COVID-19 Accommodations

Last updated: 9/9/2021 9:30am

 

FALL 2021 Announcements

CE STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS HAVE RELOCATED

We were able to move all of the clubs into larger rooms! Engineers Without Borders can now be found in Steinman CM18. All of the CE student organizations (ASCE, Concrete Canoe, Chi Epsilon, CIOB, DFI, NYWEA, SEoNY, and Steel Bridge) can be found in Steinman CM8. 

 

OFFICE HOURS FOR FACULTY AND TAs

Coming soon ... 

Starting TH 9/9/21 (after the holiday and break) Prof Wittig's office hours are 10-11am on TU (virtual), and WE and TH (virtual and in person) or by appointment.

 

FREE AUTOCAD WORKSHOPS

CE will be offering workshops on Autocad this year. Both workshops will be led by Prof. Diane Reid and will be free. These are intended for students who want to brush up on their Autocad skills and extend them to 3D Autocad. Students need to have already completed CE 209 in order to attend the workshops. Pre-registration is required. Please check your email for the announcement.

  • Fall 2021 2D Autocad Refresher workshop - date postponed due to Hurricane Ida
  • Winter 2021 3D Autocad Tutorial workshop - date TBD 

 

JOIN OUR CESTUDENT SLACK PAGE

Students are encouraged to join, and post/answer questions, and announce activities. The department will answer posted questions and also post announcements for internships, jobs and scholarship opportunities. Sign up here https://join.slack.com/t/cestudents/shared_invite/zt-uyxnl2jr-oHIgq0AHMRaNKbchH7~JFg and feel free to add a profile picture.

 

CE TOWNHALLS 

Next townhall is on TH September 9th 12:30-1:30pm in Zoom (https://ccny.zoom.us/j/996369972684​​ or call 646-558-8656 and enter Meeting ID: 963 6997 2684). Notes will be shared here.

MO August 9th 12-1pm Townhall - in Zoom (https://ccny.zoom.us/j/996369972684​​ or call 646-558-8656 and enter Meeting ID: 963 6997 2684). Notes are shared below. 

  • This fall, all CE courses will be "hybrid" which means that they will have an online component and an in person component. Your instructors will tell you the breakdown of in person and online activities. We will continue to record online class sessions but in person class sessions will not be recorded. 
  • Students must be fully vaccinated by CUNY's deadline in order to enroll (and stay in) a hybrid or in person course this semester. Check out CUNY's vaccination website for their policies about vaccination, exemptions, etc: https://www.cuny.edu/coronavirus/faqs/.
  • Students can get their IDs by coming to campus with a mask, their vaccination card, and an official ID (like a license). Students can gain access to any building on campus once they get the gold round vaccination sticker. Students who are not vaccinated may come to campus, but they need to bring a recent CUNY COVID test result, wear a mask, and socially distance.  
  • Club activities on campus will be permitted this semester but students need to socially distance and be vaccinated.
  • The college plans to make several large rooms available for students who are on campus for in person classes to attend online classes.
  • As of fall 2020, ENGR 101 was replaced by CE 101. The last semester that students are allowed to take ENGR 101 is spring 2020; as of fall 2020, all CE students must take CE 101. If you took ENGR 101 before fall 2020, it will satisfy the CE 101 requirement. CE 101 is a fall only course and is a co-requisite for CE 315, CE 332 and CE 350. 
  • If you are still trying to enroll in a CE course that is closed, please complete the online overtally form located on the CE website under Academics/Student Information/Student Resources. 

 

SPRING 2021 Announcements

JOIN OUR CESTUDENT SLACK PAGE

Students are encouraged to join, and post/answer questions, and announce club activities. Department will answer questions and post announcements for internships, jobs and scholarship opportunities. 

 

CUNY CRISIS COUNSELING (added 2/25/2021)

CUNY is now offering students free crisis counseling access via the Crisis Text Line. Text CUNY to 741741 to connect confidentially with a trained Crisis Counselor 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

 

CE TOWNHALLS (modified 2/18/2021) 

A townhall was held on February 18th 12:30-1:30pm in Zoom (https://ccny.zoom.us/j/96206353170​​ or call 646-558-8656 and enter Meeting ID: 962 0635 3170). Notes are shared below. 

12:30-1:15pm   Announcements followed by CE Student Townhall led by Prof Wittig
1:15-2pm          CE Student Council Townhall (no faculty)

CE STUDENT TOWNHALL ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • "CEstudent" Slack - Students are encouraged to join, and post/answer questions, and announce club activities. Department will answer questions and post announcements for internships, jobs and scholarship opportunities. 
  • Curriculum changes - Students were reminded of the recent changes announced last year including replacement of ENGR 101 with CE 101 (fall only course that is co-requisite to CE 315, CE 332 and CE 350), and option for multidisciplinary students to take one CE or ENGR elective from the list for the structural, transportation or environmental specializations.
  • Virtual study hall - This is open MO-TH 12:30-3pm. All students are welcome to use this resource. Breakout rooms are available for specific courses. 
  • FE info session - CE students who are within 20 credits of graduating can pass the FE licensing exam to fulfill the CE 401 requirement. This info session is intended for students who are 20-30 credits away from graduating to prepare to prepare for the exam. The info session will be held March 4th 12:30-1:30pm at Zoom ID 9620 635 3170. Note: NCEES testing centers are at limited capacity and so students intending to take the exam should sign up 3+ months in advance. 
  • Summer workshops - CE will offer an optional workshop on the Revit 3D software used in industry this summer. Since it requires knowledge of Autocad, we will precede the Revit workshop with an Autocad refresher workshop. These workshops do not fulfill any degree requirements but they will expose you to software that you won't learn about elsewhere in the curriculum. Details TBD.
  • Career and professional development institute - Register with CPDI when you start the program to get help with resumes and interviewing, and access to internship and job listings. 
  • Next year - At this point in time, we are planning for in person classes in the Fall. This will be decided during the summer based on COVID positivity rates in NYC. We will be in person only if it is safe to do so.
  • Schedule this semester - This semester we attempted to make everyone’s schedules more compact and to eliminate Friday classes when possible.

