FYW@City Tech Living Handbook for Writing Faculty

Below you will find a Living Handbook of “Need To Know” Departmental Information for FYW Instructors at City Tech.

Faculty members teaching writing for the first time may, in addition to this handbook, want to consult First Time Up: An Insider’s Guide for New Composition Teachers.  There are also several very useful scholarly articles related to writing pedagogy in the Readings for Writing Instructors section of FYW@City Tech.  Please check back regularly for updates and feel free to let us know what additional information you “need to know”!

Prepared by Johannah Rodgers, Rebecca Shapiro, and Suzanne Miller

Introduction to FYW Courses at City Tech

ENG1101 Learning Outcomes
As an introduction to college writing for incoming freshman, ENG1101 serves multiple purposes.  The course is not only an introduction to the processes, rhetorical situations, structures and dialects of college writing, but also serves to introduce students to the discourse communities and practices of college courses in general.  As a course that includes several different types of writing assignments–informal, scaffolded, formal, discipline-specific–across several different writing platforms–web-based, paper, notebook, mobile–and genres–personal essay, argumentative essay, research essay, blog post, letter, Tweet, proposal, bibliography, editorial, report–the course serves as a practicum for understanding college writing assignments and genres, critical reading practices, textual analysis, critical thinking, and composing and revision processes.

ENG1121 Learning Outcomes
As an advanced composition course, ENG1121 is a discipline-specific exploration of the practices, processes, research methods, and genres introduced in ENG1101.  With an emphasis on analytical approaches to argumentation and an extended research project, ENG1121 gives students the opportunity to practice and refine their academic, critical, and informational literacy skills.  Although the course is most often structured thematically around an introduction to the disciplinary genres and guidelines of English Studies, this course is intended to help students further their understanding, familiarity, and comfort with the types of writing projects and assignments that they may encounter in any advanced college course.  Distinct from a traditional Introduction to Literature course though focused on close-reading practices and textual analysis, ENG1121 is a writing-intensive, inquiry- and research- based practicum that gives students hands-on experience negotiating with the genres, processes, and analytical approaches involved with academic thinking and writing.

TEACHING ENG1101 AND ENG1121 AT CITY TECH: ENG1101 is an Introduction to Composition Course, which, according to the college catalog is, “A course in effective essay writing and basic research techniques including use of the library. Demanding readings assigned for classroom discussion and as a basis for essay writing.” Of course, because the course description is very brief and the aims for the course can be quite broad,  it is helpful to consider that the course content varies by instructor—some teach various types of essays and various types of research. We all strive to teach effective writing, but how we go about it is different. Some of us prefer to use the old-fashioned textbook approach, others are in hybrid and computer classrooms with online content. Because the majority of our students hail from New York City’s underfunded and overwhelmed public school system, they may lack certain skills that instructors at other institutions could assume students should have. Our students likewise have complicated lives and it sometimes can show in their course work: they can be the first person in their family to go to college; they are the children of immigrants or are immigrants themselves; most work and help support their family either with their time or money; on top of working full time and going to school full time, most accept some type of financial aid for school. Because of those outside constraints, it can be hard for students to give their full attention to our courses. “Demanding” readings are also various and the definition of what “demanding” is differs amongst us but, again, we all desire that our students practice reading and writing and by the end of the semester have mastered the learning outcomes for the course.

Learning Outcomes for FYW courses can be found on the FYW@City Tech website and are also available in the English Department office in paper form. They describe in general the course description, the kinds of writing and assignments, and other course guidelines. They differ from the specifics of syllabi in that they provide general parameters of the course and desired learning outcomes and stipulate a certain number of pages or the number of tests or papers–but the audience is typically the instructor, not the student, though these are given to students on the first day of class (envelope provided by department secretary). Competences do not dictate specific policies but are meant to provide an outline of learning goals and expectations and thus, each section can be tailored to a professor’s or class’s needs.

TEXTBOOKS AND READINGS:  The textbooks for a composition course generally comprise a rhetoric, a collection of readings, and an English handbook. Currently, adjunct faculty must choose from a list of texts (see the First Year Writing @ City Tech/FYW-textbooks  for textbook options as well as the English department chair’s beginning of term memo). Many instructors choose to supplement the readings with additional readings taken from a variety of sources, including those that are Open Access. You can consult the First Year Writing @ City Tech Web site for some recommended resources.

