From: José Luis Cruz <JoseLuis.Cruz@cuny.edu> Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 2:42 PM To: Subject: Update #5: Guidance on Academic Continuity
Dear Presidents and Deans,
Hope all is well. Thank you for the sharp focus and open heart with which you are leading your campus communities.
Below, I present the fifth installment of our Academic Continuity guidance document. To simplify, I have incorporated previous guidance into this document and extended and expanded it where appropriate. As such, this guidance supersedes previous documents released under this format.
As always, this guidance is at a fairly high-level and meant to inform all campus leaders on the general direction of our work. Note that more detailed communications are flowing in close to real-time between central staff in the Office of Academic Affairs — units under Academic Programs and Policy, Student Affairs, Enrollment Management, the Office of Research, the Office of the Senior University Dean for Academic Affairs, and the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, among others — and the corresponding units within your campuses.
Specifically, this memorandum includes guidance on the following areas:
· Research Continuity
· Academic Continuity
· Distance Learning Platforms and Tools
· Student Success, Equity and Inclusion
· Financial Aid
Finally, please know that the information presented here complements that presented in our official www.cuny.edu/coronavirus portal and is to be interpreted in concurrence with the guidance previously released by the University on important issues of business continuity and flexible work agreements, among others.
As things have been changing quite a bit, on an almost moment by moment basis, please do not hesitate to contact me and/or the folks identified in the guidance below if you have any questions or concerns.
All the best,
JL
–
José Luis Cruz, Ph.D.
Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost
Research Continuity To the extent possible, Principal Investigators (PIs) should continue their research, particularly aspects of research that can be conducted without visiting a campus or site, such as manuscript writing, data analysis, report writing, administrative tasks. PIs should consider suspending projects or not starting new projects, but if study activities can be conducted remotely, research should proceed in this way (see below). The research enterprise must continue to follow appropriate regulatory guidance. Federal sponsors are allowing for maximal flexibility with regard to administrative, cost, and reporting requirements (see NSF, NIH). If a study needs to be paused, use the standard process to notify the sponsor as soon as feasible. Unless otherwise notified by the sponsor, all reports due to sponsors must continue to be submitted.
Ramping Down PIs should follow the guidance from their campuses, many of which are having PIs ramp down to only essential functions. PIs should consider whether maintenance of research resources (e.g., equipment, animals) require emergency personnel (trained people to work on site), in case the University were to close, or mass transit is impacted. It may take time to develop sufficient plans to ramp down research activities. Planning now will help us to be proactive and responsive if the University were to close.
Note for students engaged in any research (from undergraduates to graduate students, for courses, theses, dissertations, etc.), they should be guided by their faculty, who should be guided by their campus and the information below. All research engagement, whether funded or not, requires compliance with federal guidelines.
Human Subjects Research For research involving interactions with people, interactions should be limited to minimize risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19, in accordance with CUNY Coronavirus Guidance, CDC Guidance, and campus guidance. Follow your campus guidelines, but in general human subject research involving direct interaction with study participants should be paused and no study participants should travel to CUNY colleges (except studies with therapeutic benefit, see below). Ethical principles of research and federal regulations for the protection of human research participants require an acceptable risk/benefit ratio for in-person contact associated with research.
Studies which offer direct therapeutic benefit to participants or where stopping procedures would cause harm to study participants may continue, on a case-by-case basis. For health and safety, changes to protect study participants can be instituted immediately. Please submit a modification to the IRB to indicate temporary modifications within 5 business days.
Studies which do not offer direct therapeutic benefit to participants or where stopping procedures will NOT cause harm to participants and PIs would like to continue the study, PIs must submit a modification to change study procedures requiring NO face-to-face interactions. Studies which do not involve face-to-face interactions (i.e., conducted electronically or via telephone) may continue.
PIs should notify the campus HRPP Coordinator and sponsor of any changes in research procedures and submit all HRPP/IRB modifications via Ideate.
Data Use Agreements For studies of data access and analysis covered by data use agreements (DUA), PIs may need to request modification if you require a different platform that covered by the DUA. Please contact the Agreements Point Person at your campus. If the DUA involves human subjects and the protocol requires modifications, an IRB modification should be submitted via Ideate.
