September 2026

Welcome to the Parent News newsletter! We are pleased to have you as part of the RIT/NTID family community and to share news and updates about happenings within the RIT/NTID community throughout the 2026-2027 academic year.

On August 28, RIT/NTID’s Student Life Team hosted Apple Fest at the Student Development Center and Frisina Quad to celebrate the start of the new school year, welcoming new, returning, and transferring students with the Tiger spirit. The event featured booths hosted by NTID clubs, organizations, academic departments, and more.

Students, faculty and staff who attended the event enjoyed dancing, meeting new people and making new friends, and eating apple-themed treats, including apple cinnamon drinks, apple cookies, pastries, and various dipping sauces. The event also offered music with a live DJ, lawn games, such as cornhole, and a community social space.

Researchers at RIT have collaborated with Google to test new AI technology that converts sign language into text in real time.

The technology, called Sign Language-to-Text (SL2T), is now available as a standard feature on Google Pixel 11 devices, which were released in August. It represents a significant advancement in accessible communication technology. 

“Sign Language-to-Text has the potential to expand communication access and empower deaf individuals around the world,” said Gary Behm, director of the NTID Center on Access Technology, which collaborated with Google on the project for the past four years by collecting data and offering feedback. “This really is a breakthrough.”

Read more about how technology makes communication easier for deaf and hearing people. 

The School of Performing Arts offers Technical Theatre Pathways, a new course that gives students a full picture of the varied behind-the-scenes roles that help bring a stage performance to life. 

Seb Funk, a first-year ASL-English Interpretation major and a Performing Arts Scholar, enjoyed getting involved with theater in high school. Now that he’s at RIT, he said this course has provided the perfect guide for navigating the performing arts community on campus.

Funk was initially drawn to RIT because of the university’s ASL-English Interpretation program, and the opportunity to become involved with performing arts through the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) helped seal the deal for his decision.

“Seeing that there is an entire theater and department at NTID where Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, and hearing students can work and perform together was extremely exciting given my major,” Funk said. “I’m looking forward to learning more about that and working in Panara Theatre.” 

Read to learn more.

The 7^th Annual Deaf Culture Night took place on Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Rochester Red Wings game at ESL Ballpark, where RIT/NTID students, faculty, staff, families, and friends gathered to celebrate the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

The evening featured a ceremonial first pitch thrown by RIT/NTID’s Dean Flavia S. Fleischer, mascot interactions with students and families, and a silent 7^th-inning stretch to honor Deaf appreciation. Students also signed the national anthem, accompanied by the RIT Steele Band, along with a performance of “God Bless America.”

The team wore special jerseys featuring blue sleeves and orange lettering that spelled out “Rochester” in American Sign Language fingerspelling. American Sign Language interpreters were stationed throughout the stadium to assist fans.

U.S. News & World named RIT a top national university for the fourth year in a row. The publication listed RIT at No. 95 for being among the best universities in innovation, experiential learning through cooperative education and internships, and value. According to the publication, RIT is ranked: 

“RIT continues to prove that we are the right choice for students and parents who are looking for the best value in higher education and a significant return on investment,” said Kathleen B. Davis, vice president for Enrollment Management and associate provost. “These rankings are a testament to the fact that our students are sought out by employers for co-ops, internships, and employment upon graduation and earn starting salaries well above the national average. This is what parents and students have come to expect.”

Read to learn more.

The NTID Co-op and Career Center hosts the 25^th Annual Career Fair on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, from 12:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., on the first floor of LBJ Hall (building 60). 

This event is open to all deaf and hard-of-hearing RIT/NTID students, graduates, and alumni, as well as interpreting students and graduates. The career fair is a great opportunity to connect with potential employers for co-op, internship, or full-time employment opportunities. 

A total of 27 employers are coming to this year’s Career Fair. Students are encouraged to meet with their NCCC employment advisor for resume reviews and interview preparation prior to the fair. 

RIT/NTID invites families, students, alumni, staff, and friends to celebrate a spectacular homecoming weekend with several events, activities and exhibitions taking place October 16-18, 2026. Below are the events, activities, and exhibitions that thousands of attendees can look forward to: 

Thursday through Saturday: Featured Exhibitions

Friday through Saturday: Homecoming Events

*Please note that you must log in before you can register for the events. Additionally, if you plan to attend other Brick City events, you can register by visiting the Brick City Homecoming website. 

RIT/NTID will host a Parent Welcome Breakfast during Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend on Saturday, October 17, 2026. This event invites parents and family members of deaf, hard-of-hearing, and interpreting students to interact and connect with NTID staff members and learn more about NTID and resources available for students. 

If you plan to attend RIT Brick City Homecoming next month, please join us for our Parent Welcome Breakfast on Saturday morning, October 18. Enjoy breakfast treats and coffee, and feel free to stay as long as you’d like before heading out to other Brick City Weekend events!

RSVP required

To stay in touch with other parents and up to date on current events, join our Facebook group for parents of deaf and hard-of-hearing and interpreting students at RIT/NTID! More resources are available on the NTID Parents and Families page. Other resources also are available on the RIT Parents and Families page.

For any questions, feel free to reach out to Loriann Macko, Director of NTID Alumni and Constituent Relations, at Loriann.Macko@rit.edu.

rit.edu/ntid

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