Faculty and Student Services

Academic Advisement

Undergraduate

The Academic Advisement Center, located in 100 Netzer (x3390), reports to the Office of Student Development and serves faculty, staff and matriculated undergraduate students through the following:

• Coordinating and distributing up-to-date advising materials to students and advisors
• Providing advising materials and training to faculty and staff
• Providing advising support through programs, and individual and group advising
• Processing all declaration/change of major/concentration/degree forms
• Processing all assignments and changes of advisors
• Processing all course substitutions and waivers
• Processing all course re-evaluation and updating the computer database as required
• Coordinating group and individual advisement for all new and readmitted students prior to course registration
• Processing all pre-set scheduling for new entering freshmen
• Designing and implementing all new and readmitted student orientation programs
• Overseeing the Academic Leave of Absence process
• Assisting students in obtaining prior approval for transfer course work
• Reviewing and processing all readmission applications
• Supervising the Academic Team Member program
• Exploring new processes and delivery systems for improved advising practices.

Graduate

The graduate advisory program aims to help the student plan a program of study that will improve professional competence and maintain a close liaison between the student and the College. Each graduate program has a departmental program director or coordinator. Contact the Office of Graduate Studies in Netzer 135, x2596, for the names of these individuals.

Upon admission to a master’s degree program, each graduate student is assigned a faculty advisor from the academic department of the major field of study. It is the function of the advisor to assist the student in planning a graduate program and the selection of appropriate courses. The student is responsible for being familiar with graduate policies and procedures and for fulfilling all degree requirements.

Graduate students may request a change of academic advisor by contacting the program director, and sending a written request to the Graduate Office. The Graduate Office will notify students in writing when such requests are granted and will send students the name of their new advisor.

While non-degree graduate students are not assigned faculty advisors, they are encouraged to consult individual faculty members or academic department chairs with respect to the appropriateness and availability of courses.

Information Technology Services

The mission of Information Technology Services is to inspire, encourage, and support students, faculty and staff in their use of technology as a foundation for teaching and learning at SUNY Oneonta.

Information Technology Services provides technology support to students, faculty and staff through the Information Technology Service Desk, configures and maintains, hardware/software including consultation on procurement,  computer labs, provides support and development for using technology in teaching through the Teaching, Learning and Technology Center, provides classroom support, and repairs computer and electronic equipment.

Information Technology Service Desk

Located in the basement of Milne Library, the Information Technology Service Desk is available to assist students, faculty and staff with technology problems on campus. Services provided include: hardware/software installations, email and disk quota problems, software or printing troubles, user account concerns, PIN resets for faculty web services, computer lab information and requests, recommended computer configurations and any technology-related questions. Problems are either addressed over the phone or referred to the appropriate support personnel. The Service Desk cannot support personally owned computer technology. For more information or to log a problem, call x4567 or visit the IT Service Portal.

Teaching, Learning and Technology Center (TLTC)

The TLTC, located in the basement of Milne Library, supports faculty using technology in teaching, research or other scholarly activities. Instructional support is the TLTC’s highest priority. The Center offers a variety of equipment and software, along with staff expertise in instructional design, image scanning and manipulation, and the creation and integration of multimedia (text, graphics, sound and animation) into learning materials. Examples of the TLTC’s programs and services include:

• Technology training and discovery programs (individual, small group, and workshops in a variety of formats).
• Course management software (Blackboard) support and training.
• Faculty training, seminars and professional development events.
• Forums for faculty to share ideas about technology and teaching.
• Consultation on projects, research, and teaching ideas.
• Administration of TLTC grants and fellows programs aimed at expanding technology use on campus. 

African American, Latino, Asian and Native American (AALANA)

The demographics of the College are changing. African American, Latino, Asian, and Native American (AALANA) students currently comprise nearly 10% of the overall enrollment for the college. Consistent with the Oneonta 2008 Strategic Action Plan on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, it is the College’s goal to continue to increase the recruitment of AALANA students to SUNY Oneonta. The 2016 Strategic Diversity & Inclusion Plan advances those earlier efforts.

