ADJUNCT FACULTY HANDBOOK
PROGRAM FOR DEAF ADULTS
THE DIVISION OF ADULT AND CONTINUING
EDUCATION
LaGuardia Community College
Table of Contents
Getting
Started
Mission Statements
Program Philosophy
Appointment of Adjuncts and Start/End
Dates
Orientation and Professional Development
Workshops
Office Use
Staff Roles
Payment Policy
Fire Drills
Dress Code and Professional Conduct
Planning
for Class
Who are Your Students?
Syllabus and Quarterly Schedule
Entrance/Exit exams
Textbook and Materials
Textbook
Requisition Form
Bookstore
Library
and Computer Laboratory
Meeting
the First Class
Introductions: Students' addresses and phone numbers
Course Requirements
Class Rosters
Attendance Policy
Your Absence from Class
Evaluations
Completing
the Course
Student Progress Reports
Counseling
and Special Situations
Office Hours
Advising and Counseling
Handling Student Complaints
General
Information
About The College and The Division
Most Commonly Used Phone Numbers
Getting Started
The Program
for Deaf Adults (PDA), founded in 1975, is a part of the Division of
Adult and Continuing Education (ACE) at Fiorello H. LaGuardia Community
College, one of 19 campuses of the City University of New York (CUNY).
We at ACE are committed to:
The Mission of the Program for Deaf Adults (PDA) is to
provide accessible educational opportunities and specialized support services
at LaGuardia Community College for individuals who are Deaf or Hard of
Hearing. In order to provide services,
Program for Deaf Adults recognizes the need to develop and offer classes in
American Sign Language (ASL) and ASL-English Interpretation.
We at PDA are committed to:
·
Review, develop
and implement academic courses and support services, which will prepare
students for college entrance and exit tests;
Program
Philosophy for the Teaching of Reading and Writing and the Acquisition of ASL
The goal of Adult and Continuing Education
literacy classes for Deaf adults at LaGuardia Community College is to improve
the abilities of our students to learn through reading, writing and
signing. We would like our students to
leave the Program being better able to make meaning from text and sign language
and to be more effective communicating their understandings in writing and
signing.
We believe the way to achieve these
goals is through effective teacher-student and student-student communication as
well as planned instructional lessons which engage students. To this end, we support fluent ASL signing
paired with a whole language approach to the teaching of reading and
writing. Students need to participate
in authentic activities (reading whole books, writing whole essays, discussing what
they've read and written) where written English and ASL work together to convey
meaning. Through the reciprocal
interplay of reading, writing and signing, students will concurrently get
better at all three language processes.
Appointment
of Teachers and Start/End Dates
The recommendation for your
appointment is made by Kat Burland, Assistant Director and Coordinator for
Continuing Education Programs for Deaf Students, and Sue Livingston, Academic
Faculty Supervisor, with the approval of Tony Allicino, Program Director.
Adjunct (part-time) faculty appointments are made on a
quarter-by-quarter basis, subject to registration and the prior assignment of
adjunct faculty. When you are appointed
for the first time, you will meet with Amanda Polania, Administrative
Assistant, for assistance in scheduling an appointment to fill out the
appointment package at the Human Resources Department. Both new and returning faculty will receive
a memorandum indicating start and end dates as well as the class schedule and
the total number of hours appointed. If
you have any questions regarding completing timesheets, see Yakov Shifrin or
Amanda Polania, Kat's Administrative Assistants. You will also receive a College I.D. Authorization Card
form. The card, for use at the library
and facilities, allows for a 10% discount at the Collegiate Bookstore. Bring the form to the I.D. room (Rm. #
MB-23) in the Main Building to have your photo taken.
Orientation
and Professional Development Workshops
The Program for Deaf Adults provides
an orientation for new and returning faculty members before the beginning of
each quarter. You will be paid for
attending this one-hour orientation session.
