed beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, and will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024. The RIT Department of Public Safety will remain open 24/7 and can be reached at 585-475-3333 or via text at 585-205-8333. For emergencies, please call 911.

View the Winter Break Guide for information about campus programs, services, dining, travel, and things to do in the Rochester area.

End of Semester and Winter Break Housing
If they haven’t already done so, please make sure your student (if living in RIT housing) completes the End of Semester - Winter Break Plan. This form allows RIT to better serve our students during this time and includes the end of semester instructions and important information regarding on-campus circulation over break. Students that do not complete this form may experience swipe access interruptions.

RIT Housing, including the residence halls, will remain open through the break between fall and spring semesters. Students who are eligible may remain in RIT housing throughout the winter break. Eligible students are those who currently live in RIT housing, will remain in RIT housing for spring semester, and will be registered for spring semester classes. 

For more information, please visit End of Semester and Winter Break.

Important Dates
Please note the following dates regarding RIT closures and spring semester opening: 

• Dec. 13-20: Final exams  
• Dec. 22-Jan. 2: RIT CLOSED for winter break (closes at 2 p.m. on Dec. 22)
• Jan. 16: Spring semester classes begin

For the spring semester calendar, please see the Academic Calendar.

Preparing for Spring Semester
There are a few things your student can do over winter break to prepare to return to campus:

Review their meal plan
If your student has a meal plan, suggest they review their current plan selection and consider if it is still meeting their needs. Meal plans can be changed up until the Sunday before classes begin. Spring meal plans will be loaded on Dec. 22, 2023 and any Dining Dollar balance from the fall semester will rollover (any remaining Gracie’s meal swipes will be forfeited at this point). Students can update their meal plan on the MyLife portal. 

Think about housing for 2024-25
If your student is interested in living in RIT housing for the 2024-25 academic year, they must participate in the housing selection process which will take place in the spring:

• Feb. 5-11: Complete contracts and form roommate groups (students will not receive a room selection appointment if they do not complete a contract)
• Feb. 15: Room selection appointments emailed
• Feb. 19-March 1: Select rooms

You can learn more about housing selection on the RIT Housing website. 

Updates to the FAFSA
A reminder there are important changes coming to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Due to these changes, the US Department of Education is stating the simplified 2024-2025 FAFSA will be available at the end of December 2023. After completing the FAFSA, it will take at least one month for a student’s information to process over to the school. 2024-2025 financial aid notifications to continuing students with valid FAFSAs will begin in mid-May.

Academics—End of Semester
The end of the semester often brings a mix of emotions. Students will be excited to reconnect with family and friends over break and they often feel a sense of accomplishment and relief after completing a semester. They may also be tired; this is normal. Over break, provide them space to unwind and give them an open forum to decompress about stressors or concerns over exams and/or grades. Celebrate the successes your student has achieved during the semester as well.

Conversation starters

• Now that you’re done with exams, how do you feel about the semester?
• Do you need to make adjustments to your spring schedule?
• Anything surprising/fun/challenging that you experienced this semester?
• What is something you’ve been wanting to do during your break from classes?

Campus Engagement—Check-In
Do you know how your student was involved on campus this fall? Now is a great time to see how they’ve engaged in campus activities and made friends, and help them think about options for next semester if they have struggled. If they haven’t seemed to find their place yet, browse clubs and organization options and help them think about where they’d fit in. They might also want to consider a campus job or volunteer work!

Conversation starters:

• What club/organization meetings did you attend this fall?
• How did you make your friends?
• Do you feel like you have a place on campus? What is that place?
• How would you like to engage next semester? 

Campus Living—Preparing to be Away from Campus
Many students will take advantage of the long winter break to stay at home, visit family and friends, and rest from the busy fall semester. If your student is planning to be away for the majority of break, please help them prepare to be away with these tips:

• Clean the fridge and throw away any perishable food items 
• Take out the trash
• Lock windows and doors
• Bring home anything they might need, including laptop and chargers 

Conversation starters:

• Do you plan to stay home during the entire winter break? 
• How have you prepared your room/apartment to be empty?
• What are your must-have items for when you’re home?

