Faculty Handbook: Teaching, Students and the Classroom

Consistent with the College’s mission, values, vision, and strategic planning goals (see p. 5), in April 2021, the College adopted Seven Principles for A Culturally Responsive, Inclusive and Anti-Racist Curriculum at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The principles are listed below, in brief, and are intended to guide faculty and departments in their course and curriculum design and planning. Full discussion of the principles and implementation plans is available here. Podcasts that accompanied the process are accessible here.

John Jay curriculum and teaching should reflect the following principles:

1.  We center Critical Engagement by forming learning communities that engage in critical (self) reflection, alongside empirical analysis, about how Anti-Black racism, institutional racism, and all forms of racism inform the subject matter of our courses and the interactions of members of our learning communities.

2.  We grapple with evolving perspectives about Criminal Justice Education by interrogating the origins, facts, and effects of institutional racism and individual acts of discrimination in the criminal justice system.

3.  We normalize discussions about Complex Social Challenges by anticipating and addressing the challenges of engaging with racism, institutional racism and exploitation, as well as social justice and racial equity in a diverse classroom through dialogue and reflection.

4.  We practice Embodied Learning by using trauma-informed pedagogy and strategies to incorporate the lived experiences of students and faculty, promote cultural competence, and increase social and emotional intelligence.

5.  We use Diverse Content throughout the learning experience through incorporating course materials that are diverse by author identity, form, medium, and/or voice.

6.  We design for Equitable Assessment by employing varied opportunities for students to demonstrate learning and self-assess their progress.

7.   We promote Democratic Education which affirms that education is participatory and non-hierarchical and that student learning is experiential, characterized by an on-going collaborative process of problem solving grounded in discussion, consultation, research, and debate as ways to engage in informed decision-making by people with diverse interests.

Given the rich diversity of John Jay’s student body and the principles enumerated above, there are a variety of resources available to faculty to practice culturally responsive, inclusive and anti-racist teaching (with more to come). Learn about foundational teaching essentials and see information on accessible teaching. In addition, each Faculty Development Day affords opportunities to learn best practices from colleagues (access prior semesters’ resources and recordings). See additional teaching resources and recordings of the College’s Distinguished Teaching Prize winners.

A copy of the syllabus for each course taught each semester must be submitted to the Department Administrative Coordinator prior to the start of class. Each syllabus should conform to John Jay’s Guidelines for Creating Your Syllabus found under “Academic Resources” on the John Jay Faculty & Staff page and include the required components from the Syllabus Template that is posted with the Guidelines. These include course-identifying information, class meeting days, times and location (and/or modality), official course description and learning outcomes, materials, description of course requirements and grade breakdown, grading policies, assignment rubrics if possible, course policies and expectations, course calendar, statement on academic dishonesty and statement on accessibility.

Department Chairs or Administrators can provide sample syllabi and course descriptions for most courses assigned. This may include Departmental learning objectives. Each semester’s academic calendar for classes can be found on the Academic Calendar.

It is helpful to faculty and students alike if a course syllabus is clear, organized and includes important information for students. Course requirements, policies and all deadlines should be explained clearly and completely at the first class meeting and on the course syllabus, including how each assignment contributes to the calculation of their final grade. This helps students plan and structure their studies. Faculty are encouraged to include rubrics for each assignment to help students understand what is expected.

When building a course syllabus, faculty should be aware that, on occasion, courses scheduled on a particular day (or days) of the week are replaced by classes that normally meet on other days. This typically occurs due to holidays (e.g., numerous Monday holidays in a semester) and is done to ensure all classes meet the required minimum number of times in a semester. Check the academic calendar carefully each semester for such dates.

Classrooms are located in three buildings: Haaren Hall (HH), the New Building (NB), and Westport (W). Classroom assignments will appear on CUNYFirst in the week before classes begin. All classrooms are equipped with a computer and internet access, a projector, and a screen. Classes must meet in their assigned classroom at the schedule days and times.  (See “Our Campus” under "John Jay College Basics" for information on each building and its location.)