Ordering books for your course: Because of some communication issues with the college bookstore, full-time faculty now have a bookstore liaison, who collects the orders for your courses and submits them personally to the bookstore. This is a time-sensitive issue, as the English department liaison must have the information to give it to the bookstore; the bookstore must receive your requests in order to process and order them from the publisher; and the college is legally bound to provide the information on its website to students.

SYLLABUS DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT: Sample Syllabi are available on the FYW@City Tech website.  Syllabus Templates for planning FYW courses are also available:  The following text is taken from the “Course Management” memo from provost’s office. “As a minimum, every students should have a course syllabus that provides:

•             Course title, number, and section code

•             Instructor name

•             Instructor contact information: office address, telephone number, email address and office hours

•             Required text(s) and other required items (see #20 below for more information about textbooks for ENG 1101)

•             Clear statements about grading policies

•             CityTech’s policy on academic integrity and plagiarism (found in the City Tech student handbook and provided below):

“Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions, and             other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using, crediting, and citing sources. As a community of intellectual and professional workers, the College               recognizes its responsibility for providing instruction in information literacy and academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly and appropriately to infractions of academic integrity. Accordingly, academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and at New York City College of Technology and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension, and expulsion.”

•             Instructional objectives and course goals and outcomes

•             Attendance policy

•             Topics to be covered

•             Major assignments

•             Required and recommended readings

Many instructors have found that giving this information in advance has dramatically reduced the number of grade disputes.” Moreover, to reinforce the provost’s office memo, when grade disputes do in fact come to the English Department Grade Appeals Committee, when faculty do not have this information on their syllabus, it reflects poorly on the faculty member’s professionalism.  You can access a syllabus template for ENG1101 courses here and for ENG1121 courses here.

PHOTOCOPYING: Photocopying is available for instructors’ course materials. There are three photocopiers in the English Department that can be used for photocopying small, class-size jobs, i.e., 30 single or double-sided handouts: one in N512 and two in N503. For large copying jobs, instructors can submit jobs to Reproduction Services, which is located on the Ground Floor/Cellar of Namm (NC17). There is no limit on the number of photocopies that instructors can request, but Reproduction Services will need anywhere from three days to a week to complete a job.  For larger class-based photocopying needs, faculty should use the high speed copiers located in the Faculty Computer Lab located in the Atrium Building on the ground floor. Numerous computers and printers are also available in this computer lab.   Finally, for small print jobs, there are two computers in the adjunct office on the fifth floor of the Namm building that are connected to a printer. Instructors should also be aware that many students at City Tech do not have access to printers at home. However, there are several computer labs with printers at the college and students are entitled to print 30 pages per day for free at the college.

If you wish to use the scanning feature on the photocopy machines, you must first ask that your email address be added by one of the secretaries where the respective offices are. It may take about three days for their order to take effect and then use the directions for scanning above or near the machines. The documents will appear in your CityTech inbox but the address/subject line is oddly-labeled “Bizhub . . .”

BLACKBOARD:  Blackboard is a proprietary learning management system available for use in all CUNY courses.  At City Tech, faculty workshops on using Blackboard are hosted regularly by the  Instructional Technology Center (iTEC).  Information about these workshops is available on the iTEC website.  Once instructors have been able to successfully log into the CUNY Portal (www.cuny.edu), they will then be able to access the Blackboard system, where they will find the courses they are teaching for that semester listed.  Although instructors can access these courses and information about these courses, STUDENTS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO access these courses via Blackboard until the instructor makes each course “available.”  In order to make a course available in Blackboard, click on the course, on the Control Panel Menu, locate the CUSTOMIZATION sub-menu, click on PROPERTIES.  Under #3, you will then see where/how to make your course available.

CITY TECH OPEN LAB:  An open access digital community designed for City Tech faculty and students, the City Tech Open Lab is a WordPress based environment that faculty are encouraged to use either in place of, or in conjunction with, Blackboard.  You will need access to a City Tech e-mail account in order to register on the Open Lab.  Once registered, you are welcome to build your own course or project site.  Faculty are also encouraged to look at the structure and components of various courses in the FYW Program, in the English Department, and across the college that have dedicated OpenLab websites.  While students are automatically enrolled into BlackBoard, they will need to register for the City Tech OpenLab and instructors should not assume that students will be either registered or familiar with it.  Many workshops dedicated to introducing students to the Open Lab are available at the college and students may be able to get assistance with registering for the Open Lab at the numerous computer labs at the college.