Sue Livingston and/or other identified staff will provide in-service
professional development workshops once or twice each quarter as needed (except
summer) as well as classroom observations.
Sue Livingston and I are currently involved in the Design for Learning
training, focusing on incorporating technology into classroom instruction.
Office
Use
Mailboxes: Mailboxes in the main area of the Program's
office (#C-204) are used to disseminate information and route messages to you
from program staff and students.
Whenever possible, please check your mailbox.
TTY and Computer Use: You can use the teacher lounge in #C-204J to
make local phone calls and to use the computer. Please try to make the calls and use the computer as briefly as
possible so that other teachers can use it.
You can check your e-mail and communicate with your students if you have
their e-mail addresses. You can use the
networked printer (between Yakov’s and Amanda’s desks) to print work-related
papers. Please virus-scan before
using any of your 3.5 inches floppy disks. If there seems to be a problem
with the TTY or the computer, please notify Kat Burland. Please do not use the phones or computers in
the PDA secretarial area.
PDA Library and Teacher Lounge: You can use the teacher lounge (#C-204J) for
your course preparation and for grading student papers. The computer in C-204J is for your use. Books and materials in the library/tutoring
room (#C-204D) are available for your class use. A sign-in/sign-out sheet is posted. Please make sure to return the books when completed. Because of the heavy traffic in these areas,
and because we don't have regular cleaning service, we ask that you clean up
whatever mess you make, whether it is related to preparing materials for your
class(es) or eating. No eating is
allowed in the library/tutoring room, #C-204D. Please put all of the food and drink containers in the trash in
the hallway outside of the PDA Office.
Tutoring Room: For one-to-one individual instructional
sessions, either #C-204D or #C-202 can be used. Please sign up for the times you need by posting these on
the door.
Office/Classroom Supplies: A box holding all of the supplies you will
need for your class will be in the teacher lounge, #C-204J (e.g. pen, pencil,
chalk, media request forms, attendance sheets, colored markers, scissors,
scotch tape dispenser, and stapler).
Amanda Polania and Yakov Shifrin are responsible for equipping the
supplies in the box. Please respect the
PDA secretarial area and don't use their supplies. If you need Yakov’s assistance for making small quantities of
photocopies and transparencies, you can fill out the task request form a few
days prior to your class.
Transparencies: Media Services has
two photocopying machines available for transparencies. Program for Deaf Adults also offers
transparency copying. You can fill out
the service requests for Yakov at least 2 - 3 days in advance. Please return them when done.
Ordering Media Equipment: Campus Media Services (# 482-5431) is
located in the college library in the "E" Building (# E- 101) and is
open until 9 or 10 p.m. Please fill
out the form (see attached copy of Media Services request form in the Appendix)
for all orders at least a week ahead of time.
You can make the requests online via the College’s website: www.lagcc.cuny.edu and click on “Media
Equipment Request” to fill out the form.
Please make sure to put down on the form the name of the contact person,
Yakov at YShifrin@lagcc.cuny.edu. If you need standing (ongoing) orders for
overhead projectors or TV monitors with VCRs that you actually use in each of
your classes on a regular basis, you will need to indicate all of the dates for
each request/class. In the Media Services
Department, there is a copier for transparencies that you can use for your
class. Please make sure to notify
Media Services if you are not planning on using the equipment on the days
that you requested (i.e. class cancellation, etc). PDA also has its own overhead projectors and TV monitors/VCRs
available as needed. Teachers will need
to pick up and return the PDA equipment to Rm. #C-202 before the office closes
(check with Yakov regarding the office hours).
Closed-captioned videos are available through the Media Services. There is a list of closed-captioned videos
in a booklet in our library that you can review for your class.
