Guidelines for Teaching Online at Queens College
If you are teaching a course with an online component—whether it is a web-enhanced, hybrid, or online class—you need to make important decisions that have an impact in two areas: authenticating student identity and providing maximal accessibility to your course content.
If you are not familiar with the different modes of instruction as they are specified in CUNYfirst, please consult our page on the topic: Mode of Instruction
Recommendations from Queens College Academic Senate’s Special Committee on Technology
During the Fall 2008 semester, recommendations for teaching online were drafted by the Queens College Academic Senate’s Special Committee on Technology and the Library, in consultation with several members of the Queens College faculty and staff.
This document offers some recommendations for courses with online components including the following topics: departmental clearance, notification to students via registration system and via syllabus, identity of participants, and teaching evaluations.
Online Course Accessibility
Digital content, (e.g., an LMS course site or website) with accessibility issues creates barriers to students with disabilities. For example, images need alt text (aka, alternative text or image description). This will ensure that a blind student or a student accessing the course site with slow internet connection, has access to the information. Other common accessibility issues include pages with low contrast font color or inappropriate heading structure.
Visit CETLL’s Accessibility page for tips on making your course accessible.
You might find useful advice in our What’s in a syllabus? page, where we list guidelines for designing syllabi and offer sample language related to university- and college-wide policies and services.
If you have questions specifically about accessibility, contact QC’s Office of Special Services (qc.spsv@qc.cuny.edu, 718-997-5870), or contact the team at CUNY Assistive Technology Services.
Make your expectations clear
Ensure your syllabus contains clear information about your expectations regarding camera use in your courses. For more information, see Camera Use Guidance for Online and Hybrid Courses.
Ensure your syllabus contains a statement of your expectations regarding academic integrity. Your online assignments (papers, projects, group discussions, online chats, etc.) can ask students to reaffirm their commitment to the University’s academic integrity policy.
You must specify (both on your syllabus and in the information provided to students when they register for your course through CUNYfirst) whether your exams will be held in person or online, and whether you expect students to attend any in-person orientations or in-person office hours.
If you decide to have in-person final exams, you may check photo IDs. (This practice is common in some in-person courses, particularly those with large enrollments.)
Neither QC nor CUNY charges students any fees related to student identity verification.