Newsletter January 2021

News and Deadlines

Tiger Activities Fair
The Tiger Activities Fair is RIT's annual student organization and involvement fair where students can explore and connect with extra- and co-curricular opportunities. Students will be able to connect with club and organization leaders in real-time through chat and live video conferencing. The Fair will be held in CampusGroups on January 30-31 from noon-3 p.m.

Expressions of King’s Legacy
The 39th annual Expressions of King's Legacy, celebrating the life & legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will be held on January 28 at noon. This year’s keynote speaker is CNN political commentator Bakari Sellers. This event is open to the public and you can register here.

Room Selection
Room selection for the 2021-2022 year will begin in February. This process is for students currently living in Residence Halls, Global Village, or Greek Circle, students who did not renew their current room during housing renewal, and those who are new to RIT housing or were not on campus this year.

• February 8-14: Complete contracts and form roommate group
• February 18: Room selection appointments emailed
• February 22-March 5: Select room

Instructions and more information is available on the RIT Housing website.

Resident Advisor (RA) Positions
The Center for Residence Life is seeking student leaders for the position of Resident Advisor (RA). RAs live in RIT’s Residence Halls to help support and mentor students. For more information and to apply, student should visit the Center for Residence Life website. Applications are due February 10, 2021.

2021 Commencement Save-the-Date
The RIT community is looking forward to celebrating the achievements of the Class of 2021. Commencement will be held on May 14-15, 2021. The format is pending, due to New York State COVID-19 guidelines. Updates will be shared on the Commencement website.

RIT Ready Updates

COVID-19 Testing for Spring Semester
RIT has expanded the COVID-19 testing program for the spring semester. All students who are approved to be on campus are required to participate in weekly COVID-19 testing. We will begin testing a large number of students during the first week of classes (Jan. 25) and all student testing will begin the week of Feb. 1. You can read more about increased testing here.

Spring Circulation Plan and Checklist
As we prepare for a safe and healthy re-population of campus in the spring, there are a few items that all students must complete. All students are required to complete the Spring Circulation Plan on the MyLife Portal, no matter their spring semester plans. This includes students who plan to be on co-op or completing online coursework. By completing the Spring Circulation Plan students are notifying RIT of their intended plans for the Spring 2021 Semester. Responses to the Spring Circulation Plan will determine the required action steps that students must complete before the start of the semester.

Students will be assigned an RIT contact to support them through the process. The assigned staff member will be listed on the home screen of their MyLife Portal. Students are encouraged to reach out to this individual should they have any questions about the Spring Circulation Plan and associated requirements.

Learn more about the Spring Circulation Plan and detailed requirements on the RIT Ready website. 

Flu Vaccine Requirement
RIT is requiring all students, faculty, and staff who will be on campus for any reason receive a seasonal flu vaccination by the start of Spring Semester. Students must provide proof of having received the seasonal flu vaccine by submitting documentation to the Wellness Portal. Proof should include name, date, and documentation that it was a flu vaccine. Students with a medical or religious accommodation will be receiving a secure message through the health portal that we have a file of record.

Emergency Student Support Bill
On January 14, 2021, the U.S. Department of Education announced that the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) had been made available. This COVID relief legislation, which was signed into law in December 2020, supports an expansion of emergency funding for higher education institutions to address the effects of COVID-19. 

RIT has been awarded just over $17 million and, in accordance with Federal regulations, will be distributing a minimum of $5.190 million directly to students.  RIT is working on an allocation formula and expects to announce the emergency grants to students in a few weeks when the federal government releases the funding. When finalized, RIT will share how the funds will be distributed via the RIT Ready website.

Information and Updates

Instructor-Led Academic Coaching
Instructor-Led Academic Coaching is a fee-based program designed to help first- and second- year students gain greater awareness of academic success strategies and campus resources to complement academic goals. Weekly instructional meetings are curriculum-based and students are encouraged to utilize recommended strategies independently. For more information, please see the FAQs. Interested students are encouraged to complete the two-step enrollment process as soon as possible as availabilty for spring semester is limited. 

1098-T Tax Information
1098-T tax statements will be sent to eligible students' permanent addresses by the end of January. The 1098-T statement reports the amount of qualified tuition and related expenses that were billed during the 2020 calendar year. If you have questions about the 1098-T and educational tax benefits, contact information can be found on the Student Financial Services page. 

Spring 2020 Financial Aid Refunds
All Spring Semester aid is scheduled to pay to student accounts after the add/drop period. Spring refunds will be available at that time. Visit the Refund of Credit Balance page for all details on refunds.

FAFSA Reminder 
The new FAFSA becomes available each October 1. This is an annual process that gets easier as information is pre-populated in the renewal application. While assisting your student with the application, we recommend transferring your 2019 federal tax return information to the FAFSA via IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to streamline the process. Visit the Federal Student Aid or RIT’s Financial Aid and Scholarships website for additional information. RIT students will receive financial aid award notifications beginning in May. 

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 December, we asked who is typically your student’s first point of contact with academic concerns. Most of you responded either a professor (27%) or academic advisor (24%). Please take a moment to answer our January question.