Non-human animal research For animal care, essential personnel should be identified and trained. PIs should work with campus leadership to determine which personnel are needed on campus to provide such essential campus services. This is consistent with Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order, which defines essential personnel as “anyone whose job function is essential to the effective operation of their agency or authority, or who must be physically present to perform their job, or who is involved in the COVID-19 emergency response.” In the case of University closure, identification of emergency essential personnel may be depend on ease of access to the animal facility and public transit availability. Extra food and bedding for animals should be ordered, as well as extra Personal Protective Equipment for animal husbandry staff. Orders for additional animals should be suspended, except on a case-by-case basis. If a campus shuts down, PIs should follow their campus and IACUC policies when determining whether a holding protocol is appropriate.
Tissue and Other non-IACUC Materials Research For tissue and other non-IACUC materials such as insects, plants, and sea animals, additional orders should be suspended, except on a case-by-case basis. PIs should decide which to maintain (e.g., freeze) and which to abandon. PIs who work with such materials should contact their campus EHS Officer to design a contingency plan appropriate to the materials in question.
Equipment/Facilities For equipment/facilities that require human attention and/or supplies for operation, preparations should be made for extra supplies and training of essential personnel, who would be able to maintain equipment if necessary, in case of University shut down. PIs should communicate this via the proper campus contacts (including campus safety). PIs should follow their campus policies regarding ramping down equipment/facilities.
Researcher Travel For researcher travel, including conferences and field research, researchers should follow CUNY travel guidance on the CUNY Coronavirus portal. For guidance about NSF or NIH reimbursement, see the CUNY Research links.
Additional guidelines for PIs from federal funders can be found on the CUNY Office of Research, which also links to the CUNY Research Foundation.
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
Student Success, Equity & Inclusion Disability Services During this transition to distance learning, CUNY’s faculty remain the University’s most vital resource in ensuring reasonable accommodations for our more than 11,000 students with disabilities. As our faculty prepare to deliver course content via distance learning modalities, I ask that they consider the following overarching principles and key resources:
· Under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), CUNY college are still required to provide equal access to our University’s academic programs – even in a distance learning environment
· Campus Offices of Disability Services (ODS) continue to serve as key sources of technical assistance and support to faculty in determining the best ways to reasonably accommodate students with disabilities in distance learning instructional modalities; please use this link to contact the ODS on your campus:http://cats.cuny.edu/reasonableaccommodations/COSDIDirectory.html
· The barriers that exist at the intersection of a student’s disability and course design may be different from those posed by the original course format. Some accommodations students used before may no longer apply in distance learning formats, and some accommodations not considered previously may need to be considered now; we appreciate our faculty’s flexibility and collaboration with ODS staff and students with disabilities themselves to meet their accommodation needs in distance learning modalities
To aid in these efforts, the guide Reasonable Accommodations: A Faculty Guide for Teaching Students with Disabilities resource was developed specifically for CUNY faculty to provide them with information and best practices to be most effective in meeting the needs of students with disabilities and achieving the goal of equal access. This guide includes helpful information in accommodating students with disabilities in distance learning, including the following two sections:
Technology in the Classroom and for Online Courses
http://cats.cuny.edu/reasonableaccommodations/TechnologyintheClassroom.html
Alternative Text for Students with Disabilities
http://cats.cuny.edu/reasonableaccommodations/AlternativeText.html
Please know that our campus Offices of Disability Services will work closely with our CUNY Office of Student Inclusion Initiatives to ensure that our faculty have the support they need to successfully and meaningfully accommodate students with disabilities. We are grateful to our faculty and to our disability services professionals for their abiding commitment to the access, success, and wellness of students with disabilities.
CS/MS and Adult Literacy and Language Immersion Programs CUNY Start/Math Start, CUNY Language Immersion Program (CLIP), and the Adult Literacy Program are all planning on moving their instruction online based on the conversion date for-credit classes next Thursday. The Central Office staff that support each program have been working with college teams to develop plans for this transition using both synchronous and asynchronous delivery via platforms like Blackboard, Dropbox, Zoom, and WebEx, and how to make use of video, discussion tools, chat, and other technology tools to deliver instruction. Each program will develop a plan, to be provided to the appropriate college leadership, that details how content will be delivered, multiple options for communicating with students, and how student work will be assessed to document learning outcomes have been met. Colleges are encouraged to make any local resources that are available to faculty to assist with this conversion available to these programs as well. CUNY CIS is also supporting assessment of technology needs for these programs if there is not a local college resource readily available. We will provide further guidance on any standardized testing that typically takes place in CUNY testing centers, which would also be developed for students in developmental education classes that require the CUNY Assessment Test in Writing (CAT-W) and CUNY Elementary Algebra Final Exam (CEAFE).