LIBRARY VISIT:  Library faculty will schedule each 1101 section  one 75-minute class session during the semester to acquaint students with the City Tech library‘s print and electronic resources. The Coordinator of Library Instruction will reach out to English faculty just before the start of each semester to solicit input on scheduling. Instructors are encouraged to contact the Coordinator of Library Instruction before the semester begins in an effort to accommodate all schedules. Shortly after the beginning of the semester, faculty are contacted by the librarian who will be teaching the lesson to request materials, handouts, syllabi, ideas, and other information so that the visit by students can be tailored to the research assignment.

REQUIRED ASSIGNMENTS: A list of specific assignment guidelines, including types of assignments and recommended length, is included in the ENG1101 and ENG1121 Learning Objectives.  Sample assignments can be accessed on the FYW@City Tech website: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/firstyearwriting/college-writing-resources-links/syllabus-planning-and-course-design/sampleassignments/

Research Assignments:  The competencies (see above) for 1101 state that the course contain a “research component” and that phrase is quite open to debate. A research paper is not necessarily assigned; there can be various interpretations of “research” but it is appropriate to ask students to consider some type of outside source, library print and electronic resources, and documentation of sources. Research assignments can be a summary or abstract of an article, an essay incorporating outside sources, an essay incorporating both primary and secondary research sources, an annotated bibliography.

Research Assistance:  Research assistance from reference librarians is available to students. Students are welcome to get help from a reference librarian, either in person or over the phone whenever the library is open, or via email through the library’s website. Appointments are never needed, though any student with more in-depth research needs is welcome to schedule a research appointment in person or via the library website. Tutorials and other research support resources are available on the library website.

MIDTERM EXAMS AND GRADES: There is no hard and fast rule about the mid-term exam, except that it takes place before mid-term grades are due. It might be wise to make the mid-term two parts, like the final, to prepare students: a short summary of a reading and then an analysis of the reading. Mid-term grades are just that: an indication of how students are performing at the mid-point of the semester. The grades are registered online and faculty is given a login and password by the department secretary. The mid-term grades are P (pass), B (borderline), and U (fail). If students have not attended class all semester there is a mark for that as well.

FINAL EXAMS: An in-class final exam is required in both ENG1101 and ENG1121.  For details about the exams for each course, please consult the information about final exams on the FYW@City Tech web site.  The exams are given during exam week on either the last scheduled class session for the semester, or the penultimate class session.  Please consult the college calendar for specific dates.  Exams can be picked up in the department chair’s office during exam week and must be signed for in N512. They are to be marked and returned to the department when final grades are submitted.

COURSE FOLDERS AND SUBMITTING COURSE GRADES:

Beginning with the Fall, 2014 term, City Tech has transitioned to a fully electronic record keeping system for all courses.  This system is a college-based system that supplements the CUNYFirst college-wide system for submitting grades.  With the new eFolder system, instructors are required to submit their grade and attendance records as an electronic file at the end of each semester.  While instructors are welcome to keep paper-based grade and attendance records for their courses, they are STRONGLY encouraged to consider keeping grade and attendance records electronically since this will save them considerable time at the end of the semester when submitting final grades and Course eFolders.

You can access a blank Course eFolder for Excel here and via Google Drive here. At this point, the Course eFolders work best in Microsoft Excel.  However, I have ported the Excel file to Google Drive for those who prefer to access the file online.  It is recommended that you keep a version of your Course eFolder in Excel at some point since that is the official file format for submitting eFolders at the end of the semester.

In order to populate your Course eFolder, login to CUNYFirst and locate your course section.  Once you have pulled up a course roster, you can DOWNLOAD this file as an Excel file.  From this file, it is possible to copy the names of students registered in your course and CUNY IDs for each and then paste these into your Course eFolder.  Once you have done that, you should name and save the file.  While you can name the file in any way you choose, at the end of the semester, you will need to save and submit the file according to the following naming conventions:

CourseNumber Section Number Instructor Name Semester Code.  For Professor Rodgers’ Spring 2014 ENG1101/HD69course, the file will be named as follows:    ENG1101HD69Rodgers1152  (The CUNYFirst semester codes are as follows: Fall: 1YY9; Spring 1YY2)*

For instructors looking to save even more time in filling out Course eFolders, it is possible to copy the dates of each class session from the class schedule included in the ENG1101/1121 Syllabus Template and, by hitting “paste special” and choosing “transpose” in Excel, paste in the dates of all 30 class sessions at the bottom of the Course eFolder.

