Fall is in the air at RIT! If you are coming to campus this weekend for Brick City Weekend, you will be greeted by the beautiful colors of Western New York in the autumn.

We are excited to welcome families to campus for Brick City Weekend! As you prepare for the festivities, here are a few helpful reminders:

We have room for a few more teams to join us for Ritchie's Runaround this Saturday! Ritchie's Runaround is a campus-wide scavenger hunt that will test your knowledge about RIT, highlight hidden gems and favorite spots, and entertain your family all while earning opportunities for prizes. Registration will close tomorrow, Oct. 15, at 1 p.m.

If they haven’t already received their flu shot, students have a couple more opportunities to enroll in the on-campus flu vaccine clinics. 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. 

Housing Renewal begins on Oct. 27. Housing Renewal is the process that your student should participate in to renew their current RIT housing for the 2026-27 academic year.

Students currently living in Perkins Green, Riverknoll, University Commons, the RIT Inn, and 175 Jefferson who wish to stay in the same housing next year should complete a contract between Oct. 27-Nov. 2 by going to mylife.rit.edu. If there are any vacancies in the space, students will be instructed to request a roommate between Nov. 7-16.

Room Selection for all other students will take place in spring semester. This includes students who are currently living in the residence halls, Global Village, and Greek Circle, as well as students who do not renew their contract for their current space and for students living in non-RIT housing, on co-op, or study abroad.

For more information, visit the RIT Housing website.

October is a great time for students to start reflecting and planning for the spring semester and beyond. First-year students will need to meet with their academic advisor before they can register for spring. If they haven’t had their meeting yet, students can still build their spring shopping carts beginning on October 20. When shopping carts opens, students will also be able to see the day/time when spring registration opens for them. Spring enrollment begins November 10.

While RIT is proud of all of our Athletic teams, Hockey is a tradition that we love! Games in the Gene Polisseni Center are a great way for students to get engaged and have fun, from cheering in the Corner Crew, listening to the pep band, and enjoying favorite concessions. RIT students can attend the Men’s Hockey games for $5 and Women’s Hockey games for free!

As students are thinking about their living arrangement for 2026-27, some might consider the option to rent off campus. While this is an excellent option for many, there are additional considerations to moving to non-RIT housing, including:

The last bullet is particularly important if your student is scheduled to go on co-op. Many landlords will not release student from leases for any reason, which greatly limits their co-op search. Help your student consider all options as they make their housing arrangements for next year!

It’s hard to believe that it’s already mid-semester! This is a common time for students to feel the pressure of coursework and other activities hit. It is also a good time to check in with your student about self-care.

Self-care can look very different to each individual. For some, it is working out every day. For others, it is participating in a club or taking time for personal hobbies. However your student chooses to care for themselves, check in and make sure they are making time, even if their schedules are busy. 

With so many events this month (Brick City Weekend, Open Houses), your student may have younger siblings visiting campus. Please remember when a visitor is under 18, they should be accompanied by their parents, student siblings or friends, or other responsible adults throughout their time on campus. If issues arise while younger siblings are on campus, please remind your student to contact Public Safety. 

Midway through the semester, students may find themselves facing new challenges and struggles. Here are some key resources for students needing additional support:

Counseling and Psychological Services (CaPS) offers a variety of programs to fit students’ needs, including short-term, goal-focused individual therapy and same-day urgent care appointments. Group therapy is also available, which allows students to receive multiple perspectives, support, and encouragement from other students.

Students who are currently seeing a mental health professional or need long-term or specialized treatment should continue treatment with their provider if possible or connect with a mental health specialist in the Rochester area. Case Management can help link students to off-campus services when the need arises.

Case Management is available to assist students in connecting to resources on and off campus, as well as helping students navigate complex personal problems, including but not limited to:

Students are welcome to call or email the Case Management office for assistance: 585-475-3963; casemanagement@rit.edu.

Every week, students gather at No Voice Zone to improve their ASL (American Sign Language) skills and learn about deaf culture. This long-running campus tradition welcomes student of all ASL skill levels. No Voice Zone is hosted every Wednesday from 9-10 p.m. in Student Development Center 1300/1310 with occasional sessions occurring in other spaces. Students should check the No Voice Zone CampusGroups page for location information each week. 

Families can join a special edition of No Voice Zone at Brick City Weekend!

We are celebrating 20 years of ROAR Day this month, and the RIT Parents Council is looking to make a big ROAR with your help! Co-chairs Ava Lawrence and Chris Prevo have set up a challenge and match for all RIT families this year. They are challenging 400 families to make a gift on ROAR Day, while also helping to find support for Scholarships and Financial Aid with a $400/family match. If you are interested in being a part of these campaigns, click here.

Want to make a bigger impact? Consider joining the Sentinel Society, where annual support from this community of philanthropists helps create opportunities for students, ignite creativity, and fuel innovation. For more information or to join please reach out to Martie Staser, Executive Director of Advancement at masdar@rit.edu.

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 September, we asked if your student has a job. Most of you (37%) replied that your student doesn't work during the semester. 30% have an on-campus job, and 20% are looking.

Please take a moment to answer our October question. 

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

Fall is showing off its RIT colors! We love the extra splash of orange all around campus. 

Be sure to check out Ritchie's Recap each Friday-pictures taken by our student employees throughout their week!

Sincerely,

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

rit.edu/parents

One Lomb Memorial Drive Rochester, NY 14623 | Unsubscribe