It’s extra quiet on campus this week as your students enjoy Spring Break. The time between Spring Break and finals is always the busiest on campus as we wrap up the year. There is so much to look forward to this spring, including SpringFest, ImagineRIT, and Commencement!

We have extras of our 2023-24 Kitchen Away from Home cookbook and are reopening sales at 20% off! This cookbook was created by YOU—parents and family members of our students—to help our student chefs begin to learn their way around the kitchen. Order yours today for $8—we will be mailing them out by mid-April. The order form will be open until April 1. The 20% off is applied at checkout. 

Order your cookbook here!

The RIT Community is looking forward to celebrating the achievements of the Class of 2025 on Friday and Saturday, May 9-10! Ceremonies include Friday morning’s Academic Convocation at 10 a.m. in the Gordon Field House and Activities Center, a celebration of graduates from all nine colleges and two degree-granting units, and individual commencement ceremonies on Friday afternoon and Saturday. Please check the 2025 Commencement schedule to see when your graduate's ceremony will be held. Visit the Commencement website for the most up-to-date information and more details.

Please remind your student to check their RIT email frequently and to follow instructions for applying for graduation and ordering their cap and gown. The deadline to register for graduation to have student names to be included in the Commencement Book is April 1 and the deadline for ordering caps and gowns is March 31 to ensure size availability. Students will be able to pick up their caps and gowns between May 6-8.

More information, including messages sent to grads, can be found on the FAQ page.

As Commencement approaches, you can help your soon-to-be graduate make an impact on RIT and show off their Tiger Pride. With a minimum gift of $25, you’ll have the opportunity to submit a photo/message to create a “yearbook ad” which will be displayed on the SHED screen or recognize them with a Tiger Paw Spirit Pin for their graduation gown. You can choose both with a minimum gift of $50.

Make your gift by April 21, 2025 to get your “yearbook ad” displayed on the SHED screen. Instructions for submissions and pin pick-up will be delivered to you via the emailed receipt/website.  

The newly unveiled Rochester version of a game night favorite—Monopoly—includes RIT as property in the green neighborhood along with University of Rochester and St. John Fisher University. Along with the space, RIT is featured with a photo of Institute Hall in the center of the board and a Community Chest card congratulates players for graduating from RIT. The game will be available in stores and online.

The RIT Service Center (RSC) has recently launched a new portal designed to support parents, families, and guests with a variety of topics related to students, such as dining, housing, parking, and insurance. The portal offers a simple way to open your own ticket for inquiries. While it doesn't link to any tickets a student has already submitted, it allows you to search for answers to your questions or chat directly with a representative. An RIT account is not required to access the portal-you can sign in using your existing Google or Microsoft account.

Please remember that while staff and faculty cannot discuss most aspects of your student’s education with you, including grades, course schedules, disciplinary actions, and financial information, they can help you understand what is going on with your student by discussing policies and procedures. See the FERPA Reminder blurb below for more information.

Time management is a skill that many college students struggle with, particularly around midterms and finals when assignments and exams are due. Managing time wisely not only makes tasks more approachable, but can decrease feelings of stress and anxiety. Here are some time management tips to share with your student:

Students come to campus from a variety of religious, secular, and spiritual traditions. Many will seek out the support and shared values of the 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, secular, and spiritual expressions different from your own family history, keep in mind that college is a time for your student to learn about the world. Improving literacy surrounding this topic can often help students deepen their root faith and gain cultural competencies that will serve them well in the workplace and life, not to mention improving their ability to become leaders amongst their peer group in the avenues of civic engagement and interreligious dialogue.

If your student is seeking a familiar or new religious, secular, or spiritual community, direct them to Spirituality and Religious Life. SRL's variety of faith communities, the chaplaincy team, and all the activities, programs, events, and learning opportunities it promotes will surely be worthwhile for your student to explore those deep questions of purpose, meaning, and value. Learn more about SRL by watching this interview with Andrew Cirillo, the university chaplain.

Let’s be honest—college dining has a bad reputation, no matter the school. When your student complains to you about dining on campus, remember that they are likely just venting, and it’s easy to get tired of a place if you are eating there multiple times a week! There are several dining options at RIT, and you can help your student find variety when they’re in a mealtime rut. There are options for a quick coffee break, convenience store needs, grab and go sandwiches, salads, etc., and dining halls that offer a variety of regular and rotating options. On the RIT Dining website, you and your student can find locations, hours, and daily menus. 

