Newsletter March 2020

News and Deadlines

Coronavirus Updates
RIT leadership is closely monitoring the outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). We place a high priority on the health, safety, and travel of the entire university community. We also recognize that many of our international students are facing challenges, and we will continue to provide support and planning options in the event of protracted and expanded travel restrictions. For RIT updates and FAQs, as well as information about travel restrictions and prevention education, please visit the coronavirus information and updates website.

RIT Family Coffee Connections
Parent & Family Programs is piloting a new event for families this spring—RIT Family Coffee Connections. These casual get-togethers provide a spot for you to meet, interact, and relax with a cup of coffee alongside other RIT parents in your neighborhood. We are piloting the Coffee Connections in selected cities this spring:

          Southeastern CT
          Saturday, March 21; 2-4 p.m.
          Café Sol
          346 Main Street
          Niantic, CT 06357

          Pleasantville NY
          Sunday, March 22; 3-5 p.m.
          Jean-Jacques’ Culinary Creations
          468 Bedford Road
          Pleasantville, NY 10570

          Auburn, NY
          Saturday, March 28; 10 a.m.-noon
          New Hope Mills Café
          181 York St
          Auburn, NY 13021

          Philadelphia, PA 
          Sunday, March 29; 2-4 p.m.
          Abyss Coffee  
          30 S Bethlehem Pike
          Ambler, PA 19002

If you live near these locations and would like to join our Coffee Connections, please rsvp on this form. Upon arrival, grab a beverage of choice and look for your RIT parent hosts. Our hosts are looking forward to welcoming you and kicking off what we hope is an annual Tiger family tradition! 

SG Spring Break Bus Return
Student Government is offering a free bus for students traveling via plane, bus, or train over break. The bus will loop between Gleason Circle on campus and the airport, the Amtrak station, and the Greyhound station on Sunday, March 15 from 6 a.m.-3 p.m.

Spring Passport Drive 
On Saturday, March 21 from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., the Monroe County Clerk’s Office will be on campus at the Wallace Library processing passports. Students need to bring form of payment (cash, credit, or check) and proper ID that is required by the U.S. State Department to apply for a passport. Information on passport costs and ID requirements can be found at The Monroe County Clerk’s Office Passport website. Students can register for the event here. 

Finals Care Package
Finals are almost here! Keep your student focused and energized with the RIT Finals Care Package. Tips from the Academic Success Center are included with the snacks to help them study. Students can pick it up beginning April 13. Order by April 3 on the Care Package website. 

2020 Commencement Ceremonies
RIT's commencement ceremonies will take place on May 8-9, 2020. Academic Convocation is a celebration of graduates from all nine colleges and two degree-granting units. It will take place on Friday, May 8, at 10 a.m. in the Gordon Field House and Activities Center. Following the kick-off celebration, individual commencement ceremonies will take place on Friday afternoon and Saturday. Please check the Ceremonies and Receptions tab to see when your graduate's ceremony will be held. All of the ceremonies will be live-streamed over the internet. A link will be available on the Commencement homepage. Note: The Golisano Institute for Sustainability ceremony is not live-streamed.   

Tickets are not required for any of the ceremonies; however, seating is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Overflow seating for Academic Convocation will be available in the Gene Polisseni Center. Please visit the FAQ page for helpful information about Commencement. 

Program Profile

2020 Census
The 2020 Census counts every person living in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories. Each home will receive an invitation to respond to a short questionnaire—online, by phone, or by mail. If your RIT student is out of the house, you may have some questions on how to respond to the Census. The following information can help you not only fill out your own Census, but guide your student with theirs.

Students should be counted where they live while at college. Even if your student’s permanent address is yours, they need to be counted here (in Henrietta, Rochester, or wherever they live near campus). The census provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers, and many others use to provide daily services, products, and support for you and your community. Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding go to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads, and other resources based on census data. College students should be counted based on where they live for the majority of the year, which is here! As a parent, you should not be counting your student as living with you if they are living at RIT or in their own housing.  

Where your student lives matters to how they fill out the Census. Here is information based on specific student types for you to use in guiding your student on how to complete the Census. Please keep in mind that these are general guidelines, and you should follow the instructions in the questionnaire that you receive.

