Dear Graduate Students, The semester will soon be underway and so I'm writing to welcome you back to campus, and to the English department. I hope everyone has had-or is still having-a wonderful summer. Below and attached are some beginning of semester announcements that I ask you to read over. I'm also attaching a copy of the Registrar's fall 2014 academic calendar and course descriptions for all MA courses that currently have open seats. Please let me know if you have any questions. Also attached to this message is a copy of the 2014 Graduate Handbook, which has just been reissued by the Dean of Graduate Studies. It's a handy point of reference for College policies on academic matters and I encourage you to keep a copy on your desktop. Finally, I shall be on campus this coming Thursday, August 21, and holding advising hours in the English department from 10:30-12:30 and from 3:30-4:30 (later if needed). Email me to schedule an appointment. With all good wishes for the start of the semester, Andrea Walkden Assistant Professor of English Director of Graduate Studies, MA Program andrea.walkden@qc.cuny.edu<mailto:andrea.walkden@qc.cuny.edu> English Department Klapper Hall, Room 604 Queens College, CUNY QC English Graduate Studies Fall 2014 Announcements Calendar The academic calendar for Fall 2014 is available on the Registrar's webpage (a copy is also attached to this message). Please bookmark the page and make careful note of any deadlines that pertain to you. http://www.qc.cuny.edu/registrar/calendars/Documents/Fall_2014-IMPORTANT_DAT... Classes begin on Thursday August 28 The College is closed for Labor Day, Monday September 1. Monday classes will meet for the first time on September 8. The last day to drop classes for a 100% tuition refund is Wednesday August 27. The last day to add classes is Wednesday August 3. Please keep in mind that the Bursar may charge you a late fee for classes added after this date. Fall 2014 Office Hours Dr. Andrea Walkden, Director of English Graduate Studies Office: Klapper Hall 604 Email: andrea.walkden@qc.cuny.edu<mailto:andrea.walkden@qc.cuny.edu> Wednesdays 3:30-6:30, and by appointment You're welcome to stop by at any time during these hours. Walk-ins are welcome but students with appointments will have priority. I'll also try to be available to meet at other times during the week by appointment and am always available to you by email - often this is the quickest way for you to reach me. For routine inquiries (e.g. for faculty office hours and contact information), please contact the English Department Office, Klapper Hall 607, 718-997-4600, english@qc.cuny.edu<mailto:english@qc.cuny.edu> NOTE: Dr. Caroline Hong, the Assistant Director of English Graduate Studies, is on leave during the fall semester. She will be returning in the spring. Checking Your Schedule Before the semester begins, please take a moment to sign into your record on CUNYFirst and double check that you're registered for your fall courses. Each semester, one or two students belatedly discover that they're not registered for courses when they thought they were, or that their registration has been cancelled by the Bursar's Office. It's much easier to sort out the bureaucratic tangle if registration errors/cancellations are caught early and before the start of the semester. Adding a Course/Requesting an Overtally If you're looking to add a course, there are still some with open seats available. Descriptions of fall 2014 courses with open seats (at the time of these announcements) are attached to this message. Confirm present seat availability by checking CUNYFirst. If you wish to overtally into a class, please email the course instructor and asked to be placed on the course waiting list. If seats open up, the instructor will let students know in the order in which they were added to the list. Keep in mind that instructors have no obligation to overtally you into classes once they are full and that all instructor decisions are final. ENGL 791 (thesis essay course) and ENGL 795 (independent study course) If you're planning to write your culminating thesis essay or pursue an independent study in fall 2014, please remember that the deadline for submitting sign-up forms for department approval is Friday August 29. You will not be registered for either of these courses until your sign-up form has been received and approved by the department. Sign-up forms must be submitted electronically-in doc. docx. or PDF formats-to andrea.walkden@qc.cuny.edu<mailto:andrea.walkden@qc.cuny.edu>. If you need a copy of the form, please also be in touch. One Stop Service Center The One Stop Service Center (OSSC) is staffed with the most helpful people from the Office of the Registrar, Bursar, and Financial Aid and is by far the quickest way to get any financial or registration problems resolved and your questions answered. As academic advisors, we're often not qualified to help you with these questions. The Center is located in the Dining Hall, Room 128. For more information and opening hours, visit: http://www.qc.cuny.edu/STUDENTLIFE/SERVICES/ONESTOP/Pages/default.aspx Q-card If you haven't yet obtained the new Qcard-an updated version of the old Queens College ID card-please plan to do so as soon as possible. It's no longer possible to enter the library or other secure locations on campus without a Qcard. For further details, visit: http://www.qc.cuny.edu/StudentLife/services/online/qcard/Pages/default.aspx