Academic Support for Faculty and Students
Spring 2024
The Office of Academic Affairs is committed to providing continuous academic support to students and pedagogical assistance to faculty. This webpage is updated regularly as new information becomes available. Please check back soon. Visit FIT COVID-19 INFORMATION for the latest updates.
The Office of Online Learning and Academic Technologies, the Center for Excellence in Teaching, and the Division of Information Technology provide training and resources to assist faculty. See the links below for information. Additional workshops on a variety of topics will be offered later in the semester.
- Teaching in Brightspace and Other Tools
- Center for Excellence in Teaching (CET) Resources for Teaching
- Tutorials and Workshops Video Sessions
- Gladys Marcus Library Faculty Services
SUNY System Support
Academic Student Support Areas including the Library will continue to be open to provide in-person and virtual assistance and support to students at the beginning of Spring 2024 semester.
Academic Advisement Center
Advisement is currently available online and in-person.
Academic Skills Tutoring Center
Tutoring is available online and in-person (appointments should be scheduled at least
48 hours in advance).
Career and Internship Services
The Career and Internship Center is operating in-person (students can make appointments
for career counseling sessions, or visit the Virtual Drop-In Q&A forum).
Spring 2024 Internships: Spring 2024 internship and career planning courses will be conducted in-person. Should you choose to participate in-person at an internship site, you must adhere to current state and local COVID-19 directives, plus CDC guidelines.
Gladys Marcus Library
Librarian services and library resources are available online. Librarians can provide
assistance by chat, text, email or phone (information about online materials and services
are available on the Library’s website). In-person services continue to be available.
Writing and Speaking Studio
Consultations are available online and in-person throughout the Spring 2024 semester.
Academic Honor Code
As a reminder, FIT's Academic Honor Code continues to be in force. Students who copy
another person's idea or written work and claim it as original are in violation of
FIT’s policy on academic integrity.
Grading Policy
Regular Grading Policy is in effect.
Study Abroad
After careful deliberation, the determination has been made to allow limited study
abroad options to students for Spring 2024 Study Abroad Programs. The commitment to the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff is our first
and highest priority. For more information on open programs, please visit the Global FIT webpages.
Withdrawal Policy
The last day to officially withdraw from a course is up until the last day of the
13th week of a fall or Fall semester. The student will receive a final grade of WD
for a course withdrawal completed in this time frame. WD grades do not affect GPA.
To officially withdraw from a course, students must submit a Course Withdrawal Form, completed and signed by them and their instructor, and e-mailed to the Registrar's
Office.
Technical Support
Brightspace is FIT's learning management system for all online and face-to-face taught courses. The Open SUNY Help Desk provides students help with questions or issues using the sytem. Call (844) 673-6786 or visit the Brightspace Support Page.
Information Technology at FIT
If you should encounter problems with login, contact the FIT Help Desk at (212) 217-HELP
or [email protected] and visit their web pages for important notifications. To open a ticket, please visit IT Self-Service Portal.
PrintFX and FabLab
Students are invited to "drop in" and ask staff members questions regarding: 3D Modeling,
Laser Cutting, Photography, Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe Acrobat, Google Docs, MS
Office or General PrintFX or Technology questions. To access, log into your FIT email
account during any session and send the PrintFX team a chat message. (Please note
you must only use your FIT email address for chat messages).
SUNY System Support
How do I find my Spring 2024 courses?
Use Class Search to search the list of Spring 2024 course offerings.
1. Select Spring 2024 in "Search by Term" field.
2. Click Submit.
3. Select the Subject of the course you are searching for.
4. Enter the Number of the course you are searching for.
5. Click Class Search. The course listing will include the "attribute," and will indicate whether the course is to be offered in-person or online.
What is the Spring 2024 academic calendar?
The Spring 2024 semester will run January 29 – May 22 for all classes.
Student Questions
What student services will be available in Spring 2024?
All student services are available online and in-person.
How can I get the materials and books I need for my classes?
Visit FIT's Campus Store on campus. In addition, check the Gladys Marcus Library which has many textbooks and readings available virtually.
Faculty Questions
How will I be teaching my classes in Spring 2024?
Your schedule should indicate whether the section you are teaching is offered in-person or online (asynchronous).
In whatever format you will be teaching, the overall goals and course learning outcomes of the course should remain the same. There are many resources available from the Office of Online Learning and Academic Technologies as well as the Center for Excellence in Teaching to assist you in planning.
Do I have to use Blackboard for my Online classes? Do I have to use Blackboard Collaborate?
Since all FIT courses are set up in Blackboard, all Online sections must use Blackboard as their home base. Students will look for their Online section on the Blackboard home page. Faculty are encouraged to use other tools as appropriate (e.g. Google Docs, VoiceThread, Padlet) but these tools should be linked to from the Blackboard course.
Since Online courses are asynchronous, there is generally no live communication with your students. FIT supports Blackboard Collaborate (which is built into Blackboard), Google Meet (which is part of G Suite), and Webex for when live communication is necessary (for example, for online office hours, small groups of students working together, or optional guest speaker presentations). There is no requirement that you use particular tools, as long as your students have access to them. However, Blackboard Collaborate is built into Blackboard already, so students may find it to be easier.
How should I order books and materials for the classes I am teaching?
FIT's Campus Store is open and can ship books and course related materials to students. In addition, it has expanded the digital format availability of course materials to provide students with access to materials immediately after an order is processed. Please contact the bookstore with any questions about classroom materials (212) 217-5690. In addition, share your textbook and reading information with the Gladys Marcus Library and they will investigate options for students to access through the library. You may also consider adopting an OER textbook.
What other support is available to me for Spring 2024 teaching?
Please see the Support for Faculty tab at the top of this webpage.
What about grading? Can I use pass/fail grading?
Faculty should provide grades according to the traditional grading mode set for their class.
I have additional questions related to teaching and academic policies. Who should I ask?
Please begin by asking your department chair, who will be your best resource at this time.