Newsletter November 2020

News and Deadlines

Alert Level Moves to Orange
Last week, RIT elevated our COVID Alert Level to Orange. This will prompt changes in the way we operate for the remainder of the semester. Please review the Orange mitigation strategies on the RIT Ready website.

End of Semester Checklist
Please encourage your student to complete the End of Semester Checklist and let us know their plans for break. Students who live in RIT housing and off campus should complete the checklist.

Availability of COVID Testing
RIT has a limited supply of COVID tests for students who need a test before leaving for the Thanksgiving break. Appointments must be made in advance. Tests are available November 16-19. Students can sign up here. Students must have an appointment to be tested; there will be no walk-ins. For those students unable to be tested on campus, we recommend checking testing availability through New York State here.

If the test is positive, please remember:

• Monroe County Department of Health will be notified and will issue a mandated isolation order.
• Student will be required to isolate for at least 10 days from the testing date.
• Student will not be permitted to travel using public transportation (buses, planes, trains) until the isolation period is complete.
• Student can travel in a personal vehicle, by themselves, if they do not stop at a rest stop, restaurant, etc. Once at their destination, they would complete isolation there. Anyone traveling with the student who has tested positive for COVID must adhere to health guidelines, including wearing a mask and contacting your local health department regarding a probable 14-day quarantine. 
• Student must be prepared to provide a list of close contacts (with contact information) for the two-day (48 hour) time period before the test.
• Students currently living in campus housing will be provided the option to stay in university-sponsored housing for isolation.

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.

Students can get the vaccine at the Student Health Center for $20. Students can also get the flu shot at a local retail pharmacy or when they return home for winter break.

Spring Semester to Begin January 25
RIT classes for spring semester will begin January 25. The last day of classes for spring semester will be Wednesday, May 5, with final exams running May 7-13. Commencement is scheduled for May 14-15. The semester will also include three “recharge” days and one reading day prior to final exams. The recharge days have been incorporated into the calendar to give students and faculty additional break days throughout the semester and help account for the elimination of spring break.

Spring Billing
Spring semester billing notices will be generated during the first week of December and are due by January 15, 2021. More information about payment options can be found on the Student Financial Services website.

Supporting Your Student Over Break

Living with Your Student Again
The reality of having students home for break can often fail to match expectations—especially when the break is extended! While you are excited to have your family together, the break can get long. You may be in tighter quarters than usual with siblings and parents studying/working remotely, and your RIT students will be stressed about finals. There are a lot more emotions to navigate than the usual visit home from college. Here are a few tips as you navigate this new living situation:

• Have open communication. What COVID guidelines have you put in place in your household to keep your family safe? Does your state have any rules that your student should know about (e.g. curfews)? Make sure you communicate these with your student and have a discussion about your expectations regarding distancing, seeing friends, and leaving the house.
• Be patient and respectful. Everyone in the family is experiencing this year differently and has their own stresses. There is likely a lot of tension, and patience and understanding are needed from all parties as you navigate your time together.
• Discuss household expectations early. Ensure that all family members are contributing to the upkeep of the home. Be clear about your expectations. Determine who is responsible for what and try to stick to a routine.
• Set boundaries. You all will have different responsibilities and schedules. Open communication will help when you need quiet for a conference call or your student has an exam. Discuss, negotiate, and respect one another’s needs.
• Expect odd schedules. College students have very different schedules! They may sleep past your second cup of coffee and Zoom with their friends long after your bedtime. As long as they are respecting house expectations and the rest of the family, be flexible.
• Tell them about changes. Let your student know of any big changes around the house, and ask of any big changes in their life. You’ll want to know if you suddenly need to cook for a vegetarian!
• Expect growth. Even if this is your student’s first semester in college-they have already experienced a lot and is growing into the adult they will become.
• Enjoy your time together. It will seem long at times, but they will be leaving again before you know it. Take advantage of the family time!

Help Your Student get Finals Ready
Final exams will be held on December 1-4 and 7-8. Since exams will be remote this semester, there may be additional stress not only for students, but for family members and roommates.  Students can help reduce this unwanted stress and be finals ready with these strategies and suggestions:

• Have a plan and start early. Suggest that your student write down when each of their finals are and what they will need to take them. They can use the Exam Study Plan worksheet found in the Study Tool Kit on the Academic Success Center website. Start early-a little time each day is better than late nights.
• Prioritize.  For each exam, students can list what will be covered, then prioritize the topics based on their confidence. They should plan for more time on the topics they are not as confident with.
• Review the syllabus. What does the syllabus state about the final and how they will be tested? Are the finals cumulative? Open book? Are they timed? Each of their classes may be different so a plan for each final may be different.
• Communicate. Ask your student to share their finals schedule with you or, if they will not be home for finals, their roommates. This will help you all ensure that your student has the space and environment needed to take their finals.
• Create a comfortable workspace. Make sure your student has everything they need; good lighting, enough space, and an environment that will allow them to focus.
• Think like a professor. Students can gather and/or create questions that they believe will be on the exam and build their own practice exam. Set it aside and take it few days later. Share it with their professor and ask if they are on the right track.
• Create study aids like a “cheat sheet”. Student should spend time before the exam identifying and gathering information and content they do not know or are not comfortable with and put it in a format that works for their study style.  Check out these Study Skills Resources.
• Get plenty of sleep and eat well. Encourage your student to recharge and energize their body in the days leading up to the exams.

