A summary of some new news related to CUNY's and CSI's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. See https://csi-covid19.github.io for the archive.
To add/suggest news, please email John Verzani
New Guidance from CUNY #12 and link. Including:
Fall 2020 Term(s)
Summer 2020 Term(s)
MSCHE Annual Institutional Update
SPS Online Teaching Essentials
Final Exams for Developmental Courses
CR/NC Grading Policy
Supplemental CUNY-PSC Agreement Regarding Adjunct Reappointment/Non-Reappointment Dates
The UFS chair notes: under the "Conversion to Distance Learning" header, para 4 notes that on 5/15, the USDoE extended its waiver for the "conversion of in person courses/programs to distance education to Fall 2020 terms." With this waiver granted, NYSED shall soon grant its own waiver. Once both are granted, CUNY (and other institutions) will be permitted to offer courses currently registered as face-2-face with NYSED in fully online and/or hybrid formats. As a public institution, the approval of the Governor would also be required.
link Kean Univeristy eliminated four chronically low-enrolled academic programs and their faculty, as well as six managers:
The elimination of the University’s bachelor’s degree programs in music, sustainability sciences, theatre and economics will not impact current students who will be supported through their graduations. The program changes are expected to save the University more than $2 million annually.
George Sanchez, chair of the Professional Staff Congress (PSC) union – CSI chapter, said the college was discussing the possibility of department chairs cutting 35% of adjunct faculty.
“The best thing that happened was the president was asking for the department chairs to give a list of names for adjuncts that would amount for 35% of cuts in the different departments,” said Sanchez. “The chairs resisted that and it was quite a lot of back and forth, people saying, ‘No, no no.’ What happened this [Monday] morning was the administration did not insist on that – and basically it was business as usual.”
Sanchez said he believes the pull-back from CSI was due to the resistance of department chairs.
“I think the main reason was people were saying, ‘We’re not going to do anything without looking at the budget’ and they haven’t agreed to that yet,” Sanchez added.
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A spokesperson for CSI wouldn’t confirm that the college has been discussing cuts to the adjunct faculty staff.