Print Shop Requests: For 20 or more copies, requests must
be made through the College's Print Shop (Room #MB-20) at least 3 days in
advance. It is preferred that your
request for copying the materials and handouts for your classes be done through
the Print Shop (see attached copy of Print Shop Services request form in the
Appendix). PDA has the request forms
that you can fill out and give to Yakov (make sure to keep your own copy of the
materials). The Print Shop requires at
least three days in advance for all requests, but they offer instant
photocopying services between four p.m. and six p.m. daily for the teachers who
come to their room (# MB-20) in the basement of Main Building. However, they have a policy regarding
copyright laws and cannot make photocopies of any books.
Yakov Shifrin can also make 20 copies or less for you if you leave the material at least 4 school days before your class. Books cannot be copied for students' use; however, a copy of each page can be made to create transparencies (no more than ten pages per request). Yakov will be available before classes and can make few copies of notes you are leaving. They will not make numerous copies for classes; this needs to be requested in advance.
Staff
Roles
Kat Burland: Assistant Director
and Coordinator for Cont. Ed. Program for Deaf Students - Available 1 pm - 7 pm
on Mon. - Thurs. (TTY # 482-5024 and e-mail: Katb@lagcc.cuny.edu) is available
for inquiries on students' progress, handling students' complaints, and
concerns of instructors; provides continuing education and PDA oversight and
management.
Sue Livingston: Academic Faculty Supervisor – is available
by appointment (September to June) to provide guidance in course preparation,
books and material development, and general pedagogical guidance. Sue will assist you with in preparation for
your class, such as in developing syllabi and ordering textbooks. Sue's office is Rm. #E-200M and her ext. is
Voice/TTY # 5621. Her e-mail: Slivings@lagcc.cuny.edu.
Yakov Shifrin: Administrative Assistant, Cont. Ed. Programs
- Available on Mon. through Thurs. (TTY # 482-5353, e-mail: Yshifrin@lagcc.cuny.edu)
is available for general support for teachers and students. Assist Kat Burland with registration,
tuition payment, data entry, rosters, students’ evaluations, students’ progress
reports, correspondences and other paperwork.
Amanda Polania: Administrative
Assistants - Available 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (# 482-5324 Voice; TTY #482-5325 and
e-mail: Amandap@lagcc.cuny.edu) is available for inquiries on time
sheets and Payroll Office information.
Assists with the completion of new appointment packages.
Bark Qazi: Fiscal Monitor – Is responsible for overseeing
the paperwork for appointments and timesheets of adjunct faculty. His e-mail is Barkq@lagcc.cuny.edu.
Payment
Policy
Adjunct Faculty members are paid
usually four - six times each quarter, depending on the length of your
classes. Dates will be distributed to
you (please see attached in Appendix C).
Please make sure to sign in on the sign-up sheet posted on PDA front
door every time you report to teach a class.
Please fill out and submit the timesheets in a timely manner so that you
will be paid accordingly. Your first
paycheck is dependent on when the Program submits your appointment paper or
your reappointment (RFA), which is usually from 4 to 6 weeks from the first
week of semester. The paychecks will be
available for pick-up on Thursday evenings (3 p.m. to 6 p.m.) in the basement
lobby of the Main Building or on Fridays (9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) in the
Payroll Office, # E-402. Your I.D. card
is needed to pick up paychecks. The
Payroll Office no longer mails your paychecks to your home. If you like, you can have your paychecks
directly deposited to your bank. Please
ask Amanda Polania for the direct deposit forms, which will need to be
submitted to the Payroll Office. Any
inquiries regarding the status of payment can be directed to Amanda or Bark
Qazi, PDA fiscal monitor. If Amanda or
Bark is not able to help you, you will be referred to the Payroll Office at #
482-5519.
Please note that PDA reserves the
right to withhold your last timesheet until all of your necessary end of
semester forms are submitted, including syllabus for each of your class(s),
final rosters, and student's progress reports.
Fire Drills
There are
strobe-flashing signalers installed in the hallway, bathrooms, and in the main
area of PDA. At this point, there are no
signalers in classrooms or individual offices, and we are expecting the
installation of signaling system very soon.
