Resources to support students during the transition to remote learning
SUNY New Paltz is publishing important messages and news updates related to the College’s response to COVID-19 on the campus news website. Use this link to view all these posts in one place.
The message below comes from the Office of Instructional Technology.
Campus community members can view updates at the Coronavirus Information and Coronavirus FAQs webpages, which are being updated regularly as this situation evolves.
Dear students,
We know this is a stressful time. The move to remote learning is hard for faculty and for students, even for students who are “digital natives,” so we wanted to share with you a summary of resources that are available to students to help support you during this transition.
Blackboard
Many of you have never taken an online course, and you may not yet be familiar with the Blackboard learning management system (LMS). If you have not done so already, you should definitely start getting to know the Blackboard LMS. The students page in New Paltz’ Knowledge Base is a great place to begin.
Web Conferencing Technologies
There are several web conferencing technologies that faculty may be using at this time, including Collaborate, WebEx and Zoom, among others. You should familiarize yourself with the various tools, especially if your faculty have already alerted you that they will be using one or more of these technologies.
Campus Online Learning Resources Available to You
The Office of Instructional Technology has assembled a number of resources to help you. Be sure to check them out:
New Paltz IT Support and Service Desk
Students can request technological assistance with IT Support and the IT Service Desk by using this link. The Service Desk is available by phone at 845-257-HELP (4357) or email at servicedesk@newpaltz.edu.
We have increased staffing, but increased volume may still cause some delays; please allow up to 24 hours for a response. When creating your ticket, please include as much detail as possible, including:
- The course name and number
- Instructor name
- Specific assignment (if applicable)
- Any error messages associated with the issue
- Screenshots or pictures showing the issue
The more information you provide, the fewer follow-up questions IT will need to send before your issue can be resolved. Also, be sure to check your email frequently for either the resolution to your issue or any follow-up questions that may be necessary.
SUNY Online Resources Available to You
Drop-in Support for Students
SUNY Online has organized live, drop-in, sessions via Collaborate to assist students with the transition to remote course instruction. The goal of these sessions is to provide students with another resource to go to for questions about the basics of online/remote course delivery, successful strategies for participation, encouragement to engage, and even to address fears/concerns.
Staff will be available:
- Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 12 midnight
- Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Sunday, 1 – 9 p.m.
To join a live session, visit:
https://us.bbcollab.com/guest/73ee8680bb20494ca6181c2428e8a3f7 OR Dial in at (571) 392-7650, and enter PIN 258 129 3907.
Student-Focused Website
The SUNY Online team has put together a website including:
- Resources for Success in Your Online Course
- Resources for Active Military and Veteran Students
- Mental Health, Nutrition and Technology Resources
- And links to the Support Guides for Working with Blackboard, Brightspace, Canvas and Moodle.
Access the student-focused website at: https://innovate.suny.edu/covid19/students/.
SUNY Online Help Desk
The Open SUNY Help Desk has extended hours and may be a good resource for you if you have a technology problem after hours.
Please note: We are asking students NOT to submit a ticket to both the SUNY New Paltz IT Service Desk and the OPEN SUNY Help Desk, as this will result in a duplication of services.
Communicate
You will be most successful in this move to remote learning if you do a good job of communicating.
- Read your emails. Pay attention to information you receive from the College and from your faculty. Check your New Paltz email account daily and read all your emails.
- Log in every day. You need to log into each of your courses on Blackboard every single day. Make sure you are keeping up with content and messages posted there and doing everything your instructors are asking you to do.
- Make sure you know what your faculty expect. Make yourself familiar with your revised course syllabus and if you are not clear about the revised course expectations, ask for clarification.
- Let your faculty know if you are having problems. Your faculty cannot help you if they do not know what you need. Let them know what your issues are.
- If you do not have access to a computer or lack internet access, reach out to your instructor immediately to alert them of your situation.
- If you have technical issues while using Bb, even if you have reached out to the IT Help Desk for resolution, be sure to let your faculty member know that you were having problems.
- If you have a disability that is registered with the Disability Resource Center, be sure to let your faculty member know if the remote learning environment requires new or different accommodations. If you have a disability that is not registered with the DRC, but you now realize that you need some accommodations, please register with the DRC and communicate your needs with your faculty member.
Technology and Access
If you need internet access, please be aware that Spectrum and Comcast and other service providers are offering free or reduced-price services.
If you need access to Adobe, please know that they are offering temporary at-home access.
If you need Microsoft Office you can install it for free with your New Paltz username and password.