RIT Parent Newsletter

News and Deadlines

Housing End of Year Closing
Students in RIT housing should plan to move out of residence halls/apartments 24 hours after their last exam unless they are graduating or working during Commencement weekend. Housing contracts officially end on Saturday, May 11 at 10 a.m. Graduating students and students working Commencement must move out by Sunday, May 12 at noon. Students who require extensions may request them from Housing Operations. Please visit the End of Year Closing website for information about checking out of housing.

Final Exam Dates
While all students’ schedules will vary, here are the dates for final exams:

Last day of classes: April 29
Reading Day: April 30
Final exams: May 1-8
Final grades due: May 10

Spring Event Reminders

Spring Fest is this weekend—April 11-14. This event features many activities for students throughout the weekend, this year with a space theme! The headline concert is the band Cheat Codes.
Imagine RIT is on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. At the festival, visitors can experience interactive presentations, hands-on demonstrations, exhibitions, and research projects from the RIT community, as well as live music and entertainment.
2019 Commencement Ceremonies will be held on May 10-11. Academic Convocation will be held on Friday, May 10; individual college ceremonies are held Friday afternoon and Saturday. Details can be found on the Commencement website.

Philanthropy Graduation Cords
As Commencement approaches, you can help your soon-to-be graduate make an impact on RIT and show off their Tiger Pride with a Philanthropy Cord at Commencement. With a gift of $20.19 or more, your student will be recognized with a special orange and black cord to wear at Commencement. Gifts may be designated to your student’s favorite area of interest at RIT—such as a club, scholarship, or academic department—and will help other students have the same great college experience in the future.

When making a gift, please include your student’s full name in the honorary gift field. Cords will be available for pickup on campus during the last week of classes as well as at senior events and the Class Toast.

Summer Term
Registration is open for the summer term at RIT and seats are still available in a wide variety of subjects, both online and on campus. There are many benefits to summer classes, such as early graduation, staying on track, boosting a GPA, or taking a lighter course load in fall or spring.

Program Profile

Good Samaritan Protocol and Alcohol Safety
According to a recent survey, 3 out of 5 RIT students used alcohol in the last 30 days. Most used at least two harm reduction strategies when they drank, including using a designated driver, staying with their friends, and eating before drinking. RIT wants to ensure that students make responsible and safe decisions, especially as the weather turns warm and some feel the sense of freedom that may lead them to engage in risky behaviors. You, as a parent, can have discussions with your student about responsible and informed consumption while also making sure they are aware of campus resources.

Good Samaritan Protocol: This policy encourages students to contact Public Safety, RIT Ambulance, Residence Life staff, or other RIT staff if they notice an individual who has passed out or shows signs of serious effects from alcohol or drug consumption. This policy protects the caller, the person in need of assistance, and any witnesses involved from receiving disciplinary sanctions. This protocol is designed to provide education rather than discipline when a student voluntarily seeks medical assistance related to alcohol or other drugs.

Conversation starters: At this stage, supportive messages about making safe and healthy decisions go further with students than warnings about the dangers of alcohol and drugs; meaningful discussions with parents are valuable and important. Here are some tips (found on the page linked above) to begin these conversations with your student:

Ask your student questions such as:
- How will you decide whether or not to drink when at a party?
- What reasons or excuses can you give your peers if you don't want to drink?
- What will you do if you find yourself at a party with only alcohol to drink?
- What will you do if your roommate or a neighbor passes out from drinking too much?
- How will you get home if the person you rode with is too drunk to drive?
Talk to your student about your expectations about their choices regarding:
- Drinking and drug use
- Attending class
- Drinking and driving
- Financial responsibility
- The balance between studying and socializing

Other college resources: Check out the New York State Talk 2 Prevent and the NIH College Drinking websites for facts, information, and tips for parents of college students.

Information and Updates

Emergency and Parent Contact Information
Emergencies happen. And when they do, we rely on the emergency contact information that your student has provided. Please remind your student to take a few moments to verify and update their overall contact information, including permanent address (i.e. home), current/local address, cell phone number, emergency contact person(s), and contact information for any family relationships. They can do so at www.rit.edu/studentcontact.

Goodbye, Goodbuy!
The student-led Goodbye, Goodbuy! initiative will return this year. As they move out this spring, students can leave unwanted items that are still in good condition at collection locations all over the Residence Halls, Global Village, and other locations on campus to be cleaned, stored, and then purchased for reuse by students next fall. Last year, this program kept 35 tons of material out of landfills. All proceeds fund the administration of the program.

Students are also needed to volunteer at move-out collection and can sign up here. Volunteers will receive a $5 sale voucher and access to the pre-sale.

Bikes at RIT
Pace bikes have returned to campus! These bikes are available on racks throughout campus for student use, and there’s even a 50% discount for students.

The RIT Bike Shop, in the lower level of Monroe Hall, provides services and retail sales of basic parts and equipment. Services offered include safety inspection and standard or deluxe tune-ups; available equipment includes helmets, locks, and lights. Costs and hours can be found on their website.

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 March, we asked who typically initiates communication between you and your student. Over half of you said you were pretty equal, and another 40% said mostly you. Please take a moment to answer our April question.

Parent Question of the Month
Question: When can my student return home after finals?

Response: Students need to be out by 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 11, but should plan on moving out within 24 hours of their last final exam. Your student can look at their course syllabi or talk to their professors to learn when finals are scheduled.

Featured Photo
In case you don’t follow the Parent and Family Programs Facebook page, here’s what you’ve missed: Pace bikes have returned to campus!

News and Deadlines

Program Profile

Information and Updates

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