3/16 email from academic affairs
All: CUNY continues to provide updates and resources involving our switch to primarily distance education formats. This memo also covers information on grading options as well as on Open Education Resources. Academic Continuity Distance Learning As we have indicated before, the objective of an academic continuity plan is to help safeguard the academic term from the standpoint of our student’s academic progress and their financial aid as we work to address the challenges posed by COVID-19.
As far as distance learning is concerned, the U.S. Department of Education has indicated that at a minimum, our faculty must be able to “communicate to students through one of several types of technology – including email – … and [that] instructors must initiate substantive communication with students, either individually or collectively, on a regular basis.”
As an example of this, the USDE offers that “an instructor could use email to provide instructional materials to students enrolled in his or her class, use chat features to communicate with students, set up conference calls to facilitate group conversations, engage in email exchanges or require students to submit work electronically that the instructor will evaluate.”
All of these minimal levels of interaction and more are supported by the CUNY licensed software solutions itemized in previous guidance (see thread below) and identified in ourwww.cuny.edu/coronavirus portal.
The most important thing is for faculty to confer with their students to get a sense of what the most effective and EQUITABLE way to move forward with distance learning should be, considering both faculty and student readiness, accessibility to devices and reliable internet access, and phone capabilities. Ultimately, faculty and colleges should ask themselves how they can create optimal conditions for students to meet their learning outcomes.
CUNY has asked faculty and staff to be prepared to accommodate affected students to the greatest reasonable extent. This includes, among other things: facilitating enrollment after the deadline, fast-tracking academic advising, permitting make-up exams and extending due dates of final assignments and projects. In this same spirit and understanding the minimum USDE requirements to meeting learning outcomes, we urge faculty members to privilege asynchronous over synchronous distance learning approaches. Because the reality is that our faculty and students lives and daily schedules will surely be disrupted in the days to come — especially now that the NYC Department of Education has itself indicated a move to distance learning.
Conversion of Courses Per guidance issues on March 11, college presidents and deans will be required to submit an implementation plan to the Office of Academic Affairs. We expect to provide campuses with the necessary reporting templates once the elements of the plan are finalized and will work to minimize the amount of information that is required to the minimum needed to meet the expectations of our regulatory agencies and accrediting bodies.
As of now, our plan is to cull data from CUNYFirst for retooling information (in person coding to Hybrid or Fully Online) and expect campuses to provide high level overall plans for transition and exceptions before the end of April 2020. But as we said before, it will be important that campuses institute an orderly process that will allow them to substantiate, on a course by course level how courses were converted to distance learning.
Furthermore, Colleges should certify providing guidance to faculty regarding relevant policies associated with IT platforms, safeguarding student data, and accessibility standards. Per guidance provided by the USDE, for an institution to meet the requirements for distance education.
Also, it will also be important for colleges to identify courses that cannot be effectively transitioned to distance education mode and present a plan for maintaining instruction during the spring semester. In addition to providing a list of these exceptions, colleges should explain how instruction in these programs and courses will be altered, if at all, in the current context.
Finally, Colleges will need to certify how they plan to accommodate instructional time lost during the instructional recess for pedagogical retooling and describe the steps that would be taken with regard to the academic calendar and any anticipated impact on future academic terms. (Note that we expect most courses to be able to make up the instructional time without changes to the academic calendar.)
Courses that Cannot Easily Convert to Distance Learning Additionally, we have acknowledged that there are courses that require special facilities and materials (such as laboratories, art studios, performing arts spaces) and cannot be effectively transitioned to distance education mode. For these courses, campuses can choose to continue in-person instruction in campus facilities to ensure academic continuity. As an image of how one of our sister campuses, Queens College, is messaging these tradeoffs regarding student and faculty safety and the need for academic and business continuity, I present the following excerpt from a recent communications to the campus community from Provost Betsy Hendrey.
