Provost’s Newsletter: News and Updates from the Division of Academic Affairs for March 19, 2025
March 19, 2025
Dear Baruch College Community:
A faculty member recently asked me, “Can I require attendance?” Before I answer that question, I want to explain that while we are not a federally designated “attendance taking institution,” we are required to verify enrollment during the first weeks of the semester to confirm that students on our rosters are indeed attending class (even asynchronous online classes). Doing so is a requirement for federal financial aid eligibility under Title IV. This means that faculty must take attendance in the first weeks of a semester. There are many ways to do this, including roll call, use of classrooms clickers, sign-ins to the course Brightspace site, and so on. Sadly, this issue came vividly to my attention because a deceased student was mistakenly on the rosters of five courses in the fall semester. In none of those classes was the student’s absence recorded during the verification of enrollment period. In two of those classes, she received the earned grade of F, and in one class even received a grade of INC. Please review the CUNY Uniform Grade Glossary, Policies, and Guidelines here.
There is another reason to verify enrollment in the first few weeks, and that is to engage with and get to know your students. The desire to do that is what spurred the faculty member to ask if they can require attendance. A faculty member must clearly articulate their grading policy in their syllabus. A faculty member could, for example, indicate that 20% of the course grade is based on class participation, including regular attendance. Alternatively, they could have a specific attendance policy spelled out in the syllabus, but the faculty member would have to be prepared for grade grievances if it is an unreasonable policy. For example, missing three class sessions should not lead to an F grade, but missing more than half of the classes might. What a faculty member cannot do is fail a student for non-attendance if the student has done all their coursework and there is nothing in the syllabus indicating that attendance is required. (By the way, I prefer the language of attendance being “expected” rather than “required.”)
In other news…the March Coffee Chat/Tea Talk is tomorrow! Join Associate Provost Jenny Provo Quarles, Professor Shawn Grant, and me for coffee, tea, snacks, and conversation in celebration of Women’s History Month on Thursday, Mar. 20, from 9:30 to 10:30 am in the Newman Vertical Campus (NVC), 14th Floor, Room 14-280. All faculty and staff are invited.
Finally, a reminder that the Fourth Annual Cross-College Faculty Research Symposium is next week on Thursday, Mar. 27, from 2:30 to 5:30 pm. You can RSVP here and scroll to the “Research” section below for additional information.
Best wishes,
Dr. Linda Essig
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Campus Updates
Call for Participation: 2025 Commencement Ceremony
The 2025 Commencement Ceremony will take place on Wednesday, May 28, at 9 am at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Please RSVP here if you would like to participate in the academic processional or serve as a Marshal and indicate if you will need to rent academic regalia. Regalia must be ordered by Friday, Apr. 25, at 9 am. Detailed Commencement instructions for faculty and staff can be found here.
Announcing the 2025 Abraham J. Briloff Prizes in Ethics Winners
I am delighted to announce the 2025 Abraham J. Briloff Prizes in Ethics winners:
- Valerie Watnick, Professor, Department of Law, for her article, “Climate Change, Marginalized Communities, and Pandemics: A New Paradigm for Transforming Industrial Animal Agriculture Through ESG”
- Rhiannon Neilson, Assistant Professor, Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, for her article, “Revising, or Rejecting, Reasonable Prospect of Success in Just Wars? Lessons From Ukraine”
- Jason Chen (25’) for his paper, “Does an Enemy Have the Strategic and Moral Right to Possess Nuclear Weapons?”
Congratulations, all!
Student Success
Alert: Student Employment Scams
Earlier this week, LaGuardia Community College’s Office of Public Safety received reports regarding an employment scam from students who were sent a job offer email and told they would have to apply via their personal email. Students involved had their personal information compromised. Please alert your students—whether in the classroom or elsewhere—about these recent job scams and measures to avoid them. Additional tips can be found on the Federal Trade Commission’s website.