Clinical Placements
Clinical Placements – Education Programs
As of Monday, March 16, education students who are participating in clinical placements for fieldwork or student teaching required by their academic program, and their faculty supervisors, were told not report to school/field sites until further notice. Education Deans and Chairs are receiving specific guidance and resources on conducting virtual fieldwork from Ashleigh Thompson via email and postings on http://www.cuny.edu/teachered. Nearly identical to what has been offered to DOE teachers, a new CUNY-specific instance of this remote learning website was set up for CUNY faculty use, free up to 50,000 users: https://learn.flglobal.org/courses/cucy-rtol-rapid-transition-to-online-learning
In light of the DOE school closure, and plan for three-days of professional development for teachers at school sites this week, we have heard requests from schools, CUNY students and faculty about candidates attending these days so they can participate in training and assist with remote learning delivery for their school site.
Upon careful review, CUNY will support clinical fieldwork placements that support schools’ use of remote learning, under the following conditions:
(1) The principal invites/approves the candidate's continued participation;
(2) cooperating teachers can provide adequate supervision to students in the context of remote learning;
(3) faculty are willing and able to support student placements, as required; and
(4) students are aware of risks and willing to take the necessary precautions, as per available guidance, to participate in the school-based training during the crisis.
The health and safety of our students and faculty remain a top priority, therefore considerations for placement may be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
Please communicate with Ashleigh Thompson with any questions or updates on your decisions to continue with remote clinical fieldwork so we are aware of the student placements across programs and facilities. This update does not preclude colleges from engaging in virtual fieldwork, which was previously recommended. This policy, and its four conditions, pertains to social workers, therapists, counselors and other students with required school-based placements.
Clinical Placements – HHS Programs
Previously, the Office of Academic Affairs has shared important information with campus HHS leaders about how to request and secure permission from NYSED to move clinical placements into alternative modalities (for more info contact, Dr. Patricia Simino Boyce (patricia.boyce@cuny.edu), University Dean for Health and Human Services.
Recently, we received notification from NYSED OOP confirming alternative training models for several Nursing Programs, in addition to one Social Work Program’s request to reduce the field hours to the minimum required by NYS and CSWE for BSW and MSW programs. HHS programs are encouraged to confirm guidance from their accrediting agency on the delivery of program content and substantive change notification requirements during the crisis.
Lastly, we are receiving requests from CUNY programs, as well as industry partners, to ask if students may continue field placements if the sites are not cancelling services and communicating that students should continue with their hours.
In addition, we have heard from public health agencies and local health and human service partners asking about potential roles for CUNY students to address anticipated workforce needs. Upon careful review, CUNY will support field placements, under the following conditions:
(1) placement facilities can provide adequate supervision to students at their sites;
(2) faculty are willing and able to support student placements, as required; and
(3) students are aware of the risks and willing to take the necessary precautions, as per available guidance, to participate in the field placement during the crisis.
The health and safety of our students and faculty remain a top priority, therefore considerations for placement must be addressed on a case-by-case basis with documentation of these conditions by all parties. Please communicate with Patricia Simino Boyce with any questions or updates on your decisions to continue with clinical and field sites so we are aware of the student placements across programs and facilities. In the meantime, we will continue to explore options for student roles in response to COVID-19.
College Now Courses NYCDOE schools are implementing a remote learning model beginning March 23 through April 20, 2020. NYC DOE schools are in recess the week of March 16 as staff prepare for remote learning. Students should not report to school buildings for instruction during this time. No in person instruction can take place in DOE high schools beginning March 16, through April 20. We recommend any courses enrolling current NYC DOE students, including those taking place on CUNY campuses, follow this model.
Early College High schools will fully implement NYCDOE's remote learning plan beginning on Monday, March 23 - April 20, 2020. Students should not report for instruction during this time. Students are not in attendance from March 16 – 20. From March 17 - March 20, students who need technology in order to access remote learning can report to their schools to get it - they will receive communication from their schools regarding plans for this. All students will begin receiving information on remote learning plans during this time. Remote learning begins March 23.