In compliance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), faculty are required to post textbook requirements for courses in advance (at the time of student registration) so that the expense of course materials is transparent to students, who can seek lower cost sources. Book adoptions are due for the upcoming semester roughly a month prior to the end of the current semester. Book orders can be placed through the John Jay Online Bookstore, Akademos/VitalSource.

Even if a course does not require the purchase of (text)books, please alert the bookstore – this counts toward compliance with HEOA. Courses can be marked as “no adoptions required/course does not use books”. WE CANNOT LEAVE THIS INFORMATION BLANK. To the extent possible, faculty are encouraged to rely on no-cost, Open Educational Resources (OER).

To submit a book order, faculty log in to the bookstore using CUNYFirst log in credentials. By clicking the faculty link, faculty can submit their course material ISBNs. The faculty member must be listed in CUNYFirst as an instructor for a course to order textbooks. If they are not listed as the instructor, faculty should contact their Department Administrator or Chairperson. If faculty are unable to log in to the bookstore or have issues adding materials, they can email course and text information directly to cunybooks@vitalsource.com and, for questions or concerns, contact Sarah Ginsberg at Sarah.Ginsberg@vitalsource.com. Textbook information transfers back to CUNYFirst within 24-48 hours.

If a faculty member intends to ask students to purchase a book they published and from which they would derive revenue, be aware that the CUNY Conflict of Interest Policy applies (clause 5.2, Avoidance of Economic Benefit).

Brightspace is a platform that CUNY faculty use to facilitate course management and learning. All John Jay courses are automatically pre-loaded into Brightspace each semester. Faculty can access their courses on Brightspace by entering their username and password into the CUNY Login and clicking on the Brightspace link. The link can be found on the Learning Management System site as well, in addition to resources, information and support for Brightspace. Additionally, the College’s Department of Online Education and Support (DOES) offers faculty assistance and a wealth of resources for online education throughout the year.

On occasion, a faculty member does not have Brightspace access for their course. Faculty should reach out to their department administrator for assistance trouble-shooting when this occurs. This is particularly true with late or newly hired part-time faculty, as Brightspace access is the last step in the hiring process. When the hiring process is complete, and a faculty member is added to the schedule in CUNY First, it can take 24-48 hours to establish Brightspace access.

If faculty wish to grant access to their Brightspace course (e.g., for peer observation, teaching assistant, colleague to share resources), submit the Brightspace Enrollment Request form – it lays out limitations and requirements for BB access.

NOTE:  The CUNY Office of Academic Affairs released a Policy for Use of a Learning Management System for Online Classes which requires that faculty teaching online classes use a Learning Management System (LMS) that is vetted (for security) and supported (for help) by the campuses. That is now Brightspace. See #4 above for information on getting training and support on Brightspace. [Policy 1.6: Policy for Use of a Learning Management System for Online Classes]

To check course enrollments or availability, faculty can go to CUNYFirst, then go to Campus Solutions -> Self- Service -> Class Search and enter the course information for the appropriate semester. Click the blue link indicating the appropriate section information (i.e. ENG 101-02). This will display Class Availability information, which includes Class Capacity, Enrollment Total, and Available Seats. Typically Department Chairs will work with faculty to adjust schedules early if a class seems likely to be cancelled due to low enrollment.

Bell schedules for undergraduate and graduate class periods can be found on the Registrar's website .

As is shown in the Campus Class Schedules at the link below, John Jay has opted not to schedule classes during “Community Hour” to allow time for student clubs to meet, for campus events and activities to occur, and to allow for faculty and committee meetings across campus. Community Hour is daily, 1:40 – 2:55pm and full-time faculty members are discouraged from teaching classes during Community Hour (e.g., doctoral classes).

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) requires that all credit-bearing courses meet for a fixed, minimum number of hours (which includes the final examination period, see below). As a result, cancelling a class is a serious decision, whether done by the College (e.g., due to inclement weather) or by a department/professor (for compelling personal/professional reasons), and is generally considered to be a last resort when no alternative exists.

