Credit/No Credit Information

December 16, 2020

Dear Faculty and Staff,

Earlier this week, CUNY informed the colleges that they can offer flexible grading for the Fall 2020 semester. I want to share some important points that impact grade submission. As per the revised grading policy, students enrolled in most classes at Hostos Community College can convert letter grades from B+ to D- into a grade of Credit (“CR”) or F to No Credit (“NC”). Unlike traditional letter grades, which affect your grade point average (“GPA”), grades of CR or NC do not impact the GPA. The University has created an “FAQs” document regarding the Fall 2020 Flexible Grading Policy that you can access by clicking here.

Faculty and staff have always been diligent in submitting grades, but it is essential that you submit grades as soon as possible, no later than December 23, 2020. Students will then have the right to opt for CR if you submitted a passing grade of B+ to D-, or NC if you assigned F. Please note that all courses will not allow flexible grading. A list of the courses that are not applicable to flexible grading can be found here.

Flexible Grading Policy – Credit/No Credit, (CR/NC) Grades
As a faculty member, you may be asking a few questions like, “How will this work?” “What do I need to do?” “How can I help students with this process?” The good news is that there are no paper or online applications that need to be submitted. The University will create a process in CUNYfirst that will allow students to make the declaration within the CUNYfirst system. It is important to communicate with students early so they can choose the best grading option. If you are giving an incomplete (INC) these early conversation would be helpful to the student.

However, there are a few things faculty can do to assist students.

  1. Submit final grades on time. The deadline date for Fall 2020 final grade submission is December 23, 2020. This is an especially important date for several reasons. Students will begin to declare the CR/NC option the following day on December 24, 2020. The earlier the better.
  2. Students will have until January 12, 2021 to decide if they want to use the flexible grading option.
  3. Students will be sent explanations about the flexible grading policy. Nonetheless, they may approach you. There are a few instances where it may not be in the students’ best interest to declare their option. Refer students to their advisors first.
  4. Be available to answer any concerns with grading options during the opt in period December 24-January 12, 2021.

Sincerely,

Dr. Charles I. Drago
Acting Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Hostos Community College

STUDENTS: Read this important guidance on Credit/No Credit (pdf)

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent move to distance learning, CUNY has implemented the Credit/No Credit Flexible Grading Policy, which was designed to help you continue your academic progress despite the difficulties you have faced in recent months.

This policy provides you with the option of receiving a letter grade or a grade of Credit/No Credit.  The decision of whether to choose a letter grade or Credit/No Credit for a course is a decision you must make.  To that end, read over the policy and the FAQs below which will help you to decide.  You must opt-in to receive Credit/No Credit within 20 days of receiving your letter grade.  If you do not take action to opt-in, your letter grade will remain.

Credit/No Credit Policy (Special COVID-19 Flexible Grading Policy) passed by CUNY Board of Trustees. It supersedes all local policies.

Seek guidance from financial aid if considering the CR/NC option to discuss implications on meeting financial aid requirements.

Open/Cose Financial Aid Advisors section FINANCIAL AID ADVISORS

Hostos Financial Aid Office contact information —applicable to the following business hours:

Monday: 11am – 4:45pm
Tuesday – Thursday: 10am – 4:45pm
Friday: 10am – 3pm

Main phone number: (718) 518-6555
Main email address: finaid@hostos.cuny.edu

Staff Title Office Number Remote Work Number
Leslie King Director (718) 518-4377 (347) 788-1745
Olga Murphy Associate Director,
SAP Coordinator
(718) 518-4382 (347) 422-7416
Nelly Cruz Financial Aid Manager,
R2T4 Coordinator
(718) 518-4380 (201) 731-2609
Evangelista Rodriguez Financial Aid Specialist,
PELL and APTS Coordinator
(718) 518-4384 (201) 746-5963
Hugo Eguizabal Financial Aid Specialist,
Direct Loan Coordinator
(718) 518-4379 (732) 707-1862
Toya Pigford Financial Aid Specialist,
FWS Coordinator
(718) 518-6582 (475) 208-1137
Nicholas Valente Financial Aid Specialist, ASAP (718) 518-4391 (732) 982-7262
Johnpierre Ricketts Financial Aid Advisor,
College Discovery
(718) 518-4381 (845) 276-4573
Jimmy Ng Financial Aid Advisor (718) 518-6785 (732) 707-5995
Jazmin Rodriguez CUNY Office Assistant IV (718) 518-4389 (914) 440-0767
Lourdes Seda College Assistant (718) 518-4408 (631) 623-8575
Lidines Urena College Assistant (718) 518-6555 (914) 481-3807
Anabel Rodriguez College Assistant (718) 518-4378 (347) 433-5149

 

Seek guidance from Coaches, Advisors or Faculty to consider implications of the CR/NC option for specific courses relevant to future career, graduate or professional training requirements.

Open/Cose Academic/Program Advisors section ACADEMIC/PROGRAM ADVISORS
Accessibility Resource Center (ARC)
Name Title Office Phone Cell Phone or Google Voice # Office Location (if open)
Raymond Perez Director (718) 518-4454 (646) 991-1563 D-101p
Marie Ortiz Coordinator (718) 518-4454 (914) 338-8183 D-101s

 

Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP)
Name Title Office Phone Cell Phone or Google Voice # Office Location (if open)
All advising staff Coordinator / Advisors (718) 518-6606 -- C-490

 

Allied Health Faculty Advisors
Name Title Office Phone Cell Phone or Google Voice # Office Location (if open)
Jarek Stelmark X-ray (718) 518-4119 -- A-307u
Salim Rayman Dental (718) 319-7945 -- B-131
Kathleen Ronca Nursing (718) 518-4108 -- A-307h
Ed King Nursing (718) 518-4399 -- A-307w
Juan Lacay Nursing (718) 518-4103 -- A-307g

 

College Discovery (CD)
Name Title Office Phone Cell Phone or Google Voice # Office Location (if open)
Eric Rodriguez Advisor (718) 518-4268 (845) 690-0059 D-101v
Catherine Hilyard Advisor (718) 518-4310 (929) 314-2762 D-101u

 

Hostos Office of Veteran Affairs
Name Title Office Phone Cell Phone or Google Voice # Office Location (if open)
Ricardo Garcia Coordinator (718) 319-7955 (917) 557-2145 D-101f

 

Student Success Coaching Unit (SSCU)
Name Title Office Phone Cell Phone or Google Voice # Office Location (if open)
All advising staff Coordinator / Advisors (718) 664-2560 -- B-208

 

Key Deadlines

  • Last day to withdraw with a grade of W: Sunday, December 13, 2020
  • Last day to file for CR/NC option: January 12, 2021 (20 days after the University's final grade submission deadline December 23, 2020)
  • For information on the CR/NC option, students should contact academic and financial aid advisors

 

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