Teaching and Learning
Reminder: Submit Progress Reports by Monday, Mar. 31
Each term, we ask all faculty members to identify students who are experiencing academic difficulties (such as earning a grade lower than C or missing assignments) or doing really well through progress reports. The progress report survey lists only students who are in their first year at Baruch (freshmen and transfers). It is designed to proactively contact students who may be disengaged, to commend students who are on track, and to connect students to advisors, tutors, and counselors as early as possible. This work is important, as students who seek help from campus resources are more likely to complete their courses successfully and remain enrolled at Baruch. Please respond to the survey by Monday, Mar. 31.
Getting to Know Brightspace: Completion Tracking
Completion Tracking helps you monitor how students interact with course materials, assignments, quizzes, and discussions. This tool provides valuable insights into who is keeping up with the coursework and who may need additional support. By enabling Completion Tracking, you can set items to be marked as complete automatically when students view or submit content, or manually, where students confirm their own progress. This makes it easier to see which students have engaged with key materials and to identify potential learning gaps. Students may also benefit from clear visual indicators showing what they’ve completed, helping them stay organized and on track. (This is also a means by which faculty can verify enrollment during the first weeks of a semester without having to take roll during class.) Instructors can find additional information in this video. For any questions, please reach out to Brightspace Support 24/7 by clicking the blue-and-white dialogue box in the bottom-right corner of any Brightspace webpage or via phone at 1-888-895-2511.
New Online Grade Change Form
The new online Grade Change form is now live. You can now easily submit grade changes and WN reversal requests on behalf of your students. This system enables real-time tracking at every stage of the approval process, ensuring greater visibility. You will also receive automated email notifications when a request is submitted and finalized, keeping you informed throughout the process. Once approved, the grade change will be reflected immediately on the student’s record. For WN reversals, once approved, the WN will not only be removed from the student’s record but will automatically update the Verification of Enrollment (VOE) rosters to reflect the change. This new system is designed to reduce processing time and create a more efficient workflow for faculty and administrative staff. Click here for more information and resources. Please email graderosters@baruch.cuny.edu with any grading questions.
Research
Faculty Research Symposium Spring Showcase and Faculty Mentoring Network Gathering–Thursday, Mar. 27
Please join us Thursday, Mar. 27, from 2:30 to 5 pm in the Newman Vertical Campus (NVC), 14th Floor, Room 14-250 for the signature Faculty Research Symposium Spring Showcase. It will feature PechaKucha research presentations from faculty across the College (as well as the Provost). Three $1,000 research awards for faculty will be announced at the end of the event via audience choice voting. Don’t miss this opportunity to get a glimpse of the exciting research being done and to vote for your favorite presentations! Click here to RSVP. Immediately following the showcase, there will be a Faculty Mentoring Network gathering from 5 to 7 pm, open to all faculty. There will be wine, cheese, and guided network activities. This is an opportunity to meet faculty mentors, colleagues in your faculty cohort, and potential collaborators. Click here to RSVP for the gathering.
Identity Management Seminar for Faculty Researchers
An Identity Management Seminar for Faculty Researchers will be held on Wednesday, Apr. 2, at 12:30 pm via Zoom. This workshop is designed for researchers aiming to enhance the visibility of their journal publications. By leveraging additional tools, researchers can increase exposure of their work and gain valuable information via impact metrics. Join Paolo Gujilde, Strategist for Content and Scholarly Communication Initiatives at Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCiD), and colleagues from Faculty Affairs and the Newman Library to discover how these tools can elevate your research profile and measure your scholarly impact effectively. Please RSVP here. A Zoom link will be provided upon registration.
Faculty Achievements
Aditya Jain, Associate Professor, Loomba Department of Management, recently had her article “Anti-competitive Effects of a Dominant Retailer’s Guaranteed Profit Margin and Low-Price Contracts” accepted for publication in Management Science.
Josh Moritz, Lecturer, Aaronson Department of Marketing and International Business, had his proposal to create a data driven walking tour of the Lower East Side accepted as part of a weeklong event called Open Data Week NY.
Patrycja Sleboda, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, recently had two articles published. “Self-control, Food Choices, and Affective Well-being in Daily Life: An Experience Sampling Study” was published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine, while her other article, “Global Public Concerns About Climate Change: The Role of Education, Direct Experience, and Indirect Experience,” has been published in the Journal of Risk Research.