Classes will restart March 19, with as many online as possible. The advice I gave previously still holds: classes should be online unless they are really only possible face to face. In that case, they may be held on campus, but students may not be penalized if they decline to come to campus; faculty must provide an alternative assignment or make other arrangements. A reminder that course conversion plans are due today (http://bit.ly/keepteachingqc) and must be approved by your chair and dean.
Faculty members, or students, who need access to labs to carry out their research, or research classes, are permitted to do so, but should practice as much social distancing as possible. Faculty and staff who need access to campus in order to either shut down or transfer campus-based research, or access materials to take home from their offices may do so. We are also going to be switching as many services as possible to online and arrange for as many staff as possible to telecommute, including part-timers. Any telecommuting plans must be approved by a supervisor.
Clearly, it is highly unlikely that we will be able to convert all of our courses to distance learning or even to ensure responsible access to on-campus labs to sustain academic continuity. In those cases, among the remedies available to our students in seeking an Incomplete grade for the course or withdrawing from the course. In either case, we recommend students and faculty have a conversation about the best course of action.
Continuity of Shared Governance (suspension of in-person requirements to conduct business) An important part of business and academic continuity is sustaining the work of our various shared governance structures and process. I am pleased to announce that Article 7 of the Public Officers Law, to the extent necessary, permits any public body to meet and take such actions authorized by the law without permitting in public in-person access to meetings and authorizes such meetings to be held remotely by conference call or similar service, provided that the public has the ability to view or listen to such proceedings and that such meetings are recorded and later transcribed.
Teaching Evaluations and Faculty Reappointments As we convert to distance learning, the University is gathering questions coming from the field regarding contractual issues, including, among others, teaching observations and evaluations, the ability adequately evaluate adjuncts for three-year appointments, and meeting reappointment notification deadlines. Please know that the University will work toward a negotiated agreement with the PSC, where required, on these matters — one that will meet the needs of both the faculty and the University as we navigate these difficult times. We will keep you apprised with guidance on an ongoing basis.
Grading Acknowledging that many of our students may feel uneasy about a move to distance learning and how that could affect their academic performance, the University has authorized the University Registrar to make the following changes to CUNY’s academic calendar, effective immediately. Last Day to File for Pass/No Credit/Fail Option –For eligible students that meet the requirements of our “Pass/Fail/No Credit Option” policy,(https://www.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/page-assets/about/administration/offices/registrar/resources/CUNY-Uniform-Grade-Glossary-and-Guidelines-08012018-1.pdf - Page 5), the University will move the deadline to Thursday, May 14, 2020 (KCC/LAG/GCC – Session 1: June 04, 2020; Session 2: August 01, 2020). This is the published “Last Day of Classes,” and before final examination week, and also prior to the “End of the Spring Term”. See note below on possible financial aid impact on students. Course Withdrawal Period – Last Day to Drop with a Grade of “W.” The current deadline date listed on the calendar is Wednesday, April 1, 2020. We will move that date to Thursday, May 14, 2020 (for KCC/LAG/GCC – Spring Session 1: June 04, 2020; Spring Session 2: August 01, 2020). This is the published “Last Day of Classes,” and before final examination week and also prior to the “End of the Spring Term”. Incomplete Grades – Students who receive an INC grades in the Spring 2020 term would generally be required to submit outstanding work, “according to a deadline established by individual colleges of the University but no later than the last day of the following semester.” (https://www.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/page-assets/about/administration/offices/registrar/resources/CUNY-Uniform-Grade-Glossary-and-Guidelines-08012018-1.pdf - Page 4). The University will allow students to submit incomplete work to faculty for resolution of INC grades for courses taken in Spring 2020 through the Fall 2020 semester, and the new deadline for faculty to submit Incomplete to Grade forms to the Registrar’s Office for resolution will be Wednesday, December 23, 2020 (for KCC/LAG/GCC – March 01, 2021). This date coincides with the “Final Grade Submission Deadline” for Fall 2020 courses.