Faculty are thus expected to teach during each of the assigned class periods during the semester. If a faculty member must cancel a class period due to an unexpected emergency, they should contact the Department Chair and/or Administrator as soon as possible and advise them as to the nature of the absence. During normal business hours (M-F, 8am-5pm), a Department representative should post a class cancellation note on the classroom door for students (for an in-person class). If it is outside normal business hours, the faculty member or a Department representative can notify Public Safety (212-237-8524) of the absence and request that a security officer place a notification sign on the classroom door. Every effort must be made to notify the students of the cancellation and any alternative arrangements as soon as possible (e.g., through Brightspace, CUNYFirst and/or direct email). If the absence will be prolonged, departments may need to schedule a substitute instructor.

If there is ample notice that a faculty member will not be attending a class (e.g., to attend a conference), with advance approval of their chair, it is expected that the faculty member will make an alternative arrangement (see options below). The Chair must approve any substitute arrangements.

There are numerous options available to compensate for missed time due to class cancellations (whatever the cause). These include partnering with a library faculty member to create an assignment or in-class workshop or partnering with the Center for Career & Professional Development to offer a workshop or event (note: neither would teach in the absence of the faculty member), inviting a colleague from the department to give a guest lecture, creating an online assignment to replace missed in-class instruction, using Brightspace or email to post missed materials or information, meeting synchronously via Zoom, assigning recorded lectures or videos (many are available through the library), or assigning additional exercises asynchronously online to make up for missed time.

Below is CUNY’s revised camera use guidance for online and hybrid classes. NOTE:  If you wish to require camera use, be sure to add relevant language to your syllabus and cover that information with students on the first day of class.

Camera Use Guidance for Online and Hybrid Courses

Faculty may require students to turn on their cameras in online and hybrid courses during class periods or for remote testing purposes. 

Requiring students to use cameras may be important pedagogically to increase engagement, social connection, accountability, and collaboration.  Moreover, in some testing situations, cameras are essential to ensuring the integrity of the testing environment. 

CUNY is committed to using digital technology in ways that are sensitive to issues of student privacy.  To ensure that students are aware that camera use may be required, a notice will be provided in CUNYfirst for all online and hybrid classes.  Faculty who intend to require camera use should also clearly state this on course syllabi and cover the requirement with students on the first day of class. 

There may be occasions when an otherwise in-person class is scheduled to be delivered remotely on a limited basis because of a temporary University or College pivot to remote instruction or because of faculty need. In these circumstances, faculty may encourage but not require students to turn on their cameras for purposes other than testing unless required camera use is clearly stated on the course syllabus and covered with the students on the first day of class.

Per CUNY’s verification of enrollment policy,  students can meet the course engagement threshold for purposes of Title IV financial aid by participating in an online discussion about an academic matter, engaging in an online academically-related activity, or initiating contact with the instructor to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course or course-related question.  None of these criteria requires the use of a live camera.

Roughly two to three weeks into the semester, faculty receive a notification that Attendance Rosters are due for submission via CUNYFirst for Verification of Enrollment (VOE). It is imperative that this information is submitted in a timely fashion because the college receives financial support based on the information and not doing so can negatively impact students’ financial aid. To submit, log on to CUNYFirst: --> Campus Solutions --> Self Service --> Faculty Center --> Verification Attendance Roster.

VOE requires faculty to verify which students who are registered for their course(s) are in fact attending or participating and identify those who have never attended any class and have not otherwise participated in an academically related activity since the beginning of the semester. (This includes students enrolled in courses for independent study, research, thesis, dissertation, etc.) Academically related activities include, but are not limited to: physically attending a class; submitting an assignment; taking an exam, tutorial or computer-assisted instruction; attending a study group assigned by the school; participating in an online discussion about academic matters; and initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course. Logging into an online course is not sufficient, by itself, to demonstrate academic participation by a student. However, it is possible for a student to log into Brightspace when using a mobile device without that access being recorded in the system. Thus, it is recommended that faculty attempt to contact students who have not yet participated before the VOE deadline to ensure accurate reporting.