If you are someone who likes to keep keep track of student grades in an electronic format, you are strongly encouraged to use the Course eFolder for keeping all grades and attendance information.  For anyone interested in reading more about Course eFolders, please take a look at this document prepared by Assistant Provost Brown.

At the conclusion of the semester course folders and course final exams are returned to the department secretary, Lily Lam, in N512.  A Note on Course Folders: It is a good idea to fill in the necessary information shortly after the semester begins, as the task becomes onerous as the semester marches on. Generally, the folder is self-explanatory but there are a couple of items that might not be so: 1) if a student is not present when roll is taken (and you must take roll every day) then the student gets a mark of “A” for that day’s square. If the student comes in late—within about 10-15 minutes of when class begins, then place a diagonal slash across the “A”; 2) make sure to identify the order of assignments chronologically during the semester as well as what they are on the inside of the folder as well as on the outside back cover—there you will put the percentage each assignment is worth; 3) make sure to include mid-term grade as well as final course and final exam grade; 4) it is smart to ask one of the secretaries to check the folders at the end of the semester for errors, as it’s easy to miss something and doing so makes their job more difficult, since they have to ask us to add the material left out.

GRADING:  Even though faculty who are adjuncts or who are untenured may feel pressure (from students, to avoid negative evaluations, etc.) to give grades that are higher than what students actually earn, it is important to avoid inflating grades at every step of the way. They are a disservice to the students and an embarrassment to the English Department when faculty from other departments look up grades for students with weak skills. The English department chair is very supportive of faculty and the grades they assign to student work.  Students with more than three absences or those who have not yet demonstrated fluency in basic Standard Written English should not expect to pass ENG1101 and may very well need to re-take the course.  If a student receives an F grade in ENG1101/1121, the student will later re-take the class, and the grade earned then will REPLACE the F grade on the student’s transcript and in the calculation of their grade point average.  While students are very reluctant to re-take courses because of time and financial issues, this is often necessary for a student to achieve a solid foundation in the linguistic, critical thinking, and study skills required to succeed in college courses.  While it is possible to assign a grade of D in ENG1101/1121, this grade should be reserved for only those cases in which an instructor is confident that a student does not need to re-take the course.  Unlike an F, a D grade remains on a student’s transcript and, for many programs of study, including nursing and architectural technology, is not considered a passing grade.

Sample rubrics are available to help with scoring assignments, essays, and exams.  They are available on the First Year Writing at the City Tech website. The English department likewise provides grading guidelines—a handout with a rubric–to both faculty and students the first day of class to provide transparency to students if they have questions about how to interpret a grade they earned.

A note about the “D” grade: Some departments consider this a passing grade and some do not but it should not affect how you grade; remember that students earn grades and it is their responsibility to keep track of their progress toward successful completion of their major.

Additionally, the college does not offer a C- or D+ final grade, so deciding whether to give a C or D final grade can take some getting used to.

A note about the “WU” grade:  Please assign this grade ONLY to students who have stopped attending your classes.  A WU is DISTINCT from an F grade.  For many students it is better, from a financial aid perspective, to receive an F rather than a W or WU grade.

STUDENT ATTENDANCE: The college attendance policy states that a student cannot pass a class with absences exceeding more than 10% of class meetings. It is up to the instructor to keep track of student attendance and to set course policies for attendance and lateness, which should be clearly outlined in the course syllabus.

STUDENT EVALUATIONS: Several weeks before the end of the semester, you will receive an envelope of student evaluations for each course that you teach and you will be asked to give them to students long before you might do so at other institutions. You are required to give the students the evaluation forms, read them the instructions, and then leave the room. Before you leave, assign one student to drop the envelope of complete evaluations at the designated location (there is an information sheet on the outside of the envelope as well as instructions inside). You may give the evaluations at any time during the class period—as long as you are not in the room while they are being filled out, though it is very common for students to disregard these instructions and race to fill them out. Try to therefore leave as soon as possible. These evaluations are anonymous; remind the students not to put their names on them. Once the evaluations have been processed (usually at the beginning of the following semester), you will receive a report, which also goes to the department. For help reading the report and understanding the value of the numerical system, please ask the chair.

