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Student Responsibilities Inner-Separator
Student Responsibilities

All students accepted at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) as a student enrolled through the New York State Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) must meet the following responsibilities in order to receive academic and financial supportive services. Additionally, enrollment as a HEOP student will continue as long as the student is entitled to and remains eligible for payments under the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), the Federal Pell Grant Program, and HEOP. Furthermore, students who fail to uphold their responsibilities are at risk for dismissal from the HEOP program, thus forfeiting all rights to funding and other services provided by this program. These student responsibilities are in effect for as long as the student is in the HEOP program at RIT. Notes: New York State was left out.

Academic

  • Attendance: Attend all classes, labs and HEOP appointments. If you miss anything due to an illness, inform your professors and HEOP counselor. You are responsible for making arrangements with your professors about any missed work as soon as possible.
  • Academic Advisor: Meet with your academic advisor at least once a semester to discuss registration, program requirements, and any other relevant information regarding your academic progress. Provide your HEOP counselor with a copy of your most current program worksheet/ degree audit.
  • Tutoring/Academic Support: Actively seek solutions to problems which may interfere with your success. This may include: contacting instructors, academic advisors and/or HEOP counselor, requesting a tutor from the HEOP Office, getting help from RIT’s tutoring labs, seeking assistance from the Academic Support Center, contacting the Student Counseling Center and/or contacting any other resource(s) on campus.
  • Grades: Do not withdraw from any class without first consulting with their academic advisor, their HEOP counselor, and their financial aid counselor. Course withdrawals may result in losing financial aid in future semesters. Failing grades are NOT acceptable and can affect your ability to graduate on time. Incomplete grades must be completed within the allotted time specified by the course instructor.
  • GPA: Maintain a term and cumulative GPA of at least a 2.0. Failure to comply with minimum GPA requirements may result in HEOP/RIT probation or suspension. Students whose term GPA from the previous term is below 2.0 (as indicated on the AAR by the end of the current term’s Add/Drop period) will be on HEOP probation.
  • HEOP Probation: Probation students will meet more frequently with their counselor and will participate in HEOP Seminar. HEOP Seminar is a small structured group seminar that meets bi-weekly with one-on-one counseling during the intervening weeks to focus on implementing weekly study goals and strategies to improve academic standing.
  • Suspension: Re-admission into the RIT-HEOP program after being suspended from the Institute is not guaranteed. Students must follow HEOP’s appeals process, which requires them to: a.) have a zero account balance with Student Financial Services, b.) be admitted into an academic program of choice, and c.) submit a letter of intent to the HEOP Director.

Financial Aid

  • Forms: Complete all required financial aid documents on time and submit them to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. Make sure to renew the FAFSA and the RIT online financial aid application every year by April 1st. These forms can be found on the my.rit.edu portal.
  • Enrollment: You must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours per semester. Repeated courses where you have earned a D or higher do not count towards full-time status.
  • Eligibility: You may be eligible for up to 10 semesters of HEOP aid— five years of fall and spring semesters. HEOP does not provide funding or academic support services for summer classes. Students may enroll in summer classes at their own expense.
  • Academic Progress: Complete academic coursework in accordance with federal and New York State satisfactory academic progress guidelines as published in the RIT Undergraduate Bulletin.
  • Leave of Absence (LOA): A leave of absence may be requested by a student in preference to withdrawal from the university. A leave of absence cannot extend beyond two semesters. If a student is granted a leave of absence before the end of the semester, that semester will count as one of the two semesters. If a longer period is requested, the student should be advised to withdraw from the university and re-apply through the Admissions Office. Re-admission into the RIT-HEOP program after taking a Leave of Absence is on the space available basis. Students are required to meet with their financial aid counselor, their academic advisor, and their HEOP counselor to discuss the financial and academic implications of taking an LOA.

Program

  • Meet with HEOP Counselor: Attend all scheduled appointments with your HEOP counselor. First year students are expected to meet with their HEOP counselor bi-weekly minimum. Upperclassmen in good academic standing (2.0 GPA and above) are expected to meet with their HEOP counselor four times a semester. Students on probation (under a 2.0 GPA) are expected to meet with their HEOP counselor bi-weekly and attend HEOP Seminar on the intervening weeks.
  • HEOP Events/Activities: You are expected to attend HEOP activities and events coordinated and offered by the HEOP office and the Student Advisory Board (i.e. Ethnic Food Day). First year students will be required to participate in HEOP’s mentoring program: Leaders Encouraging Achievement and Pride (LEAP).
  • Communication: Notify the HEOP Office within 24 hours of any changes in financial aid, major/academic program, matriculation status (i.e. LOA, W’s), class schedules, family circumstances, telephone numbers, mailing addresses, e-mail addresses and/or issues that may affect HEOP eligibility.
  • Contact Information: Provide a working telephone number where you can be reached. For liability purposes, if you cannot be reached, the HEOP Office reserves the right to contact Public Safety or your parents. Parents/guardians may be contacted regarding academic progress, if HEOP staff thinks it is in the student’s best interest.
  • Email: Use and check your RIT e-mail account daily. If you have another e-mail address, you must arrange to have your mail forwarded to/from your RIT account.
  • Campus Organizations: You may participate in clubs and college intramurals as long as these time commitments DO NOT interfere with your school work. First year students and those who have not attained year-two status are NOT allowed to participate in any fraternity or sorority on campus. A list of current HEOP students will be filed in the Office of Greek Life.
  • Athletics/Sports: Before participating on an RIT athletic team, you must discuss it with your HEOP counselor. An additional contract will be prepared by the HEOP office and the Athletic Department.
  • RIT Community: Recognize that you are part of a community. Therefore, you have the responsibility to respect the rights and property of others. Uphold the image of RIT and HEOP by adhering to RIT’s policies. For further information, please visit www.rit.edu/academicaffairs/manual/.
  • Respect: Respect all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, political affiliations and/or religious preference.
  • Disciplinary Actions: Failure to comply with these policies may result in appropriate disciplinary action and/or possible program removal for a specified period of time:
    • All students will be sent a courtesy reminder email of their counseling appointment 1-2 business days prior to their appointment time.
    • Missed appointments will not be rescheduled unless it’s an emergency.
    • If a student misses their appointment, they will receive a “Missed Appointment” notification stating their next appointment time.
    • If a student misses two appointments, a notice will be sent to the HEOP Director and copied to the Office of Student Conduct.
    • If a student misses three appointments, they will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct for breach of their HEOP Student Compliance Contract.