Students identified as never attending are assigned a WN grade for the course and are removed from the roster, which includes removing Brightspace access. If a faculty member determines that they have made an error on a VOE roster, they can request WN reversal. Reversal and reinstatement of Brightspace access typically takes approximately 24-48 hours.

“Student guidance” is among the nine elements considered when academic performance of a full-time faculty member is evaluated (see the PSC-CUNY Contract, Article 18 on Professional Evaluation). CUNY faculty are contractually obligated to make themselves available to students. Accordingly, full-time faculty are asked to set aside one to three regular office hours on campus each week during the semester. It can be helpful to explain to students what “office hours” are. Indeed, many choose to call them “Student Hours” to better communicate their intended audience and purpose. Part-time faculty are paid for one office hour per week, per class.

Office hours should be held at regularly scheduled times, clearly communicated to students on the course syllabus and elsewhere as appropriate, and occur at a set location/modality. The meeting method should be stated explicitly and may be different from how class is conducted (e.g., a faculty member might use Brightspace for an online course, but hold scheduled office hours over Zoom). “Office hours by appointment only” are not an acceptable substitute for regularly scheduled office hours. If office hours must be cancelled due to an emergency, faculty should alert their students. Faculty should inform their Chairperson of their scheduled office hours at the beginning of each semester.

Final exams must be given on the date and time that the exams are scheduled by the registrar for each course during the week of Final Exams. Faculty may not change the day/time of their final exam as it may create conflicts with students’ other class exams. The schedule of exams can be found on the Academic Calendar webpage. Although it is not mandatory that final exams be given, the scheduled time must be used because these times count toward New York State Education Department minimum class contact hours and can be used as class time (e.g., student presentations) in place of giving an examination.

You can find the College’s current grading tables for undergraduate and graduate courses in the College Bulletins. They include final grades, their value toward GPA (independent of course weighting), and the final grade percentages that correspond to each final letter grade, along with the qualitative descriptor/explanation for each grade. There are additional notes for different grades as well as the other grade options possible (e.g., P, WU, INC, PEN). Additional information on undergraduate grades can be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin under --> Academic Standards and Policies --> Grades. For example, for undergraduates, an F is not erased from a student's transcript when the course is taken again and passed. Additional information on graduate grades can be found in the Graduate Bulletin under --> Academic Requirements and Regulations --> Grades. Note that in graduate classes, C or C- are Unsatisfactory grades, and there are no D grades. Please refer to the bulletins for additional information on course grades, as needed.

Always attempt to submit grades as soon as possible after completing course grading. Grades are entered and submitted through CUNYFirst. If faculty do not submit grades by the deadline, they will need to submit individual grade changes for each student. To submit grades: log in to CUNYFirst and navigate to: Campus Solutions -> Self Service -> Faculty Center -> My Schedule. Choose the appropriate course to enter grades. Be sure to check each grade carefully before submitting and posting the final grades for all students. Once posted, any changes require submission of grade change forms. If a student in a class does not appear on the (grade) roster, please refer the student to the Registrar’s Office. Unless and until the student is actually registered, faculty will be unable to assign a grade.

There are numerous policies and procedures regarding student work during a semester, including the commonly accessed policies on attendance, incomplete work, and student grade appeals. The College Bulletins (Undergraduate and Graduate) provide relevant and important information annually and are a useful resource for questions about policies and about requirements for programs of study (e.g., majors).

Attendance Policy

A faculty member’s attendance policy should be clearly stated on the syllabus.

Note specific guidance for student enrollment breaks for military service.  You can search the undergraduate or graduate bulletin for "military service" to read more (see also Military Programs for Students and CUNY policy). In brief, for students called up to the reserves, drafted or who volunteer (enlist) for the military before the end of the semester:  In order to obtain a grade, the student must attend 13 weeks; 5 weeks for summer session.  If a student does not attend for a sufficient time to qualify for a grade, they are entitled to a 100 percent refund of tuition and all other fees except application fees.

