Newsletter October 2020
News and Deadlines
Flu Vaccine Requirement
RIT is requiring all students, faculty, and staff who will be on campus for any reason to 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.
Students can participate in the on-campus Wegmans clinics. If their insurance is not accepted by Wegmans, they 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.
Housing Selection 2021-2022
Housing Renewal will begin on October 19. Housing Renewal is the process that your student should participate in to renew their current RIT housing for the 2021-2022 academic year.
Students currently living in Perkins Green, Riverknoll, University Commons, and the RIT Inn who want to renew their contract should complete a contract between October 19-25 by going to mylife.rit.edu. If there are any vacancies in the space, students will be instructed to request a roommate between November 2-13.
Room Selection for all other students will take place in spring semester. This includes students who are currently living in the residence halls, Global Village, and Greek Circle, as well as students who do not renew their contract for their current space.
For more information, visit the RIT Housing website.
Tiger Parent Talks
Join other RIT parents in our virtual, community-building Tiger Parent Talks! During these events, you can connect with one another, share your experiences and advice, and ask questions of other Tiger parents. Tiger Parent Talks are not informational sessions, but rather community building for parents.
Click on the date to register for an event:
Participants will receive more information the morning of the event.
Immersion and Minor Fair
Immersions are a required portion of the general education curriculum for every undergraduate student at RIT. The Immersion and Minor Fair offers your student a chance to explore options and connect with faculty teaching in areas of interest. Faculty from the College of Liberal Arts, College of Science, College of Art & Design, and Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences will be available to answer questions and share information about immersion, minor, and double major offerings. The fair will be held virtually on Wednesday, October 14 from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Students can register on CampusGroups.
Change of Major Open Forum
The Change of Major Open Forum is an opportunity for students to connect with an advisor from University Exploration on the processes and options to change their major. If appropriate, advisors will schedule follow-up meetings to further discuss options, or make a referral to another office depending on the student’s situation. Any undergraduate student considering a change of major is welcome. The event will be held Monday, October 26 from 12-2 p.m. Students can RSVP and join the session on CampusGroups.
RIT Ready Updates
RIT COVID-19 Alert Level Moves to Yellow
The RIT COVID Alert Level is now Yellow. This means that the prevalence of the COVID-19 virus is low, but indicators show potential for an increase in transmission. Because of this change, we will limit non-instructional indoor gatherings to 25 people and implement targeted testing. You can see the message sent to the RIT community about this change here and continue to follow the RIT COVID-19 Dashboard for updates.
Thank You, Families!
Last week, RIT passed the halfway mark of the semester. We celebrated this accomplishment and thanked our students for doing their part to keep our community safe. I would also like to extend a special thanks to you, the parents and family members of our students. We know students take their lead from you and listen to your advice…believe it or not! You are very much a part of our community and have played a big role in our success thus far. Thank you for getting your students here in August, or helping them develop a remote routine from home. Thank you for encouraging them to follow the policies in place to keep them safe. Thank you for sending them the fun masks we get to see on campus each day. Thank you for overall support as we navigate an odd semester and work together to be successful. We wouldn’t be here without you!
Best,
Chelsea
Spring Calendar
A committee is currently exploring options for the spring academic calendar, which will be announced by the end of October. Two updates are able to be shared at this time: 1) While the specific start date is still being reviewed, at this point it looks likely we will be delayed by at least a week; 2) RIT will not hold spring break this year. We will need that time to keep the overall semester on track and to limit travel on and off campus. The latter is important for mitigating the spread of COVID-19, much as we did this semester by ending in person instruction at Thanksgiving. During his “Ask Munson” series last week, President Munson said at least two break days will be added to next semester’s academic calendar to help students cope with the loss of spring break and continued stress surrounding COVID-19 during the pandemic.
Visitor Policy
Following feedback from students and the low prevalence of COVID-19 on campus, the administration has slightly relaxed the guest policy in residence halls. Students who live in RIT housing may now host one guest in their living space provided that the guest is also a resident of the same residence hall or apartment community. Additional conditions to this policy can be found here.
Information and Updates
Brick City Weekend 5K
The Brick City Weekend 5K is a popular family tradition at our annual Homecoming and Family Weekend. This year, you can join and complete the 5K on your own time during the week of October 19-25. This event is free for students and families have three options:
- On-campus medal pick-up: $10
- Shipped materials: $20 ($10 for students)
- No medal: FREE
You can register on the Brick City Weekend website.
Things to Do on Campus
With the move to a Yellow COVID Alert Level, non-instructional indoor gatherings will be limited to 25 people. However, there are still many activities that students can safely participate in this fall. College Activities Board (CAB) has organized a wide variety of events for students, including Halloween activities at the end of this month. Students can find information about events on CAB’s CampusGroups page.
Counseling and Support at RIT
This is a particularly tough semester and students may be facing new challenges and struggles. Here are some key resources for students needing additional support:
Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) offers a variety of programs to fit students’ needs, including short-term, solution-focused individual therapy and group drop-in connections, which allow students to meet virtually to create a safe space to address emotional concerns, personal struggles, relationship issues, and emotional reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Students who are currently seeing a mental health professional or need long-term or specialized treatment should continue treatment with their provider if possible or connect with a mental health specialist in the Rochester area. Case Management can help link students to off-campus services when the need arises.
Case Management is available to assist students in connecting to resources on and off campus, as well as helping students navigate complex personal problems, including but not limited to:
- Insurance
- Hospitalizations
- Financial issues
- Housing/food insecurity
Students are welcome to call or email the Case Management office for assistance: 585-475-3963; casemanagement@rit.edu.
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 September, we asked where or how your student will vote on November 3. 65% of you reported that your students will vote absentee from their home precincts. You can visit the Roar the Vote website for information on how RIT can help your student register to vote or request an absentee ballot. Please take a moment to answer our October question.
Featured Photo
In case you don’t follow the Parent and Family Programs Facebook page, here’s what you’ve missed: Last week, RIT passed the halfway mark of the semester. We celebrated this accomplishment by handing out cookies to students as a thank you for doing their part to keep our community safe.