Distance Learning

Every course MUST be adapted to a distance-learning format unless given special permission by the Provost; students cannot be required to visit campus.

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.”    

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.

The following guidance is in response to questions pertaining to faculty office hours, classroom observations, annual evaluations, and the reappointment, tenure, and promotion process.  This guidance is based on consultation with several provosts and in discussion with the Professional Staff Congress at a recent labor management meeting with the Chancellor and his executive team. For more information, contact: Pamela Silverblatt, pamela.silverblatt@cuny.edu

1. Both full-time faculty and adjuncts who are responsible for, and paid for, office hours will hold office hours through distance technology and will notify their students and their department chair regarding how they plan to hold the hours.  These notifications should be made on or before Friday, March 27.
    
2. Classroom teaching observations that have not yet been conducted during the Spring 2020 semester, will only be conducted if requested by the employee to be evaluated.  The department may use the new protocol for observations in online settings (Article 18.2(b)3), where the course was changed to a distance modality mid-semester, provided the employee is made aware and has the option to proceed with the observation.  Teaching observations for those who have been teaching online since the start of the semester, and who were otherwise contemplated to be observed pursuant to the new provision in Article 18.2(b)3 for online observations, will have their observations conducted.

   Annual evaluations which include the conference and confirming memorandum will have the conference conducted through distance technology, which may include telephone and/or videoconferencing.  

3. Faculty whose candidacies for tenure are coming up in the fall 2020 semester may receive a one-year extension.  To do so, faculty must send an email to the Provost by May 1, 2020 requesting an extension. 
    
4. Going forward, faculty on the tenure track who subsequently want to request a tenure clock extension based on the circumstances of Spring 2020 must so apply by February 1 in the year immediately preceding their tenure review. Faculty wanting to apply for a tenure clock extension should follow the procedures normally followed at their college for requesting these extensions to tenure review; their request will be subject to fact-specific review, in accordance with past University practice.
    
5. During this period of telecommuting, any notices required to be provided to faculty and staff, including those pursuant to Article 10 of the PSC-CUNY collective bargaining agreement regarding notification of appointment/non-reappointment for faculty and staff and Article 13 regarding HEOs, should be sent, at a minimum, to an employee’s CUNY email address.  If there is no CUNY email address on file, whatever email is on file should be used.
    
6. Faculty and staff shall be permitted to retrieve personal belongings and materials needed to work remotely.

March 19 – classes resume in distance learning mode

April 1 – Registration for Summer 2020 classes opens

April 7 – Classes follow a Wednesday schedule

April 8-16 – Spring Recess.  No Classes Scheduled and No Work May be Collected.

May 14 – Last Day of Classes;

Last day for students to file for the Pass/No Credit/Fail option

Last day to drop with a grade of W

May 15 – Reading Day or Departmental Final Exams

May 16-22 – Final Examinations

May 22 – End of Spring Term

May 28 – Last day to submit Grade Rosters for Spring 2020

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.

1. 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.
    
2. 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”.
    
3. 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:

1. 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.]
    
2. The University is consulting broadly about the possibility of extending the Pass/No Credit/Fail Option to additional 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.

View Guidance for Research During COVID-19

College governance bodies will meet remotely for the remainder of the term via methods to be announced; anonymous voting methods will be maintained.  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.