Do you want to share something you published, exhibited, performed, or presented with the Baruch community? Submit your information here.
Assessment, Accreditation, Institutional Effectiveness
Assessment Spotlight Series
On behalf of Baruch College and the Office of the Provost, the Office of Assessment is launching an Assessment Spotlight Series to acknowledge individual faculty and staff engaged in outstanding assessment efforts across the campus community. During this series, the College will highlight a program/department and the commitment and innovation of those involved each month. We are dedicated to showcasing the impressive work of our colleagues, as we collectively continue to ensure success for all Baruch students. This month, we recognize Dr. Dan Libertz and Dr. Laura Kolb from the Department of English in the Weissman School. Click here to learn more about how they are working to improve student learning through the First-Year Writing and Great Works programs.
Reminders
March Coffee Chat/Tea Talk Celebrates Women’s History Month
Join co-hosts Jenny Provo Quarles, Associate Provost, Pedagogy and Online Programs; Shawn Grant, Assistant Professor, Department of Law; and Provost Essig for the monthly Academic Affairs Coffee Chat/Tea Talk on Thursday, Mar. 20, in the Newman Vertical Campus (NVC), 14th Floor, Room 14-280 from 9:30 to 10:30 am. All faculty and staff are welcome to share coffee (or tea) and conversation at this celebration of Women’s History Month. For more information on Women’s History Month at Baruch College, click here.
Adjunct Faculty Open Office Hours on Friday, Mar. 21
Norene Leddy, Director of Faculty Affairs, will host the next open office hours for adjunct faculty on Friday, Mar. 21, at 2 pm via Zoom. These biweekly open office hours are optional and provide an opportunity for adjunct faculty to meet with Ms. Leddy and discuss any questions or concerns they may have. This session will feature Julia Goldstein, Associate Director, Center for Teaching & Learning, who will discuss the new resources and programming available. Catherine Kawalek from the Education Technology Team will also be on hand to provide support for both Brightspace and Zoom. Adjunct faculty can register here to join. Registration links and a full calendar for the semester are also available in the Adjunct Community Space in Brightspace.
Call for Applications: Brightspace Innovation Awards
The Brightspace Innovation Awards recognize faculty who have demonstrated exceptional use and implementation of the Brightspace Learning Management System (LMS) to enhance student learning. Five $1,000 awards are available for full-time and adjunct faculty members. Faculty must have actively used Brightspace in their teaching during the 2024-25 academic year to be eligible. Recipients will participate in a showcase event in May 2025 to share their innovation with the Baruch community. Click here for more information and submission details. The submission deadline is Monday, Mar. 31. Please contact Jenny Provo Quarles, Associate Provost for Pedagogy and Online Programs, with any questions.
Call for Applications: Assessment Excellence Awards
The Assessment Excellence Awards recognize faculty for their assessment efforts that have contributed to the improvement of Baruch College student outcomes. Five $1,000 awards are available for full-time and adjunct faculty members. Faculty must be actively engaged in program or departmental assessment activities during the 2024-25 academic year to be eligible. Recipients will participate in an assessment showcase event in May 2025 to share their work with the Baruch community. Click here for more information and submission details. The submission deadline is Monday, Mar. 31.
Sign-ups Still Open: Third Annual Student vs. Faculty/Staff Basketball Game
The Undergraduate Student Government is once again organizing a student vs. faculty/staff basketball game, and all are invited to participate. This year’s game will be held in the Baruch Gym on Thursday, Mar. 20. Warm-ups will begin at approximately 5:15 pm, and the game starts at 6 pm. Whether you’re a basketball pro, a casual player, or just in it for fun, this is your chance to engage with students in a new way, enjoy some friendly rivalry, and be part of an event that brings the Baruch community together. Want to play? Click here to sign up.
Stay Connected
Share Your Research and Creative Activity
Keep the College up to date with your research and creative activity by emailing facultynews@baruch.cuny.edu with the what, where, and when of your publication, exhibition, or award.
President Wu’s Blog
Join the conversation at President Wu’s blog. Read and comment here.
Event Listings
If you have an event for the Academic Affairs Events Calendar, published each Thursday during the academic semester, click here.