Chapter 5. Getting Started
This section offers background information and tips on the logistics of preparing for your first semester of teaching. We especially highlight the aspects of your course you may want to consider before it begins, and offer suggestions about different preparation strategies. We conclude by identifying places and networks where you might want to seek support. The logistics of course design and preparation are explored in the later chapters in this section.
CUNYFirst
CUNYFirst is the centralized administrative platform that connects all CUNY campuses. The platform integrates resource and service tools, and facilitates course registration, grading, and many other functions at CUNY. Important information for instructors found in CUNYFirst includes:
a list of the classes you’re teaching,
the number of enrolled students and the cap (maximum of students) for each class,
your assigned classroom,
a roster of enrolled students (if you click on the roster [an icon next to the title of the course that looks like a group of three people], you will find some preliminary information about your students, including their major, if declared, and level); and
the mode of instruction, usually “P” for In-Person (see section below for more information on this).
Throughout the semester, instructors should plan to check CUNYFirst at least three times:
at the beginning of the semester to find course information (including roster and room number);
a week or so into the semester to verify student enrollment and to mark students as “attended” so they can receive financial aid; and
at the end of the semester to enter and post grades.
CUNYFirst is confusing and frustrating; you can rest assured that everyone on your campus has struggled to get their head around it in the past. Your campus department may be able to supply documentation or directions for completing administrative tasks in CUNYFirst. If you need training on CUNYFirst, reach out to your department’s administrative assistant.
Considering Numbers
The size your class impacts much about the experience for both you and your students. Check your class’s course caps in CUNYFirst (discussed above). This information is helpful when imagining your class as an audience. For instance, are you teaching a large lecture course or a small seminar? Will they mostly be first-year students, juniors and seniors, or a mix across all levels?
The number of students in your class can shape your instructional choices, including:
the type of activities and assignments you’re including (for instance, assigning group projects might make more sense in a larger class than in a seminar, while including opportunities for peer review and individual conferences could work well in a smaller class);
the ways you use educational technology (if it’s a large group, it may be helpful to use an online platform to provide students another way to participate in conversation); and
the kinds of classroom management strategies that you can implement.
Your Classroom
Your assigned space will impact your teaching choices: knowing details about your classroom in advance can help you make decisions about how you’ll conduct your class, from whether you’ll be able to integrate audiovisual materials to what types of group work are possible. If the classroom to which you’ve been assigned doesn’t fit the needs of your class, you may be able to request a room change (check with your department). These requests should be made as early as possible and sometimes take a bit of negotiating. Depending on the campus and department, these questions will be likely be handled through the department or require that you contact the Registrar directly. Always start with the department’s program assistant. As at the Graduate Center, folks in these roles are best positioned to get things done. They also can look out for you and connect you to opportunities that may be of interest, so be nice!
Time permitting, visit your classroom in advance of the semester. CUNY campuses vary drastically in their set-up, and just because you know how to get to the campus does not mean you’ll be easily able to find your classroom. Depending on the school’s security measures, you may need a key to access your room and/or a campus ID, and you’ll want to be familiar with those requirements in advance.
Course Materials
Increasingly, instructors are moving away from the textbook resource in the classroom (as permitted, of course, by department guidelines). Instead, you may consider OERs, a series of books, or assemble a selection of readings. Explore posting open-access course material to an online platform, such as a blog on the CUNY Academic Commons. Reference this Handbook’s chapters on OERs, Educational Technology, and Conceptualizing your Course for more guidance.
Many schools require that you upload your required textbook information to CUNYFirst and/or request that you order your textbook directly through the campus bookstore. The date to order books is very early—often it has passed even before you’ve been assigned a course! Contact your campus bookstore about timelines if you plan to work with them to order books. Other questions to consider if you are using a textbook:
If the department requires a particular textbook, what options do the students have for accessing it? Can they rent it? Are copies placed on reserve at the library? Is a desk copy available for you? If not, can you contact the publisher for one?
How much does the book cost, and are there cheaper alternatives? (For instance, are used copies widely available for purchase online, or could students use a previous edition instead of the most recent one?). Is the book available for purchase at locations other than the campus bookstore? It’s a good idea to include ISBN numbers for all assigned texts on your course syllabus so that students who choose to order the book from an outside source have the correct edition information.
If you do not require a textbook for your course, you can have it listed as a Zero Textbook Cost course in CUNYFirst (ZTC).
Tip: It often takes students some time to get their hands on the required reading. You might think about making the first couple of readings available through other avenues. If you are using an online platform like Blackboard or the CUNY Academic Commons, you can upload the materials you want students to access there.
Modes of Instruction
Mode of instruction refers to the medium in which the course will be taught. CUNY offers various types of courses and uses the following codes to designate how much face-to-face versus online time you can spend with a class. You should be told by your department if you’re teaching an “online” or a “hybrid” course, but just to be sure, you and students can check the mode of instruction codes (see below) in CUNYFirst.
Students can also see the mode of instruction listed in CUNYFirst when they register for the course; however, if you are teaching in any mode other than “in-person,” you might work with your department course scheduler to attach a “note” to the course explaining the mode of instruction. You might also email enrolled students 1-2 weeks before the semester to let them know how the mode of instruction will change how time is spent in the course.