Undergraduate: The undergraduate attendance policy in the current bulletin (under Academic Standards and Policies --> Academic Standards) states:

• Standard Courses: Students are expected to attend all class meetings as scheduled. Excessive absence may result in a failing grade for the course and may result in the loss of financial aid. The number of absences that constitute excessive absence is determined by the individual instructor, who announces attendance guidelines at the beginning of the semester in the course syllabus. Students who register during the Change of Program period after classes have begun are responsible for the individual course attendance policy, effective from the first day of the semester.
• Developmental Courses: In developmental courses, students are automatically considered excessively absent if their absences exceed the number of times a class meets in any two-week period and are not eligible for passing grades. In classes that meet once a week, more than two absences are excessive. In classes that meet twice a week, more than four absences are excessive. In classes that meet three times a week, more than six absences are excessive.  
  The currently-offered developmental course for SEEK is: MATH 103.

Graduate: The attendance policy for graduate courses in the current graduate bulletin (under Academic Requirements and Regulations) simply states: Class attendance and participation are factors in assessing student performance. Faculty will advise students at the beginning of the semester of attendance requirements.

There are numerous policies and procedures regarding student work during a semester, including the commonly accessed policies on attendance, incomplete work, and student grade appeals. The College Bulletins (Undergraduate and Graduate) provide relevant and important information annually and are a useful resource for questions about policies and about requirements for programs of study (e.g., majors).

Incomplete Grades Policy

Undergraduate: The current undergraduate bulletin --> Academic Standards and Policies --> Grades provides the complete policy, as this is slightly abbreviated. (Emphasis added.)

An INC grade may be given only to those students who would pass the course if they were to satisfactorily complete the remaining course requirements. It is within the discretion of the faculty member as to whether or not to give the grade of INC. The INC grade should only be given in consultation with the student.

For fall or winter courses, the incomplete work is due from the student no later than the end of the third week of the following spring semester. For spring or summer courses, the incomplete work is due no later than the end of the third week of the following fall semester. It is within the discretion of the faculty member to extend this deadline under extraordinary circumstances. By assigning the INC grade, the faculty member agrees to grade the student’s outstanding coursework and to submit the student’s grade for the course any time from the date the student submits the completed work until the end of that fall or spring semester. This policy should be included on undergraduate course syllabi. If the student does not successfully complete the missing work, the faculty member may change the grade to a letter grade. If the faculty member does not submit a change of grade, the incomplete grade automatically becomes the grade of FIN.

This policy does not apply to laboratory and studio courses, or to internship courses, for which neither the professor nor the Department can reasonably accommodate a student’s missed lab or studio or internship work. Academic Departments that offer such courses shall develop Departmental policy for consideration by the College Council. An INC received during their last semester in courses required for graduation will result in the postponement of graduation.

Graduate: The policy is found in the current graduate bulletin --> Academic Requirements and Regulations --> Grades.

A grade of INC is given in lieu of a grade only in exceptional circumstances for students who have been doing satisfactory work and have been unable to complete course requirements. Students who receive an Incomplete must fulfill their academic obligation within one calendar year of the end of the semester in which the grade of Incomplete is given. In extraordinary circumstances and with the approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies or the Vice President for Enrollment Management, the time limit may be extended one additional year. Incomplete grades that are not resolved within the above-mentioned time period become permanent Incompletes. Such grades will not be counted in the student grade point average. No credit is awarded for Incompletes that have not been appropriately resolved. A maximum of three grades of Incomplete may be converted to regular grades during the course of a student’s enrollment in graduate studies at John Jay College. In rare circumstances, more than three grades of Incomplete may be converted to regular grades with the approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies or the Vice President for Enrollment Management. Once a student completes their outstanding course work, and the final, adjusted grade is determined, the professor can submit the grade change via the online grade change application (see Grade Change Policy).