Poll 1: How is this new schedule working for you?                  Poll 2: How are your CE online courses going this semester?
29%    Great                                                                             5%    Great
67%     Good                                                                            81%   Good
5%    Some issues                                                                   19%   Some issues

  • Mentoring program - This year, we have been speaking with alumni who want to develop a mentoring program for current students. 

Poll 3: Who would you want to be your mentor?                      Poll 4: What kind of mentorship would you be interested in?
38%    A senior                                                                         52%    Advice about how to succeed in the program
62%    A recent graduate of the program                                 43%    Curriculum advice including electives
71%    A seasoned professional                                               52%    Staying motivated
                                                                                                 67%    Resume and interview advice
                                                                                                 81%    Career advice

CE STUDENT TOWNHALL COMMENTS

  • Mentoring Program - There was a suggestion to break the mentorship program into phases such that lowerclassmen could get advice from upperclassmen, juniors could get advice from recent graduates and seniors could get advice from seasoned professionals. There was also a request to have faculty participate as mentors as well – in part to provide advice about graduate school - since students’ academic advisor sometimes changes throughout their time in the program. In addition to the polled topics, several students requested mentoring about opportunities within CE and on the connections between the specializations. Dr. Wittig noted that CE 101 does some of this, but that not every student has taken CE 101 since it is a recent curricular change.  Students did want a mechanism to meet other students. Dr. Wittig noted that while a mentoring program could do this, the student clubs also do this well (for those students who choose to participate). 
  • CE-101 - There was a request to offer CE 101 in both semesters. However, CE 101's requisites are flexible and allow it to be taken in a student's 1st or 2nd semester of CE courses without causing a delay. Students who delay beyond that will delay their graduation because it is offered only in Fall, it is a co-requisite to CE 315, CE 332 and CE 350, and it will be scheduled against junior/senior courses starting in Fall 2022. Students who already took ENGR 101 do not need to also take CE 101, but students who want to learn the content can self-study the textbook (an ASCE publication) and attend the panels of outside speakers even if they are not enrolled in the course.
  • Summer Workshops - These workshops will be free or low cost. We will finalize this and the offering schedule later this semester. 

 

FALL 2020 Announcements

COLLEGE DISTANCE LEARNING RESOURCES (added 12/3)

https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/it/distance-learning-resources-support-direct…

 

TUTORING (added 8/29)

The CE Department is formalizing a tutoring program this semester. All core undergraduate courses have been assigned a tutor - The tutor's schedules will be shared by the end of the 2nd week of classes. In some cases, the tutor may also be grading assignments and so can also be contacted for questions about grading.

 

VIRTUAL STUDY HALL (added 9/3)

Our virtual study hall is Mondays through Thursdays at 12:30-3pm at https://ccny.zoom.us/j/96239016878.

All students are welcome. In the study hall, you can stay in the main room or you can move into a breakout room to study a particular course with your friends or classmates. To do this, just tell the moderator (Mr. Kwan) the course number for the room you want to join.

 

CE TOWNHALLS (modified 11/5/20)

A townhall was held on November 5th 12:30-1:30pm in Zoom. Notes are shared below.

12:30-1:15pm   Announcements followed by CE Student Townhall led by Prof Wittig
1:15-2pm          CE Student Council Townhall (no faculty)

CE STUDENT TOWNHALL ANNOUNCEMENTS
How CUNY policies are created
The NY Governor, CUNY Board of Trustees and Chancellor of CUNY set the policies. The policy decisions are informed by our union and by work-groups trying to fully understand issues before setting policies. Given COVID, there are many new policies to develop – some of which are evolving as CUNY better understands the issues: Sharing video and audio in class, Proctoring, Privacy.

Current CUNY COVID policies
Sharing video and audio in class: This requires your consent. If you do not want to be recorded during a live class, do not share your video. If you have concerns over videos recorded before you were aware of this policy, please reach out to your instructor to understand how the videos will be handled. 
Proctoring using shared audio and video: This is only permitted if students were notified before the semester began or if it was listed as a requirement on the syllabus. The CE Department announced this requirement by email twice before the semester began (to CE students) and through a prominently displayed post on our website last spring (all students).

Why proctoring?
Civil engineers work to develop and maintain public works and to protect public health and safety.
Incompetency can:  Lead to catastrophic harm to public health and safety; Impair your ability to advance in the program and graduate; and Damage our reputation and jeopardize our accreditation and therefore your ability to get a job and to get licensed. Therefore we need to proctor our tests to ensure your competency and to protect the interests of all students.

Your privacy
Your privacy is important to us. ​Faculty and teaching assistants all work with sensitive student information on a regular basis – like transcripts and now exam videos. They know to: Delete sensitive information once its purpose has been fulfilled; and Use one of the secure platforms CUNY provides to transfer the information as needed.

Concerns for this semester
These are stressful times. 