The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, a program in the Division of Student Development, seeks to enhance the quality of life for and academic success rates of African American, Latino, Asian and Native American students. The office also provides leadership on issues related to valuing diversity on campus and offers programs and training on multicultural education.

The AALANA Mentorship Program is organized through the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs. It is a peer mentorship program designed to assist freshmen and transfer students with the transition to college life through interaction with peer groups of mentors. The peer groups are composed of six to eight freshmen mentees and are led by four upper-class mentors. Program participants are required to attend monthly meetings with their peer mentor group as well as attend a minimum of two programs hosted by the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs each semester.

The Office of Equity and Inclusion is located in 135 Netzer (x2830).

Student Learning Center

The Student Learning Center (formerly CADE), which comprises the Tutoring and Writing Centers, provides a wide range of services to help foster academic success for students at any stage of their academic career—from first year students to graduate students:

• Developmental coursework and professional tutoring in WRITING
• Professional tutoring in STUDY SKILLS
• Credit-bearing courses in learning strategies and study skills
• Developmental coursework and professional tutoring in MATH
• Developmental coursework and professional tutoring in CRITICAL READING
• Peer tutoring in most 100-level courses and some 200-level courses
• Tutor training courses.

Our professional tutors hold advanced degrees in English, education or a related field. In both the Writing Center and Tutoring Center, these dedicated professional tutors work with students to help them develop appropriate strategies to achieve academic success.

Developmental education serves a range of student needs. The basic philosophy of developmental education is to serve students’ academic needs whenever students reach a period of transition in which prior experiences do not match the academic expectations they encounter. With that philosophy in mind, we meet the students where they are and aid them as they work to move to the next level. Sometimes that means we help those who struggle with reading critically or studying effectively in their first year of college, which is, historically, what the Learning Center was designed to do. More often, though, we’re finding that those periods of transition occur throughout a student’s academic career. Writing in a scholarly voice while remaining clear and concise, for example, is a real challenge for some juniors. Some students excel at writing and liberal arts courses, but find that they need assistance in math courses.

Students who use the Student Learning Center’s services do so for a number of reasons. Some are placed in our developmental courses via the placement testing we administer during First Year Orientation. Others are referred by their professors for writing, reading or study skills assistance.

To assist your students in availing themselves of our free services, you might begin by including our contact information in your syllabi. (And please use and provide feedback on the Faculty Resources page of the Student Learning Center website.) For information, contact the Student Learning Center staff in 219 Milne Library, (607) 436-3015.

If you are a student with disabilities, like all students on campus you are welcome to use SLC’s services. Accessibility Resources is, however, a separate office, and they can be reached online or at (607) 436-2137.

Procedures

To refer students for assistance with writing, faculty members need to provide written permission. It helps the SLC tutors to have the faculty explain to students that the Writing Center does not provide simple proofreading of papers. We strive to support students’ overall development of writing processes. Our website provides a FAQ section on writing tutorials. A handout with an explanation of our services is also available on the web. If you would like to provide blanket permission to all students in your courses, you will also find a form for that purpose on our site.

To refer students for assistance with 100-level or 200-level courses, reading, study skills or basic math, please have them visit our website to learn about services and register on-line for peer or professional tutoring.

If you have questions at any time, we welcome all faculty members to contact the Student Learning Center at 436-3015 to speak with one of our staff about our services.

Center for Multicultural Experiences

The purpose of the Center for Multicultural Experiences (CME) is to support and promote social and academic events that celebrate, embrace, and enhance one’s knowledge and understanding of individuals and groups from other nations and the various ethnic and racial communities that comprise the mosaic of American society. The CME provides students of color and international students with the social, spiritual and academic support they need. It serves as a vehicle for building bridges among various campus constituencies. The Center is located in Lee Hall (x2617 or x2663). Monthly program activities are on the web at the CME home page.

