On March 16, 2020, Hunter College President Jennifer J. Raab shared this update:
To the Hunter community,
We are incredibly grateful for the patience, empathy, and kindness of our students, faculty, and staff in these challenging times. As we take measures to safeguard your health and safety through social distancing, we want to assure you that while we may not all be together physically, Hunter College remains a strong community. We continue to respond to the minute-by-minute changes in this rapidly evolving situation, and will continue to reach out and share updates as they become available.
While most of you will be teaching, learning, and working remotely in the next few days, we want you to know that Hunter will remain open for students, faculty, and staff if you need to access technology or your offices or need a quiet place to study or work. The libraries are open with modified hours and have enhanced their ability to support you remotely. Please continue checking our website on the status of our facilities and resources, as we anticipate there will be changes to hours and services offered at many of them.
Transition to Remote Instruction
We are working swiftly to implement remote teaching, learning, and working for our community without compromising our commitment to excellence in education, scholarship, and research. We are grateful for the commitment of our provost, deans, department chairs, and faculty to move the significant breadth of Hunter’s coursework online so rapidly and so smoothly. We want to remind faculty of the multitude of training sessions and office hours that are being offered in the coming days to support this transition. Many students and faculty have already connected about plans to continue the semester, and other students will hear from their instructors in the next few days; please look for emails or Blackboard messages.
We also appreciate the flexibility and dedication of our staff, especially our critical employees who have been on campus ensuring that Hunter can remain open. Managers are working to create thoughtful remote work plans that promote the health and safety of our community and allow the majority of our employees to contribute to Hunter from home.
Important Academic Date Changes
To respond to this unexpected situation and to ease the transition to remote instruction for many of our students, CUNY has approved certain changes to our academic calendar. Please note the following:
- Course Withdrawal Period – Last Day to Drop with a Grade of “W.” The current deadline date listed on the calendar is Wednesday, April 1, 2020. We will move that date to Thursday, May 14, 2020. This is the published “Last Day of Classes,” and before final examination week (05/16-05/22) and also prior to the “End of the Spring Term,” (05/22/2020).
- Last Day to File for Pass/No Credit/Fail Option – For eligible students who meet the requirements of our “Pass/Fail/No Credit Option” policy (go to page 5) , the University will move the deadline to Thursday, May 14, 2020. This is the published “Last Day of Classes,” and before final examination week (05/16-05/22), and also prior to the “End of the Spring Term,” (05/22/2020).
- Incomplete Grades – Students who receive an INC grades in the Spring 2020 term would generally be required to submit outstanding work, “according to a deadline established by individual colleges (go to pages 4-5) of the University but no later than the last day of the following semester.” The University will maintain the current policy to allow students to submit completed work to faculty for resolution of INC grades for courses taken in Spring 2020 through the Fall 2020 semester. We expect that this provision will address some of the issues that have arisen as a result of student placements and internships that have been interrupted by this crisis.
Hunter Is Here for You
We want to reiterate that there are many resources available to support our community during this difficult and uncertain time.
For our students, we want to remind you that we have developed a Coronavirus Emergency Assistance Fund through the support of our loyal donors and alums; if you have lost wages, have unexpected medical costs, or have any other financial needs related to the coronavirus crisis, please contact Vice President and Dean of Students Eija Ayravainen for more information.
We have begun concerted fundraising efforts to provide students in need with technology , including laptops that students can take out on a long-term loan, to ensure all have access to remote learning. We have already been able to purchase new laptops for students to borrow, and we are committed to continuing these efforts. To learn more or request a technology loan, contact Director of Student Life Miesha Smith . Additionally, both our 68th Street campus and Brookdale campus food pantries remain open, and we are committed to keeping them stocked. The Counseling Center is open and here for you, both virtually and with some limited in-person and virtually sessions, to help you navigate this difficult time.
For faculty and staff in need of support, our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides free, confidential counseling.
We urge all employees to set up direct deposit if you have not already done so to avoid potential delays in receiving your check.
With Gratitude
Thank you also to everyone in our community for your patience and flexibility as we transition to our new normal given the challenges of COVID-19. Special thanks go out to our facilities team and the essential personnel who are physically on campus making sure that Hunter remains open and prepared to support its students, faculty, and staff. Your dedication to the safekeeping of our community’s health and well-being is unparalleled, and we are very grateful.
Sincerely,
Jennifer J. Raab