  • Please take care of your health: give yourself breaks, get good sleep, exercise, and socialize. 
  • Seek help with the CCNY Wellness Center if you need it. 
  • Set reasonable expectations for yourself so you do not burn out.  
  • Get academic help when you need it (and even when you don’t): Attend office hours and take advantage of the virtual study hall (details for both are on our COVID page).
  • If you have an issue, please talk to your instructor directly and make suggestions that might help you. We are all learning how to manage online classes and your suggestions are helpful. I have no authority over how instructors administer their courses. 

Things to think about for next semester

  • We are planning to be 100% online again. Please take fewer courses in Spring if Fall is proving to be stressful.
  • Recent changes to the curriculum: 
    • Multidisciplinary students may now take 1 elective outside of the list of specialization core courses for the other 3 specializations, including CE 51003 independent study.
    • New course “Design of Wood Structures” counts as a specialization elective for structures students and multidisciplinary students; Contact Prof Davalos with any questions. 
  • If you are graduating at the end of Spring 2021:
    • Enroll in CE 301 in Spring to fulfill the ENGR 101 requirement (only option for seniors).
    • Take the FE exam to fulfill the CE 401 requirement. Register now because testing centers are at limited capacity. We will have a FE info session later this semester.

CE STUDENT TOWNHALL COMMENTS
Online teaching 
A number of students voiced frustration over the weight of exams in the final grade and how the exams are administered and graded. Instructors have the discretion to determine how a student's grade will be computed, including what types of student work will be included. This information should be on the syllabus given to students at the beginning of the semester. Instructors also have the discretion to determine how exams are administered and graded. Since your instructors are still developing their online teaching strategies, students are welcome to share their suggestions with their instructors directly. One suggestion that was made was to ask instructors to favor having more lower-weight problems on a test rather than a few higher-weight problems.

Summer and Winter Classes
There was a request to offer CE courses over the summer and winter breaks. The department tried this in the past, but found that students did very poorly because of the challenge of the material and not being able to keep up. One student suggested that students should take all of their non-CE courses during these breaks. This may allow students to clear their schedules for internships and other activities. 

Summer Bridge
There was a request for tutoring during the summer to help students prepare for their CE courses. The department will look into this. The Dean's office already conducts a summer bridge program for mathematics for new students. Another student suggested to use internet resources which are prolific nowadays. 

Credit/No Credit
At this point in time, CUNY is not permitting students to change their letter grade in a course to credit or no credit for the fall 2020 semester. 

 

CE STUDENT SLACK SITE (added 10/16/20)

I created a Slack site for you! Please feel free to add channels to customize it to your needs. I have created several channels to start us off that you are welcome to join, including #ce-townhalls, #ce-semester-fa20-matters, #ce-semester-sp21-matters, #ce-graduate-student-matters, #ce-student-clubs, #college-pandemic-response, #ce-chi-epsilon, and #ce-student-council. ​

I know I don't need to say this, but I'll say it anyways: please use clean communication when posting to this site - be supportive and respect the opinions of others. 

 

CHANGES TO CUNY'S REMOTE PROCTORING POLICY (added 10/14/20)

If you have a concern or suggestion about your instructor's policies, please bring them directly to your instructors.  

There has been some back and forth at the college level on the subject of proctoring of online exams. I apologize for any confusion that this has caused. Excerpts from the current policy are shown below. You can find the complete policy here: https://www.cuny.edu/coronavirus/academic-continuity/guidance-on-academic-continuity-to-campuses/.

"Distance Learning Platforms, Proctoring, Tools & Resources: Remote Proctoring Solutions 

The University has secured the services of Proctortrack as an online proctoring solution and is working hard to have this solution enabled and accessible for use by faculty and students by mid to late October. The decision to implement Proctortrack came after a thoughtful, purposeful approach toward securing an online proctoring solution that would best balance the safety of our campus communities, the data privacy issues of our students, and the integrity of our academic programs per the recommendations of our system-wide task force charged to provide forward-looking recommendations for Fall 2020.

it is important to note that the online proctoring tool may only be required if the course description or course syllabus noted that they might be used, allowing students to make an informed decision about enrolling in that course. No other student can be compelled to agree to the terms and conditions of proctoring solutions procured by the University, Colleges, Programs, and/or those which may be bundled in with specific textbooks."

In order to ensure fairness for all students, the civil engineering faculty decided last spring to require that "students share audio and video of their workspace for the duration of an exam or their exam will not be graded". This was announced to all civil engineering students several times prior to the beginning of the semester by email and posted to our website since last spring. As a result, all civil engineering instructors are permitted to require that you share audio and video during your tests. Civil engineering faculty who stated additional proctoring elements on their syllabi are also permitted to use them to ensure fairness during test taking. 

 

CHANGES TO CUNY'S RECORDING OF REMOTE CLASSES POLICY (new as of 10/14/20)

There has also been some back and forth at the college level on the subject of student privacy during class time. Excerpts from the current policy are shown below. You can find the complete policy here: https://www.cuny.edu/coronavirus/academic-continuity/guidance-on-academic-continuity-to-campuses/.

