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Relevant to: faculty, staff, and students
This article contains information considered accurate at the time of publishing. Technology updates, changes in University security practices, and/or policies and procedures may affect the information in this article - updates to articles are scheduled on a periodic basis and will address any required changes.
Introduction
The following guide is to assist high school instructors in Early College Programs
Topics
Getting Started – mySUNYEmpire
Course Delivery, Content, & Instructor Guidance
SUNYEmpire’s Library
Grading
Student Information
Families and FERPA
Contact Us!
Getting Started – mySUNYEmpire
Go to: https://www.sunyempire.edu/ (bottom of page on the right)
User Account Activation
- Upon hiring, you received instructions to activate your account and set up Microsoft Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
- You were provided a username (email address) and prompted to create a password.
- MFA is required to access the Staff Portal through the mySUNYEmpire portal.
- From the Staff Portal, you can access Self Service Banner and Library.
Self-Service Banner (SSB)
These are the three SSB functions you’ll use most often.
- Class Roster
Verify your students and enrollment.
- Submit Final Grades
Enter and submit final course grades.
- Submit Grade Changes
Update a grade after final submission.
Log into MySUNYEmpire, select SSB:
Course Delivery, Content & Instructor Guidance
How the Course is Delivered
- SUNY Empire maintains its own instance of the digital learning environment (DLE)/learning management system (LMS) using D2L Brightspace.
- NYC Public Schools also has its own D2L Brightspace instance, called iLearnNYC.
- SUNY Empire’s LMS team shares Brightspace course content with the NYC Public Schools LMS team.
- This shared content is placed into iLearnNYC.
- High school instructors use iLearn NYC to:
- Enroll high school students
- Deliver and manage the asynchronous components of the course
- No other instructional platform is to be used for delivery
- The teaching model is typically hybrid:
- Asynchronous instruction occurs in iLearnNYC
- Synchronous instruction takes place in high school classrooms
SUNY Empire Course Content & Instructor Guidance
- SUNY Empire departments review all course content and materials before sharing.
- Instructor’s guidance varies slightly by department:
- Some provide a PDF guide in the Instructor Information folder
- Others embed instructional suggestions directly within each page of the Instructor Folder
- Once instructors have access to the course, they should:
- Confirm access to required resources and texts
- If instructors cannot access materials through provided links:
- They should first check their own online or Open Educational Resources (OER)
- If access issues persist, SUNY Empire and NYC Public Schools will collaborate to troubleshoot and resolve them
Instructor Permissions: What you Can and Cannot Modify
We align the ability to modify the syllabus and course content with the role and responsibilities of our adjunct instructors, who serve as facilitators for our coursework:
Adjunct Permissions in Assignments
- Can edit assignments to allow time extensions, special access, or hide an assignment.
- Cannot delete an existing assignment.
- Cannot create new assignments.
Adjunct Permissions in Discussion Topics
- Posts that have been quarantined/hidden by ITS can be seen.
- Create new Discussion Forums and Discussion Topics.
- Edits can be made for time extensions or special access.
Adjunct Permissions in Content
- Content can be compiled and downloaded and/or printed.
- View content that is not released.
- Create and edit Modules and Topics.
- Delete Modules and Topics (Warning: deleted items cannot be restored).
- Manage dates (start, end, and due dates).
Adjunct Permissions in Rubrics
SUNY Empire’s Library
The SUNY Empire Library is a key partner in advancing SUNY Empire’s vision to provide high-quality, flexible, and affordable education. They are a core partner in developing and delivering collaborative and innovative support for the design and delivery of high-quality teaching and learning environments.
The online library provides access to a vast collection of online resources and services for research and study, including:
- Full-text journal articles and newspaper articles
- Ebooks and reference ebooks
Access: Go to the bottom of the MySUNYEmpire page and click on the Library block.
Grading
The Basics
Instructor Responsibility: Grades should reflect the student’s demonstrated achievement of the college-level learning outcomes and standards outlined in the course syllabus. The instructor of record has the authority and responsibility to assign the final course grade.
- Calculate grades in iLearnNYC
- Grading calculations should be completed within the iLearnNYC platform using the established course rubrics and evaluation criteria.
- Submit final grades to SUNY Empire
- At the end of the semester, final grades must be submitted through SUNY Empire’s student information system.
- Meet the grade submission deadline
- Final grades are due 7 calendar days after the end of the semester.
Policy & Grade Impacts
See the Grading and Evaluation Policy for complete information.
College grades are official SUNY Empire grades.
- Grades are based on the learning outcomes, course requirements, and evaluation criteria outlined in the course syllabus/learning contract.
- SUNY Empire assigns quality points ranging from 4.00 (A) to 0.00 (F).
- SUNY Empire calculates GPA using courses for which a letter grade is assigned.
- Students must maintain a 2.00 cumulative GPA to meet graduation requirements.
If a student does not pass the course:
- The student will not earn college credit for the course.
- The grade may affect the student’s semester and cumulative GPA. They could be placed on probation and warning: Academic Probation Policy
- A non-passing grade may also affect the student’s academic standing and financial aid eligibility.
Drop Period
- The drop period begins on the term start date and ends on the 7th calendar day of the term.
- During the drop period, dropping the course does not result in academic liability.
Withdrawal
- After the drop period, students may withdraw from a course through the end of the semester.
- A WD will appear on the official transcript.
- A WD does not affect the student’s GPA.
- Withdrawals may have implications for future financial aid eligibility, particularly when withdrawals or non-passing grades accumulate.
Important: Communicate Student Status Changes
Immediately notify your principal/school contact and the Early College Programs team when a student is dropped or withdrawn from a SUNY Empire course.
Student status changes must be communicated promptly so that the appropriate records can be updated and all parties remain informed.
*Note* Prior to the end of the semester, Early College Programs will check in and can provide a training session via a virtual meeting.
Student Information
SUNY Empire receives student information data from each participating high school, which allows us to create individual student profiles.
High school students will then have profiles established within the MYSUNYEmpire system, where they will be registered in their course sections and receive grades entered by instructors. These grades become part of the students’ official college transcripts.
While students will have access to a wide range of resources within the SUNY Empire system, we believe it is most appropriate at this time to provide only the essential information needed to support them in their role as high school students.
To support this, we will be sending students a welcome email, which has been drafted:
Families & FERPA
- FERPA applies: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of a student’s education records.
- Dual credit students are considered college students: Once a high school student enrolls in a SUNY Empire college course, they are considered a postsecondary student for purposes of their college records, regardless of age.
- Privacy rights belong to the student: FERPA rights for the student’s college records belong to the student—not the parent/family member. This includes information such as:
- Grades and academic progress
- Correspondence related to the student’s college coursework
- Information cannot be shared without student authorization: Instructors and SUNY Empire staff cannot share the student’s college education records with a parent/family member unless the student has provided appropriate written authorization.
- Parents/families can stay informed: Students are encouraged to communicate directly with their parents/families about their college coursework, grades, and academic progress.
- Parent/family communication with the instructor: If a parent/family member would like to discuss a student’s college coursework directly with the instructor, the student must first complete a FERPA Authorization to Release Information form.
Contact Us!
EarlyCollegePrograms@sunyempire.edu