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Xeroxing

  • We have a xerox machine in the main office for you to do all of your xeroxing. We do not have any support staff to Xerox for you.

Mail

  • There is a mailbox with your name on it located in the art office.  Please check it regularly as there is important information about students from time to time, as well as announcements to make to students.  Students can drop things off for you here as well.

Rosters

  • You can access your rosters through the CUNYfirst.

Overtallying and other registration annoyances

  • Students will ask (beg) for you to overtally them for class during the first few days.  First note that you can always say no – it is up to you.  In the event that you decide to overtally, it is easiest to have a few overtally slips on hand (they are in the art office).  The student can fill it out and you sign it.  The student must take it to the secretary in the Art Office and after they’ve put in the overtally, the student may register on line.  If they do it correctly, the overtally will show up in 24 hours.
  • If there are students who are not on your roster the first day, but think they have registered, they need to go to the registrar’s office immediately.  They are not registered, no matter what they think/say.

Attendance

  • Brooklyn College requires that we take attendance, and that the attendance results be recorded in the college’s on-line attendance system at weeks 3 and 10 of the semester. (expect an email with instructions). Go to CUNYfirst to fill out attendance.
  • Your roster can be printed out from online which can be used for attendance.  You can send it around during class for them to sign. (This method is better than a random sign in sheet because you can quickly see an individual student’s attendance record when the time comes to fill out the attendance online).  The first 2 weeks of class you may be adding or dropping names from the list, but it is ultimately easier than other systems.
  • Whatever you decide, make your attendance policy clear on your syllabus.

Textbooks

  • You should place your book(s) order right away; ideally it is placed a semester ahead. We do not require any specific textbooks for any course. Order exam copies directly from the publishers to check them out and ask your colleagues what they use and like.  Brooklyn will order the latest version of your textbook, if we don’t already have it, for our art library so that students who have trouble paying for the text can use our copy in 5300 Boylan.  Talk to Steve Margolies about ordering one for the library. Note that many of the recent adjuncts are opting to teach without a textbook, using SmartHistory and the like –this is totally fine if you want!
  • We have a brand new book ordering system and I have no idea how to use it, a message from our provost about it here: …it is important that book information be available to students when they register for their courses. The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) requires that all institutions of higher education receiving Federal financial assistance disclose textbook information online in the institution’s internet course schedule.
  • The information you submit to the online bookstore will transfer back to CUNYfirst in 24-48 hours. If you have issues with your submission, you can email the information to cunybrooklynbooks@akademos.com for processing and confirmation.
  • Here is a link to a video tutorial on how to list your textbook(s) and materials on line

Exams

  • All classes are required to give an exam of some sort. Your final exam is scheduled by the registrar. Go to the website and choose course schedules; the exam schedule is listed separately.
  • Students will often say that they have an exam scheduled during your exam and ask for a makeup.  This is either incorrect or their other professor has rescheduled the exam against college rules.  I recommend not being too accommodating as you will have dozens of make-ups to schedule; ask the student to document their conflict and usually the conflict disappears.
  • In the event that you need to do a few makeups, you can book a room with our Art office staff or use the Art Library (5300 Boylan)
  • Need bluebooks? They are located in the closet on the right inside the slide library.

Student Academic Progress Alerts and other notices you might receive about students

  • We are required to report on the progress of sophomores, transfers and other flagged students half way through the semester.  You will get a notice as to which students you must report on.
  • If you have any student athletes, you will also get a form to fill out about their progress in your class, which can be interoffice mailed back to them.