Wellness—Wellness Education
At RIT, students’ health and well-being are a top priority, which is why students are required to complete a wellness course requirement to graduate. RIT students seeking a bachelor’s degree are required to take two wellness courses, while students seeking an associate’s degree are required to take one course. Wellness Education and Outdoor Education offer over 200 wellness-related classes each year in multiple disciplines, including:

• Dance courses
• Fitness courses
• Health and life support courses
• Health and wellness courses
• Martial arts courses
• Music courses
• Outdoor education courses
• Recreation courses
• ROTC

Courses range from seminars, such as financial fitness, to activity-based courses, such as weight training and rock climbing. Students also have the opportunity to pick up a new skill, such as juggling or beekeeping. The comprehensive wellness curriculum is designed to help students make healthy choices to support academics and social interactions in college and beyond.

Conversation starters:

• What classes have you taken/will you take to fulfill your Wellness Education requirements?
• Are you interested in trying a new activity for your Wellness Education requirements?
• How do you prioritize activity and well-being in your schedule?

Final Grades
Final grades are due on Dec. 22. Shortly after they are submitted by professors, students can view grades by logging into SIS. If students have questions about grades, please remember that RIT will be closed between Dec. 22-Jan. 2.

Dean’s List Notifications
The Fall 2023 Dean’s List will be processed in late January 2024. Students are notified in different ways depending on their college. University Communications sends releases to hometown papers (based on zip code) via Merit Pages. Students who have opted out of Merit will not have a press release sent to their hometown newspaper.

College Restoration Program
The College Restoration Program (CRP) is an intensive, one-semester academic intervention program for students facing academic suspension and probation. For many students, CRP is the chance to acquire the skills needed to be successful at RIT. As a parent, you hope that your student will not have any academic challenges, but if so, CRP might be an option.

CRP staff work with students to set and accomplish goals, increase self-esteem, manage daily living, self-advocate, and live a healthy and balanced life. CRP does this through two specialty courses: Academic Strategies and Motivation and Wellness. They also include weekly mentoring for additional skill development. In addition, students take up to ten credits recommended by their current department. Students must receive a referral from their academic program. For additional information, please visit the College Restoration Program website.

Repeating Math or Science Courses
If your student is repeating or experiencing difficulty with a math and/or a science course, you can refer them to the Academic Success Center for a Math Assessment. Students will meet one-on-one with a staff content expert to discuss the reasons for the struggles and to complete a diagnostic exam. The results are used to determine their strengths and weaknesses and to help develop a course of action for success in their course. Some recommendations may include using better study strategies, utilizing study centers, or enrollment in one of the ASC courses, such as Critical Math Skills. The appointments are in person or on Zoom starting Jan. 16, 2024. 

Instructor-Led Academic Coaching
Instructor-Led Academic Coaching is a fee-based instructional service designed to help first- and second-year students gain greater awareness of college-level academic success strategies and study skills while working one-on-one with an assigned instructor. Instructional meetings (a total of 13 per semester) are 50 minutes and will begin during the second week of the semester. Interested students are encouraged to complete the two-step enrollment process as soon as possible as space for the spring semester is limited. For more information, students should visit the Instructor-Led Academic Coaching FAQ page. 

RIT Master Plan
The RIT Master Plan is a special scholarship opportunity that covers 40-45% of graduate tuition at RIT, making earning a master’s degree an affordable option. The tuition program extends to more than 65 qualifying master’s degree programs offered on the RIT campus as well as select online master’s degrees. This opportunity is available to recent or upcoming RIT graduates. Learn more on the RIT Master Plan website. 

Parent Poll
Each month, we ask parents to respond to our Parent Poll and provide feedback on a topic related to RIT, your student, and you. In November, we asked what topic is most difficult for you to discuss with your student. Nearly half of you responded romantic relationships (48%), followed by mental health/wellness (19%) and future plans (14%). Please take a moment to respond to our December question.

Featured Photo
In case you don’t follow the Parent and Family Programs Facebook page, here’s what you’ve missed: We've had some snow, but it hasn't stuck yet! Follow to keep an eye on the weather on campus!