Academic Policies, Requirements, and Deadlines: Recording of Remote Classes
As is the case with many colleges and universities that have chosen online and distance learning modalities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty utilizing Zoom, Blackboard Collaborate and other digital technology to deliver course curriculum/material must be sensitive to issues of privacy. To that end, faculty offering classes through web conferencing digital technology like Zoom must not record a student in a class session without the student’s consent. Similarly, CUNY discourages students from recording the sessions unless such recording is part of a reasonable accommodation under the law or is not prohibited by campus policy. To obtain consent, faculty who wish to record their class sessions must provide the following announcement, in emails, and/or class syllabus, to enrolled students and verbally at the opening of the first class session:

Students who participate in this class with their camera on or use a profile image are agreeing to have their video or image recorded solely for the purpose of creating a record for students enrolled in the class to refer to, including those enrolled students who are unable to attend live. If you are unwilling to consent to have your profile or video image recorded, be sure to keep your camera off and do not use a profile image. Likewise, students who un-mute during class and participate orally are agreeing to have their voices recorded. If you are not willing to consent to have your voice recorded during class, you will need to keep your mute button activated and communicate exclusively using the “chat” feature, which allows students to type questions and comments live.”​​

 

STUDENT RESOURCES (new as of 10/6/20)

The college has put together a document of resources for the CCNY community during the pandemic, that addresses the following topics: 

  • CCNY Distance Learning Resources
  • COVID-19 Testing
  • Health Care
  • Stress, Anxiety Management, and Self-Care
  • How to Help your Family
  • Financial Assistance
  • Disabilities
  • Food
  • Housing
  • Other Resources
  • Volunteer Opportunities

 

STUDENT-FACULTY MIXER (new as of 8/29/20)

Our annual student-faculty mixer was held on TH 9/3 12-1pm - link to recording 

Agenda

11:55am    Begin to assemble at main Zoom link (TBA)
12:00pm    Welcome (Dr. Beth Wittig, Chair of CE Department)
                  Introductions, info about recent curriculum changes, web resources, tutoring and study halls, and scholarship opportunities 
12:03pm    Info about research opportunities (Dr. Alison Conway)
12:06pm    Info about the Dean’s office (TBA)
12:09pm    Info about Chi Epsilon (Dr. Alison Conway)
12:12pm    Info about the CE student council (Mr. Michael Rivera) - What we do, upcoming elections
12:15pm    Info about student clubs - What each club does, how to join

  • ASCE 
  • Concrete Canoe 
  • Deep Foundation Institute 
  • Engineers Without Borders
  • NY Water Environment Association
  • Structural Engineers Association of NY

12:30pm    Breakout into Zoom rooms (TBA) for socializing or directed questions – feel free to jump around

  • Followup/socializing around your questions about CE and the Dean's office 
  • Followup/socializing around graduate studies for current and prospective students
  • Followup/socializing around research opportunities
  • Followup/socializing around student council
  • Followup/socializing around student clubs

12:48pm   Reconvene at main Zoom link (TBA)
12:50pm   Advice from graduating seniors
12:55pm   Class picture
1:00pm     Adjourn

CE Student Mixer

 

EXPECTATIONS FOR ONLINE TEACHING/LEARNING FOR ONLINE COURSES (new as of 7/20)

The CE faculty are committed to do the following to provide a robust online learning experience for our students:

  1. Faculty will provide recordings of their lectures, either pre-recorded or live-recorded.
  2. Graded work will be returned in a timely manner with comments.
  3. Faculty will conduct all or some of the class “live”.

Students will also be expected to do their part and:

  1. Share audio and video of their workspace for the duration of an exam or their exam will not be graded.
  2. Behave honorably.
  3. Participate in class and stay on top of the course deliverables. 
  4. Ask for help when they need it - whether from instructors or TAs (office hours schedule to be shared at the start of the semester).

 

OFFICE HOURS (new as of 8/31)

The office hours of all CE faculty and tutors/teaching assistants can be found here: (TBA this week)

You can access the Chair of the Department, Prof Wittig, MO-FR 9am-5pm by email and MO, WE, and FR 11am-12:30pm by Zoom. Please drop by to say hello or to ask a question.   

 

ONLINE OFFICES  

These offices can be accessed MO-FR 10am-4pm from on any device. To access audio-video through Zoom, simply click on the link listed below for the office you wish to visit. For audio only, dial 646-558-8656 and enter the meeting ID for the appropriate office.

Admissions
Access our virtual front desk by making a Service Appointment through our website:
https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/admissions

Bursar Office
bursaroffice@ccny.cuny.edu  or 212-650-7000

Career and Professional Development Institute
Zoom: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/9073173851
Phone: 646 558 8656: meeting ID: 907-317-3851
To schedule an appointment with your career counselor, please visit CCNY Career Connections

CCNY Writing Center 
bit.ly/ccnywritingcenter

Financial Aid Office
Zoom: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/2126506656
Phone: 646 558 8656: meeting ID: 212-650-6656

Gateway Academic Center
Zoom: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/2126506115
Phone: 646 558 8656: meeting ID: 212-650-6115

Registrar
Zoom: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/2126507850
Phone: 646 558 8656: meeting ID: 212-650-7850

Student Affairs
Zoom: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/2126505426
Phone: 646 558 8656: meeting ID: 212-650-5426

Testing Office
Zoom: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/2126506488
Phone: 646 558 8656: meeting ID: 212-650-6488

 

SUMMER 2020 Announcements

UPDATE ABOUT FALL INSTRUCTION (new as of 7/20)

Out of an abundance of caution for the health of our students, staff and faculty, and the people they live with, all CE courses will be 100% online in the fall, barring the roll out of a vaccine or herd immunity (neither of which are expected during fall). This includes labs and exams. The *only* exception to this will be if a vaccine becomes available or if NYC experiences herd immunity, both of which are very unlikely to occur in fall. 

The Governor and Board of Trustees have not yet decided whether students will be permitted to come to campus for any services or for student club activities.

 

TOWN HALL (new as of 7/10)

We will have two town halls over the summer to provide a forum for asking questions about fall. 