FACULTY OBSERVATIONS During the semester, you will be observed by a full-time faculty member if you are an adjunct and if you are untenured you will be observed by a tenured faculty member. The observer will contact you in advance to set up a date for the observation in writing and possibly by email—it is important to the college that there be records of these transactions because these are very important events for the person being observed. You may be asked for your syllabus, the day’s reading, and/or a lesson plan for that day.  You can access a copy of the City Tech observation form here.

The observation takes place over one complete period, even if the course meets only once a week; the observer is required to stay the entire period, even if the course only meets once a week. You then meet with your observer at a later date to discuss the observation and discuss the written report prepared by the observer. That written report will be submitted to the department by the observer (you will receive and sign a copy at the time of your meeting). There is a deadline set by the college for the observer to turn in the report so it is imperative that all parties cooperate.

The purpose of the observation is to be sure that you are teaching appropriate material in an effective manner. The observation also leads to an often helpful conversation about teaching tools and methods. Your rapport and interaction with your students is important, and you should have a good, basic structure for the class period—but also realize that your observer is a colleague, also an instructor and understands that not everything always goes as planned.

TUTORING RESOURCES:  The resource for student tutoring is the Atrium Learning Center in the Atrium Building G-18 (718-260-5874). Students are seen by professionals, either instructors or graduate students who see them for ½-hour appointments. Students need to make appointments, as times fill up fast, though there are some drop-in times. Faculty do not need to fill out referral forms for students, nor do they receive reports after a student has gone—but the Learning Center does send instructors referral forms in case they wish students to address certain, specific issues and on which instructors can communicate with Learning Center staff. Please ask students to bring in texts, assignments, and drafts to their tutoring session, as the tutors will need background information on your course.

ESOL RESOURCES:

ESOL Tutoring at City Tech

ESL tutoring is available for City Tech students by appointment at the City Tech Learning Center (AG18), which is open M-F: 9 am – 8pm and F/Sat: 9 am – 5pm.

Identifying and Assisting ESOL Students in ENG1101/ENG1121 at City Tech
Prepared by Johannah Rodgers

UNDERSTANDING LANGUAGE NEEDS IN FIRST YEAR WRITING COURSES (ENG1101/1121)
Language diversity is not only part of what characterizes the student population at City Tech, but it is one of many things that makes teaching writing at this college particularly exciting, interesting, and, at times, challenging.  Adding to the complexity of teaching writing at an urban, public university is the fact that every composition course at City Tech will have students from a range of backgrounds and at varying skill levels.

Clearly identifying the skill levels and language needs of the students in your composition courses will help help you better assist them and will enable them to become responsible for getting the additional assistance they may need.  Although the label, “ESOL student” may often be applied to a large number of students at City Tech, it is important to keep in mind that it applies to students with a range of language backgrounds.

TYPES OF ESOL STUDENTS
Students born and educated in the U.S. who have grown up in bilingual households may have some characteristic ESOL issues that need to be addressed in their writing.  However, these students are very different from international students who have yet to achieve basic competency in spoken and written English.  It is this latter category of students, THOSE WHO ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF LEARNING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE, WHOM INSTRUCTORS IN FYW COURSES PARTICULARLY NEED TO IDENTIFY.  IT IS CRUCIAL THAT INSTRUCTORS ASSIST ESOL STUDENTS IN ESTABLISHING APPROPRIATE EXPECTATIONS FOR THE COURSE, THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY MAY VERY WELL NEED TO RE-TAKE THE COURSE IN ORDER BECAUSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE COMPETENCY IS REQUIRED TO PASS THE COURSE, AND TO ALERT THEM TO THE VARIOUS RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION WHILE THEY ARE TAKING ENG1101.

HOW LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY MAY AFFECT PERFORMANCE IN ENG 1101/1121
It is not unusual for students who have spent less than five years in the U.S. to be placed in ENG1101/ENG1121 without having the English competency skills to pass the course.  In these cases, students need to be informed that additional language instruction that takes place outside of the course will be required for them to pass the course.  In fact, students who have yet to achieve competency in spoken and written English may very well need to take ENG1101 more than once before successfully completing it.

WHAT CAN BE DONE
Both in-person and on-line tutoring resources are available for ESOL students.
For in-person tutoring, please refer students to the City Tech Learning Center (AG18).
For online tutoring resources, please consult the Tutoring Resources on the FYW@City Tech web site or the City Tech English Writer’s Corner.