• My student lives in RIT housing: Students living in RIT housing (including residence halls, on-campus apartments, and the RIT Inn) don’t have to do anything for the Census. RIT provides group reporting to students in our facilities. 
• My student rents an apartment/house in the Henrietta/Rochester area: These students will have to fill out the Census. In March, they will receive an invitation in the mail inviting them to fill out the 2020 Census online. If not completed online, they will continue to receive reminders and eventually a paper questionnaire. Starting in the summer, Census Takers will visit homes that have not yet filled out the Census. Your student will have to work with their roommate(s) to fill out one Census for the household. Please encourage your student to complete the Census as soon as possible and before they leave for the summer.
• My student lives at home with me: In this case, you should count your student in your household Census. 
• My student is an international student: International students should also fill out the Census! Please share this information with your student, including the link below, so they understand why it is important for international students to complete the Census.  

Job opportunities. If your student is looking for some extra income this summer, there are job opportunities working as a Census taker. More information is available on the 2020 Census Jobs website.  

For more information about what to expect with the Census, please refer your student to www.2020census.gov

Information and Updates

Religious Holidays Accommodations
Spring is a season of many holidays for those of Christian, Jewish, Muslim, & Pagan traditions. These holidays may be important events for your students. Please note that RIT’s attendance policy does not automatically excuse absences for religious reasons, but students can make arrangements with professors ahead of time if they must miss class. For more information about spring holidays, visit the Spirituality and Religious Life website. 

Philanthropy Graduation Cords
Celebrate the Class of 2020 by making a gift of $20.20 or more—your grad will be recognized with an exclusive orange and black philanthropy cord to wear at Commencement. When making your gift, please be sure to include your student’s full name in the honorary gift field. Cords will be available for pick up on campus during the last week of classes, senior events, and at the Cheers to the Class of 2020 event.

Summer Storage
It’s only March, but we know you may already be planning for the end of the semester. A local storage company offers a service for students needing to store belonging over the summer. Rochester College Storage (the UPS Store) offers free pick-up and delivery and storage in local facilities. 

FAFSA Reminder 
Please file the 2020-21 FAFSA application by the April 1 priority deadline. This will ensure your student is up for consideration for all types of funding. We recommend transferring your 2018 federal tax return information to the FAFSA via IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to streamline the process. Follow the instructions when filing the FAFSA. RIT students will receive financial aid award notifications beginning in mid-May assuming that all required documents have been submitted. 

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 February, we asked what your student does for self-care. 33% of your students play video games, 22% spend time with their friends, and 21% exercise. Please take a moment to answer our March question.

Advice from Alex
Healthy Roommate Relationships
Housing and roommate selection can be stressful, especially for first-year students. Being friends with someone and living with someone are often two entirely different experiences. Living with someone comes with certain responsibilities that a friendship doesn’t necessarily carry, like making sure shared spaces are kept clean. Some people prefer to live in a neat space, while others might be able to handle a little (or a lot!) more mess. Some people like guests and loud music, and others might like privacy, peace, and quiet. These are conversations that students should have whether they plan to live with friends, acquaintances, or strangers. 

If your student will be moving in with someone they don’t know very well next year, they may be feeling a little anxious. This is understandable, but it’s important to look at the bright side, too! Living with new people can provide great opportunities to expand your network, strengthen your communication skills, and maybe even make a new friend. 

Whether your student is living with their best friend or a total stranger, the best way to maintain a positive living environment is to maintain open communication. If your student is having a stressful day, has a lot of homework, or just needs some space and alone time, they should let their roommate know they don’t want any guests that day. Likewise, if your student is using the living space for a group project or wants to have friends over, they should let their roommate know. Communication builds trust and respect between roommates, which ultimately leads to a more positive living experience for all parties involved.

Featured Photo
In case you don’t follow the Parent and Family Programs Facebook page, here’s what you’ve missed: our Tiger Family Leaders is the student team that manages the parent Facebook page, creates videos for the YouTube channel, and assists with all parent events and engagement opportunities.