Notes from TU June 21 12-1pm townhall   

  • What can we expect for fall? Out of an abundance of caution for the health of our students, staff and faculty, all CE courses will be conducted 100% online in the fall. This includes labs and exams. Faculty will proctor the online exams so that they can accurately assess student learning while eliminating any unfair advantage gained by using prohibited resources. Students should expect their faculty to explain to them how their exams will be conducted and proctored. Proctoring will be done in as fair and stress-free of a manner as possible. The Governor and Board of Trustees have not yet decided whether students will be permitted to come to campus for any services or for student club activities.
  • Will graduate courses with low enrollment be cancelled? We will do our best to retain our current schedule. Courses that are taught by full time faculty or that are required are not at risk unless there are only a couple students enrolled. Please tell your peers to enroll now so that courses aren't in danger of cancellation.   
  • Will student club activities be online in the fall? Yes, anything that can be done virtually should be done virtually. We will reach out to the club eboards to see what they have planned for fall and to encourage activity. 
  • CE 101 Intro to CE questions  If you have already taken ENGR 101, then you do not need to also take CE 101. But, if you have not already taken ENGR 101, please enroll in CE 101 this fall. This course replaces the ENGR 101 requirement for anyone who has not taken ENGR 101 yet -- freshmen and transfer students. Given how important this course is, we have discontinued the 1 credit independent study and CE 301 Policy and Design. CE 101 will be taught by Prof. Conway and will be a very thorough and interesting introduction to the CE profession, including career paths, and our curriculum. 
    • CE 101 will be moved to Friday 10:30am - 1:30pm to remove the conflict with CE 326. Students who have already fulfilled the ENGR 101 requirement are welcome to attend select lectures (Prof. Conway will distribute the schedule at the beginning of the semester). 
  • Online help in the fall  We have assigned TAs for many undergraduate courses in the fall so that you have more options of how to get help. It is very important to us that you do well in your classes and that you get the help you need. We understand that it can be harder to stay on top of coursework in an online mode and to connect with faculty for your questions. We hope that every student will act pro-actively and take advantage of the TA office hours to get their questions answered. 
  • The CE Academic Integrity Policy has been updated  It was updated to reflect the GSOE policy that cheating, collaboration or the use of prohibited resources during any quiz or exam result in a failing grade in the course. You can find the updated policy here: https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/civileng/academic-policies.  
  • Parting thoughts: This is a stressful time so please take care of yourselves. and so if you need help, please ask for it. 

 

Notes from TU August 11 12-1pm townhall 

  • What will be open on campus to students?  Many student services will remain virtual, including the Registrar, Admissions, Financial Aid and the Dean's office. While the campus reopening plan is still in draft form, it is likely that libraries will be closed for browsing and studying, but students can still request materials using the library's web form. It is also likely that the Tech Center will be open for limited in person activities. 
  • Will student be permitted to come to campus for student club activities?   The college is discouraging any unnecessary convening of students. Student clubs should contact their national organizations to understand if competitions will occur this year and if so, in what form. If the competitions require in person activities, such as constructing a canoe or steel bridge, then those clubs should work with Prof Wittig to develop procedures for how they will do these activities in a safe manner. All other activities that can be done remotely should be done remotely. This includes seminars and meetings. 
  • Is there a department wide standard protocol for exams?  The college has not announced whether a remote proctoring solution will be made available, and so faculty are left to decide how to administer a fair exam to all students. That said, the department's policies for exams include that: 
    • Each faculty will explain how their exams will be conducted and will give students a chance to view or do a demo if the exam requires specialized software (for example, for screen recording). 
    • Students may be expected to share audio and video of their workspace for the duration of an exam or their exam will not be graded. 
    • Graded work will be returned in a timely manner with comments.
  • When will student holds released so students can register for classes?  Students should contact the entity that has placed the hold on their account to resolve the issue. If the hold is an academic hold, students should meet with Ms. Shuman to review their contracts and submit appeal letters. If they have any questions, they should contact Ms. Shuman directly.
  • Are students permitted to sit in on CE 101 classes?   Yes, Prof. Conway will circulate a detailed schedule soon. Students who have already met their ENGR 101 requirement are welcome to sit in on any class periods that interest them. 
  • If a professor pre-records their lectures, will they also give lectures during the allotted class time?  No. If all of the lectures are pre-recorded, the class time will be used for another purpose besides lecturing, such as answering questions and giving exams. 
  • Will there be a third town hall before classes start?   No. If you have a question, please contact Prof. Wittig directly. 
  • Parting thoughts   Please take care of yourselves in this stressful time. There are still some student loaner computers available - please reach out to iMedia if you are in need of one. Please ask for help if you need it - academic or otherwise - and we will do our best to help you.

 

SPRING 2020 Announcements

VIRTUAL "GRADUATION" CEREMONY (new as of 6/3)

June 5th, 12pm-~12:45pm
General GSOE ceremony for the full school of engineering
View live at https://youtu.be/OnYcJjMa0Fs

At this event, the President and Provost of the college will speak, medalists and graduates in the honors programs will be announced, the names of graduating PhDs students will be read aloud, the GSOE valedictorian and salutatorian will give addresses, the order of the engineer oath will be taken, and the Department Chairs will give very brief addresses.

June 5th, ~12:45-~1:45pm
CE-specific ceremony for all Class of 2020 bachelor’s, master’s and PhD students together with their faculty and staff:
Join by Zoom at https://ccny.zoom.us/j/94124876043 or by phone by calling 646-558-8656 and using Meeting ID: 941 2487 6043

At this event, the CE Chairperson will speak, students who received awards in the past year will be announced, the names of all registered graduating CE students will be read aloud, and faculty, staff, graduates and their guests will all have a chance to make remarks. 

