Welcome Back, Tigers!

Classes are underway, campus is buzzing, and we could not be more excited that you are part of our RIT Community.

If you are a returning student, you may be familiar with our services. If you’re new to RIT, welcome to RIT Wellness! Allow us to (re)introduce ourselves…

• The Student Health Center provides primary and urgent care services to RIT students in a culturally sensitive manner. Services range from support for acute medical concerns to sexual health and immunizations. To schedule an appointment, contact the office at 585-475-2255 or send us a secure message on the RIT Wellness Portal.
  
  
• Counseling and Psychological Services offers short-term, goal-focused individual therapy, group therapy, crisis support, and psychiatric services in an open, safe, and confidential environment. To schedule an appointment, contact the office at 585-475-2261 or send a secure message on the RIT Wellness Portal and select “Counseling Services – for General Questions.” 

• The Case Management team assists students in connecting to resources on- and off-campus, as well as helping students navigate complex personal problems including health insurance, food and housing insecurity, financial concerns, and more. 

• Disability Services employs an interactive, student-centered process to determine and approve reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Accommodations can help mitigate barriers in any facet of the RIT experience, whether academic, residential, or co-curricular, and may support needs related to mental health, learning, chronic illness, communication, mobility, and more. 

COVID-19 Booster Requirement

The university is requiring faculty, staff, and students to obtain a booster shot by Monday, January 31, or within 14 days of becoming eligible for the booster vaccine. 

Booster eligibility time frame varies by vaccination and may change according to available data. Today, booster eligibility by vaccine is as follows:

• J&J – 2 months after initial dose
• Pfizer – 5 months after the second dose*
• Moderna – 6 months after the second dose

Booster information must be uploaded to the RIT Wellness Portal. If you were vaccinated with other WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines, you are most likely eligible for a booster as well. See the CDC booster shot eligibility page for more information.

Stay tuned for more information on on-campus booster vaccine clinics.

*Booster eligibility may differ based on your location

New Ally Accessibility Tool in MyCourses

RIT has implemented a new tool in myCourses called Blackboard Ally, which will be available for this semester courses and all future courses.

Ally automatically provides alternative file formats for many of the materials that instructors upload into the course. Specific types of alternative file formats will include:

• OCRed PDF files: Standard, scanned PDFs cannot be searched, highlighted, or read with text-to-speech software. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) PDFs have undergone text recognition, so they are searchable and readable by different technologies, including text-to-speech software like Natural Reader.
• HTML
• ePub: Best for use with e-readers and iPads
• Electronic Braille: Braille Ready Format files for use with refreshable braille displays
• Audio: MP3 format for listening
• BeeLine Reader: BeeLine format facilitates better focus faster, more accessible reading through use of an eye-guiding color gradient. Read more about BeeLine here.

These alternative format versions of course materials will be available to all students, regardless the presence of a DSO accommodation, in the MyCourses system.

More information on Ally is also available on the Accessibility and Ally wiki. Learn more about the alternate formats available via Ally here.

If you have any questions, reach out to the Disability Services Office at dso@rit.edu.

Outdoor Education Courses Available!

Another section of the Wellness class Bike Care and Maintenance has been added for this semester! Learn how to maintain your bike and fulfill your Wellness graduation requirement while enabling healthier, more sustainable, and more enjoyable transportation.

See WINT 28 02 Bicycle Care and Maintenance in SIS for details and to register.

Laugh more. Live Longer. 

Knock, Knock!
Who’s there?
Justin!
Justin Who?

Justin time for the first day of school!

If you're thinking about making healthy lifestyle changes as the semester begins, consider a laugh! Science shows that laughter can significantly improve your overall health. Researchers in Norway recently found that a sense of humor appears to buffer your body from stress-related conditions, like heart disease and high blood pressure. Find more things to laugh about and you'll actually be improving your health!

Each week, we are sharing a financial wellness tip to help you make the connection between financial management decisions, your overall wellness, and student success. Money touches every aspect of our lives, and a lack of financial literacy can cause unnecessary stress and negatively impact our mental and physical health.

Money Mondays Financial Literacy Series Beginning in January 2022

If you'd like to become more financially fit this year, check out the Money Mondays series! Starting January 24, the Financial Literacy Team will host a series of workshops to help build upon your financial skills. Workshops will cover a variety of topics, including budgeting, money and relationships, finding jobs, student loan repayment, and more.

Join the Financial Literacy Team for the first session:

Creating a Budget & Achieving Savings Goals in the New Year
Monday, January 24, 12-1 p.m.
Student Alumni Union 1829 Room and Zoom (virtual)

Learn the basics of budgeting, including understanding income and expenses and how to set and achieve savings goals in the new year! 

For more information on Money Mondays and how to register for upcoming sessions, visit the Financial Literacy website or follow the team on Facebook or Instagram.

For additional events and event information, go to rit.edu/events.