Notes on Pass/No Credit/Fail Option: Students should consult with their academic and financial aid advisor to confirm if such election will still allow them to count the course towards their major/degree requirements, if credit is earned with a grade of P. In order to receive this grade, a student needs to continue participating in academically related activities, complete all assignments, and take the final exam/culminating experience. If a passing letter grade is earned, the student will receive a grade of ‘P’ and credit for the course with no impact on GPA. If a failing grade is earned (F), the student will receive a grade of NC/NP which does not affect the GPA. Students must remain in compliance with Federal and State Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines.] The University is consulting broadly about the possibility of extending the Pass/No Credit/Fail Option to addiotional courses, understanding the extraordinary circumstances we face ant the fact that a blanket, centralized move in this direction would be warranted with both expediency and consistency in mind.. Furthermore, a temporary blanket approach could alleviate the need for students to consult their academic and financial advisors. Preliminary discussions on this from had been had with the Chair of the University Faculty Senate and the corresponding regulatory agencies. Distance Learning Platforms and Tools Cloud Resources As a reminder, most CUNY applications and cloud resources, such as Blackboard, CUNYFirst, Microsoft Office 365 (including OneDrive), and Dropbox can be found online on CUNY’s Technology Resources pages and accessed through web browsers. Also, please know that Blackboard course shells are automatically created for every CUNY course based on CUNYFirst data. As of March 11, two-thirds of all faculty have used Blackboard at least once for their Spring 2020 courses. The vast majority of students (87%) are currently in courses where Blackboard has been used at least once.
Blackboard & Collaborate To accommodate greater use of Blackboard for distance learning, CIS asked Blackboard to double the default quota for all Spring 2020 courses (from 750 MB to 1.5 GB). Blackboard will be doing so tonight during a maintenance scheduled between 11:00 PM and 2:00 AM.
In addition, the Blackboard Collaborate tool, which CUNY licenses will also be able to support 300,000 students. Collaborate is Blackboard’s all-in-one video conference platform that works through computer, tablet, or mobile device. As a fully interactive web conferencing environment and asynchronous voice authoring solution, Collaborate enables faculty to establish web conferences and connect with one student or an entire class, up to 500 participants per Collaborate session.
Efforts to Secure Additional Blackboard Help Desk Support Anticipating thousands of additional faculty and students who may now require Blackboard 24/7 helpdesk support, CIS is working with campus CIOs on the possibility of securing third-party services that will complement our in-house capacity in issues related to “navigation within Learn, how to use Blackboard Collaborate,” among other common Blackboard issues that our CUNY community may need help with. Services we are exploring will include a person that will answer off-hours inquiries and provide assistance with Blackboard issues. If the issue relates to navigation within Learn, how to use Blackboard Collaborate, replaying a recording, as an example, the support agent will guide the caller through the challenge. If the support agent cannot resolve the callers needs at the time, they will capture the question in an email and forward the matter to the appropriate service desk at the college or central office.
Cisco WebEx Access WebEx is now available for all faculty and staff across the University under a 90-day license. They can initiate calls with students now, and student-initiated calls are being enabled. It is also integrated WebEx within Blackboard for setting up a collaboration workspace, online meetings and online office hours for courses. See the ConnectCUNY WebEx Quick Start Guide for instructions on accessing and information on using WebEx Meetings and WebEx Teams.
Microsoft Teams Faculty can now easily add students to Microsoft Teams meetings. The CUNYfirst Class Roster now contains students’ CUNY login usernames that can be downloaded and inserted into Teams Meeting invitations. Accessing the Student Roster for Dropbox/Microsoft Office 365, available on the Microsoft Office 365 for Education Training Resources page, provides step-by-step instructions.
Cloud-Based Adobe Licenses for Students CIS is working now with Adobe to enable student access through the CUNY Login page using their @login.cuny.edu credentials. Faculty already have home use of these tools under our current CUNY licensing agreement. College CIOs can assist in activating faculty access If needed. Both Adobe and CIS are now working to enable these additional student accounts by March 19th. The services in question are described below.