UAPC/Admissions Office of Admissions staff at 42nd Street and UAPC/Kingsborough CC will continue to assist applicants, process application and provide recommendation per published calendar. Majority of staff is telecommuting but maintaining regular business hours. We will have few staff members coming to office for mail deliveries. Admissions staff is available via phone/email to answer questions from applicant/counselors/college staff. Applicants can also review their application status via CUNYfirst self-service.
Internships
Guidance for CUNY Students Working in Internships
CUNY students working as interns, whether with private or public sector employers, should abide by the internal protocols of their internship site. They may work if the site remains open and is allowing interns to report. In addition to the work site’s coronavirus policy, students who are sick or have knowingly been in contact with anyone who is sick should notify their internship manager and CUNY program manager or contact immediately. We ask that all students and supervisors touch base to work on a course of action. Some students may be working with individuals in vulnerable populations, so we ask that supervisors and students use their best judgment. Companies or organizations may institute telecommuting or work from home policies that apply to students. We ask students to inform their internship manager or CUNY program manager if their employers move to telecommuting/work from home policies. Students should confirm that they have the tools they need to do this effectively and reach out to their internship manager or CUNY program manager with any questions or concerns.
Guidance for Campus- Based Internships
Similar to the guidance for public and private sector internships, students and supervisors should abide by the protocols and policies set by the institution.
Guidance for credit bearing internships
Students will maintain enrollment in spring 2020 campus-based academic internship courses at their discretion and the discretion of college faculty with whom they are registered. Students and faculty will continue to meet in seminars via online/distance learning tools once they are introduced at the campuses. Students and faculty will work together to redesign any assigned internship deliverables, to ensure that learning outcomes reflected in course syllabi are met and measured at the conclusion of the semester. Where permissible, academic internship responsibilities given to students by outside organizations at the beginning of the semester will continue to be carried out via remote. In cases where internship responsibilities cannot be carried out via remote, campus faculty will develop and assign alternative experiential learning responsibilities and goals to students enrolled in credit-bearing courses.
International Programs The University has already provided internal guidance to ensure maximum academic continuity to all CUNY students currently enrolled in study abroad programs that cannot be completed as planned, including coordinating with program partners and providers, replacing course content and assessment of programs abroad through independent studies, facilitating credit-bearing internships for affected students, and considering late registration at LaGuardia Community College or Kingsborough Community College via EPermit in cases of students with low numbers of earned credits.
Recently we announced that effective immediately, CUNY was cancelling or postponing all CUNY-sponsored student international travel during the spring 2020 semester (including spring break). This directive holds for all study abroad programs as well as non-CUNY credit-bearing programs and non-credit travel under the auspices of CUNY or any CUNY college or student organization. This measure is taken out of an abundance of caution given the uncertain and unique challenges students would face when crossing borders at this time and builds upon the previous decision to suspend study abroad and nonessential travel to CDC Level 3 countries and to suspend CUNY study abroad programs listed as Level 2 or 3 by the CDC.
Requests for exceptions to this policy will continue to be reviewed by the Office of Global Education and Initiatives and the Office of Risk, Audit and Compliance, but will also be elevated to the Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost, who will make a final recommendation to the Chancellor after proper consultation with the New York State Department of Health. Please note that CUNY’s International Travel Guidelines apply to all travel outside the United States, including Puerto Rico and other U.S. Territories and Protectorates.
Additional details regarding the scope of this policy and the corresponding implementation plan has been shared with all campus Study Abroad Offices/International Education Liaisons and to all campus Offices of Students Affairs, who were encouraged to survey their campus community to identify any and all student international travel plans, regardless of whether or not they sought approval from the corresponding campus authorities, to suspend pending trips and programs, and to support impacted students abroad who opt to return to New York.
Until we can restore international travel for our students, we will work to reinforce global learning and teaching opportunities on our campuses. For more information, please contact Dr. Kimberly Holland (kimberly.holland@cuny.edu), University Director of Global Education and Initiatives, or Dr. Ian James (ian.james@cuny.edu), Special Assistant to the Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost, Office of Academic Affairs/Enrollment Management.