There are numerous policies and procedures regarding student work during a semester, including the commonly accessed policies on attendance, incomplete work, and student grade appeals. The College Bulletins (Undergraduate and Graduate) provide relevant and important information annually and are a useful resource for questions about policies and about requirements for programs of study (e.g., majors).

Grade Appeal Process / Policy

The grade appeal process/policy differs depending on whether the grade is in an undergraduate or graduate course. In either case, students can appeal their final grade in a course. Students are encouraged to first speak with their professor to clarify the basis for their final grade and perhaps come to an informal grade resolution. If such a resolution is not possible, the processes are provided in the bulletins. Below are links to the grade appeal processes in the current undergraduate and graduate bulletins (if links below do not work, search "Grade Appeal" in bulletins).  Note - this differs when an Academic Integrity concern is the issue.

Undergraduate Grade Appeal Process

Graduate Grade Appeal Policy

On occasion, errors are made in grade calculations or in the submission of final grades. Instructors must use their John Jay College e-mail credentials to log in and complete a Change-of-Grade request. Below, please find the link to access the online Grade Change Faculty Guide. The Faculty Guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to use the online Grade Change Application.

Faculty Training Guide: Change of Grade Faculty Training.pdf

Before submitting a Change-of-Grade request, please verify that all student information has been entered correctly on the application. The Grade Change Application also provides a field box for reason and comment for the Change-of-Grade request. After the Change-of-Grade information is received and processed, the instructor and the student will receive a notification that the Change of Grade has been completed. For further help using the online Grade Change Application, faculty can e-mail gradechange@jjay.cuny.edu. 

John Jay offers a wide array of student resources to support student success. For instance, students can access one-on-one and group tutoring at the Alan Siegel Writing Center, Modern Language Center, Math and Science Resource Center, Tutoring, and supports for students with disabilities through Accessibility Services. We have an LGBTQ+ Resource Center and a as well as Military & Veteran Services. The Immigrant Student Success Center provides legal, academic, financial, and socioemotional support to immigrant, undocumented, DACA, TPS, refugee students, and students in mixed-status families. The Urban Male Initiative provides personal, social, and academic support for students from underrepresented groups. See more at Student Life.

The College also has special Academic Support programs for entering students. For example, Accelerate Complete Engage (ACE) is a comprehensive program to help students complete their bachelor’s degree within four years, by providing financial, academic and personal supports. The Percy Ellis Sutton SEEK Program (Search for Education, Elevation and Knowledge) is a four-year New York State program that provides access to higher education for promising high school graduates who are both academically and financially disadvantaged. Students work with faculty and staff in the SEEK Department who provide academic, counseling and financial support and advocacy.

In addition, the Wellness Center provides a food pantry, counseling services, health services, accessibility services and financial assistance. The Women’s Center for Gender Justice provides counseling and crisis intervention for students who experience gender-based violence, including sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking, and sexual harassment.

Some students may need – and have the legal right to – an accommodation in their classes due to a disability. All course syllabi should include language informing students about accessibility services (see Guidelines for Creating Your Syllabus). The College offers a range of accessibility services for students. It is each student’s responsibility to register themselves with the Office of Accessibility Services (located in L.66 NB, 212-237-8031, or accessibilityservices@jjay.cuny.edu). The Office of Accessibility Services will provide official documentation for faculty of the appropriate accommodation to be applied for an individual student (e.g., additional time given for examinations; a note-taker in class). These might not be specific directives and faculty may be asked to use their judgement with kindness and compassion to apply the accommodation to ensure all students have fair and equitable access to course materials and requirements. Faculty may not ask the nature of the disability.

The Office of Accessibility Services website provides useful information about the range of accessibility services available to support students. They can also answer faculty questions about those services and discuss ways to partner in support of student needs (accessibilityservices@jjay.cuny.edu; Dr. Elena Beharry, Interim Director). For example, the Office can administer and proctor exams for students who require extended time.