Center for Social Responsibility and Community

The Center for Social Responsibility and Community (CSRC) provides opportunities for students to become involved in organizations and issues through a wide variety of volunteer opportunities, including course-based service learning, special events, and ongoing opportunities that serve over 90 partnering nonprofit agencies. CSRC looks forward to working with faculty on service learning programs and will help place students in the field. In addition to making a difference in our local community, CSRC hosts several events annually. Freshman service day held in August connects incoming freshmen to the community by volunteering even before classes begin. Each November CSRC hosts the conference on Volunteerism and Social Responsibility. In addition, Into the Streets each May brings 400-600 students together with the community for a day of service. Over 20% of the student body is involved annually, providing over 50,000 hours of volunteer service to nonprofits. The Center is located in 101C Alumni Hall (x2098). To find out how to get involved, visit the website.

College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP)

The CAMP program is designed to provide students from migrant and seasonal farm working families, or their immediate family members, with a comprehensive array of support services which will enable them to successfully complete their first year of college. CAMP also provides follow-up services to students entering their second year of college. The office is located in 111B Wilsbach Hall, x3059.

Counseling Services for Students

Currently enrolled students can receive professional, confidential counseling on campus at the Counseling Center. Counseling can help students derive the maximum benefit from their opportunities at the College. Over 80% of the students coming to the Counseling Center say that their problem is interfering with their education. The Counseling Center supports the academic mission of the College by helping students manage their problems and their feelings, and to become more clear and focused in their academic work.

Faculty are encouraged to consult with the Counseling Center about any concerns they have regarding a student’s psychological well-being. In such situations the faculty member can contact the Counseling Center at x3368 and consult with a counselor, or refer the student to contact the Counseling Center directly.

Counseling is free of charge to students. The Counseling Center is located in the round building on Ravine Parkway, known as the Counseling, Health, and Wellness Center.

Students are seen at the Counseling Center on a voluntary basis only; students cannot be required to attend counseling. The counselors are all professionally trained and well-experienced practitioners, who specialize in helping college students and can assist with the broad range of problems that students may have.

Counseling at the Center is generally short term. Some students may require more specialized, intensive, or longer-term treatment, in which case referrals are made to appropriate professionals in the community.

Confidentiality is an important part of the counseling process. All student contacts with the Counseling Center are confidential in accordance with legal and ethical standards. No information is released on or off campus without a student’s written consent. There are legal exceptions to confidentiality that may apply in unusual circumstances when a person is a danger to self or others, or when there is reported child or elder abuse.

Professional staff at the Counseling Center is available for questions and to consult about concerns. Please do not hesitate to call. For appointments, phone x3368 or stop by Room 101 in the Counseling, Health and Wellness Center.

Counseling Center information for faculty is available through our Faculty and Staff web pages.

The Office of Special Programs (EOP/ACE)

The Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)
at the College at Oneonta serves educationally and economically disadvantaged high school graduates. The goal of EOP is to make higher education possible for students who lack traditional credentials for college admission but who have the potential for academic success. The EOP Office supports students with academic advisement, counseling, tutoring, academic support courses and a peer counseling program. Offices are located in Netzer (x2407) and in Alumni Hall (x2496).

The Access to College Excellence (ACE)
program at SUNY Oneonta serves first generation college students with economic disadvantage.  The goal of ACE is to make higher education possible for students who lack traditional credentials for college admission but who have the potential for academic success.  The ACE Counselor supports students with academic advisement, counseling and tutoring referrals.  The office is located in Alumni Hall (x2496) and the EOP/ACE website leads to information and resources specific to our programs, staff and services.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

The NYS Employee Assistance Program (EAP) was established in 1983 to help state employees balance the demands of work, home and life. EAP is a Work-Life Services benefit sponsored jointly by labor and management. EAP is a strictly confidential, voluntary support referral service. EAP provides confidential information, assessment, and referral services to community resources to address a broad range of issues and concerns. It also provides orientations and training for all employees, managers, supervisors, and union representatives on benefits and use of EAP. All contact with the EAP Coordinator is absolutely confidential. The College’s EAP Coordinator may be reached at x2452.

Faculty Web Services

All instructional faculty have access to the SUNY Oneonta Web Services online resource, available through the myOneonta portal.

