• News and Deadlines
  • Kitchen Away from Home Cookbook
  • Student Flu Vaccine Clinics
  • Housing Selection 2024-25
  • Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend
• Let’s Talk About It
  • Academics—Looking Beyond Fall Semester
  • Campus Engagement—RIT Hockey
  • Campus Living—Tiger Safe
  • Wellness—Self-Care Check-In
• Information and Updates
  • Laundry Machine Replacement Project
  • Counseling and Support Services
  • No Voice Zone
  • Care Packages
  • Parent Poll
  • Featured Photo

Fall is in the air at RIT! If you are coming to campus this weekend for Brick City Weekend, you will be greeted by fall weather and the beginning of the turning of the leaves.

Kitchen Away from Home Cookbook

The order form for our Kitchen Away from Home Cookbook is now open! This cookbook is created by YOU—parents and family members of our students—to help our student chefs begin to learn their way around the kitchen. Cookbooks cost $10 and will be shipped to the address of your choosing. On-campus pick-up is not available.

You can still submit your recipes to be included in the cookbook. We are seeking recipes in the following categories:

• FOODSHARE FLAVORS*: Take one of these common RIT FoodShare items below and spice it up using FIVE (or fewer) additional ingredients! 
• Packet of ramen
• Can of soup
• Box of mac and cheese
• Oatmeal
• Box of cereal
• THINK OUTSIDE THE (LUNCH) BOX: You choose all ingredients, but can only use up to FIVE in your easy-to-make lunch creations.
• ON THE DINNER PLATE: Create a dinner–including a main and a side dish–using up to TEN ingredients total.

*FoodShare Flavors submissions will automatically be entered in a chance to win one of five prizes that will be granted to the top recipes-one for each FoodShare staple.

Student Flu Vaccine Clinics
RIT is partnering with Wegmans for on-campus flu vaccine clinics for RIT students on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. If your student’s insurance is not accepted by Wegmans, they can get the vaccine at the Student Health Center for $20. Instructions and links to register can be found here. 

Housing Selection 2024-25
Housing Renewal will begin on Oct. 30. Housing Renewal is the process that your student should participate in to renew their current RIT housing for the 2024-25 academic year.

Students currently living in Perkins Green, Riverknoll, University Commons, the RIT Inn, and 175 Jefferson who want to renew their contract should complete a contract between Oct. 30-Nov. 5 by going to mylife.rit.edu. If there are any vacancies in the space, students will be instructed to request a roommate between Nov. 10-19.

Room Selection for all other students will take place in spring semester. This includes students who are currently living in the residence halls, Global Village, and Greek Circle, as well as students who do not renew their contract for their current space.

For more information, visit the RIT Housing website.

Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend
Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend is this weekend, and it’s not too late to join us on campus for events including entertainment, Hockey, tours, open houses, and much more! Visit the Brick City Weekend website above for event details and registration information.

Academics—Looking Beyond Fall Semester
October is a great time for students to start reflecting and planning for the spring semester and beyond. First-year students will need to meet with their academic advisor before they can register for spring. If they haven’t had their meeting yet, students can still build their spring shopping carts beginning on Oct. 23. When shopping carts opens, students will also be able to see the day/time when spring registration opens for them. Spring enrollment begins Nov. 13. 

Conversation starters

• What are you planning for next semester’s schedule?
• Have you met with your academic advisor? 
• Have you identified or declared an immersion? 
• How are you feeling about your academic progress this semester? 
• What campus resources have been helpful?

Campus Engagement— RIT Hockey
While RIT is proud of all of our Athletic teams, Hockey is a tradition that we love! Games in the Gene Polisseni Center are a great way for students to get engaged and have fun, from cheering in the Corner Crew, listening to the pep band, and enjoying favorite concessions. RIT students can attend the Men’s Hockey games for $5 and Women’s Hockey games for free!  

Conversation starters:

• Have you been to a hockey game yet?
• Are you going to the Brick City Weekend Hockey game in downtown Rochester this weekend?
• Are there other RIT Athletic events that you’ve attended?

Campus Living—Tiger Safe
RIT is a very safe campus. It is still important to remind your student that, while a safe place, they still need to be aware of safety concerns and available resources. One of the most useful is the Tiger Safe app, which gives users access to an emergency button, Public Safety phone numbers, escort services, lock services, and more. 

