Newsletter November 2021

News and Deadlines

Kitchen Away from Home Orders
Order your cookbook now!

Thank you to all parents who submitted a recipe for our Kitchen Away from Home Cookbook! The cookbook is filled with over 60 great recipes such as Italian Egg Breakfast, 3-2-1 Cake, Lazy Lasagna, Ginger Crinkles, and College Power Bowls.

The order form will be open until Dec. 1; cookbooks will be ready just in time for the holiday season. Cookbooks can be purchased for $8. Students will receive notification about a package delivery and will be able to pick up their cookbooks at the Gleason Hall Service Desk between Dec. 1-15. If you would like the cookbook mailed to you, it will cost an additional $2 per book.

All proceeds will go to the RIT FoodShare, a program that combats food insecurity on campus by allowing members of the RIT community access to non-perishable items and leftover food from campus events. RIT students, staff, and faculty can visit the FoodShare Center to donate non-perishable items, swap out items they have for those they want, and/or take items they need.

International Education Week Featuring Rick Steves
International Education Week (IEW), Nov 12-19, celebrates the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education is part of RIT’s efforts to promote programs that prepare students for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences.

RIT Global will host events all week including the guest speaker Rick Steves on November 16 from 5-6 p.m. Steves, an internationally recognized travel TV host, will talk about how international travel is more than just sightseeing and trying new foods, but an opportunity for students to be global citizens. All are welcome to attend via Zoom – students, parents, faculty, staff, community members. For more information and to register, visit the RIT Global website.

Thanksgiving Break Guide
If your student will remain on campus for Thanksgiving break next week, please refer them to our Thanksgiving Break Guide, which outlines adjusted building and service hours for dining, wellness services, Wallace Library, and more.

Winter Break Plan
All students currently living in RIT Housing must complete the End of Semester - Winter Break Plan. This form allows RIT to better serve our students during this time and includes the end of semester instructions and important information regarding on-campus circulation over break. Students that do not complete this form may experience swipe access interruptions.

RIT Housing, including the residence halls, will remain open through the break between fall and spring semester. Students who are eligible may remain in RIT housing throughout the winter break. Eligible students are those who currently live in RIT housing, will remain in RIT housing for spring semester, and will be registered for spring semester classes. 

For more information, please visit End of Semester and Winter Break.

Spring Billing
Spring semester billing notices will be generated during the first week of December and are due by January 15, 2022. More information about payment options can be found on the Student Financial Services website.

Let's Talk About It

Academics— Fall Semester Check-In
Now is a good time to reflect and process with your student how fall semester is going. November marks the home stretch with finals exams beginning December 8. Ask your Tiger to review the final exam policy. If they are experiencing time conflicts or more than two exams in one day, they should contact their professors. Many courses have final exam prep sessions so encourage your student to take advantage of these when offered.

Take advantage of the Thanksgiving break to spend time with your student and have a conversation about finishing fall semester successfully. 

Conversation starters

• Have you checked your final exam schedule?
• Are there any exams you are worried about and how will you prepare for them?
• What campus resources have been helpful?

Campus Engagement— Volunteering
An RIT Parent Poll revealed that nearly 80% of RIT parents felt it was important that students get volunteer or service experience while in college. Volunteering is a not only a great resume builder, but an excellent way to make friends while serving their community. And RIT students are very active in this realm—last year, 1,536 students reported completing 15,841 which is equal to a $478,066 economic impact.

One resource for students interested in engaging in this way is the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement. This office offers a number of fun ways for students to volunteer, including the Hunger Project, Into the ROC, Alternative Break, and Framing Frenzy. They also have resources for students to find places to volunteer in the Rochester Community.

Conversation starters

• What kind of volunteer opportunities have you found at RIT?
• What populations/areas would you be interested in supporting in the community?
• What kinds of skills do you feel would help you in your future career? 

Campus Living— Off-Campus Living
As students are thinking about their living arrangement for 2022-23, some might consider the option to rent off campus. While this is an excellent option for many, there are additional considerations to keep in mind with moving to non-RIT housing, including:

• Paying for utilities
• Transportation to campus
• Managing time between classes
• Working with a landlord
• Grocery shopping and cooking
• Less flexible lease agreements

The last bullet is particularly important if your student is scheduled to go on co-op. Many landlords will not release student from leases for any reason, which greatly limits their co-op search.

Conversation starters

• Have you thought about where you want to live next year?
• What have been some of the best parts about living on campus?
• What are some things about independent living that excite you? That make you nervous?
• Do you know when you’re scheduled to go on co-op? Where would you like to complete your co-op?

Wellness— Thanksgiving Tips
We know you look forward to having your student home for Thanksgiving vacation, but the reality of holiday reunions frequently fails to match expectations. It is not easy to slip back into traditional family patterns when students have been gone for a few months, and they have likely changed quite a bit in that short time. Be sure to communicate with your student about your expectations BEFORE they come home, including use of the family car, curfews, meal time, and other household expectations. It is also helpful to let your student know of any big changes around the house, and ask of any big changes in their life (you don’t want to be surprised by a new tattoo or diet change!)

Conversation starters

• What plans do you have while you’re home? Will you see any high school friends?
• Will you have any studying to do over the weekend?
• What are you most looking forward to about being home? What will you miss about RIT?
• How much laundry are you planning to bring?

Information and Updates

Extension of Course Withdrawal Date
Based on conversations with Student Government and Faculty Senate leadership about ways to relieve student workload and stress, RIT Leadership has approved an extension of the course withdrawal date from Friday, Nov. 5 to Monday, Nov. 22. This change provides students with more time to consider a possible withdrawal from a class and more time to consider the newly implemented pass/no pass grading option for open elective classes.

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 October, we asked if your student’s budget is still on track. 46% reported that you have talked and they are on track and another 23% reported that it is your student’s responsibility. 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: we don’t have a photo, but check out the page for a video of the snow fall last night shared by RIT Public Safety!