Newsletter March 2021

News and Deadlines

Engagement & Mental Health Webinar
Please join us for a webinar on Engagement and Mental Health at RIT on Tuesday, March 23 from 7-8 p.m. The webinar will include:

• Student engagement opportunities 
• How students can find ways to get involved 
• Mental health and counseling resources at RIT 
• Q&A with staff from Wellness, Campus Life, Residence Life, and Counseling & Psychological Services

To register, please complete this form. The webinar link will be sent prior to the event.

Seeking Parent Feedback
The Parent and Family Programs office needs your input as we assess our services and plan for future communications and programming for families of RIT students. Please take a moment to respond to our 2021 RIT Parent Survey. Your responses will help us better understand how you use family resources to support your student.

The survey will begin with a section on your COVID experiences and feedback. In the sections that follow, we ask that you think about your overall RIT experience as best as you can, not COVID-specific. This will help us go beyond the pandemic and into the future, when we will be able to invite you back to campus!

If you have multiple students at RIT, please respond with the youngest in mind.

Orientation Leader Positions
Applications to be a 2021 Orientation Leader (OL) are due March 28. OLs are responsible for introducing a small group of new students to RIT resources and opportunities at RIT Orientation 2021 in August. OLs are the first people that welcome new students and families, create a culture of care, and provide a foundation for the RIT experience. If your student is interested in welcoming new students and their families and has a desire to impact RIT in a positive way, have them check out these student leadership positions on CampusGroups.

Update on Commencement
RIT is happy to announce that we plan to host in-person commencement ceremonies in May, in accordance with New York state regulations. In light of the current state regulations, it is unlikely we will be able to welcome guests to our ceremonies. Therefore, we discourage guests from making any non-refundable travel arrangements until we have more definitive plans in place. We understand the need for graduates and families to plan and will provide an update about the schedule of ceremonies and potential for inviting guests to our campus in early April. All ceremonies will be live-streamed for viewing by family members and friends.

There are also plans to offer in-person celebrations for the Class of 2020 in May, again in accordance with all New York state regulations.

Please keep an eye on the RIT Commencement website for updates and information.

Summer Term
The upcoming summer term will begin on May 26 and will be offered in an online format. One session will run 10 weeks, and two shorter sessions will each run five weeks. The graduate online session will run seven weeks. The complete list of course offerings is available on the RIT Summer Online 2021 webpage.

RIT Ready Updates

Engagement & Mental Health Newsletter
In case you missed it, please see the Parent & Family Programs website for the Special Edition Newsletter that went out last week. This newsletter focused on topics related to engagement and mental health, including how students can learn what’s happening on campus, resources to support distressed students, and how you can support your student.

March Recharge Day
The March Recharge Day is scheduled for Wednesday, March 24. This day off from classes is designed for students to take a break from classes and studying. If your student is looking to connect, there are in-person and virtual activities planned throughout the day. It’s also possible that your student is just looking forward to catching up on sleep or their favorite TV show. Either way, encourage your student to take advantage of this day to recharge and disconnect in whatever way feels best. Students can sign up for Recharge Day activities.

Guest Policy Adjustments
Students who live in RIT housing can now host one guest in their living space provided that the guest is also an RIT student who is currently approved to circulate on campus. All other visitors are still prohibited from entering RIT Housing.

Information and Updates

Emergency & Family Contact Information
Please remind your student to update family and emergency contact information in SIS (Student Information System) by going to www.rit.edu/studentcontact. This official record must be updated by your student and does not impact your email preferences for this newsletter. To change your email address for the Parent Newsletter, please do so on the Parent & Family Programs website. 

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 page.

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. 

Time Management Tips
Time management is a skill that many college students struggle with, particularly around midterms and finals when assignments and exams are due. Managing time wisely not only makes tasks more approachable, but can decrease feelings of stress and anxiety. Here are some time management tips to share with your student:

• Set goals each morning so you know exactly what needs to be accomplished that day.
• Establish a routine and stick to it.
• Schedule breaks and down time. Participating in activities or working out will help you focus during work time.
• Use time between classes wisely. It can be easy to waste time in between classes by scrolling on your phone or napping, but those hours add up!
• Use a calendar or download a time management app to keep track of all classes, assignments, study times, activities, jobs, etc.
• Create a to-do list. Whether electronic or on paper, the satisfaction of crossing off items can be motivating.

FAFSA Reminder 
The 2021-22 FAFSA priority filing date-April 1-is fast approaching. If you have not already done so, please make every effort to file as soon as possible. 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 February, we asked what you look for when using the RIT parent website. Those who use the website tend to use it for communications, information about financial aid/the bill, information about health and safety, and campus event information. Please take a moment to answer our March question.

Parent to Parent
Be sure to check out our new discussion posts on the Parent and Family Programs Facebook page, Parent to Parent. Last week, we asked what you do when you miss your student. Please share your ideas and get tips from other Tiger parents!