CUNY’s “Reasonable Accommodations - Faculty Guide for Teaching Students with Disabilities,” explains our obligations toward students with disabilities and provides support and resources to help faculty and staff meet those obligations.

See: Effecting Reasonable Accommodations and Academic Adjustments Procedures Relating to Accommodations and Accessibility for Students

Faculty can access electronic plagiarism detection services using Turnitin in Brightspace. An instructor choosing to use the service must alert students in advance by including a statement on the course syllabus and/or the assignment sheet indicating that the service will be used. (Sample language can be found in the syllabus guidelines here under the Teaching & Learning Center.) For questions about using either service or for support, faculty can contact LMS support at LMS.faculty@jjay.cuny.edu.

Academic dishonesty is prohibited in CUNY. All course syllabi should include a statement on academic integrity (see Guidelines for Creating Your Syllabus here under the Teaching & Learning Center). Penalties for academic dishonesty include academic sanctions, such as failing or otherwise reduced grades, and/or disciplinary sanctions, including suspension or expulsion. Definitions and examples of academic dishonesty, as well as a full description of the academic integrity process, can be found on the college’s Academic Integrity webpage. View a flow chart of the academic integrity process.

A faculty member who suspects that a student has committed a violation of the CUNY Academic Integrity Policy shall review with the student the facts and circumstances of the suspected violation whenever feasible. Thereafter, a faculty member who concludes that there has been an incident of academic dishonesty sufficient to affect the student’s final course grade shall report such incident on a Faculty Report Form and submit the form to the college’s Academic Integrity Officer (see "For Faculty" section). Faculty members are welcome to consult with the Academic Integrity Officer (AIO), Jennifer Dobbins (jedobbins@jjay.cuny.edu; 646-557-4576, 420HH), with questions or concerns, or read more about the Academic Integrity process, including FAQs for faculty here. If an academic integrity issue cannot be resolved by the time final grades are due, the AIO can request, on behalf of the instructor and as the result of a filed academic integrity violation report, that a temporary PEN grade be assigned. When the investigation is concluded and the AIO verifies the finding or dismisses the violation, the PEN is replaced with the grade determined by the instructor as appropriate to the findings.

The Academic Integrity Officer has sole discretion as to whether referral for disciplinary sanction is indicated, in addition to an academic sanction for a verified violation. Before determining the sanction(s) to seek, the AIO shall consult the student’s confidential academic integrity file, if any, to determine whether the student has been found to have previously committed a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy, the nature of the infraction, and the sanction imposed or action taken. View CUNY’s complete Academic Integrity Policy.

Students (and faculty or staff members) sometimes confide in their professors (or colleagues) about incidents of potential misconduct or violence that they have experienced. Below are some important considerations in such cases.

• Student reports to faculty are not privileged communication. Only “Confidential employees” must keep information private unless a student wants to file a report (or if there is imminent threat of serious harm). Confidential employees include Counseling Center staff, Nurse/health office staff, and Women’s Center staff at the College only.  Students who want confidentiality should be referred there.
• Faculty should report incidents and concerns. Those who must report (“Responsible employees”) include: Department Chairs; Executive Officers; faculty or staff advisors to student groups; faculty athletic representatives; faculty and staff members at times when they are leading or supervising student on off-campus trips; employees who are managers or supervisors (all); and faculty or staff academic advisors, among others.  (See pp. 16-18)   
• If a faculty member is designated a “Responsible Employee” under the Policy on Sexual Misconduct: to the extent possible, before a student reveals any information, that faculty member should advise the student that they are mandated to report. If the student wants to maintain confidentiality, direct them to a confidential employee, as identified above (Counseling, Nurse).
• Although it might be difficult at times, it is imperative to regard any and all reports of misconduct as serious and important, and to report concerns to the Wellness Center (212-237-8111), Title IX Coordinator Gabriela Leal (646-557-4674), or Public Safety Director Diego Redondo (212-237-8524). 
• If a student comes to discuss something that they have heard or experienced, faculty can consider offering to accompany them to a relevant resource/contact below, as appropriate. The offer and a trusted professor’s physical presence can give a student confidence to seek help or advice or to report information; they are tangible gestures of empathy for the student and of concern for their well-being. Faculty could consider doing the same for a fellow faculty or staff member who comes for advice or to share an experience or information.
• Faculty can consider offering to take notes while a student or colleague reports an incident or seeks out a college official for any reason. The faculty member should not participate in the discussion unless they have personal knowledge of the situation, but would serve as a witness, a note-taker, and a supportive presence.

