The Academic Support Center (ASC) is devoted to providing academic assistance for RIT students as well as support for RIT faculty and staff. Each quarter, workshops, classes, labs and individual appointments provide instruction in reading, writing, mathematics and study skills.

The ASC has services for all students, from incoming freshmen to graduate students. In addition to skill development, the ASC offers courses designed to teach students how to improve their study techniques and how to make the most of their individual learning abilities.

The Academic Support Center team works closely with other RIT faculty members to determine how ASC can best provide support for students and academic courses. This collaboration has led to team-teaching, specialized labs, and effective referral systems. The ASC also maintains liaisons with other support programs on campus to provide a comprehensive network of services.

Discovery and Pathways are one-credit classes that meet once-a-week to discuss topics related to succeeding at RIT. In the fall quarter, the Discovery class provides students with insider knowledge about RIT, such as where to find student resources, how to navigate registration and managing your time in the 10-week quarter. In either the winter or spring quarter (your choice), the Pathways class focuses on working in teams, project management and presentation skill formation. Through both of these required courses, it is also expected that students will think critically about their own goals so they can make the most of their educational and social opportunities.

The CRP application process

There is specific eligibility the student must meet in order to participate in CRP:

• An online referral must be submitted from their academic department
• An online application must be submitted by the student
• Their RIT account must be free of financial, health & disciplinary “holds.”
• Students are not allowed to have any “incomplete,” “I” grades on their official academic transcripts
• Eligible students are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis for up to 75 students.

CRP Mentoring Component

Each CRP student is assigned a mentor. Mentors and students meet weekly to discuss progress and concerns. The mentor serves primarily as an academic advisor; however personal issues which impact academic performance are often raised. The mentor receives information from both the CRP and credit course instructors throughout the term. He/she is responsible for writing their mentee’s Mid-Term Progress Note and Final Report that includes recommendations for the following term.

Completion

Upon successful completion of CRP, students apply for readmission to the college or academic department of their choice.

Students who would like to request academic and/or residential accommodation due to a disability should submit a “Request for Accommodations” form and appropriate documentation of the disability to the Disability Services Office. The request form can be found on line at www.rit.edu/dso or requested from Disability Service at 585-475-2023. The director will review the student’s request for accommodation and supporting documentation and recommend appropriate and reasonable accommodations as needed.

Academic English for RIT Students

The ELC offers advanced courses in English to prepare international students for academic reading and writing at the university level.  Courses in special topics are also offered, such as:  Academic Presentation Skills; The Sound System of English; Reading in Science and Technology; Critical Thinking;  Integrated Language Skills for the TOEFL; Research Paper Writing; Reading in the Fine Arts; and Analysis and Problem Solving.  Special topics offerings vary from term to term.

Depending on their TOEFL or IELTS scores, RIT International students may be required by admissions or by their department to take a battery of English language assessments upon arrival at RIT.  Based on the test battery results, students may be required to enroll in English courses which meet their language needs.  Course grades appear on RIT transcripts.  Courses do not bear academic credit.

Full-time Program for non-degree and provisionally admitted students

For full-time English language students, the intensive English language program consists of 20 or 21 hours of classroom instruction per week at beginning, intermediate and advanced proficiency levels.  The program prepares students for academic study in English and also assists its students in acclimating to life in the U.S.  The intensive program meets the immigration requirements for the Certificate of Eligibility I-20 for F-1 student status. 

Global Connections: Activities and programs

Every term, the ELC offers events to connect its students with others on campus and in the community.  The ELC hosts weekly activities and regularly co-hosts events with other RIT student and Rochester community groups.  The ELC organizes a Conversation Partner program which sets up one-on-one or small group experiences for students of different linguistic and cultural backgrounds to talk to each other in English and learn from each other.  RIT students and faculty who would like to meet the international students at the English Language Center are welcome to drop by and find out how.

Individual and Small-group Foreign Language Instruction

For RIT faculty, staff and others who request specialized individual or small group instruction in a foreign language, the English Language Center provides a service to identify students who speak that language natively and are able to teach it.  International students may thus find an opportunity for part-time employment at the English Language Center to teach their native language to others at RIT.

The Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) is committed to the recruitment and academic success of eligible students with strong academic potential and personal initiative. Equal access to education has long been an objective of the New York State Board of Regents and RIT. In 1969, New York State established the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) for disadvantaged students in the independent colleges and universities. Since 1970, RIT has partnered with New York State in providing financial and academic assistance to deserving NYS residents who have the ability to succeed at colleges such as RIT.

RIT's HEOP program provides comprehensive academic and personal support to maximize student success. More specifically, it provides a mandatory summer pre-freshmen preparatory program, broad-based tutoring, comprehensive counseling using a whole student philosophy and a case management approach.

The primary purpose of RIT's HEOP program is to provide access and equity to the disenfranchised population which it serves. Through its comprehensive services, HEOP fosters students’ individual growth by providing strong programmatic and institutional support to students who would otherwise be excluded from higher education. The HEOP staff is dedicated to excellence in service. In addition to providing comprehensive support, the HEOP program also recognizes students' achievements and persistence. HEOP has provided over 40 years of access, advocacy and academic support for these deserving New York State residents who have the ability to succeed at independent colleges such as RIT.

The Spectrum Support Program seeks to demonstrate collegiate success for students who identify with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) entering degree programs at Rochester Institute of Technology. Having one of the largest STEM program portfolios in the country as well as a robust disabilities service program, RIT is uniquely suited to provide innovative programming students with ASD. With over 80 students who have identified with ASD currently enrolled at RIT, this program is poised to support an increase in the success rate of such students in persisting through and graduating from college as well as achieving successful placement in the workforce.

This comprehensive support program coordinates services to aid participants in successfully transitioning through significant academic stages and thereby maintaining good academic standing in degree programs. Program participants are assigned a case manager who responds to each participant's complex set of challenges through individualized assessment, program planning and coordination of services. Peer coach supports provide students with individual sessions aimed at building and refining the skills necessary for success at RIT. Professional development offerings provide the information, training and support staff and faculty need to adequately support the success of students with ASD at RIT.

The office of Assessment & Research for Student Affairs provides guidance to the Division on assessment issues, manages select Divisional assessment initiatives, and supports Division staff and faculty in conducting effective assessments and the productive use of data.  In addition to providing training, consultation, and project management, Assessment & Research represents Student Affairs on multiple University committees and task forces related to assessment and data management. Assessment & Research for Student Affairs supports the progress of the Division through ongoing development of a culture of assessment in which strategic decisions and intentional programming are based on evidence gathered from a variety of data sources.

TRiO SSS has a long standing history at RIT and three major objectives in working with students: maintain good academic standing, retention, and graduation. Students accepted into the program will remain in our program until graduation and will work with an assigned support specialist to capitalize on strengths and address needs. We will provide an intensive case management approach for students and help them to fully engage with their college experience.

Services cross a wide spectrum. Academic services are the core of the program and include peer tutoring in any content area, drop-in tutoring in math, science and engineering, and individualized math and liberal arts instructor with a professional staff member. Additionally staff will assist students with course selection and advisement and work in conjunction with the academic advisor. Financial literacy and financial aid planning will be discussed and part of the student’s long and short term goals and objectives. Finally we will work with students during the co-op process and encourage and assist with graduate and professional school applications.