RIT Parent Newsletter

News and Deadlines

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

December 11-18: Final exams
December 19: Residence halls close for winter break at 10 a.m.
December 24-January 1: RIT CLOSED for winter break (closes at 2 p.m. on December 24)
January 9: Residence halls open for spring semester
January 13: Spring semester classes begin

Also, please refer to RIT’s Winter Break Guide for information about openings and hours during break.

Housing Semester Break Guide
RIT Housing has provided Semester Break Guide for students living in RIT housing. These guides include information for students not returning to RIT Housing for spring semester, what to do if students are expecting a new roommate, and how to prepare for winter break. Before leaving for winter break please remind your student to:

Empty trash cans
Close and lock windows
Clean out refrigerator
Close shades (students living on the first floor only)
Lock apartment/suite/room door
Move all electronic equipment off the floor and unplug it
Set heater to automatic and set room temperature to at least 65 degrees

DeStress Fest
DeStress Fest is currently underway at RIT Libraries. This series of free activities is held in the library during finals week to help students manage stress and take study breaks. Activities include daily coffee breaks, therapy dogs, arts and crafts, and more. Students can find DeStress Fest events by visiting RIT Libraries on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or stopping in Wallace Library.

Winter Break Bus
Student Government is offering a free bus for students traveling via plane, bus, or train over break. The bus will loop between Gleason Circle on campus and the airport, the Amtrak station, and the Greyhound station. The bus will be available:

December 19: 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
January 12: 10 a.m.-4 pm.

Students can sign up or ask questions on the SG Winter Break Bus page.

Program Profile

Study Abroad with Your Student!
For the second time, we are thrilled to offer RIT parents and students the opportunity to study abroad together as a family! On this 10-day program in Dubrovnik, Croatia, RIT families will explore Adriatic culture, history, and ecology through a variety of activities. On Explore Croatia, your family will become familiar with the Old Town of Dubrovnik through a guided tour, a trip up a cable car to Mount Srd for breathtaking views of Old Town and the sea, and a visit to the Museum of Croatian War of Independence. On a trip to the Peljesac Peninsula, we will walk the ancient city wall of Ston, sample wine at Milos Winery, and enjoy a fresh seafood lunch. You can sit on the iron throne from Game of Thrones on our trip to the island of Lokrum, one of four islands you will visit. A day trip to Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina will introduce you to a second Balkan country and culture. This trip is led by RIT faculty and staff and will include lessons about the Balkan war and its impact on Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as interactions with RIT-Croatia students and staff.

Explore Croatia will take place on May 16-25, 2020.

Previous Explore Croatia participants had this to say about the experience:

“Instead of sending photos to my mom and calling her to tell her about my amazing trip, I could experience it all with her.” -RIT student
“This was my first time traveling internationally, doing so with my parents (and RIT faculty) made the entire process easier and helped me learn what I am supposed to do while traveling abroad. It allowed us to have a learning experience together that was completely new for all three of us.” - 2018 RIT graduate
“Being in a learning environment with my family was a great experience. I enjoyed watching my daughter ask questions and learning about the many new experiences.” - RIT parent
“I never had the chance to study abroad, and it seemed like a great way to experience a little bit of that for myself while my daughter explored it as an option for herself.” - RIT parent

Visit the Explore Croatia website for information about the agenda, fee, cost breakdown, and to apply. Applications are due on February 1, 2020.

Information and Updates

CLA Career Seminar Course
The College of Liberal Arts (CLA) is excited to offer its first career-planning course. Open to students of all year levels in a CLA major, ITDL 99: Career Preparation for Liberal Arts Majors is a non-credit bearing class designed to help students acquire effective tools and strategies to conduct an internship, co-op, or employment search. Throughout the semester, students will work with Career Counselors from the Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education and learn to create targeted cover letters and résumés, build a professional online profile, and develop essential skills for networking and interviewing. Students can sign up for the course anytime through Add/Drop Week, which closes on January 21.

Final Grades
Final grades are due on December 20. 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 December 25-January 1.

FAFSA Reminder
While assisting your student with the 2020-21 FAFSA application, remember that you can begin the process after October 1 each year. We recommend transferring your 2018 federal tax return information to the FAFSA via IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to streamline the process. Visit the Federal Student Aid or RIT’s Financial Aid and Scholarships website for more information. RIT students will receive financial aid award notifications beginning in mid-May assuming that all required documents have been submitted.

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 if your student has downloaded the TigerSafe app. Most of you (58%) said you don’t know; 21% said yes and 15% asked what this is. Please visit the Safety Resources page to learn more about the TigerSafe app and don’t forget to respond to our December question.

Parent Question of the Month
Question:
How is the decision made to close RIT due to bad weather?

Response from the Associate VP of Global Risk Management Services:
Every effort is made to keep the university open because of the large resident student population and to minimize interruptions to the academic calendar. In the case of severe weather, the safety of the community is a major consideration. During a snowstorm, information from various sources is considered. The sources may include the Monroe County Office of Emergency Management, National Weather Service, Department of Transportation, NYS Thruway Authority, television news, etc. Through these sources, we can get an accurate status of the current and forecasted conditions. After careful consideration of weather advisories or warnings, states of emergency, travel bans, travel restrictions, road closures, road conditions, plowing operations, other universities, etc. a decision is made by the university leadership.

Featured Photo
In case you don’t follow the Parent and Family Programs Facebook page, here’s what you’ve missed: We asked what students were thankful for this Thanksgiving—this student’s response is very timely with the start of finals!

News and Deadlines

Program Profile

Information and Updates

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