The designated College’s fire warden or the security personnel will come
to your class to alert you of the fire drill.
You and the students will be given directions for evacuating the
building using the side stairways. When
you see or hear the fire alarm, please be prepared to instruct your students to
leave the classroom immediately. Do not
leave valuable items in the classroom. If you or any of the students cannot use the stairs, please go to
the front open area of the building, near the elevators, and wait for
assistance. Don't use the elevators in
any event. Please notify Kat or Yakov
if you or any of your students anticipate needing special assistance.
Dress Code and Professional Conduct
As in many other employment
settings, it is imperative that we present ourselves in a professional manner
at LaGuardia. The dress code is
professional, yet casual, such as no shorts, blue jeans, tank tops or
sleeveless shirts, etc. It is strongly
encouraged that teachers maintain regular and punctual class attendance. Teachers are encouraged to participate in
staff development activities and events as well as to commit themselves to performing
satisfactory completion of administrative responsibilities: classroom
attendance, recommendations for student advancement, etc.
Who are
your students?
One fundamental for effective
teaching is to know who your students are, their backgrounds and reasons for
studying, so that you can better plan your course. The student population at the Program for Deaf Adults is
extremely heterogeneous, just like New York City’s population. A majority of the students know and are
fluent in American Sign Language. A
significant segment of our students learned English as a second or third
language, and may have immigrated to the United States.
Some of them, regardless of their
native language, will have a hard time understanding you and will also have
some problems expressing their ideas both in class discussions and in
writing. Keep in mind that just as
these students must be encouraged to improve in reading and writing, in order
to meet high standards in the use of language, you must make your best effort
to be understood. The use of media
equipment in the classroom, such as overhead projectors and LCDs (also known as
multimedia projectors), are strongly encouraged. The fact that some students have language problems does not make
them unintelligent students. On the
contrary, it is very likely that they will be among the brightest, the most
motivated, and the fastest learners in your classes.
Some of the students also work to
support themselves; many of them work full-time. Some have families to tend to, and they commute to the campus
from all parts of the greater New York City area. It is a good idea to let your students know from the beginning of
the quarter that they are all expected to carry out the same amount of work,
regardless of their situation. Tell
them that if their schedules interfere with meeting course obligations, they
should let you know right away so that you can arrange, if possible,
alternative assignments or activities.
You can set a good example by planning in advance, and assigning work
with plenty of notice so that everybody will be able to hand it in on
time. If you or any of your students
need help in this area, contact Kat Burland.
The most important thing of all is
that you try to understand and respect your students and take advantage of the
wonderful opportunity that comes from their various backgrounds and experiences
so that the learning process can broaden them and you and be interesting and
challenging for everybody in the classroom.
Syllabus
and Quarterly Schedule
A good
syllabus should include the following (see sample in Appendix D):
Course Title: The course name,
the subject of the course (for example, ASDA, Writing), the date (for example,
Fall Quarter 2002), the days and time of class meetings, the name of instructor
and PDA phone number (TTY #482-5353), as well as the phone number for adverse
weather status (Voice #482-5555).
Attached, in the Appendix E, is the academic calendar of the Division of
Adult and Continuing Education, which is a helpful guide for knowing about
school closings.
Course Objectives: A list of the
course objectives -- what you expect your students to accomplish/learn how to
do.
Course Outline: The required activities for the course,
including labs, assignments,
examinations, or projects. The syllabus
should be as specific, stating
what will be taught each week and what work will be due.
Policies: Policies on attendance,
grading, make-up work, class participation and how they affect the
grading. A breakdown of percentage for
grading would be helpful.
Copies of
syllabi for all of your classes, including Individual Instruction, should be
submitted within the first two weeks of the quarter to Sue Livingston and
Yakov Shifrin for our files. Please
distribute copies to your students as well.
A pre-test exam should be given
within the first or second day of class and can be used as the final
examination on the last day of the class.
A copy of the exam should be submitted to Yakov along with the syllabus,
which are due by the first week of class.
Please note that pre-tests may not be necessary if you have continuing
students. In that case, an exit exam is
only required. T.A.B.E. (The Adult
Basic Education) testing should be given as well at the beginning to returning
students and to all students at the end of quarter.
Suggestions for both pre-test and
post-test:
-
Reading:
Short literacy or news passage
Main
idea: Write a summary
Response: Write a reaction to passage
-
Math: 10 to 15 math problems
-
Writing:
Short in-class essay on a topic that interests the
students
Evaluate
focus, organization, detail and grammar
Textbook
and Materials
Textbooks, instructor manuals,
solution guides and student guides, if any, are available on loan to you
for your course preparation. Also,
please feel free to browse and review a variety of books. You may find that one book deals more
clearly with a topic, or offers alternative views. If you find good books, you can purchase them for yourself or for
PDA. You will be reimbursed for books
bought by the program upon presentation of a payment receipt. If you need assistance or recommendation of
books and materials, you can consult with Sue Livingston or Kat Burland. Please review your book selections with
Sue.
Textbook Requisition Form: When you order textbooks for your course,
fill out the form (see attached copy of Textbook Requisition form in the
Appendix F) completely, including name of the book, author(s), edition or year,
publisher and IBSN, and return it to Sue Livingston or Kat Burland. Due dates for book orders: early November
for winter classes; early February for spring classes; and early August for
fall classes. Please make sure that the
books you order are affordable for students.
Bookstore: The Collegiate Bookstore (# 482- 5579) is
located in the basement of the Main Building (Rm. # MB05) and is usually open
from 9 a.m. until 8 or 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Books that are ordered should be in stock by
the first week of class. Call or go to
the bookstore to make sure that all the required readings and texts are in
place before class. If not, check with
Kat Burland or Yakov Shifrin to see if we are aware of the problem. The books can be rush-ordered through a
different bookstore, such as Barnes and Nobles, but this still takes time.
You can instruct the students to
purchase the books themselves. If a
VESID counselor sponsors the student, the student can save the receipt of
purchase and later be reimbursed within 4 - 6 weeks. The student will need to go to the voucher desk in the back of
the bookstore for the cash reimbursement.
Library
and Computer Laboratory
LaGuardia
Community College Library (482-5426) in the "E" Building (Rm. #
E-101) has a wide variety of services that are available for the teachers. There is a faculty computer laboratory (Mac
and IBM compatible) in Room # E-256. It
is usually open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day. Please check their schedule during the
intersession periods.
Meeting the First Class
Introductions: Students' e-mail/home addresses and phone
numbers
Experienced teachers have found that
first impressions are very important.
First, you should try to convey your own enthusiasm for your subject in
a way that is intelligible to the students.
In this first class, you will be introducing not only yourself but also
your field of study. Try to say a
little about what you will be learning together, why it is important and
exciting, and how it will fit in with the rest of their education.
Secondly, show a genuine interest in
your students as people. Make an effort
to learn their names, their goals, their interests, and perhaps where they are
from. If students see that you
genuinely care about them as people, they will be much more willing to give
your class their best efforts. Ask
students to write some information about themselves; also, make sure to have
their name, e-mail/home address, and phone number for your own list in case you
need to contact them directly, such as, you call in sick on the day of your
classes. Explain that if you are absent
from class you will call them individually.
They also have a responsibility to call the office and leave a message
letting you know if they cannot come to class. Many teachers believe it
motivates students if they get to know each other. Ask each person to introduce him/herself to the class. There are several strategies. The simplest is to begin with yourself. Tell them your name (again) and what you
would like them to call you in class, where you are from, and what experience
you have in your field and your interests.
Look at the students as you talk;
see if there are any responses to what you are saying. You might find someone from your hometown or
who lights up when you mention your interests.
And then you might not, but it is still important to look at them, and
ask each person to introduce himself or herself to the group. As they talk, look at the class rosters and
their faces. This is your first chance
to learn their names.
No matter what method you use in
their first class, be yourself.
Everyone has a picture of the ideal teacher, but it is much easier to
adapt good teaching techniques to your own personality than to try to become someone
else. If you are serious, don't try to be a comedian; if you are lighthearted,
don't adopt a stern demeanor. You won't
be able to keep it up all quarter anyway.
There is one exception to a friendly
approach. Be very firm when you explain
the course requirements. You don't want
your students to think you are such a nice person that they can turn in their
work late or miss class. Express the
importance of continuity and how one class build on the next. It disadvantages everyone in the class if
one student is absent. Your goal is to
encourage them to take responsibility for themselves and for doing their work
on time. Attendance and punctuality are
stressed, and you can serve as a good role model by starting and ending at the
correct time. It is highly suggested
that three-hour classes take a fifteen-minute break. If you need to leave early, you are expected to notify the
students and Kat of how the time would be made up.
Course
Requirement
Distribute the syllabus and go over
it with the students. Make sure you
emphasize the class policies on lateness, absences and submitting assignments
late. Point out the exam dates and when
other requirements will be due. Ask
them if there are any questions. Wait
for a response. Look around the room
for puzzled expressions. If you see
any, ask again. At times, individual
contracts may be necessary.
Be sure that you explain clearly how
their grades will be determined on the student progress report. For example, if the quiz(zes) and the final
test each count one-fourth of the grade,
and class participation and attendance or class assignments each count
one-fourth, that policy should be clearly stated in writing on the
syllabus. Point this out to the
students and be sure they understand it.
Class
Rosters
Just before the start of the
quarter, you will receive a printed list of the students registered for your
class. You will submit a copy of your
roster(s) at the fourth week into the quarter and the original roster at the end
of the semester. If a student's name does
not appear on the class roster at the first meeting of the class, the student
should be advised that he or she might not attend your class again unless
authorization is obtained from Kat. Any
registration-related problems should be referred to Kat or Yakov. Please check, by the end of the first
week, that no one is sitting in class who has not paid. This rule must be strictly enforced. Students are not permitted to register or to
add courses after the third week of the term.
No visitors are allowed to sit in your classes at any time. No children are allowed.
Attendance
Policy for Students
You are required to keep attendance
records (rosters) for all the courses you teach, including individual
instructional sessions if any. At the fourth week and the last week of the
term, these rosters should be submitted to Yakov. We are sometimes asked to verify a student's status for legal
matters, or at times, students returning to classes after an absence of years will
challenge an "F", claiming that they had withdrawn from the
course. The attendance records are our
main source for documenting this type of information.
The following attendance policy will be mandated each quarter:
Emergency/Sick
Leave
Since our programs are non-credit,
our contract with students is for a certain number of hours of
instruction. If teachers cannot meet
their class for whatever reason, we still have an obligation to provide the
instructional hours. Therefore, the
following procedure should be carefully noted:
·
All
class sessions must be met. If you know
in advance that you will be absent, please arrange for a substitute teacher to
take over the class, using your class assignments and your instructions for the
lesson. Please notify Kat Burland about
the arrangement. You and the substitute
teacher will sign the agreement form (please see attached copy in Appendix G)
and will submit a copy to Kat for the file. You will need to pay the substitute
teacher at the flat rate of around $20.00 to 25.00 per hour.
·
If an
emergency arises--a situation in which the teacher is genuinely unable to contact
a potential substitute--and a class must be canceled, Kat should be informed in
advance. If Kat is not available, make sure someone in PDA (Amanda or Yakov) is
notified in order to post a notice on the door. You are expected to call the students yourself. Arrangements must be made for making up the
class. The same thing goes for the
College's class cancellation due to adverse weather conditions. You can check out the status by calling
482-5555 (Voice).
·
If a
student or a group of students in your individual instructional or regular
class doesn't show up without any previous notification, the student(s) is
considered absent and your hours will be paid in full as originally arranged.
Evaluations
The purpose of having students
evaluate courses is to give the teacher feedback on how things are going. The questions used were developed with
faculty input, and the evaluation itself is done around mid-quarter so that the
feedback is used by the teacher to make any modifications in the course if
necessary.
In the beginning and low
intermediate level class, the evaluations are done in the students' ASL and
translated into English. All of the
evaluations are done anonymously, and teachers received a report, which is a compilation
of the individual student evaluations.
A sample student evaluation form and commentary are included in the
Appendix H. Starting this quarter, all
of the written evaluations will be supplemented with a facilitator, fluent in
ASL, who will ask open-ended questions regarding the classes and their
teachers.
Completing the Course
Student
Progress Reports
Forms for Student Progress Reports
will be placed in your mailbox about a week before your last day of class. The forms are also available in Office J,
the teacher's lounge. The forms must be
filled out, signed, dated, and turned in to Kat Burland within three days after
the final class session. Please make
sure to indicate the subject of the class that you are teaching, i.e. ASDA,
Reading. It would be a good idea to
schedule individual student conferences, to help students understand their
final grade(s). Have them signs their
names on their Student Progress Report.
This will help them understand their own progress. Indicate the student's progress or learning
needs in the comment area. Write or
print clearly in blue or black ink.
Even though the student(s) on your
roster has have never or seldom attended your class, please make sure to
include these students on the Student Progress Report. You can indicate that you are unable to
grade these students due to excessive absences. You may photocopy the reports for your records.
Counseling and Special Situations
Office
Hours
Your being available to meet
students before and after classes has advantages: You can get to know your students better in the ten minutes
before the beginning of the class than in a whole quarter of general classroom
contact. At that time there is a lot of
chit-chat going on and you will be asked questions which would not be asked
during the class itself because of its more formal nature. Often these discussions benefit not only the
asking student, but also everyone who is listening. That is also the time at which you may see those students who are
usually too shy to speak up during the class, and perhaps you can informally
encourage them to participate more.
The teacher's lounge can be used as
your office for course preparation and paper grading. You may want to use this room to meet with a student who is
having a problem with schoolwork.
Advising
and Counseling
Students often seek advice on a
variety of different problems, sometimes related, sometimes not, to the subject
of your course. Encourage your students
at least to speak up about what they want to say and, no matter how trivial
their questions may seem to you, do your best to be a good listener.
In some instances your students
might just want to have a friendly chat with you to discuss academic or Career
goals. In such cases, you will able to
respond by yourself to the student's needs, with a little bit of common sense
and experience. Some other times, you
will need to refer your students to Kat Burland or Yakov Shifrin who may be
more experienced and able to assist than you.
You may also encourage the student to discuss with their VESID counselor
their long-term goals. For academic
matters, the student should seek Kat for advisement related to registration,
requirements, and other related issues.
At times you might realize that a
student has changed since the beginning of the term and that his/her grades are
getting worse. Such a student might be
experiencing a personal problem and might be sending out signals that need to
be addressed. The following are common
signs that often indicate a student is in distress:
- Frequent lateness or absence
- Marked change of appearance
- Inappropriate and disruptive
classroom behavior, e.g., talking too much
- Marked drowsiness or sleepiness
- Apparent intoxication or change in
mood, e.g. depressed
- Lateness with assignments
- Noticeable decrease in classroom
participation
- Marked change in attitude,
especially anger and hostility.
Handling
Student Complaints
Keep in mind that no matter how good
a teacher you are, there is always the possibility of student complaints. Try to be open-minded and show a genuine
interest in solving any kind of problem.
In this way if one of your students has a complaint, he/she will not be
afraid to tell you, allowing you the opportunity to work it out. If a student feels threatened, he/she may
not be willing to speak to you. In this
situation, the student's anger only gets worse and you will find that complaint
has been referred to the Assistant Director or Director.
You might occasionally have to face a student who voices
his/her complaints very emphatically.
Here are some suggestions to handle it:
- If other people are present, suggest the conversation be
continued in private. Sometimes the
only reason for the argument is the publicity derived from it.
- Wait until he/she is
finished. Never interrupt.
-
Listen attentively to what your student has to say and, in order to show and to
make sure that you have understood correctly, repeat the main points before
answering.
- Analyze the matter critically to find out what is wrong
and how it can be corrected. If you need more time to think about it, say
so.
- Make sure the student understands that you are genuinely
interested in solving the problem and that you are open to compromises, unless
they are against the policies of the course or the Program.
- Explain your reasons and your views and allow your student
to respond. Explain what the procedure
is, in case you cannot come to an agreement.
- Whatever happens, do not lose your temper. If you remain calm, even very agitated
students will relax after a while.
- If you feel that it might be helpful, arrange for a
meeting with the student and the Assistant Director.
-
If you
really cannot find an agreement or need to report incidents of harassment, ask
for advice or guidance from the Assistant Director.
-
Please
review the sexual harassment policy and procedure, attached in Appendix I.
General Information
About
The College
LaGuardia
Community College was founded in 1971 and has been one of New York State's
fastest-growing institutions of higher learning ever since. Today more than 10,000 students are enrolled
in credit programs. LaGuardia enjoys a
solid reputation for innovation and is widely considered to be a leader among the
nation's two-year colleges, especially in the area of graduating minority groups.
LaGuardia
Community College is located near the intersection of Queens Boulevard with
Thomson Avenue and Van Dam Street in Long Island City. Four buildings are currently in use. The closest train stations offer trains 7
(at 33rd St/Rawson St. or Court Square stops); N (at Queensboro
Plaza stop); R (at Queens Plaza stop); or G (at Court House Sq. stop); or E
& V (at Ely Ave. stop).
The Main
Building (with all room numbers prefixed "M") is at 31-10
Thomson Avenue and houses some of the administrative offices, the gym, the
Collegiate Bookstore, Bursar, most academic departments, and many classrooms.
The East
Building (with room numbers prefixed "E") is located east
of the Main Building, thus the name of the building. It is situated at the corner of Thomson Avenue and Van Dam Street
and houses the LaGuardia Library, Media Services, the Payroll Office and other
administrative offices, computer labs for students and faculty members, and
many classrooms.
The Center-3
Building (with room numbers prefixed "C") is located at
29-10 Thomson Avenue. Program for Deaf
Adults is located at # C-204 and usually uses classrooms for its students
there.
Conclusion
We hope
that this Adjunct Faculty Handbook is a helpful orientation to your work at the
Program for Deaf Adults. If you have
questions or suggestions, please let us know.
Kat
Burland, Assistant Director, PDA
September
2003
ð Most Commonly Used Phone Numbers
Department
or Services Extensions Room
Campus Security
& Public Safety (Center 3) 8053 Lobby
Campus Security
& Public Safety (Main Desk) 5558
E100
Campus Public
Safety/Emergency (Weather) 5555
Information
Center (Main Building) 8293
Lobby
LaGuardia
Library 5426 E101
Media
Services 5431 E101
Microcomputer
Lab-Faculty 6115 E256
Payroll
Office 5519 E402
Print Shop 5561 MB20
Program for
Deaf Adults-Voice 5324 C204
Program for
Deaf Adults-General TTY 5325 C204
FAX number 609-2069
Kat Burland, Assistant Director-TTY 5024 C204
Yakov Shifrin, Assistant -TTY 5353 C204
Sue Livingston, Staff &
Curriculum Developer 5621 E200M