Resources/Contacts

Title IX Coordinator: Gabriela Leal, Director of Compliance and Diversity, serves also as Chief Diversity Officer and ADA/504 Coordinator, 622H, 646-557-4674, gleal@jjay.cuny.edu.

Public Safety: Diego Redondo, Director of Public Safety, L2.61.00 NB, 212-237-8521, dredondo@jjay.cuny.edu. Isabelle Curro, Deputy Director of Public Safety, L2.61.05 NB, 212-237-8529, icurro@jjay.cuny.edu.

Counseling Center: Jessica Greenfield, Gender Based Violence Prevention and Response Advocate, L.67.07 NB, 646-557-4535, jgreenfield@jjay.cuny.edu. Women’s Center for Gender Justice, L.67.00 NB, 212-237-8184, womenscenter@jjay.cuny.edu. Counseling Services Center, L.68.00 NB, 212-237-8111. Counseling Director Gerard Bryant, gwbryant@jjay.cuny.edu ; Cory Head, 212-887-6239, chead@jjay.cuny.edu. LGBTQ+ Resource Center, LGBTQ@jjay.cuny.edu.

Student Affairs: Daniel Matos, Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management & Student Affairs, L.71.09NB, 212-484-1303, matos@jjay.cuny.edu. Danielle Officer, Interim Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students (for student complaints), L.69.09 NB, 212-237-8211, deanofstudents@jjay.cuny.edu.

Human Resources: Oswald Fraser, Assistant Vice President of Administration, 1046 BMW, 212-237-8932, ofraser@jjay.cuny.edu. Keisha Pottinger-Moore, Director of Operations, 1046 BMW, 212-484-1152, 
kpottingermoore@jjay.cuny.edu.

There will be occasions when a student exhibits problematic behavior. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911, then Public Safety (x8888). When a student is a threat to themselves or to others in terms of expressing the intent to harm themselves or others, or makes threats in class, via email, or in assigned work, call Public Safety immediately: 212-237-8888. Using a classroom telephone, dial 8888. Faculty can also contact the Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT@jjay.cuny.edu) to report an incident or express concern with a student’s behavior. If the threat does not seem imminent, but is problematic, faculty can refer the student to the Interim Dean of Students, Danielle Officer for intervention (deanofstudents@jjay.cuny.edu; 212-237-8211).

Students who exhibit withdrawal, poor concentration, poor hygiene or loss of self-esteem, or miss multiple classes may be experiencing depression or another mental health issue. Contact or refer the student to the Counseling Services Center at 212-237-8111 if a student experiences this behavior.  See this page for information on what to do in an emergency situation. 

In addition, a student in crisis after hours can access these resources:

1-888-NYC-WELL (1-888-692-9355) or text “WELL” to 65173

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

NYC Samaritans: 212-673-3000

Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255, Press 1 or chat/text 

Information and Resources for Victims/Survivors of Sexual Violence - and other needs

The CUNY Records and Retention Disposition Schedule requires that faculty retain (accessible) records from their classes according to the schedule below, after which they can be destroyed in a campus disposal cycle:

•  Instructors’ grade records, test scores, and marking sheets be retained for two years.

•  Examination questions, term papers, completed examinations, and answer sheets must be retained for one year after the course is completed.

•  Course and laboratory attendance records must be kept for six years.

•  Retention of course syllabi and lesson plans is prescribed by each Department.