Adobe is making temporary at-home access to Creative Cloud available until May 31, 2020 for universities who currently have only lab access for students, at no additional cost. Adobe provides a student asset migration portal that enables graduating students to transfer the assets associated with their assigned school account to a personal account. Adobe will be sharing a curated set of resources soon on the Adobe Education Exchange website to help faculty with their transition to online instruction. Testing Options and efforts to Secure Proctoring of Distance Learning Exams CIS is currently consulting with CIOs and Provosts about opportunities to procure a distance learning exam solution for proctoring services and share the licenses with the colleges. Of course, specific requirements need to be developed in consultation with campus leaders. We will do our best to identify solutions that can support the greatest common needs. Questions remain as to whether this should be a centrally led effort of a campus-based effort. In addition, campus testing offices may be open if campuses are open during the final exam period and be able to administer University exams such as the CEAFE and CATW exams for developmental courses. Additional information will be forthcoming.
Online FAQs and Training CIS Training offers a variety of training resources for CUNY-wide cloud applications that support remote collaboration, such as Dropbox and Microsoft Office 365. Webinars on these applications have been added as a result of the increased demand – registration for the webinars is available to all faculty and staff. Additionally, faculty and staff can view CUNY-specific video tutorials for Office 365 Teams, such as creating teams, sharing files, and posting announcements, on the CIS Training Stream channel. CIS Training is available for training questions and requests atCISTraining@cuny.edu.
Access to Devices and Internet Services The University is in continuing conversations with the City and third-parties about having internet service providers grant access to CUNY students, faculty and staff to their services and about the possibility of securing tablets that could be distributed to those that most need it through our campuses via loaner programs. We are also happy to report that many service providers have stepped up in this difficult time, including: Charter announced that it would offer free high-speed Spectrum Internet service and Wi-Fi for 60 days to households with students taking online classes because of the coronavirus outbreak. Students can call (844) 488-8395 to enroll. Installation fees will be waived for new student households, the company said. Spectrum said regular pricing will take effect at the end of the 60-day period if a customer not cancel or change the service. For more information, see https://corporate.charter.com/newsroom/charter-to-offer-free-access-to-spectrum-broadband-and-wifi-for-60-days-for-new-K12-and-college-student-households-and-more Altice USA said that it would offer Altice Advantage 30 mgbs broadband service for free to college students without Internet service for 60 days. Eligible students can call 866-200-9522 to enroll. For more information see https://www.alticeusa.com/news/articles/feature/corporate/altice-usa-brings-free-broadband-k-12-and-college-students-during-coronavirus-pandemic In addition, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and Comcast have announced additional services during the coronavirus outbreak, such as the removal of data caps and waiver of late fees. Students should check with their individual carriers for these arrangements. https://www.cnet.com/news/carriers-are-suspending-internet-data-caps-during-coronavirus/
Please note that the above companies are not all CUNY vendors and CUNY is not endorsing or requiring the use of such services. Nevertheless, CUNY is appreciative of their support in making such services available to our students and faculty.
Open Educational Resources & Free Access to Commercial Books Building on the Open Educational Resources initiative and also including CUNY library resources, the Office of Library Services website provides an index to digital resources that faculty may use in online/distance courses at zero cost to their students. Check the Continuity of Library Services page under the heading “Support for Online Instruction.” This site will be regularly updated. If you are aware of additional resources that should be added or if you have other questions or requests, please contact Ann Fiddler, Open Education Librarian, ann.fiddler@cuny.edu.
Akademos and Barnes & Noble have partnered with the digital platform VitalSource to offer free access to over 50,000 eBooks to its current customers to facilitate their move to online learning. CUNY students at participating colleges can now access these materials by creating a VitalSource account at bookshelf.vitalsource.com using their cuny.edu email addresses. Free access will last through the end of the Spring semester or until May 25th, whichever comes first. More information is available at VitalSource Helps and the VitalSource help page