• News and Deadlines
  • Winter Break Planning
  • End of Semester and Winter Break Housing
  • Important Dates
  • Preparing for Spring Semester
• Let’s Talk About It
  • Academics—End of Semester
  • Campus Engagement—Check-In
  • Campus Living— Preparing to be Away from Campus
  • Wellness—Stay Healthy this Cold and Flu Season
• Information and Updates
  • Final Grades
  • Deans’ List Notifications
  • College Restoration Program
  • Math Assessment
  • Parent Poll

Finals week is upon us and, before you know it, many of your students will be home for Winter Break. It is hard to believe how quickly this semester went by—congratulations to both you and your students for successfully making it to this point! Parent and Family Programs wishes you all a healthy and relaxing holiday season!

Winter Break Planning
The university will be closed beginning at 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022 and will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023. The RIT Department of Public Safety will remain open 24/7 and can be reached at 585-475-3333 or via text at 585-205-8333. For emergencies, please call 911.

View the Winter Break Guide for information about campus programs, service schedules, dining location hours, travel information, and things to do in the area.

End of Semester and Winter Break Housing
If they haven’t already done so, please make sure your student (if living in RIT Housing) completes 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.

Important Dates
Please note the following dates regarding RIT closures and spring semester opening: 

• Dec. 7-14: Final exams  
• Dec. 23-Jan. 2: RIT CLOSED for winter break (closes at 2 p.m. on Dec. 23)
• Jan. 17: Spring semester classes begin

For the spring semester calendar, please see the Academic Calendar.

Preparing for Spring Semester
There are a few things your student can do over winter break to prepare to return to campus 

Review their meal plan
If your student has a meal plan, suggest they review their current plan selection and consider if it is still meeting their needs. Meal plans can be changed up until the day before classes begin. Spring meal plans will be loaded on Dec. 15, 2022 and any balance from the Fall Semester will roll over. Students can update their meal plan on the MyLife portal.

Think about housing for 2023-24
If your student is interested in living in RIT Housing for the 2023-24 academic year, they must participate in the Housing Selection process which will take place in the spring:

• Feb. 6-12, 2023: Complete contracts and form roommate groups. (If contracts are not completed before Feb. 12, 2023, students will not receive an appointment time to self-select their space)
• Feb. 16, 2023: Room selection appointments emailed
• Feb. 20-March 3, 2023: Select rooms

You can learn more about housing selection on the RIT Housing website.

Academics—End of Semester
The end of the semester often brings a mix of emotions. Students will be excited to reconnect with family and friends over break and they often feel a sense of accomplishment and relief after completing a semester. They may also be tired; this is normal. Over break, provide them space to unwind and give them an open forum to decompress about stressors or concerns over exams and/or grades. Celebrate the successes your student has achieved during the semester as well.

Conversation starters

• Now that you’re done with exams, how do you feel about the semester?
• Do you need to make adjustments to your spring schedule?
• Anything surprising/fun/challenging that you experienced this semester?
• What is something you’ve been wanting to do during your break from classes?

Campus Engagement—Check-In
Do you know how your student was involved on campus this fall? Now is a great time to see how they’ve engaged in campus activities and made friends, and help them think about options for next semester if they have struggled. If they haven’t seemed to find their place yet, browse clubs and organization options and help them think about where they’d fit in. They might also want to consider a campus job or volunteer work! 

Conversation starters:

• What club/organization meetings did you attend this fall?
• How did you make your friends?
• Do you feel like you have a place on campus? What is that place?
• How would you like to engage next semester?

Campus Living—Preparing to be Away from Campus
Many students will take advantage of the long winter break to stay at home, visit family and friends, and rest from the busy fall semester. If your student is planning to be away for the majority of break, please help them prepare to be away with these tips:

• Clean the fridge and throw away any perishable food items
• Take out the trash
• Lock windows and doors
• Bring home anything they might need, including laptop and chargers

Conversation starters:

• Do you plan to stay home during the entire winter break?
• How have you prepared your room/apartment to be empty?
• What are your must-have items for when you’re home?

Wellness—Stay Healthy this Cold and Flu Season
As the weather turns colder and we spend more time indoors, experts are predicting another wave of COVID-19 infections and an increase in cases of the flu. Although the bivalent COVID-19 booster and flu vaccine are not an RIT requirement at this time, it is recommended for students to help protect against infection. 

As your student gets ready to head home for the holidays, consider encouraging them to get the bivalent COVID-19 booster and/or the flu vaccine to better protect themself and the people they care about. Most local pharmacies are giving the bivalent COVID-19 booster and flu vaccine shots. Plus, the RIT shuttle stops at most of the locations on weekdays and weekends. You can find information about Rochester pharmacies and more on the Student Health Center website.

Conversation starters:

• Have you gotten your flu shot or COVID-19 booster?
• What was the hardest part about staying healthy on campus? How can you adjust that next semester?
• What will you do if you get sick next semester?

Final Grades
Final grades are due on Dec. 16. Shortly after they are submitted by professors, students can view grades by logging into SIS. If students have questions about grades, please remember that RIT will be closed between Dec. 23-Jan. 2.

Deans’ List Notifications
The Fall 2022 Dean’s List will be processed in mid-January 2023. Students are notified in different ways depending on their college. University News sends releases to hometown papers (based on zip code) via My Merit Pages. Students who have opted out of My Merit pages will not have a press release sent to their hometown newspaper.

College Restoration Program
The College Restoration Program (CRP) is an intensive, one-semester academic intervention program for students facing academic suspension and probation. For many students, CRP is the chance to acquire the skills needed to be successful at RIT. As a parent, you hope that your student will not have any academic challenges, but if so, CRP might be an option.

CRP staff work with students to set and accomplish goals, increase self-esteem, manage daily living, self-advocate, and live a healthy and balanced life. CRP does this through two specialty courses: Academic Strategies and Motivation and Wellness. They also include weekly mentoring for additional skill development. In addition, students take up to ten credits recommended by their current department. Students must receive a referral from their academic program. For additional information, please visit the College Restoration Program website.

Math Assessment
If your student experienced difficulty with a math and/or a physics course in the Fall semester, they can check the Academic Success Center and request a Math Assessment on RIT CampusGroups. The students meet one-on-one with staff content experts to discuss the reasons for the struggles in their math or physics course and complete a diagnostic exam. The results are used to determine their strengths and weaknesses so we can help develop a course of action to help them be more successful in their course. Some recommendations may include using better study strategies, utilizing study centers, and/or enrollment in one of the ASC courses, such as Critical Math Skills. 

The appointments are in person or on-line (via zoom) starting Jan. 9 2023.

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 November, we asked how important is it to you that your student engage with a religious/spiritual community? Over half of you (57%) said it was not important at all; another 30% said it was somewhat important. Please take a moment to respond to our December question.