P = In-Person. No course assignments and no required activities delivered online. (Note: this designation does not mean that digital tools won’t be used in the course. You may still integrate educational technology into your face-to-face class.) This is the default mode of instruction when no other information is given to CUNYFirst about the course.
W = Web-Enhanced. No scheduled class meetings are replaced, but some of the course content and assignments, as well as required or optional activities, are online.
In practice, many courses probably fall under this category, but are not always listed this way by the department or the Registrar.
PO = Partially online. Up to 32% of scheduled class meetings are replaced with online activities or virtual meetings. Between twenty minutes to fifteen hours of required online work per semester could replace time spent in the classroom.
H = Hybrid. Between 33% and 80% of scheduled class meetings are replaced with online activities or virtual meetings. Between twelve to thirty-seven hours of required online work per semester will replace time spent in the classroom.
O = Online. More than 80% but less than 100% of scheduled class meetings are replaced with online activities or virtual meetings. Between twenty-eight to forty-six hours per semester will replace time spent in the classroom.
FO = Fully online. 100% of scheduled class meetings are replaced with online activities or virtual meetings. All of the class work, including exams, is online. Note that a major difference between O and FO is that in an Online class, the final exam can be given in person, but in a Fully Online class, the exam must be given online.
Keep the instructional mode in mind when you’re designing your course. Most campuses offer additional support for faculty teaching in modes other than face-to-face. If your department tells you your course is being offered in one of these modes, ask them about resources for faculty in your position. For more information on online and hybrid course design, see the chapter on Educational Technology.
Resources and Support
As you prepare for your class, it’s helpful to identify early what kinds of resources and support you’ll have outside of the classroom. You can expect the support you get from the department and campus where you are teaching to vary, but you can also tap into a range of formal and informal support networks. Many departments will provide you with answers to the questions below, though you will often need to take the initiative of seeking out this information yourself. Department staff members are usually the best places to start. And while your teaching campus resources may be your initial source of support, the Graduate Center also has resources to support you.
By Campus
Resources for Graduate Teaching Fellows and adjuncts (part-time faculty) vary greatly across and even within CUNY campuses by departments. Here is a helpful checklist of things to ask about in your new department.
How do I obtain . . .
campus ID?
keys?
Do I have access to
office space? (Keep in mind it’s typical for office and desk space to be shared among faculty.)
a computer?
a printer?
a photocopier?
paper for the printer and copier?
a mailbox?
classroom supplies (whiteboard markers, erasers, chalk, pens, notepads, etc.)?
Also keep in mind that some departments may require large print jobs to be sent to the campus print shop rather than use up printer or copier toner and paper. Your department, or Graduate Center peers who teach at your campus, may have other resources to assist you in preparing to teach your course. In particular, you might ask about sample syllabi and previous semesters’ exams; departmentally held instructional materials like videos and visual resources; proctoring support and free blue books for exams; or anything else you imagine might help you plan ahead.
Academic Support Services
All CUNY campuses offer a range of support for instructors and students. These services may include:
librarians who can work with your students to shape research projects;
instructional designers who can support your use of educational technology, including Blackboard and CUNYFirst;
writing center staff who can help refine your assignments and work with your students on their papers;
tutorial services focused within specific disciplines;
offices of accessibility that support students and faculty with disabilities; and
counseling centers for students experiencing mental health and emotional struggles.
Like most offices at CUNY, however, these units are often overextended and under-resourced, and the earlier you can integrate them into your planning for your semester, the better. For a list of such services by campus, see our TLC Guide to Navigating CUNY at https://tlc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/navigating-cuny-2/.
At minimum, you should be aware of what services your campus offers so that you can pass such information to your students via either your syllabus, orally in class, on your course’s website, Blackboard site, or through other means.
Resources
In addition to resources at your campus, the Graduate Center can be a great place to engage in conversations about teaching.
The Teaching and Learning Center
The TLC is here to support you throughout the year. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us to discuss any issue that is impacting your teaching; you can find all our contact information on our website: http://cuny.is/teaching.
Peer Networks
As mentioned above, another important source of support are your fellow educators: colleagues in the department where you are teaching and in your program at the Graduate Center, and across CUNY who can offer camaraderie, inspiration, and opportunities for collaboration. Consider sharing materials, assignments, and projects with other instructors teaching sections of the same course, or—as you gain experience—with other graduate students teaching for the first time. Make it a habit to talk with your peers about their experiences in the classroom, and with faculty and staff at both the Graduate Center and the campus where you teach. Teaching can feel like a lonely enterprise, and it’s useful to remind yourself that you are part of a community of educators pursuing a shared set of goals. See this relevant post on Visible Pedagogy:
https://vp.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/03/13/it-takes-a-village/
And remember . . .
Whether you have months to prepare your course or you receive your teaching assignment just before the start of the semester, preparation is essential. Thinking through elements like textbook procurement, classroom technology, and class size will help ensure your course runs as smoothly as possible. At the same time, be sure to make use of the many formal and informal support structures available to you. Your Graduate Center colleagues can be a helpful source of information, whether you’re chatting over coffee or exchanging syllabi and assignment ideas. And finally, remember that the Teaching and Learning Center is always here to help, no matter where you are in your course preparation process!
For more information, check out our TLC Guide “New to Teaching: During the Semester” at https://tlc.commons.gc.cuny.edu/during-the-semester/.