Continuing Education Campus presidents and professional school deans are authorized to make local decisions regarding the teaching modality of their continuing education programs. The Office of Academic Affairs will be available to answer questions and describe best practices as campus leaders make decisions regarding specific program offerings that are already in progress or scheduled for future dates. While President's have the discretion to hold small ACE classes using social distancing etc., in light of the new guidelines for virus spread, we encourage campuses to continue to push on making distance learning the priority, rather than continuing with in-person classes that may put students at risk during their commutes and transit to/from campus.
Financial Aid The University has communicated with campus financial aid directors regarding USDE Guidance for interruptions of study related to Coronavirus (COVID-19) and HESC guidance related to the effect short-term and long-term school closures would have on student financial aid regulations. The expectation is that beginning March 19, students will successfully transition to distance education, and the guidance provided below is for the exception, not all students.
The USDE guidance addresses the following five scenarios among other important matters, such as Satisfactory Academic Progress, Federal Work-Study payments in the event of a closure, etc.:
A student was enrolled or was supposed to begin a travel-abroad experience and either the student has been called back to the U.S. or was never able to begin the travel abroad experience; A student was enrolled in a program and met the requirements for full-time enrollment; however, due to the COVID-19, one or more classes – such as an internship, a clinical rotation, student teaching or fieldwork – have been cancelled and now the student has fallen below the 12-credit hour minimum and is no longer considered to be a full-time student; A student is quarantined and misses class, or a student is incapacitated due to COVID-19 illness; A campus temporarily stops offering ground-based classes in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19; A foreign school that serves U.S. students who participate in title IV programs temporarily suspends operations due to COVID-19.
To date, HESC has indicated that it will work with colleges to ensure “continued eligibility for awards under all circumstances related to the Coronavirus.” Below is a summary of information provided in recent webinars convened by HESC on March 11 and 12, This information has already been shared with campus financial aid directors:
Federal Aid Key topics discussed:
Supplementing the Professional Judgement form for COVID-19-related reasons Federal Work-Study for students who are unable to continue working due to closure or inability directly due to the crisis. If a student is appealing SAP on a COVID-19-related circumstance
Additional guidance for the treatment of Federal Aid can be found here:https://ifap.ed.gov/electronic-announcements/030520Guidance4interruptionsrelated2CoronavirusCOVID19
A Central communication was sent yesterday to all 19-20 FWS students, whom accepted their award and were enrolled, providing guidance on job locations, working remotely, closures, and the location of the FA COVID-19 Form. FA Offices were provided with a copy of the template communication and a list of the students communicated to.
New York State Aid HESC has allowed for COVID-19 impacted students who are adversely affected by the crisis to be held faultless for the term. They must be documented individually and retained in the student file. HESC will accept the designation by the school’s determination. Such instances are:
Excelsior failed to earn 30 credits by the end of the term. HESC Scholarship GPA requirement not met. Failed Progress and Pursuit making them ineligible for Fall 2020 TAP award.
These students can only be certified online at HESCWeb and must have the Impacted by COVID-19 Check box selected. Students who were previously certified and then later report a negative impact, may be recertified by program to have the designation on the term. Documentation is mandatory. HESC will be releasing an FAQ as well from last week’s webinar shortly.
The form can be found here: https://www.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/page-assets/financial-aid/financial-aid-forms/common-forms/COVID-19-Financial-Aid-Documentation-Form2-003.pdf
Central Office of Student Financial Assistance will participate this afternoon in a webinar by the National Association of Financial Aid Administrators, which should offer guidance to be disseminated to the campuses.
As always, for more information, please contact Ms. Elaine Pimentel, University Executive Director of Financial Aid: elaine.pimentel@cuny.edu.
Veterans VA is preparing guidance for schools that have changes in instructional modalities and operation statuses due to COVID 19. However, Congress has introduced legislation that, if enacted, will alleviate the impact to GI Bill beneficiaries for a switch to pursuit solely through distance education. In order to avoid confusion and the need to make multiple changes to enrollments, VA is asking all schools to temporarily refrain from making any adjustments to enrollment certifications if training has changed due to COVID-19.
For more information, please contact Lisa Beatha, CUNY Director for Veterans Affairs, at lisa.beatha@cuny.edu.