 

ONLINE TEST TAKING SUGGESTIONS (new as of 5/18))

For those of you experiencing technical issues during exams, the college has provided these suggestions: 

  • Be on a strong wi-fi bandwith
  • Avoid mobile hotspots as they can be unreliable
  • Use Firefox or Google Chrome

 

SHIFTED EXPECTATIONS AND COURSE ADMINISTRATION (new as of 4/27)

As you all know, the shift from in person to online learning was abrupt and required massive changes to all aspects of your courses. Some activities could not be translated to an online platform without major adaptation, like hands on laboratory experiments. The adaptation of some activities, like exams, is still a work in progress. And so we appreciate your patience while faculty learn the new tools and adapt their teaching approaches to a virtual environment. All changes will be communicated to you in writing. If you have questions about a change a faculty has made, please talk with your faculty directly. 

With respect to exams: Our goal is to deliver fair tests that give students the chance to show what they have learned and that allow us to ensure competancy - for the safety of the public if not the reputation of the profession and the college. In in-person instruction, we administer exams in-person to provide a mechanism for students to ask questions but also to ensure the academic integrity of all students. In online instruction, exams are still typically administered in a proctored environment. There is no model for testing of accredited B.E. programs in fully online learning, and so the college is working hard to ensure that any proctoring approach they adapt is effective but also fair. Unfortunately this means that until the college releases a policy, faculty are left to figure out how to effectively but fairly proctor mid-term exams. Some things you may be asked to do during an exam (unless the college adopts a different policy) include: 

  • Sign a honor code before beginning your exam
  • Share video feed that shows your person and workspace (note: any video that is recorded during this process will be deleted at the end of the semester) 
  • Take an exam that is too long to complete in the allotted time - such exams are not intended to be completed in order for a student to receive full credit

In short, until the college has fully worked out their policies for all aspects of remote teaching, please be prepared for changes to expectations and methods. We will do our best to minimize changes, to make all changes as fair as possible, to fully explain the changes to you, and to give you a chance to ask questions about the changes. 

 

CHANGES TO GRADING (new as of 4/23)

CUNY just released guidance on many COVID-related issues including the selection of the Credit/No credit option https://www.cuny.edu/cuny-continuity/cuny-continuity-for-students/#grade-policy

Credit / No credit - Students may request to replace a letter grade in one or more completed courses with Credit (for A, B, C, D letter grades) or No credit (for F letter grade). On your transcript, "credit" will show in place of the grade (credit option) or the course will not appear at all (no credit option). Students may request this option up until 20 days following the grade due date for grades earned in the Spring 2020 semester (only). This decision rests solely with the student (in any course taken at the college, including engineering courses) and the request is made through CUNY First (details to follow).

Students should carefully weigh the pros and cons before deciding because the change is permanent and cannot be reversed afterwards. International students and students on financial aid should review the above guidance and consult with advisors in these offices before making this decision. Students who use this option to change a D to Credit in courses that require a C minimum grade to advance will be allowed to advance but are strongly discouraged from doing so because they are guaranteed to struggle mightily in (and possibly not pass) subsequent courses. Please read the above guidance for more information. If you still have questions about CR/NC, please contact  crnc@ccny.cuny.edu . 

Incompletes - Students who are doing okay in a course but are unable to keep up due to a medical or family emergency should seriously consider requesting an INC in the course. This temporarily stops the clock on the course. Any grades you have already earned will still stand. When you are able to complete the rest of your work, you notify your instructor. The remaining work must be completed before the fall semester in order to advance in the program. The deadline for finalizing incompletes has been extended to the last day of classes in the Fall 2020 semester.

Although students have until the last day of classes in Fall 2020 to complete coursework, please keep in mind that students who do not complete their coursework by the beginning of the Fall 2020 semester will not be able to advance to any next level courses. Also, the Credit/No credit option is only available 20 days past the Spring 2020 grade due date. And so taking more than 20 days to complete coursework will also prevent you from being able to change a letter grade to Credit or No credit. (Added 5/14) 

Graduating seniors should make the decision to get an INC very carefully. If your coursework is not completed before graduation certifications are due, you will need to reapply to graduate once you have a grade - possibly in the summer or fall, depending upon when you complete the work. (Added 5/14) 

Withdrawal - Students who are not doing well in a course may also withdraw from it. The college has extended the deadline to do this until the last day of classes. The transcript will show that the course was attempted by placing a "W" where the grade would normally be. This option does not affect your GPA or QPA, but students may only withdraw from (or fail) a course 3 times before being dismissed from a program. 