Students with Disabilities:

  •  You may get a note from the Center for Student Disability Services or from the students themselves that certain students need double-exam time and/or in-classroom assistance (recording lectures, a note-taker, etc.) You will have to sign a form declaring that you have been made aware of their needs and return via interoffice mail to them.  If you have any questions about these students, please contact Roberta Adelman, who is very helpful.  Typically, you will be required to send tests for these students in advance to their office in James Hall for the student to take it there.  Typically I email a powerpoint or pdf file of the exam.
  • If you have any students who appear to be having problems beyond the norm in your class, you may refer them to the Center for Student Disability Services (and they define this broadly, so don’t worry if you are unsure of whether they really have a disability).
  • If students are having writing problems, please refer them to our Writing tutor who is housed in our library (hours posted on the door). Alternatively the Learning Center on the first floor of Boylan Hall can also help.  If the problems are particularly bad, you may require them to go and get our tutors can sign something for you documenting their efforts.

Submitting Grades

  • Grades are submitted through CUNYfirst. We grade on the typical letter grade system.

Incompletes and grade changes:

  • In the event that a student took an incomplete and completed the course later or a grade change is required for another reason, there are forms in the art office for this procedure.  Fill it out and give it to the secretary who will get the chair’s signature. NB: there has been a recent surge in incompletes on campus.  Students often feel that an incomplete is a good option for more time, but it generally compounds their problems in the following semester – so please use this as a last resort.  The college would like everyone to note on their syllabus that Incompletes are not allowed except in extraordinary, fully documented circumstances.

Digital Projection

  • All of our classrooms are equipped with a digital projector. Laser pointers are part of the remotes, located on the podium.
  • Digital projection is easily done in all classrooms with a PowerPoint presentation on a flash drive for a USB port (alternatively you can use the program Keynote which is also on all of the computers). NOTE: DO NOT EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO USE YOUR OWN LAPTOP thought there is a port to do so as often the cable is not the right one, etc.
  • In the very unlikely event of a breakdown of the equipment in the classrooms, there is a phone in the room and Help desk number to call ITS to come fix it.  Also please let me know so that I can warn others who teach in that room.  We have an emergency moveable cart with a laptop and a projector on it if it comes to that.  The directions are on the cart, which is located in the slide library – or better yet see Jenn Ball or Rachel Kousser who all know how to set this up as it will likely be a last minute switch to this equipment.

DVD/VCR:

  • All classrooms are outfitted with a DVD and VCR player in the podium with the computer.

ARTstor

  • We have ARTstor on campus and the OIV is located on the computers if you wish to use that.

Miscellaneous

  • No chalk in your classroom?

    • There is spare chalk in the Art Office and Jenn has some in her office as well.
  • If you are sick/unable to attend class:

    • First try calling the main office and secondarily, Kathy Smith in the grad art office.  If you are unable to get them, text call me or another faculty member who works on your day. Please always also make the chair aware that you are sick in the event some administrator comes calling or if a student complains. Your attendance is taken very seriously and please be on-time.
  • Keys! You need keys for the classrooms:

    • Get them in advance of the semester from Steve Margolies.  He will also give you a classroom orientation.
  • Office:

    • Where can I work/meet with students? There is space in the slide library for you to sit at a desk while you are in. There are computers there for you and a scanner. Alternatively, the inner room of the Meier Bernstein library can also be used when it is open.

Contact info:

  • Make sure that Izzy (art office) and Steve Margolies (for technical problems and updates) have your email address.  Also, it’s a good idea to get on the Brooklyn College Art department Facebook page so that you are aware of department activities to announce to your students.

Recruitment:

  • For those of you teaching ARTD 1010, your class is the first class that any major must take.  If you have a good student or even just a very enthusiastic student, please let them know that they do good work and encourage them to take more art history.  Students are hesitant to major in art history for various reasons – often their parents tell them it’s impractical – but they love it and a little encouragement from a professor would help.  For us it is the best way to get solid majors in the department.