Services include:

• Up-to-the-minute class rosters including student’s major, degree, and class year
• Access to addresses and phone numbers of students in your classes
• On-line grading (interim grades as well as final grades)
• Ability to down load e-mail addresses of students in your classes
• Ability to down load class rosters to EXCEL
• Ability to withdraw students from your class for reasons of poor attendance
• Ability to override registration restrictions permitting individual students to enter your class
• Access to on-line academic records of your advisees

Access to web services requires your social security number or College ID number and PIN. If you have questions or difficulties, contact the Registrar’s Office at x3216.

New Student Services: First Year Experience, Transfer Transition and Orientation

At SUNY Oneonta, we believe that it is critical to engage our newest community members with faculty, staff, and peers during their transition to the college. It comes through loud and clear in national research that connections between faculty and new students are both imperative and invaluable when it comes to students having a successful first year. The College’s New Student Services Office (NSS) offers various methods of connecting students to our community. The New Student Services Office has several ways for faculty to become involved in assisting our newest students with a successful transition to life at the college.

Orientation: The primary purpose of our orientation program is to foster a sense of engagement in our new students. Orientation is a process by which students are welcomed to college, provided with information in a timely manner, and exposed to the values of the institution. During the period prior to their matriculation, students will be required to complete an online component to the orientation program.

All students will attend an in-person orientation program; in August for students matriculating in the fall and in January for spring semester admits.  Students will have the opportunity to meet and talk with a variety of academic and student support personnel. Students will meet with faculty from their major in order to begin fostering those connections within in the major, to receive advisement, and to learn about opportunities within the major. New students will be assigned a peer leader who will provide information, resources, and other key support throughout the transition process. Along with these fostered interaction, students will receive information about academic support and co-curricular opportunities, engage with their advisors regarding their courses, receive their advisor assignment, and participate in community engagement activities.

First Year Seminar: The First Year Office collaborates with Academic Affairs on the First Year Seminar. This is a one semester hour course taught by faculty and staff. New Student Services provides Peer Educators to assist the faculty in each class through mentoring activities, by providing timely information, and by role modeling.

Early Warning and Intervention Program: Providing a method of early intervention for faculty to use to identify students who might benefit from outreach is a key piece of our efforts toward assisting student in persisting through to their degree. Faculty use the WARN button on the course roster within the Faculty Web-Services environment. This program gives faculty members the opportunity to refer students who have missed a number of classes, are in danger of failing the course, or to a student who has not completed their assignments.

Success Series: One way for faculty to engage with NSS is to utilize the New Student Success Series, a series of programs presented during the fall semester by faculty and staff from campus. These programs focus on issues that can impact a student’s ability to be an active and productive learner. Faculty members are encouraged to refer students to these programs. Faculty members interested in presenting information to new students should contact staff members in the New Student Services Office.

If you, or your department, are interested in learning more, please contact the Director of New Student Services (x2255).

Milne Library

Milne Library serves as an intellectual center providing a wide range of resources and comprehensive services that improve student learning and advance faculty teaching and research. The College’s instructional program is the library’s primary focus. In addition to this document, the library website and the Information Guide Series offer an introduction to the facility, its collections, and services. Faculty members can consult the Faculty Services web page or call the Research Help Desk (x2722) for additional assistance.

Library Web Site

The library web site serves as the main gateway to Milne Library’s online resources. The web site makes available Milne’s services and collections, electronic resources, databases, instructional guides, and online exhibits. Interlibrary loan requests, faculty requests for instruction and document delivery, and reference questions can be submitted through the site. A proxy server allows off-campus access through the library’s main page to the library’s online resources.

Ordering Materials

Each academic department has an allocation from the library budget to order books and A-V materials to support the departmental curriculum. Each department chooses a faculty member who coordinates the ordering for the department. Departmental allocations, order submission deadlines, and instructions for submitting order requests are sent to each department by the library’s acquisitions staff. Allocations are determined by means of a formula approved by the College Library Committee each spring. The formula is based on FTEs, the number of courses taught, materials use, and a fixed ratio. For periodicals or online resources, faculty members should contact the library bibliographer assigned to their department.

