Newsletter FOSN June 11, 2020

Prepare Your Student

Fall Planning
We know you and your student are anxious to hear about RIT’s plans for fall opening. RIT is progressing on plans to announce its fall academic calendar. The university’s plans are contingent on the latest guidance and direction of local, state, and federal officials. Please visit our Fall Planning website and continue to watch your email (and make sure your student is checking their RIT email!) for updates and information.

RIT Student Email Accounts
Important information will be sent to students’ RIT email accounts beginning at deposit—please remind your student to start checking this account on a regular basis.

We know it might be tempting for parents to log in to students accounts to make sure the necessary things are taken care of, but we encourage you to allow your student to take on this responsibility themselves, as they will have to manage their own schedules and accounts when they arrive at RIT.

Selecting Rooms and Roommates
First-year students are required to live in RIT housing (with some exceptions for local students). Students select their own rooms and roommates at RIT. On June 10, students who have signed a housing contract received an email with an appointment date and time to select a room; appointment times run between June 17-July 8. If students complete the housing contract after June 8 or did not self-select, they will be assigned by RIT Housing in late June. The process for selecting rooms and roommates can be found on the RIT Housing website.

Academic Checklist
Your student recently received an email with an Academic Checklist—things to be completed in June. This includes:

• Request an official final high school transcript and send to the RIT Admissions Office
• Review and submit AP, IB, or college credit(s)
• Take the Math Placement Exam (required for all students except Bachelor of Fine Arts in the College of Art and Design)
• Take the Language Placement Exam if planning to take a language course

Please note that there is a modified academic checklist for incoming transfer students. Details can be found on the transfer section of the Orientation website​.

Today's Parent Tips

Send Us Your Questions
In preparation for move-in to look differently than most years, we will be moving the majority of Family Orientation programming to an online format. We need your help! Please send us the questions that you have about your student’s upcoming RIT experience. This can include:

• Living and dining on campus
• Health and wellness
• Academic support
• Finances
• Student involvement
• Campus safety
• Disability and access services

You can submit your questions on this form.

Parent and Emergency Contact Information
If this is not your preferred email address, please have your student update their parent contact information at www.rit.edu/studentcontact. They should also be sure to add emergency contact information.

Parent Resources
You will receive these newsletters, with content specifically for incoming RIT families, throughout the summer. Along with these newsletters, you can find information about being an RIT parent with the following Parent & Family Programs resources:

• Parent & Family Programs website—Find campus resources and information about how to support your student across a variety of topics including academics, health, and student life.
• RIT Parent Facebook page—Our Facebook page is designed to connect families to RIT through photos of campus and students, information about what's happening at RIT, and interactions between parents.
• RIT Parent Newsletter—Our monthly newsletter delivers the most current information to parents, including upcoming deadlines, campus events, and information about campus resources. All new parent email addresses will be added automatically in mid-August. If you would like to start receiving this additional newsletter now, you can sign up on the above link. This link is also where you can change your email preferences or remove yourself from the mailing list throughout your student’s time at RIT.

Advice from a current RIT parent:
“I would advise that parents sign up for the Parent Newsletter and thoroughly explore the website for information. The website is full of important facts, tips, and new information that doesn't always get communicated to parents through their child.”

Last Time Syndrome
There will be moments this summer when you realize it’s a last for your family before your student moves to RIT—make the most of these moments, even though they may also cause some sadness and frustration. If you get an eye roll when expressing your emotions, remember your student is also experiencing many “lasts” and may be expressing these emotions differently.

Advice from a current RIT parent:
“Don't bombard them with how sad you'll be when they go. Don't make a big deal about them leaving. They don't need to know that you'll all be missing them terribly. They are about to embark on an adventure!”

Ask Your Student About...

What are you most looking forward to about living in the residence hall?
We know that sharing a room can be a new experience for many students. It is definitely important to be aware of what the challenges may be, but equally as important to get excited about the experience!

Which email did you put down for my contact information?
Typos happens, as do email address changes. We want to make sure that your student put down the best contact information for you in the system.