I always know the semester has started when the newsletter gets LONG. We certainly keep our students busy in the fall, with events like FallFest, Brick City Weekend, the Fall Career Fair, and a special one this year-the Inauguration of RIT's new President!

Crisp air and crunchy apples mean it’s fall in Rochester! Student can kick-off RIT’s annual seasonal celebrations with FallFest, a long weekend of events and activities sponsored by different departments and student clubs and organizations, including the Community Service Fair, A Tiger Taste of New York, and Grocery Bingo.

FallFest will be held on Sept. 18-21.

RIT students can join in celebrating the Inauguration of Dr. William H. Sanders as the 11th president of RIT on Friday, Sept. 26 from 2-4:30 p.m. The ceremony will take place in the Gordon Field House and streamed online. 

Additionally, students are welcome to attend the Inauguration Student Picnic on Thursday, Sept. 25 from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. This event is a celebration of RIT’s bright future and an opportunity to warmly welcome Dr. Sanders, his wife Emily, and their dog Ollie into the Tiger family. 

The Fall Career Fair will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 8. The Career Fair, held in the Gordon Field House, draws a variety of companies, ranging from small tech firms to Fortune 500 companies. Students can prepare using the information and checklist found on the Get Career Fair Ready website.

Get Career Fair Ready!
Students can attend Get Career Fair Ready! to prepare for the Career Fair. Career Services team members will be available to answer questions and students can learn how to research employers and tips for making a good first impression. Bern's Closet, which offers RIT students professional clothing at no cost, will also be at the event to help students in need of professional clothing to dress for success! 

Get Career Fair Ready will be held in the Fireside Lounge from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 22.

Immersions are a required portion of the general education curriculum for every undergraduate student at RIT. The Immersion and Minor Fair offers students a chance to explore options and gather more information on their immersion, minor, and double major options. The fair will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 8 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Fireside Lounge.

Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend, a longstanding RIT tradition, is scheduled for Friday-Sunday, Oct. 17-19. This RIT tradition features events for the whole family and is a great time to visit your student. With a large schedule of events to choose from, there is something for everyone at Brick City Weekend!

Family favorite events include:

Registration is now open! Information, events, and registration can be found on the Brick City Homecoming and Family Weekend website.

This is a common time in the semester for faculty to begin offering feedback to students about course performance. Many, but not all, use the Starfish system, which allows instructors to offer feedback in the form of alerts or kudos. It is also a convenient way for students to schedule an appointment with their advisor. Parents are important supporters of students’ academic success, and you can encourage your student to pay attention to feedback and meet with their advisor and professors as needed.

Students come to campus from a variety of religious and spiritual traditions. Many will seek out the shared values of the religious community with which they identify while others may explore new traditions and communities. Although it might be difficult for you to see your student explore religious expressions different from your own, keep in mind that college is a time for your student to learn about the world. 

Spirituality and Religious Life is a great resource for students seeking a familiar or new religious or spiritual community. Additionally, there are few events this fall for students and for parents seeking more information about in general or about a specific community on campus:

Moving in with a new roommate in August is very exciting for most students. Over time, the novelty can wear off and conflicts can arise. This typically will subside over time as roommates learn how to live with one another. As a parent, you should support your student by listening and helping them think of strategies to handle their roommate relationship, but let them handle their own roommate conflicts or with the help of an RA.

First-year vs. returning students
Whether your student is in their first year or is returning to RIT, they may encounter conflict with their roommates. Whether it is a random person they were assigned to live with or their best friend from their first year, issues can still arise. It is important to encourage your student to have conversations with their roommates when there is conflict, as it can help them develop important interpersonal and self-advocacy skills.

What can an RA do to support?
RAs are able to help students review their roommate agreements and can serve as mediators when conflict arises. While we always encourage residents to communicate and address conflict among themselves, RAs can support when needed. Residence Coordinators (RCs) and Apartment Residence Coordinators (ARCs), who are professional staff members, are also available to support if needed.

RIT expects all students to have health insurance. Health insurance coverage ensures that your student receives the appropriate medical care in the event of an injury or illness that requires prescription medication, a referral to a specialist, or even hospitalization. Health insurance may be obtained through the university, or through family or individual policies. Students needing the University plan must enroll by Sept. 30. 

If your student will use a family plan, please contact the company to determine what coverage your student has in Rochester, as many companies have limited out-of-network coverage. If your student currently has insurance through a Medicaid-based plan, please know that most Medicaid-based insurance plans only provide emergency-level coverage outside of the area they are issued in. Learn more about health insurance requirements on the Student Health Center website.

We are excited to announce the fifth edition of our Kitchen Away from Home Cookbook! This cookbook is created by YOU—parents and family members of our students—to help our student chefs begin to learn their way around the kitchen. These cookbooks will be on sale later this fall and make a great gift for your student.

In addition to recipes, we will ask for your best cooking tips and ideas for spicing up a few common food items, including fresh veggies, a box of pasta, a peanut butter sandwich, and oatmeal. We are seeking recipes in the following categories:

This fall, as we approach the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we are reminded of the foundational principles of our nation. At RIT, your student has the opportunity to participate in programs that inform, support, and empower them throughout the election cycle and beyond. While exploring their civic identity through these immersive programs, it’s essential that students familiarize themselves with RIT’s political, legislative, and free speech policies.

The Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement (CLCE) encourages your student to get involved in our ROAR the Vote initiative. We are dedicated to providing a campus environment where students can actively engage with a wide range of perspectives and contribute to meaningful dialogue. We encourage you, as parents and family members, to speak with your student about the importance of exercising their right to vote and how to do so responsibly.

Throughout the year, individuals in our community observe a variety of significant holidays from Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Pagan, and many other traditions. These holidays may be important events for your students. Please note that RIT’s attendance policy does not automatically excuse absences for religious reasons, but students can make arrangements with professors ahead of time if they must miss class. For more information about spring holidays, visit the Spirituality and Religious Life page.

RIT is partnering with Wegmans to provide on-campus flu vaccine clinics for RIT students. Flu vaccine clinics will be offered on various dates from now to Nov. 5. Students can find specific dates and locations, as well as the link to register, on this page.If your student’s insurance is not accepted by Wegmans, they can get the vaccine at the Student Health Center for $20. 

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 August, we asked if you have discussed your student’s 2025-2026 goals with them. Most of you responded yes. 

Please take a moment to answer our September question. 

In case you don’t follow the Parent and Family Programs Facebook page, here’s what you missed:

Parent and Family Programs partnered with our Residence Life team to capture the excitement and smiles of our students on their first day!

From the nervous first-years to the confident seniors, these photos are a beautiful reminder of the great community we have here at RIT. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!

Sincerely,

Chelsea Petree, Ph.D.
Director, Parent and Family Programs
Rochester Institute of Technology
parents@rit.edu

rit.edu/parents

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