Dear Graduate Students, Welcome back! I hope that you all have had excellent summers. Fall 2018 officially begins on August 27. Attached (and pasted below) are some important beginning-of-the-semester announcements. Please read them carefully. My regular office hours don't begin until the first full week of classes, but please don't hesitate to email me if you have any questions or need help in the meantime. Most importantly, please make sure that you've registered for your classes! Classes with open seats are listed below, and updated course descriptions are attached. For info and policies specific to our English MA program, please see the most recent handbook, also attached here. For info regarding Queens College's general academic policies and procedures, please consult the Handbook for Graduate Students<http://www.qc.cuny.edu/Academics/GradStudies/Documents/Graduate-Handbook.pdf>. Enjoy this last week of summer! I hope you have a wonderful fall semester! Best, Bill QC English MA Program Fall 2018 Announcements CALENDAR Fall 2018 classes begin on Monday, August 27. 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 Friday, August 24. After that, deadlines to drop are September 2 for a 75% refund, September 9 for a 50% refund, and September 16 for a 25% refund. The last day to ADD classes is Sunday, September 2. OFFICE HOURS Bill Orchard, Acting Director of Graduate Studies Office: Klapper Hall 637 Email: worchard@qc.cuny.edu<mailto:worchard@qc.cuny.edu> Fall 2018 office hours: Tuesdays 3:00–4:00pm, Thursday 4:30–6:30pm, and by appt. It’s a good idea to schedule an appointment ahead of time if possible, even during regular office hours. Walk-ins are always welcome, but students with appointments have priority. Email is the quickest way to reach us. For routine inquiries (e.g., for faculty contact info and office hours), please consult the English Department website at http://english.qc.cuny.edu/ or contact the English Department Office (Klapper Hall 607, 718-997-4600, 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. Every 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 canceled by the Bursar’s office. It’s much easier to sort out the bureaucratic tangle if issues are caught early and before the start of the semester. Then, in the first week of classes, double-check your schedule again to confirm class times and classrooms. Occasionally classroom assignments can change right before classes begin. ADDING A COURSE / REQUESTING AN OVERTALLY If you’re looking to add a course, there are still several with open seats, including ENGL 636, 681, 701, 722, and 781 sections 1 and 2. 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. Keep in mind that instructors have no obligation to overtally you into classes once they’re full and that all instructor decisions are final. ENGL 791 (THESIS ESSAY) AND ENGL 795 (INDEPENDENT STUDY) If you are planning to write your culminating thesis essay or pursue an independent study in Spring 2018, the deadline to submit sign-up forms is Wednesday, August 29. You will not be registered for either course until your sign-up form has been received and approved. Sign-up forms must be typed and submitted electronically (as DOC, DOCX, or PDF files). For ENGL 791, the form can be downloaded from our website at http://english.qc.cuny.edu/files/2014/02/ENGL-791-sign-up-form.docx and should be emailed to caroline.hong@qc.cuny.edu<mailto:caroline.hong@qc.cuny.edu>. For ENGL 795, the form is available at http://english.qc.cuny.edu/files/2014/11/ENGL-795-sign-up-form.docx and should be emailed to worchard@qc.cuny.edu<mailto:worchard@qc.cuny.edu>. To discuss the requirements for 791 or 795, please email or make an appointment with the Director or Assistant Director of Graduate Studies. ONE STOP SERVICE CENTER The One Stop Service Center (OSSC) is staffed with the nicest and most helpful people from the Office of the Registrar, the Bursar, and the Financial Aid Office and is by far the quickest way to get any financial or registration problems resolved and your questions answered. As academic advisors, we are usually not qualified to help you with these matters. The OSSC is located in the Dining Hall, Room 128. For their hours and more information, see http://www.qc.cuny.edu/StudentLife/services/onestop/Pages/default.aspx. QCARD If you haven’t yet obtained a QCard, please do so ASAP. You can no longer enter the library or other secure locations on campus without a QCard. For more info, see http://www.qc.cuny.edu/StudentLife/services/online/qcard/Pages/default.aspx. _________________________________________________ William Orchard Assistant Professor Assistant Director, MA Program Department of English Queens College/ CUNY worchard@qc.cuny.edu http://english.qc.cuny.edu/quick-links/william-orchard/