Conversation starters:

• How do you get home when you have an evening class?
• What do you do with your laptop when you are studying somewhere and have to use the restroom?
• Do you and your roommate always lock your room/apartment door?
• Have you downloaded the Tiger Safe app? 

Wellness—Self-Care Check-In
It’s hard to believe that it’s already mid-semester! This is a common time for students to feel the pressure of coursework and other activities. It is also a good time to check in with your student about self-care.  

Self-care can look very different to each individual. For some, it is working out every day. For others, it is participating in a club or taking time for personal hobbies. However your student chooses to care for themselves, check in and make sure they are making time, even if their schedules are busy. 

Conversation starters:

• What are you doing to stay active this semester?
• How are you spending your free time?
• What campus activities have you joined?
• Are you still working on (hobby)? 

Laundry Machine Replacement Project
The laundry machine replacement project in the residence halls, apartments, and Global Village will begin at the end of October and continue through the end of January. Work to be done includes new machines, flooring (residence halls only), ceiling tiles, lighting, and paint. Laundry rooms will be closed during maintenance on the following schedule, subject to change:

• Gleason and Residence Hall A: close on Oct. 23; re-open on Nov. 13
• Sol and Residence Hall B: close on Nov. 13; re-open on Dec. 4
• Gibson and Residence Hall C: close on Dec. 4; re-open on Jan. 8
• Ellingson: close on Jan. 8; re-open on Jan. 29
• Global Village 400, 403, 404, and 405: close on Nov. 13; re-open on Nov. 15
• Riverknoll: close on Nov. 6; re-open on Nov. 8
• Perkins-Green: close on Nov. 20; re-open on Nov. 22
• Greek Free Standing Houses: close on Nov. 7; re-open on Nov. 9

Students will be sent information on alternative laundry rooms to use while theirs is closed.

Please remind your student of these laundry tips to keep the new machines running correctly: 

• Leave washing machine doors open after removing laundry
• Read the instructions on the laundry detergent for high-efficiency machines and use only the amount of soap recommended
• Only use liquid soap; do not use detergent pods or beads in the washers
• Load maximum of 20 pounds of dry clothes in the washer at a time (once they become wet they are heavier and can break the machine)
• Wait at least 10 minutes for washer doors to automatically unlock following the cycle
• Submit work orders for any washer/dryer machine through the myLife portal

Counseling and Support Services
Midway through the semester, students may find themselves facing new challenges and struggles. Here are some key resources for students needing additional support:

Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) offers a variety of programs to fit students’ needs, including short-term, solution-focused individual therapy and group drop-in connections, which allow students to receive multiple perspectives, support, and encouragement from other students.

Students who are currently seeing a mental health professional or need long-term or specialized treatment should continue treatment with their provider if possible or connect with a mental health specialist in the Rochester area. Case Management can help link students to off-campus services when the need arises. 

Case Management is available to assist students in connecting to resources on and off campus, as well as helping students navigate complex personal problems, including but not limited to:

• Insurance
• Hospitalizations
• Financial issues
• Housing/food insecurity

Students are welcome to call or email the Case Management office for assistance: 585-475-3963; casemanagement@rit.edu.

No Voice Zone
Every Wednesday evening, students gather at No Voice Zone to learn and improve their ASL (American Sign Language) skills and learn about deaf culture. This long-running campus tradition welcomes student of all ASL skill levels. No Voice Zone is from 9-10 p.m. each week in the Student Development Center, rooms 1300/1310. 

Care Packages
RIT Care Packages is an exclusive gift service provided by RIT Dining. Send your student warm thoughts with a fresh baked treat, gift basket, or snack box. Options include baked goods and pizza prepared by RIT Dining or snack boxes prepared by our partner, CampusCube. Learn more and order on the RIT Dining 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 September, we asked if your student has a job. 40% of you replied that your student does not work during the semester, while another 27% have jobs on campus. Please take a moment to answer our October question. 

Featured Photo
In case you don’t follow the Parent and Family Programs Facebook page, here’s what you’ve missed: follow student Courtney each week as she shares the variety of food on campus with Foodie Fridays!