Cheating

  • A fact of life at Brooklyn (frankly, at all colleges) is that cheating happens and is fairly rampant.  The school’s policy is not as clear as it should be but it is improving. However, we recommend that you make your feelings about cheating and the repercussions for your class very clear on your syllabus, printed assignments and at the top of tests.  The Art Department recommends failure of the assignment for cheating (test or paper), but it is entirely up to you. Also, many students do not fully understand what plagiarism is and many know full well what it is but will try to tell you that they didn’t know.  Please explain fully what plagiarism is for every assignment and make clear that it will not be tolerated; again explain exactly what will happen if they are caught to prevent arguments later.
    Brooklyn College requires that the cheating policy be printed on all syllabi

“The faculty and administration of Brooklyn College support an environment free from cheating and plagiarism. Each student is responsible for being aware of what constitutes cheating and plagiarism and for avoiding both.  The complete text of the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy and the Brooklyn College procedure for implementing that policy can be found at this site: http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/bc/policies.  If a faculty member suspects a violation of academic integrity and, upon investigation, confirms that violation, or if the student admits the violation, the faculty member MUST report the violation.”
– Brooklyn policy on Academic Integrity

  • If you have any issues with cheating and are not sure how to handle it or just want to discuss it, please feel free to contact me (Jenn: jball@brooklyn.cuny.edu; 917-528-3758).  Dealing with students can be emotional; sometimes they can be threatening; often they push around new instructors; sometimes the instructor makes a genuine mistake.  Whatever the situation, we will support you.

Writing

  • The art major is a “writing-intensive” major, which means that the teaching of writing is a priority in all of our classes.  In our upper level classes, students MUST be assigned at least 10 pages of writing – in one assignment or multiple assignments.
  • In ARTD 1010, they MUST learn how to write a basic visual analysis and comparison.  A 1-2 page paper is fine; we understand that this is a lot to grade and have some tips below for helping minimize the impact.
  • You could also do this writing in the form of other shorter assignments or essays on tests.
  • For all classes, writing intensive also means that the students have opportunity to improve their writing: this can mean that students are allowed to rewrite, or that they write a paper in stages and get feedback. It could also mean that they meet with the professor to discuss their writing or get extensive feedback to use for the next assignment.
  • If you need help devising assignments, check the Dropbox created for this purpose and Jenn would be happy to discuss your assignments.

10 Tips for assigning papers in large classes:

  1. Create a staggered deadline so that you aren’t grading 50 papers at once, e.g. if they write a response to a gallery talk at a museum, have them turn it in as soon as they have seen a talk during the semester.
  2. Create incentives for students to hand it in early.  Give an early deadline and let those students rewrite if they wish and then have a second deadline for those who do not wish to rewrite.
  3. Have a few assignments with different deadlines and let students choose which assignment they want.
  4. Assign students a deadline based on their last name.
  5. Create an assignment with a deadline early in the semester so that it does not coincide with grading a midterm or final.
  6. Have students edit each other’s papers in class and then hand it in, minimizing grammatical errors.  Or have them choose a writing partner who reads and signs off on their paper before it gets turned into you.
  7. Assign 2 or 3 extremely short assignments – such as 2-paragraph comparisons that can be graded easily.
  8. Hand extremely bad papers back to students without grading them and send them to the Writing Tutors immediately – don’t waste your time with illegible papers.
  9. Be strict about paper-length – sometimes good writers assume that it’s ok to write over your limit because the writing is good; tell students in advance that they will be marked down for this or you will find yourself with a lot of extra work.
  10. Set deadlines for papers when you have the time to do grading (i.e. you don’t have grading for your other classes, a conference paper to write or work in your own classes, etc.).  In addition, if you teach more than one class, be sure not to pile up assignments from different sections.

Important dates:

  • The first day of classes and all holidays and conversion days can be found on Brooklyn’s website, choose calendar at the top of the homepage and then choose Academic calendar.
  • Please also check for religious holidays for the fall (October typically for Jewish holidays and check in on the first/last night of Ramadan, and Diwali as you should not schedule exams during these classes.
  • Finally, it is good to include on your syllabus the official date by which one must withdraw from the class without penalty.

Writing Tutors

  • We have been lucky enough to get writing tutors just for art historians who keep hours in the library – send anyone their way!  When I confirm that we have them for next semester I will send you their info.

Important contacts: