I hope that each of you has been able to take some time to relax and enjoy a much-deserved summer break. 

The Fall 2022 semester begins Monday, August 22. Below you will find important information about policies and support resources to help ensure a successful semester.

Important Reminders 

• Accessibility: Each faculty member is responsible for ensuring that course materials are accessible to all enrolled students, regardless of their permanent/temporary disability. The Student Accessibility Support Center provides services and requests accommodations that address each student’s needs, including managing remote exam proctoring needs. If you need help learning how to make your courses accessible, please contact the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching.
• Calendars: Please familiarize yourself with the various University calendars and deadlines, including the academic calendar, which includes add/drop deadlines, course withdrawal deadlines, holidays, etc. 
• Student Absences: During the semester, students may be required to miss class as a result of their participation in an event or activity sponsored by the University. In such cases, please be prepared to make necessary accommodations. 
• Religious Accommodations: The University is committed to ensuring that every student will have the right to pursue their education while practicing their faith. The Provost’s Office hosts guidelines on how faculty can best support student religious accommodations. This includes a listing of upcoming religious holidays, direction on student absences, and how to avoid conflicts with due dates for exams, papers, presentations or other major assignments. 
• Tracking Attendance: To ensure students maintain their federal financial aid eligibility, SBU must verify that students are attending classes. In the early part of the semester, you will be asked to indicate on the “beginning of term attendance roster” in SOLAR if an enrolled student has never attended class. After final grades have been posted at the end of the semester, you will again be asked if each student has: Never attended, completed the course, or has not attended since a specific date (end of term attendance in SOLAR).

Resources to Support Student Success

• Student Success: To help your students succeed, familiarize yourself with the different services Stony Brook offers to support our students as they pursue their degrees: the Student Success website, Division of Undergraduate Education, Academic Success and Tutoring Center, Graduate and Postdoctoral Professional Development, and the Red Book, which can help you guide students in mental, emotional, medical, or other distress to the appropriate resources.
• Health and Wellness:  If you have concerns about a student’s well-being, reach out and/or refer students to the Student Support Team, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), or Student Health Services. Remind students that they also have 24/7 virtual access to medical and mental health services through TimelyCare. 
• If you would like support with your teaching, The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) has many ways to assist you  this upcoming semester: you can join a scheduled course, workshop, or panel; or you can  schedule a customized workshop for your department or team; or use the Faculty Commons for collaboration. Schedule it via R25 by clicking the “Create Event” icon on the day you would like to reserve. Email celt@stonybrook.edu if you have any questions.
• DoIT's Classroom Technology and Support Solutions is here to support you!  Read Classroom Technology Updates to find out how to schedule a refresher for using the technology in your classroom and learn about upcoming classroom technology initiatives. Email classrooms@stonybrook.edu for more information. 

SBU Policies

• Academic Integrity: All faculty are required to report suspected violations of the Academic Integrity Policy.
• FERPA: To protect student privacy, Stony Brook has developed a FERPA policy for handling and maintaining student records in accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. Please note that without a signed release form, this policy precludes conversations about a student’s academic progress with that student’s parents/guardians.
• Disruptions: In case of classroom disruptions, please review the relevant policies. 
• Student Responsibility: Please familiarize yourself with the University’s statements of Minimal Instruction and Student Responsibilities, and Minimal Undergraduate Student Responsibilities.
• SBC: All first-time full-time freshman and transfer students follow the Stony Brook Curriculum for general education requirements. Continuing students who matriculated before Spring 2014 may have matriculated under the DEC and will continue to do so until they graduate. Neither individual faculty members nor academic departments may grant waivers or substitutions for general education or other university (non-major) requirements. 

Required Syllabus Content

The University Senate Undergraduate and Graduate Councils have authorized that these required statements appear in all teaching syllabi (graduate and undergraduate courses) on the Stony Brook Campus. 

In addition to these statements, all course syllabi must include measurable Learning Outcomes. If you need help in drafting such outcomes, please contact CELT.

Learning Management Systems

As we begin our transition from Blackboard to Brightspace, faculty will have the option to use either for their classes. Upon logging into Brightspace, you will have access to an empty course shell for your Fall 2022 course. In addition, if you taught the same course last Fall, you will see a “Fall 2021 Blackboard course copy” in Brightspace so you can move any existing content that you wish into your Fall 2022 course shell. For more information about Brightspace, visit DoIT’s Brightspace service page.  

All syllabi must be available to students on or before the first day of classes, preferably before. Upload your syllabi to the appropriate section of the Brightspace or Blackboard site for each of your courses. It is also recommended that you make your course(s) unavailable in the platform you are not using (Blackboard or Brightspace). For technical information to add to your syllabus, visit the Academic Technology Service Blog. 

Thank you all for your interest, and for your continued support in ensuring another successful semester at Stony Brook.

Best regards,
Elizabeth Newman 
Vice Provost for Curriculum and Undergraduate Education