Newsletter January 2022

News and Deadlines

Room Selection
Room selection for the 2022-2023 year begins on Jan. 24. 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. Students should keep these important dates in mind:

• Jan. 24-30: Complete contracts and form roommate group
• Feb. 3: Room selection appointments emailed
• Feb. 7-18: Select room

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

Expression of King’s Legacy
The 40th annual Expressions of King's Legacy celebrating the life & legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be held on Jan. 27 at noon in the Gordon Field House. This year’s keynote speaker is Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., an Emmy and Peabody Award winning filmmaker, cultural critic and journalist, and host of the popular genealogy television series “Your Roots” now in its seventh season on PBS. This event is open to the public; all attendees 12 years of age and older must provide proof of vaccination in accordance to the RIT Event Safety Guidelines.

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 Feb. 1, 2022.

Student Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey
As a part of our ongoing effort to ensure all are safe and aware of options for getting help, we invite students to take the 2022 Student Sexual Misconduct Climate Survey. The survey will launch on Feb. 21 and remain open until Mar. 13, 2022. Students will receive an email inviting them to take the survey and receive reminders if they have not completed it. 

By taking the survey, students are helping to increase our understanding of the student experience related to sexual misconduct, including harassment and stalking. Responses will be completely anonymous. We plan to share important results by early fall. We will use the findings from the survey to help inform our strategic prevention and awareness efforts. 

2022 Commencement Save-the-Date
The RIT Community is looking forward to celebrating the achievements of the Class of 2022! Commencement will be held on May 6-7. Ceremonies include Friday morning’s Academic Convocation, a celebration of graduates from all nine colleges and two degree-granting units, and individual commencement ceremonies on Friday afternoon and Saturday. Please check the commencement schedule to see when your graduate's ceremony will be held. More information can be found on the Commencement website.

Let's Talk About It

Academics—Spring Semester Strategies
A new semester means new opportunities, and there are plenty of resources to support your student’s academic goals. The beginning of the semester is a great opportunity for your student to develop a plan and strategy for their spring coursework, such as reviewing syllabi and identifying key dates in the semester. Building a strong academic network with instructors, academic advisors, tutors, and/or the Academic Success Center can support students’ efforts for a successful semester. Developing strong study habits from the start will prevent students from playing catch-up.

Conversation starters

• How are you feeling about your new classes?
• What are you concerned about as you start this semester?
• Do you know who or where you can find support? Have you heard of the Academic Success Center and the support courses they offer?
• What are you most excited about this semester?

Campus Engagement—FreezeFest
At RIT, we look for ways to celebrate winter! FreezeFest is RIT’s annual winter festival that encourages students to embrace the cold Rochester weather and enjoy many planned activities. FreezeFest 2022 is Jan. 28- Feb. 6. It is a great way for students to take a break from their academics, get out of their residence hall room or apartment, and experience many fun, diverse, and free activities, events, food, and giveaways. Students can learn more on CampusGroups and by following RIT Student Life on social media.

Conversation starters:

• What FreezeFest activities do you plan to attend?
• How have you been enjoying the snow this winter?
• What RIT coffee shop has the best hot chocolate?

Campus Living—Campus Weather Closures
Occasionally, RIT will close due to bad weather, and we know parents often wonder how this decision is made. Every effort is made to keep the university open because of the large resident student population and to minimize interruptions to the academic calendar. In the case of severe weather, the safety of the community is a major consideration. During a snowstorm, information from various sources is considered, including the Monroe County Office of Emergency Management, National Weather Service, Department of Transportation, NYS Thruway Authority, television news, etc. After careful consideration of weather advisories or warnings, states of emergency, travel bans, travel restrictions, road closures, road conditions, plowing operations, and other universities, a decision is made by the university leadership.

Conversation starters:

• Is your phone number updated in SIS so you get RIT Alert notifications?
• Have you used the tunnels at RIT yet?
• Is your winter clothing warm enough for the cold days?

Wellness—Establishing Goals
A start of a new year brings motivation to set new goals. Spring semester is a great time to reflect upon what went well last semester, challenges, and what will help students accomplish new goals in the areas of academics, involvement, health, relationships, etc. In helping your student think about their 2022 goals, remind them to:

• Be realistic and make goals achievable
• Consider how they will prioritize goals
• Write down goals or share with others to create accountability
• Set deadlines and re-evaluate as needed
• Ask for help when encountering roadblocks
• Celebrate achievements

Conversation Starters

• What are your academic/campus/health goals for this semester?
• What potential barriers will stop you from accomplishing your goals?
• What campus resources will help you accomplish your goals?

Information and Updates

Academic Success Courses
The Academic Success Courses offer students an introduction to develop and refine learning strategies in study skills, time management, and academic organization. Applied Study Strategies, Essential Study Techniques, and Study Strategies Lab are zero credit, pass-fail courses and open to all RIT students. Students should check the Student Information System for section start dates and to enroll. Three different courses are available, and prerequisites may apply. 

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 (50 minutes for 14 weeks) are curriculum-based and students are encouraged to utilize recommended strategies independently. For more information, please also see our FAQs. Interested students are encouraged to complete a two-step enrollment process as soon as possible. Availability 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 2021 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 Financial Aid Refunds
All Spring Semester Aid is scheduled to pay to your student account 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 Oct. 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 2020 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 if you expect your student to attend a graduate program after receiving their undergraduate degree. One-quarter said yes, right away and another quarter said maybe someday. Please take a moment to answer our January question.

Featured Photo
In case you don’t follow the Parent and Family Programs Facebook page, here’s what you’ve missed: a wintery scene at the Gene Polisseni Center