Mental Health Check-In
The long break at home is a good time for a mental health check in. Here are some warning signs to watch out for in your student:

• Disengagement (from friends, academics, family, hobbies and activities, etc.)
• Isolation or withdrawal
• Abnormal changes in eating or sleeping habits
• Difficulty concentrating or paying attention
• Sounding down or using a tone that lacks enthusiasm or hope
• Irritability
• Hopelessness or helplessness
• Sadness or anger
• Feeling overwhelmed with all that they have to do
• Fatigue/exhaustion
• Significant changes in weight
• High self-standards and difficulty tolerating less than perfection

If you notice your student is struggling, please encourage them to visit RIT resources:

• Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) provides short-term, solution-focused individual therapy and group drop-in connections.
• Case Management: assists students in connecting to resources on and off campus, as well as helping students navigate complex personal problems.

You can also use the long break to initiate conversations about mental health. Here are some general check-in questions to ask:

• “How was your semester?”
• “Were you able to find the support you needed?”
• “What are your plans for break?”
• “Would you like to do anything specific while you’re home?”
• “How are you doing?”

If your student is exhibiting some of the warning signs above, you can ask:

• “I’ve noticed that you’ve been a little more [disconnected, tired, sad, overwhelmed, etc.] since you’ve been home. Would you like to talk to me about this?”
• “How can I help?”
• “Would you like to talk to someone about what you’re going through?”

Campus Support Services
Even if your student is at home for the entire break, campus support services will be available during finals and throughout break. Note: The University will be closed (except for essential services) from December 24-January 2.

• Academic Advising: Advisors are still available to meet with students virtually and will work directly with students to make a meeting plan.
• Academic Success Center: The ASC offers many academic support services for students, including peer coaching and math assessments. Students should visit the ASC website to schedule a virtual Zoom meeting with a one-on-one trained peer mentor to discuss time management, organization, and study processes for the spring or for to schedule a math assessment.
• Counseling & Psychological Services: Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPs) services will continue over break. See the CAPS website for information on other services available. Note: in order to receive CaPS services, students need to be in New York state. Students who are outside of New York at the time of need should seek out local service providers.
• Ombuds Office: The Ombuds Office are available to provide confidential assistance to students who have concerns arising from or affecting their work and studies.
• Public Safety: Public Safety is always available for emergency calls and assistance.
• Residence Life: Residence Life professional staff will be available during the break. This will include on-call support nightly.
• RIT Dining: Selected RIT Dining locations will be open over break for students who remain on campus. The schedule can be found on the RIT Dining website.

Information and Updates

Alternate Grading Options
RIT will offer students an alternate grading option for the fall and spring semesters of the 2020-2021 academic year. Undergraduate students will be able to select a satisfactory/pass/no pass option and graduate students can select a satisfactory/unsatisfactory/no pass option, for up to two courses. Faculty will post all grades, at which point students can determine if they wish to opt for alternate grading. In addition, RIT has moved the deadline for students to withdraw from any course to the last day of classes. More information on planning for spring semester can be found on the RIT Ready website.

Dining Plan Changes
RIT Dining has made the following changes to meal plans for spring semester:

• All meal plans will now be comprised of Dining Dollars only. There will be no plans with meals and meal exchanges. This change will increase flexibility in how and when dining funds are used.
• Students in Residence Halls and the RIT Inn are required to have a meal plan and will be able to select from two meal plan options:
  • Orange: $3,500 Dining Dollars
  • Tiger: $2,918 Dining Dollars (This meal plan replaces the lowest cost plan currently available and will be the default applied to all accounts).
• Students in Greek Circle (required meal plan) or commuters (optional meal plan) will be able to select from four meal plans:
  • Orange: $3,500 Dining Dollars
  • Tiger: $2,918 Dining Dollars
  • Spirit: $1,725 Dining Dollars
  • Stripes: $575 Dining Dollars (This meal plan replaces the lowest cost plan currently available and will be the default applied to all accounts that require a meal plan).

RIT Dining has changed all spring semester meal plans to the closest equivalent plan that is offered. Students can view or change their plan at mylife.rit.edu.

Meal Plan Dates
Fall meals and meal exchanges end after dinner on November 24. Dining Dollars and Tiger Bucks will be available for use after November 24. Spring meal plans will activate on December 9 and will not pause during the break.

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 October, we asked what is your primary source for information about RIT. 42% of you replied this newsletter, 25% replied the RIT parent website/social media, and 21% replied your student. Please take a moment to answer our November question.

Featured Photo
In case you don’t follow the Parent and Family Programs Facebook page, here’s what you’ve missed: The RIT Ready Crew was out all fall semester reminding students about COVID-19 safely guidelines.