Colin Powell School
Dear Colin Powell School Students,
I write to share updates and to encourage you to stay in close touch with us at the Colin Powell School via email, phone, and social media as we adjust to social distancing. This has been a difficult week, and we are living through a period of tremendous uncertainty. As we prepare to resume classes remotely tomorrow, our first priority is the health and safety of students, staff and faculty. Toward that end, we have spent the past week retooling courses and adjusting operations. We look forward to being back underway with instruction—albeit remotely—tomorrow.
Some updates:
- Classes resume tomorrow: Thursday, March 19th. You should hear from your instructors about how classes will proceed, what platforms will be used, and how the syllabus will be adjusted. These messages will mostly likely go to your CCNY email address, so please be sure you are checking that every day. If you are unsure about how a class will “meet,” reach out to your instructors. If questions remain, you can check with department chairs and program directors, or with advisers or those of us in the dean’s office. Retooling classes quickly to teach online is not easy, and there will be bumps in the road in the coming days. It is crucial that we communicate. As you have questions, be in touch for answers.
- Advisers are available to you. The Colin Powell School Advising Office is up and running online. For those of you majoring in Colin Powell School programs who are in need of advice or consultation on current classes or about registration decisions for the fall, please be in touch with one of our advisers over email. They are available for email and phone consultations: Scarlett Farray, Maria Moran, Herbert Seignoret, and Aldonsa Tejada. Departmental advisers are also available via email; consult department website for more information on that.
- Learn Blackboard Collaborate Ultra and Zoom. Instructors will use a variety of technology platforms for classes, but it looks like most are going to use Blackboard Collaborate Ultra and Zoom. I encourage you to watch these short videos for guidance on how to use each: Blackboard Collaborate Ultra and Zoom. There’s a lot more guidance available online for both platforms—poke around on YouTube.
- Free internet available for students. Several internet service providers are offering free wifi and other accommodations to facilitate distance learning. Check here for specific guidance. In addition, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and Comcast have announced additional services, including the removal of data caps and waiver of late fees. Check with your individual carrier for details on what’s available.
- Peer mentoring and stress management. We are moving quickly to expand our peer mentoring program, whereby you can work with trained graduate students on stress management and self-care. You can sign up to participate in peer mentoring here, or you can send an email to
peernavigationccny@gmail.com
. Peer mentoring is confidential. It is very hard to navigate all of the changes in our world right now. We all need to help one another. Please ask for help as you need it.
- Follow us on social media. The Colin Powell School will be more active than ever on social media. We will share important updates there, and we will just stay in touch—with stories, opportunities, and profiles. Since we can’t be in person-to-person contact, social media becomes all the more important. Please follow us @cpowellschool on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and/or Facebook.
Official updates and announcements about CCNY’s response to COVID-19 and changes to college life come from President Boudreau and other senior administrators. This is a very fluid situation, and the College is making decisions that result in additional guidance. Keep an eye on your CCNY email account for these updates, and you can review these announcements on the CCNY website here.
Please take good care of yourselves. Stay healthy. And don’t hesitate to be in touch with questions.
Andy Rich