 

TOWN HALLS (new as of 4/23/20)

Notes from Thursday 4/23/20 12:30-1:30pm townhall

Thank you to all of the students who attended our town hall today. Some of the questions raised at it are summarized here:

  • What is the CE Department doing to improve the passing rate in CE 231, CE 264 and CE 332? Please know that your success is very important to us. CE students have chosen one of the most challenging majors at the college. This coupled with the fact that many students enter the GSOE underprepared, can make these lower level courses seem unsurmountable. But they are not, and being proactive and taking charge of your education is critical to excelling in engineering. By this I mean take advantage of all of the opportunities that we have created to help you learn: attend and actively participate in class, attend the office hours of your instructor and their teaching assistants, and really take the time to muddle through your assignments. 
  • Will fees be reimbursed since classes are online? The CUNY Board of Directors is considering a partial refund for this spring semester and will make a decision on this in the next few weeks. 
  • Will the advisement holds be removed earlier for students who are on probation? No
  • I am having problems with technology at home (computer programs, exams, etc). Please make sure your instructor knows this. If you need a computer that is compatible with some of the programs you need to use in your classes, please request a loaner through the link given below (under Emergency Student Resources). If you are unable to address your issues by talking with your instructor or by getting a loaner, please complete the survey so we are aware of your issues https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/52B93XY.
  • How does the credit/no credit option work? Will choosing the credit/no credit option affect me negatively? It might. Please read the above guidance before you make that decision. 
  • How does an INC work? Please see above.
  • Will there be a GSOE graduation ceremony at the end of this semester? This is being considered. Please monitor your email for updates. 
  • Will there be a virtual job fair? The CCNY Career and Professional Development Institute held one 3-weeks ago. It is likely that they will hold another one. Please monitor your email for announcements.
  • What internship options are there? This is something that is up to the firms/agencies. Please scan their websites to see if they have found a way to physical distance in the workplace. 
  • Will CE 401 (FE review course) be offered this summer? We do not currently have a plan to offer it again over the summer since we are offering it this semester. VUE testing locations are likely to reopen during the summer but at a more limited capacity so that they can maintain physical distancing guidelines and so students are encouraged to sign up for a testing date now. 
  • Will classes be online in the Fall? It is likely but still undecided. In the meantime, CUNY has been asked to plan for online, hybrid and in person courses while maintaining physical distancing protocols. 
  • Will classes possibly move from online to in person in the middle of the fall? This is a possibility and the decision will be made by the Governor. 
  • Will courses taught by adjuncts be cancelled due to the budget issues? This is likely to affect other departments more than ours. But, to be safe, students are encouraged to enroll early in any course they want to take. As long as the enrollment is decent or the course is required, there is a good chance that we will be able to offer the class. 
  • Will student housing be available this fall? This is still uncertain. The dorms are not managed by CUNY and not CCNY and so we need to wait for their decision.

 

Notes from Monday 6/1 12-1pm townhall

Thank you to all of the students who attended our town hall today. Some of the questions raised at it are summarized here:

  • Questions about the Credit / No-Credit policy? The CR/NC policy is in effect for spring 2020 only. Within CUNY, CR/NC grades can be used for admission, are transferable, and will allow students to advance in an existing program. Outside of CUNY, students will have to contact the program they are interested in to see. Columbia and NYU, specifically, are allowing students to change their grades to pass/fail this semester – and so they will likely not penalize a CCNY student for choosing CR/NC. Chances are that most other colleges will be sensitive to the fact that spring 2020 occurred during a pandemic. For the same reason, we expect employers to also be flexible with this. Selecting CR/NC will not affect QPA or GPA. It will not affect your ability to sit for the FE either. However, there are some negative affects to consider before making this decision, since the decision is irreversible including: possible financial aid complications, and possible academic preparedness complications (in classes that require a C minimum passing grade, students who replace a D with CR will be at a disadvantage in the next level course. Please see the CUNY guidance at https://www.cuny.edu/cuny-continuity/cuny-continuity-for-students/#grad…. Students who still have questions can contact crnc@ccny.cuny.edu .
  • Are PhD exams this summer going to be administered online? Yes, these exams will be held virtually. Please contact Prof. Krakauer for more details. 
  • Should I still fill out an overtally form even if sections may be combined? Yes and please do this asap. The overtally opened this morning. 
  • Will the Fall semester be online? We are planning for online classes, but the decision will be made by the Board of Trustees and Governor. That said, there is a chance that they may roll back their decision if another outbreak occurs. Even if classes are held in-person, faculty, staff and students will be permitted to attend remotely. We do not anticipate classes to be online forever, although there are some helpful remote technologies that faculty may choose to continue to use even when we return to in-person teaching. 
  • If classes are in-person, what can we expect? Right now we are in phase 1, with only essential people on campus. For Steinman Hall, the only essential people are Louis Hernandez and Dean Barabino. We are currently working on guidelines for phase 2, which will only allow graduate students, staff and faculty on campus and only if their research cannot be conducted remotely; phase 2 is likely to happen this summer. We anticipate that phase 3 will involve in-person instruction and that those guidelines will feature the use of “face covers” on campus and physical distancing, but we have no idea when that may happen. Again, these decisions are made by the Governor and our Board of Directors, and any decisions they make may get rolled back if another outbreak occurs. 
  • How will the budget issues affect Fall courses? We are committed to not letting budget issues impair our educational programs. Every school on campus has been asked to make plans to reduce their budget in light of a reduced budget from NY State. The CE Department is committed to offering as many of our planned courses as possible. Our first approach will be to combine sections in some of the courses with multiple sections. Our next approach will be to reassign faculty to favor using full time faculty over adjunct faculty – where possible. Our last approach will be to cut elective courses that have low enrollment - so please enroll asap - but know that if an elective is cut we will try to offer an alternative course. We should know more within a month. 
  • Will tuition remain the same if classes are fully online? The college has not shared information about this yet.  
  • Will clubs be allowed to work on campus even if classes are online? If students are not allowed on campus, in-person club activities will not be possible. If students are allowed on campus, we expect the college to require physical distancing and the use of PPE. We encourage the clubs to do as much of their activities online as possible. 
  • Have the CE faculty developed policies for online instruction in the Fall? The faculty recently met to discuss the feedback students gave us on the end of course surveys and develop best-practices for online instruction in the fall. While this is a work in progress, the faculty were unified in these policies: (1) Graded student work will be returned promptly, (2) Lectures will be recorded and posted online – either pre-recorded or recorded live lectures, and (3) Students will be asked to share audio and video of their workspace during exams. Faculty were encouraged to prepare their syllabi for fall with the expectation that classes would be fully online so they would not have to make adjustments to them mid-semester.

