On the morning of Aug. 20, RIT Dining announced through email that The Commons, one of the university’s most popular dining locations, would reopen as an online ordering venue. The move follows widespread student criticism of its closure in July, including a PawPrints petition — now with more than 700 signatures — calling for its reopening. The changes are set to take effect on Monday, Aug. 25, the first day of fall semester classes.
In its statement to the campus community, RIT Dining acknowledged student grievances with the previous July decision, noting that it was the primary reason for their change of course. Still, Dining noted the establishment would no longer operate a physical location, instead existing through on-demand and kiosk ordering.
These changes come in light of proposed renovations to expand NTID student services, although the specifics of these services remain unclear. Neither the recent RIT Dining email nor the joint July announcement from former NTID President Gerald Buckley and Associate Vice President Kory Samuels outlined how the CSD Student Development Center — the building that The Commons occupies — will be altered for the future.
Additionally, as a previous Reporter article noted, the original decision to close The Commons was attributed to rising operating costs and a decline in the RIT student population, despite admissions data indicating a recent increase in enrollment. The announcement does not address concerns that dormside will have increasingly fewer physical dining spaces, and it remains unclear how the change will affect the university’s finances. As recently as 2023, dormside housed Sol’s Underground, Gracie’s and The Commons, but following recent renovations and closures, Gracie’s will be the only remaining physical dining location there this fall. This sudden reduction in physical space could harm student life, particularly for first-year students and the NTID population, who rely on accessible communal spaces.
While the recent announcement leaves some questions unanswered, the reopening of The Commons highlights the power of student advocacy in creating university-wide change. In addition to the PawPrints petition, students and alumni alike left powerful accounts on social media about the importance of the establishment to their RIT experience. One Reddit commenter noted, “I can’t imagine RIT without Commons.”
Only time will tell how the student body will respond to the renovated Commons, but one thing is clear: It would not have reopened without student input.
For details about upcoming hours and services on the new Commons, RIT Dining directs the community to its website.