College Library Committee

The College Library Committee consists of the Library Director, members from academic departments and the student body. Established by the faculty bylaws, it assists the Library Director in guiding the development and growth of the library, in formulating policy for the use of the library, and in allocating library funds to academic areas. The members of the Library Committee also serve as liaisons to the academic departments, bringing departmental concerns to the committee and sharing information on library matters and new resources with their departments.

Bibliographers

A bibliographer is assigned to each academic department to provide an avenue for department facultyto learn about library resources and services and to work with the department to build a strong collection in the department’s curricular areas.  The list of staff assigned to academic departments is on the library website under Faculty Services, Library Bibliographers.

Borrowing

Faculty members can borrow most circulating items for 120 days, although special collection items often circulate for shorter periods or not at all. Reference books and periodicals do not usually circulate. To borrow materials, users must present a valid College I.D. card. Items can be renewed by phone or online and are subject to recall. Faculty members and staff will be charged for loss or damage, but faculty are not subject to fines.

Adult members of a faculty member’s family can borrow from the library collection, but with their own community borrowers’ cards. Faculty are responsible for all items signed out on their cards. Questions about circulation should be addressed to the Head of Circulation (x2725). Faculty members have borrowing privileges at Hartwick College library and at other SUNY libraries. In addition to a College I.D. card, other SUNY libraries may ask faculty to show a recent paycheck stub as proof of current employment.

Reserves

Traditional reserves are located at the Circulation Desk. Heavily used course-related materials can be placed on reserve to ensure that all class members have access to them. Loan periods range from 2 hours to 7 days. Materials eligible include personal copies and most library materials.

The instructor is responsible for interpreting the “fair use” guidelines under the copyright law when placing material on reserve. The instructor is also responsible for securing permission from the copyright holder to use material that exceeds “fair use.”

Reserve requests are processed in the order in which they are received. Reserves are entered in the online catalog under title, course number and professor’s last name. Faculty members should allow 3-5 working days for materials to be processed. Reserve guidelines are available online, at the Circulation Desk or by calling x2466.

Faculty Publications

The library buys two copies of books written by faculty members.

Research Carrels

A limited number of carrels are located in the library. Requests should be sent using the Faculty Carrel Request Form found under the Milne Library Faculty Services section of the library webpage.

Library Instruction

One of Milne Library’s goals is “ensuring that SUNY Oneonta students develop core competencies of information literacy.” The library’s instructional program includes both a one-credit course, INTD 150: Library & Internet Research, offered each semester, and single classes offered at the request of faculty members. Librarians tailor instruction to the specific academic needs of each class, creating bibliographies and other educational materials that list appropriate resources and guide research. In the library’s electronic classroom, students have the opportunity to practice library and research skills under the joint guidance of the librarian and the course instructor. Because of the heavy demand for instruction, faculty members should request instruction well in advance of the date needed. Those interested in arranging instruction for their classes should contact Michelle Hendley by email or phone, x3341.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

ILL provides access to material not owned by Milne Library. Requests are submitted through ILLiad, the online interlibrary loan/document delivery system accessible from the library’s homepage. The length of time required to fill a request depends on the type of material and where the item is located. There is usually no charge for ILL; however if a lending library or a vendor charges costs beyond normal expectations, charges will be shared with the borrower. For more information faculty members can contact the ILL staff at x2726, libloan@oneonta.edu, or check the ILL Guide on the library website.

Accessibility Resources

The Office of Accessibility Resources, formerly the Office of Student Disability Services (SDS), is an advocate for faculty and staff as well as students. Its charge is two-fold: to evaluate each student’s diagnostic materials to ascertain that an accommodation is appropriate, and to make recommendations to College faculty about accommodations. When recommending which accommodations any student receives on campus, the staff at Accessibility Resources follow guidelines that are set forth by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This is to ensure that faculty act consistently with Federal law.