 

CE CHAIRPERSON OFFICE HOURS (new as of 4/20)

Prof Wittig's office hours are MO WE FR 10:30-12pm. Access audio-video at https://ccny.zoom.us/j/94002639496, or call 646 558 8656 and enter meeting ID 940 0263 9496. Please feel free to drop by if you have a question or just to say hi. 

 

ACCESS TO OFFICES ON CAMPUS (new as of 4/20)

These offices can be accessed MO-FR 10AM-4PM from on any device. Access audio-video through Zoom, simply click on the link listed below for the office you wish to visit. For audio only, dial 646-558-8656 and enter the meeting ID for the appropriate office.

Admissions
Access our virtual front desk by making a Service Appointment through our website:
https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/admissions

Career and Professional Development Institute
Zoom: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/9073173851
Phone: 646 558 8656: meeting ID: 907-317-3851
To schedule an appointment with your career counselor, please visit CCNY Career Connections

Financial Aid Office
Zoom: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/2126506656
Phone: 646 558 8656: meeting ID: 212-650-6656

Gateway Academic Center
Zoom: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/2126506115
Phone: 646 558 8656: meeting ID: 212-650-6115

Registrar
Zoom: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/2126507850
Phone: 646 558 8656: meeting ID: 212-650-7850

Student Affairs
Zoom: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/2126505426
Phone: 646 558 8656: meeting ID: 212-650-5426

Testing Office
Zoom: https://ccny.zoom.us/j/2126506488
Phone: 646 558 8656: meeting ID: 212-650-6488

 

EMERGENCY STUDENT RESOURCES (new as of 4/13, 4/20)

- Free emergency grants https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/health-wellness/emergency-grants-program

- Free loaner laptops https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/it/laptop-loaner-program

 

LET US KNOW HOW YOUR ONLINE COURSES ARE GOING (new as of 3/30)

Please complete this brief survey to let us know how your courses are going: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/52B93XY

 

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE DIAGNOSED WITH COVID-19 (new as of 3/23)

If you have contracted COVID-19 or you have self-quarantine after suspected contact with an infected person, please:

  1. Call the college hotline at 212-650-8801, 212-650-7682 or 212-650-7298, 
  2. Inform your instructor(s) and the CE chairperson, Dr. Beth Wittig ( awittig@ccny.cuny.edu ), and 
  3. Take care, seek medical help as needed, and follow the most current CDC guidelines to keep those around you safe. 

Note: Student identity will be kept strictly confidential.

 

WHAT IS ONLINE (unless the college decides otherwise)

  • All courses are completely online for the rest of the semester. This includes all aspects of CE courses, such as computer or physical labs and all exams. Transitioning to an online platform is not trivial, and so we appreciate your patience during this process. It is likely that your professors will try a number of approaches before settling on the one that works best for them. 
  • All on-campus club activities are suspended. Students are encouraged to use online resources like "Zoom" to meet virtually.
  • All on-campus CE facilities are closed. This includes the CE computer, materials, structures, soils, hydraulics, environmental engineering and concrete labs.
  • Advisement is this month and is online. Your advisor is identified on the Advisor list (see advisement page). Note: Prof Paaswell's email address has changed. Please download and fill out the advisement form (see advisement page) and email it to your advisor. Your advisor will review your form and reply with their comments. They may also contact you by phone or web-conference as warranted. 
  • CE course office hours are online. This file gives the office hours of all of your faculty and teaching assistants (here). 

 

WIRELESS AND COMPUTER RESOURCES

 

ACADEMIC CALENDAR CHANGES

  • Credit/No credit deadline (added on 4/20): Students may opt to change their letter grade to "credit" or "no credit" up until 20 days after grades are due.
  • Pass/fail declaration deadlines and W grade deadlines: These have been extended until the last day of classes on the calendar (May 14th).
  • INC deadlines: The deadline for finalizing incompletes has been extended to the last day of classes in the Fall 2020 semester. 
  • 1st Instructional break: The semester will not be extended to account for either of the 5-day instructional recesses. Instead, faculty have been asked to share the missed lectures online. The academic calendar can be found here: https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/registrar/spring-2020-academic-calendar
  • 2nd Instructional break: The Chancellor has announced a second instructional break that begins on FR 3/27/20 and continues through WE 4/1/20. Online classes will resume on TH 4/2/20. This applies to all courses taken at CCNY, including engineering.
  • Spring break: Spring break will be held WE 4/8/20 through FR 4/10/20. Classes resume on SA 4/11/20. Students who need to miss classes due to religious holidays should contact their instructor(s) to notify them and to arrange for how best to obtain assignments and makeup missed content. 

Please keep monitoring the emails sent from the upper administration of CUNY and CCNY for developments.

 

FE EXAM CANCELLATIONS (updated on 4/13)

Many VUE testing locations nearby to NYC are temporarily closed. If your appointment to take the FE exam this semester was postponed until after the semester is over, please complete this survey so we know who you are. The registrar has agreed to late-enroll students into CE 401. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CE401. Also note: Some VUE testing locations in driving distance of NYC (e.g. Scranton PA) are opening soon and may still have appointments available.  

Last Updated: 09/23/2021 14:04