Did you know we even have a registered dietician to help your student navigate health and allergen information and options? 

Check out Parent and Family Programs staff experiences with campus dining through our video series Eat Around RIT on our YouTube channel. You can follow RIT Dining on social media on Facebook or Instagram.

RIT provides students with access to three fitness facilities on campus-the Wiedman Fitness Center, our main gym located in the center of campus in the Student Life Center, the smaller Global Village gym on the academic side of campus, and our 24-hour facility, BakerFIT, located on the dorm side of campus. One of the great things about BakerFIT is that students who live in the residence halls do not even need to go outside to get there! It is housed in the tunnels of Baker Hall, and accessible from the dorms via the tunnel system. This facility has cardio machines, weight machines, a large selection of dumbbells, and a private studio room that can be reserved in advance or on a walk-in basis. The studio room is equipped with a large screen TV that students can use to hook up their laptop and stream a workout class, or just get together with a small group of friends to exercise in the space together. BakerFIT is a perfect place to get in short workout between classes, to hit up in the off hours when the Wiedman Fitness Center is closed, or the perfect place to go if your student prefers a facility with smaller crowds and more privacy!

Knowing how to compose a stand-out resume is an essential part of the job and co-op search. With recruiters spending a short amount of time on each resume, it must be the best possible representation of who a candidate is and what they have to offer an employer. A persuasive resume should answer the following questions:

Building a resume that is informative, brief, and professional can take time and many attempts. Your student might want to use AI to help them with this, especially the first time. It is essential that they review anything that comes out of an AI generator with a close eye—employers will notice if the resume is completely AI generated!

Your student can find many tips about resume (and cover letters!) writing on the Career Services and Co-op website, including categories to include and examples for a variety of fields. Career Service Coordinators are available to meet with students to review resumes.

Any student who has lost an item on campus should submit the Report a Lost Item form on the Public Safety website as soon as they realize it is missing. Public Safety will match any lost items they have to the forms submitted and will send an email to students when a match is made. When submitting a form, students should use as much detail as possible to make the match easier (e.g., logos, colors, brands). Students who find missing items on campus should bring them to Public Safety so they can try to match the item to the form. Public Safety does not accept found water bottles or clothing. If a student loses their RIT ID card, they should go to the ID Card Office.

Please remind your student to update family and emergency contact information in SIS (Student Information System) by going to www.rit.edu/studentcontact. This official record must be updated by your student and does not impact your email preferences for this newsletter. To change your email address for the Parent Newsletter, please do so on the Parent and Family Programs website.

As a reminder—student records are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which governs who has access to students’ educational records. Under this law, students enrolled in a postsecondary institution at any age are in control of their records and must grant access for others, including parents, to view these records. Educational records include academic records, testing data, disciplinary records, and financial information.

Even if you are paying the bill, your student controls these records, which is why it is important to have open conversations regarding FERPA, your expectations, your student’s responsibilities, and what information your student will release to you.

For more information, including tips and conversation starters, visit the Parent and Family Programs website.

The RIT Neurodiverse Hiring Initiative (NHI) is a collaborative network of neurodiverse RIT students and employers nationwide who are interested in bringing more innovation to the workplace. Last year, NHI was featured nationally in the Chronicle of Higher Education as one of the many fantastic resources tailored for the neurodiverse student community at RIT. Parents can support this initiative by including NHI in your professional networks and inviting NHI Student Leaders to meet your teams to discuss ways to reduce hiring bias and to recruit neurodivergent talent. To date, students have visited employer partners including Southwest Airlines, PwC, L’Oreal, Google, and more!

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 February, we asked how your student is balancing their academic workload with other responsibilities and activities. Most of you (76%) said they are balancing well, while another 15% said they are facing difficulties. Please take a moment to answer our March question.

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

The Curbside Market Truck, where students can find fresh produce, is visiting campus once a month! They will be back Thursday, March 27 and Thursday, April 17 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Students can purchase affordable produce and other pantry staples using cash or card.

Sincerely,

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

rit.edu/parents

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