If you have any additional questions about identifying and categorizing the language needs of various students in your composition courses, please contact Lubie Alatriste, ESOL Program Coordinator, or Johannah Rodgers, Director of Composition.

Composition and ESL: Some Useful Resources

Responding to ESOL Student Writing
  http://resources.jjay.cuny.edu/erc/faculty/student.php

Working With ESOL Students/Rutgers Writing Center
http://insttech.rutgers.edu/documents/tutors/workingwithESLstudents.pdf

Raimes, Ann.  ESL Grammar Tip Sheets
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_AWsp3ol_kVOTU5YWI1MTUtZDRjYi00MjNjLTkwMzgtOTJiMGM2ZTNiNTA1/edit

Raimes, Ann.  What ESL Students Do As They Write
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_AWsp3ol_kVNGUwMDQ1MmEtODgxOS00ZGI5LWJiYTQtMzUyMzE0NGMwOThi/edit

Matsuda, Paul Kei.  “Reading an ESL writer’s text.”  Studies in Self-Access Learning Journal 2(1), 4 – 14.
http://sisaljournal.org/archives/mar11/matsuda_cox/

Ferris, Dana _Treatment of Error in Second Language Learning_
http://books.google.com/books?id=SxFaAAAAMAAJ&q=error&dq=error&cd=1

CUNY PLACEMENT EXAMS: Students are exempt from CityTech placement exams if they pass the New York State Regent’s exam with a 75 or above; they receive a score of at least 56 on the CUNY-wide writing exam called the CATW (CUNY Assessment Test in Writing) or a score of 70 or higher on the reading exam. They can also be directly placed into credit writing courses if they have a baccalaureate degree from another country this exempts them from the exam).

CLASSROOM MEDIA/COMPUTER SERVICES: If you require a computer or audio-visual equipment for any of your classes and you are teaching in a classroom that is not equipped with a computer and projector, please contact Media Services, located in AG35. By filling out a form with Media Services, you can request equipment for a single class session or for each class session during the semester.

COMPUTERS  There is a dedicated faculty computer lab located next door to AG35.  There you will find computers, printers, and a high-speed photocopier.  There are also two computers in the adjunct office on the fifth floor of the Namm building.

CITY TECH E-MAIL It is important that you activate your City Tech e-mail account and check it on a regular basis since all official college and English department communication will be sent to this address—this is particularly relevant when it comes time for observations,  re-appointment, exams, and all other formal communication. You will also need an active City Tech e-mail account to register for the City Tech Open Lab. It is possible to have your City Tech e-mail forwarded to your personal e-mail account by changing the settings in your City Tech e-mail account. If you need any assistance doing this, please contact Computer Support Services at x5610

OFFICE HOURS:  Faculty are required to hold at least one office hour per course per week. Faculty are also encouraged to schedule their office hours immediately before or after class meeting times since students are often available then to meet with instructors. In the past, instructors have found that a limited number of students will actively make use of faculty office hours and as a result, faculty are strongly encouraged to make appointments to meet with students during their office hours or at times when students are available to meet. You should feel free to require that students meet with you at least one or more times per semester. Adjuncts are paid for one office hour a week, though student desire or need sometimes exceeds what the college will provide. Please try to accommodate these competing issues as much as possible.

INSTRUCTOR ABSENCES:  If you know in advance that you will have to miss a class session, please prepare a course plan and make arrangements with another faculty member at the college to cover the class session during your absence.  If you are ill and cannot attend a class session, please call the English Department (718.260.5392) and speak to Lily Lam, the English Department Administrator.  She will ask you for the time and location of your course sections and will leave a note on the classroom door informing students that your class is cancelled for the day.  If possible, it is always best to also e-mail your students to inform them that you will be absent for the day and to update them regarding existing and future assignments.

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES:  The Student Support Services Program (SSSP) is the disabilities service provider at New York City College of Technology, designated to provide support to enrolled students who have documented permanent or temporary disabilities.  You can refer students to SSSP.  The SSSP Office is located in the Atrium Building 237 (A-237) and  can be contacted at 718.260.5143 or by e-mail (see the college Web site for contact information).

STUDENT COUNSELING SERVICES:  Located in Namm 108, the Counseling Services Center (CSC) supports and promotes the educational, psychological and career development of students. You can refer students to the CSC and consult them if you are having issues with a student.  Links to two important documents prepared by the CSC for faculty are below: