Newsletter September 2020

News and Deadlines

Virtual Career Weeks
A two-week, Virtual Career Weeks event will replace the University-Wide Career Fair this semester. With five industry tracks for employers and students to choose from, this will be a more personalized experience for students. Students will be able to find companies hiring within their specific industries while learning how to stand out in their virtual job search.

The Virtual Career Weeks will be held from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on:

• September 22-25
• October 5-9

Information can be found on the Virtual Career Weeks website.

ROAR the Vote 
Election Day is just around the corner and voter registration deadlines are rapidly approaching. We encourage you to talk with your student about voting and encourage them to register today! 

The deadline is NY State is October 9 (postmarked); you can check your home state’s deadline online on the Voter Registration Deadline website. 

RIT is doing a number of things to encourage participation in the electoral process this year including:

• Hosting multiple tabling events for students to register to vote, update their registration, and request an absentee ballot (specific dates can be found on CampusGroups).
• Hosting Debate Viewing Parties on September 29, October 15, and October 22 on our outdoor screens. Information will be available soon on CampusGroups.
• Providing access to online educational information including FAQs .
• Providing online voter registration on Turbo Vote.
• Providing paper registration forms, stamps, and envelopes as an alternative to the online system. Materials can be picked up at any ROAR the Vote registration drive or at the Center for Leadership & Civic Engagement.

We are Tigers, and we ROAR the Vote!

President Munson on the Death of Daniel Prude
Last week, President Munson released a statement on the local death of Daniel Prude. You can read the statement here.

Parents of New Students—Feedback Needed
If your student just began at RIT, we’d love your feedback on your Family Orientation experience this summer including the Family Orientation Newsletter, video series, move-in, and your student’s adjustment to RIT. Fill out the survey here—it will only take a few minutes to provide us valuable information that will guide future programming!

RIT Ready Updates

RIT COVID-19 Dashboard
RIT has created a COVID-19 dashboard to help better assess how to modify current practices and protocols to support the health and safety of our community. Included on the dashboard is: RIT COVID level, new positive cases from the past 14 days, total positive cases from the first day of the semester, number of students in quarantine and isolation, and a link to regional factors.

Wastewater Testing
As previously announced, we are proactively conducting wastewater surveillance for COVID-19 on campus. Recently collected samples detected the possible presence of COVID in a number of residence halls (Nathaniel Rochester Hall, Kate Gleason Hall, Residence Hall B, and Eugene Colby Hall). While we have not detected a positive case in any of these locations, out of an abundance of caution we tested all residents and employees in those locations on Friday and Sunday. Combined, we have discovered one positive case out of more than 1,100 tests.

We believe this testing will allow us to have an early start on mitigating the possible spread of the virus on campus, as wastewater surveillance is a good early warning system. Please see the RIT Ready website for information on wastewater testing.

Support for Students in Quarantine
Students may be required to isolate (if they have tested positive or are deemed to have been in close contact with a confirmed case) or quarantine (if they have been exposed to a person who tested positive COVID-19). Students who are required to isolate or quarantine will be supported by the university in multiple ways. All students will continue to have access to telehealth, student health services, student mental health services, and case management services. Faculty will work with isolated or quarantined students to ensure they can continue their academic work. Students residing on campus will also be supported by meal delivery for their applicable on-campus meal plans, trash pickup, and laundry support. Please see this article about how students are supported during quarantine and isolation.  

Community Accountability
An online COVID Violation Reporting Form allows faculty, staff, and students the opportunity to officially log concerns of perceived violations of RIT COVID-19 protocols and expectations. This report may also be used to file facilities concerns. Potential violations may include inappropriate use of face coverings, physical distancing concerns, and noncompliance with quarantine requirements. The accountability process is concentrated more on education and less on punitive measures. Read this article for more information about community accountability,

Tiger Testing
RIT is now conducting self-administered surveillance testing that will continue throughout the fall semester. It is expected that students chosen for testing will comply in order to maintain a safe and healthy campus. If selected for surveillance testing, students will receive an email notification from tigertesting@rit.edu with instructions for scheduling a COVID-19 test within the next three days. This type of COVID-19 test is self-administered and differs from the deep nasal swab test that many had prior to returning to campus. The entire testing process takes approximately ten minutes. Please remind your student to continue to check their email for important updates and information.

This testing is not intended for those who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. If a student is experiencing symptoms, they contact the Student Health Center via phone at 585-475-2255 or log into the RIT Wellness Portal to access the patient chat.

Classroom Safety Guide
An enormous amount of work has been done to help ensure the health and safety of faculty, staff, and students during fall semester. To help you know what your student can expect in the classroom, please refer to this Student Guide to Classroom Safety. In it, you will find detailed information about safe classroom procedures and related FAQs.

Information and Updates

Hear the Student Perspective
Are you curious about the student perspective of life as an RIT Tiger? Do you have a question that you’d like answered by a student? If so, submit your question here! If chosen, your question will be answered by a current RIT student in an upcoming video series.

Student Engagement Opportunities
We know things look differently on campus this semester, but there are still plenty of opportunities for student engagement. More than ever, it’s important that students put themselves out there and take advantage of the opportunities available. These include:

• Find a club or student organization to join on CampusGroups. Many meetings will be virtual, but joining a club is a great way to meet students with similar interests.
• Follow RIT Student Life on social media and see what’s happening on campus. Every Monday, your student can find posts about events planned for the week.
• Check out College Activities Board (CAB) for weekly events. CAB shares events on social media, through email, and on digital displays around campus.
• Get a workout in at the outdoor fitness pods. The article also shares information about additional open fitness facilities on campus.

Into the ROC
Into the ROC gives students the opportunity to explore the unique challenges, cultural treasures, and diverse communities in the greater-Rochester area. Participants spend an evening during the week or a few hours on the weekend either doing community service with a local non-profit, interacting and learning from local Rochesterians, or enjoying a local play, comedy show, museum, or other cultural experience in the city. Interested students can register on the Center of Leadership and Civic Engagement Campus Groups page.

We recently toured the Erie Canal and volunteered with CP Rochester, and will soon learn about the Farmworker Movement, restore trails at one of the city’s largest green spaces, and much more!

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 August, we asked what your greatest health concern was for your student. Stress (26%) and anxiety (22%) were your biggest concerns. Please take a moment to answer our September question.

Featured Photo
In case you don’t follow the Parent and Family Programs Facebook page, here’s what you’ve missed: More than 20 pods have been set up inside tents at the RIT Track and Game Field for a safe space to get some much-needed exercise. The pods include a variety of cardio, resistance, and weight lifting equipment and are cleaned regularly. Students can reserve a fitness pod at reserve.rit.edu.