Faculty Responsibility

Each faculty member is personally responsible for providing reasonable accommodations and can become personally liable for refusing to provide such accommodations. The Accessibility Resources office will help with a range of services including acquiring note-takers and providing testing accommodations. It is entirely up to the faculty member to decide whether to provide the accommodations on his/her own or to seek the assistance of the Accessibility Resources office.

Digital Materials Compliance

Policy Statement

The College abides by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA), Section 508 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 in regards to digital accessibility on campus.

Rationale

The college is obliged to provide equitable and accessible opportunities to individuals with disabilities to participate in, and receive benefits of, the educational program, and the obligation to provide accommodations or modifications when necessary to ensure equal treatment. Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), these legal standards apply to entities that receive Federal financial assistance, including postsecondary institutions. Under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 (Title II), these obligations apply to entities of state and local government, including public schools.

Applicability of the Policy

This policy applies to all SUNY Oneonta faculty and staff.

Policy Elaboration

All SUNY Oneonta programs, services, and activities must be accessible to all students, staff, faculty, and the general public–providing students the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as students without disabilities, with substantially equivalent ease of use. This encompasses all technology products used to deliver academic programs and services, student services, information technology services, and auxiliary programs and services.

Definitions

Digital accessibility is the ability of a website, mobile application or electronic document to be easily navigated and understood by a wide range of users, including those users who have visual, auditory, motor or cognitive disabilities: see Digital Accessibility for more information.

Procedures

To comply with Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, Section 508 standards of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, this checklist functions as a tool to ensure universal access of course materials for all students.

Digital Materials Compliance

• A printable syllabus is available to learners (PDF)

• Large blocks of information are divided into manageable sections with ample white space around and between the blocks.

• There is enough contrast between text and background for the content to be easily viewed.

• Text is formatted with titles, headings, and other styles to enhance readability and improve the structure of the document.

• Flashing and blinking text and images are avoided.

• Use a sans-serif font.

• When possible, information is displayed in a linear format instead of as a table.

• Tables are accompanied by a title and summary description.

• Table header rows and columns are assigned.

• Use simple tables. Do not split cells. Do not use empty cells. Do not merge cells. Do not embed a table within another table.

• Slideshows use a predefined slide layout and include unique slide titles.

• For all slideshows, there are simple, non-automatic transitions between slides.

• Text content is available in an easily accessed format. All text content is readable by assistive technology, including a PDF or any text contained in an image.

• A text equivalent for every non-text element is provided (“alt” tags, captions, transcripts, etc.).

• Text, graphics, and images are understandable when viewed without color. Text should be used as a primary method for delivering information.

• Hyperlink text is descriptive and makes sense when out of context (avoid using “click here”).

• Use the formatting features of the text editor to align, bullet, or number text.

• Students are informed when a timed response is required for an exam, test, or quiz. Proper lead time is provided to ensure there is an opportunity to prepare an accommodation. 

• Any technology tools meet accessibility standards.

• Frequently used technology tools are easily accessed. Any tools not being utilized are removed from the course menu. (BlackBoard)

• A logical, consistent, and uncluttered layout is established. The course is easy to navigate (consistent color scheme and icon layout, related content organized together, self-evident titles).

Student Responsibility

It is the student’s responsibility to register with Accessibility Resources and provide current, appropriate diagnostic information; to identify himself/herself to you and provide you with an Accommodation Plan from the Accessibility Resource office. This establishes that the student has provided the necessary documentation of need and states exactly what accommodations the student is entitled to by law. The student will provide faculty with a Test Accommodation form for each test for which they request assistance. If you do not receive such a form you may assume that the student has chosen to take the test with the rest of the class in standard format.

Any student asking for services who does not have an accommodation plan should be directed to Accessibility Resources as soon as possible (209 Alumni Hall, x2137).

Assisting Students in Crisis

The Office of Student Development maintains a website, also accessible in the Resource links section of this Handbook, that provides a ready reference for the many services they provide. That Faculty Student Development Guide links to subsections on Referring Students for Assistance, for academic as well as health-related/counseling referrals, and Community Standards and College Policies. This latter section includes the Code of Student Conduct and Classroom Disruption policies, among other items relevant to faculty/student life.