Dear Graduate Students, Fall 2020 officially begins next Wednesday, August 26. As we all know, this semester is going to look very different from every other semester. But our hope is that we will still find fruitful ways to learn together and be in community virtually. And Prof. Hillary Miller (who is joining us as the Assistant Director of Graduate Studies this academic year) and I are here to support you as best we can. Please read carefully through these important beginning-of-the-semester announcements (attached and pasted below). FYI, for info and policies specific to the English MA program, please see our most recent handbook, attached here. For info regarding QC's general academic policies and procedures, please consult the Handbook for Graduate Students<https://www.qc.cuny.edu/Academics/GradStudies/Documents/Graduate-Handbook.pdf>. You should've also received this email from our new QC President Frank H. Wu<https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Important-Message-Regarding-the-Fall-Semester.html?soid=1103033957415&aid=9DZaV4VRXdQ> with info re: student services. Hope you and yours are staying safe and healthy, and wishing you a wonderful fall semester, all things considered! Best, Caroline & Hillary, your Directors of Graduate Studies -- Caroline Kyungah Hong, PhD Associate Professor of English Director of Graduate Studies (English MA) Queens College, CUNY she/her/hers * Please note that I am off email on weekends and will respond to your email during business hours, Monday–Friday 8am–5pm. At this time, there may be a delay in response time. -- QC English MA Program Fall 2020 Announcements CALENDAR The Fall 2020 semester begins on Wednesday, August 26. You can find the academic calendar with important dates and deadlines at http://www.qc.cuny.edu/pages/calendar.aspx. The last day to DROP classes for a 100% tuition refund is Tuesday, August 25. The last day to ADD classes is Tuesday, September 1. Other important dates to keep in mind: - There are no classes on September 7 (Labor Day); September 18–20 (Rosh Hashanah); September 28 (Yom Kippur); October 12 (Columbus/Indigenous Peoples’ Day); and November 26–29 (Thanksgiving weekend). - On Tuesday, September 29, and Wednesday, October 14, classes follow a Monday schedule. - On Wednesday, November 25, classes follow a Friday schedule. - Wednesday, December 9 is the last day of classes, and the fall semester officially ends on December 20. FALL 2020 ADVISING Because of the campus closure due to the pandemic, we will primarily be advising via email. If you have any questions or need help, please email both of us to ensure that you get the quickest possible response. Prof. Caroline Hong, Director of Graduate Studies (English MA) Email: caroline.hong@qc.cuny.edu<mailto:caroline.hong@qc.cuny.edu> (or carolinehong.qc@gmail.com<mailto:carolinehong.qc@gmail.com>) Prof. Hillary Miller, Assistant Director of Graduate Studies Email: hillary.miller@qc.cuny.edu<mailto:hillary.miller@qc.cuny.edu> Email is the easiest and fastest way to reach us, but if you would like to request a virtual appointment (via Google Meet or Zoom), please email us with your availability and we will do our best to accommodate you. Please be sure to check your QC email regularly, as the College and your professors may be communicating with you that way. For routine inquiries (e.g., for faculty contact info), please consult the English Department website at http://english.qc.cuny.edu/ or contact the English Department Office (english@qc.cuny.edu<mailto:english@qc.cuny.edu>). CHECK (AND DOUBLE-CHECK) YOUR SCHEDULE Before the semester begins, please take a moment to log-in to your CUNYfirst account and check that you’re registered for your courses. If for some reason your registration has been canceled by the Bursar, or if you’re registered for the wrong courses, it’s much easier to sort out any issues if they’re caught before the semester begins. All QC English courses will be taught online/remotely in Fall 2020. If, by the first day of the fall semester, you haven’t yet heard from your professors about how to join and access their classes online, you can email them to ask for this information. Faculty contact info can be found on the department website at http://english.qc.cuny.edu/people/. ADDING A COURSE / REQUESTING AN OVERTALLY If you’re looking to add a fall course, there are still a few with open seats, including ENGL 719 on Violence in the Middle Ages (class code 34524), ENGL 781-01 on Italian American Literature (code 34591), and ENGL 781-04 on Chicana/Latina Feminisms (code 34597). Course descriptions are available on the English Department website at http://english.qc.cuny.edu/graduate-programs/current-graduate-courses/. Please confirm current availability by checking the Schedule of Classes on CUNYfirst. If you wish to overtally into a class that is already closed, please email the course instructor and ask for their permission to overtally and/or to be placed on the course waiting list. Please keep in mind that instructors have no obligation to overtally you into classes once they’re full and that all instructor decisions are final. QC HUB The QC Hub is a centralized location where you can get answers to questions or resolve any issues related to financial aid, registration, student records, and other bureaucratic matters. Since the QC Hub is currently operating virtually, you can reach them via email at QChub@qc.cuny.edu<mailto:QChub@qc.cuny.edu> or live-chat with them by clicking on the “Live Support!” link at https://www.qc.cuny.edu/admissions/fa/Pages/default.aspx. QCARD If you don’t yet have a QCard (the QC student ID), you’ll need to request a barcode so that you can remotely access the library’s research databases and other resources. Once you’ve activated your QC/CAMS account, use your official QC email account to email your request for a barcode to qcard@qc.cuny.edu<mailto:qcard@qc.cuny.edu>.