winter 2021
Submitted by John.Bowers@se… on Fri, 12/04/2020 - 11:36

Updated on 3/18/21

For winter Y = NC

The conversion of BTS classes into ctcLink failed to give faculty the option of the Y grade for winter quarter. The good news is that we think we can fix this in spring quarter, based on strategies that Central and North used. (Central and North have the Y grade available this winter, so we know it's possible.)

For winter, faculty only have two grading options. S for satisfactory/pass and NC for no credit. In winter quarter only, please give an NC grade to all students who earned a Y. So to be clear:

  • If a student passes and should move up to the next level/class, the grade is S.
  • If the student is in good standing but needs to repeat the level/class, the grade is NC (not Y).
  • If the student is no longer in good standing or disappeared, the grade is also NC.

We hope we can return to S, Y, and NC grading in spring. For now, however, please enter an S or NC.

Will an NC hurt students' future financial aid? No. NC stands for "no credit," and it does not harm BTS students. College-level students who earn an NC in a developmental education or college-level course may have that grade impact their ability to receive financial aid. But the NC in a BTS course does not negatively impact anyone. 

Will an NC hurt students' ability to re-take a BTS class? No. We have been giving NC grades to students and never encountered a situation where the NC blocked a student from enrolling. If it ever does, registration can over-ride the block (and they are aware of our solution and support it). 

Why not give an S grade to a student who earned a Y? Student grades are mainly used by the front office to keep track of student progress. The S grade has always indicated progress, while the Y grade and NC grade has indicated that students should re-take the same class, though in the case of an NC, the office needed to check if the student also needed to re-take the EI.

Does the NC negatively impact a High School 21+ student transcript? Per enrollment services, the NC does not impact the transcript in any way that's meaningfully different than the Y grade.

Will we correct these grades, putting the Y in place, in the future? Possibly. To that end, we may follow up in early spring quarter to ask for your winter Y grades. If we can correct the grades, it probably will not happen until summer. Right now, our focus is on student enrollments for spring and making sure the Y grade is an option at the end of spring. 

Classroom volunteer for spring

We got an email from a student from the International TEFL Academy seeking a volunteer opportunity for spring. They write:

"I am interested in volunteering with your ESL classes or students. I am currently training to become an English teacher with the International TEFL Academy and would like some exposure in ESL classrooms. As part of my training, I am required to work with ESL students for a minimum of 20 hours. I can observe classes, work one-on-one with students or lead ESL classes. I can also do a combination depending on the needs of your organization."

If you're willing to have a volunteer in your class, please email Kris Lysaker. Kris has a copy of the volunteer's resume, if you're interested. 

 

 

Updated on 3/15/21

Spring schedule

It's finally here! The first draft of the spring schedule can be found by clicking here. As always, classes are contingent on enrollment.

Register your students for spring by Thursday, March 18

Please register your returning students for spring by following the instructions you can find here. As we've done during COVID, you will again be asked to email Teresa a roster of your students showing:

  • Each students' Empl ID (new student ID number)
  • The quarter the student will attend: generally spring or summer
  • The level of the class 
  • The preference for AM or PM classes

The instructions above provide complete detail, including what to do if you can't find your roster, how things will work for new students, and more. 

Assessment survey

Laura Kingston and the Assessment Committee would like for all faculty to complete one or both of the outcome assessment surveys. Both surveys require you to enroll in Canvas, so if you haven't done that yet, please enroll. You can access the survey (including the option to enroll for those who need it) at: https://canvas.southseattle.edu/enroll/X7JAMW

You can choose to complete the Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) survey and/or the Course Learning Outcome (CLO) survey for one class that you're teaching. The Student Learning Outcomes survey includes a short video to guide you through. The Course Learning Outcome survey requires you to consider the course learning outcomes for the course you taught. These can be found in the master course outline (MCO) for each class. High School 21+/GED/ABE/College Prep faculty are revising their MCOs and can consult that work. ESL faculty can find their MCO, including the course learning outcomes, at the links below.

You may also want to take advantage of the Faculty Data Dashboard training, which is available at: https://canvas.southseattle.edu/enroll/EWRA7J 

Confused? Have questions? Email Laura Kingston, South's Faculty Assessment Coordinator. 

Grading in ctcLink: the Y grade

I've recently become aware that the Y grade is not available in ctcLink based on how the system is currently configured. I'm working with Jesse Knappenberger, Dean of Student Achievement and Registrar, on options. I'll provide guidance on the Y grade as soon as I have it. For now, if you're planning to give any student a Y, please wait on submitting grades. I'm aware that basically every faculty likely is giving at least one student a Y.

 

 

Updated on 3/5/31

Spring draft schedule coming soon

You haven't missed it. I need a bit more time to finalize the first draft of the spring schedule. I hope to send it around early next week.

AFT South Faculty Senate Survey

Your AFT Faculty Senate wants to hear your ideas about remote learning, safely returning to in-person instruction, and more. Please make BTS proud by having our unit give the most responses! You can reach the survey at http://bit.ly/2Pzfj6m. It will open in a new tab.

Helping students access their Empl IDs

By now you know that ctcLink has new ID numbers for students, faculty, and staff, and these numbers are called Empl IDs. Students will need these numbers for all the same reasons they needs their SIDs in the past. There are two ways of helping your students find their new Empl IDs.

  1. Help students activate and find them on their own. BTS faculty at North have created a guide for helping students that includes four documents. Click here for their letter to BTS faculty. Click here for a PowerPoint presentation you can share with students. Click here for a worksheet students can complete in class as they set up their new Empl ID. Finally, click here for directions on how to recover your Empl ID if you lost it.
  2. Look on your roster in ctcLink. You can also look on your roster and simply tell students their Empl ID. Click here for instructions on how to view your roster. You can also click below for a short video telling you how to view your roster. Akemi has also provided the image below so you know what to look for. (Thanks, Akemi!) 

 

 

ctcLink roster icon

Relief for students who are undocumented

$5 million in funding has been allocated for undocumented students statewide to address COVID-19 related emergencies. Funding is for the current academic year to be spent no later than June 30, 2021. Click here to see final guidance on the distribution and eligibility for these funds. I'm expecting more guidance on what these funds might mean for students at South, and I'll pass along relevant information as I have it. 

COVID resources for Vietnamese speakers

Public Health of Seattle/King County wanted to share these COVID-19 resources for Vietnamese speakers--including the Phase Finder in 30 languages. Thanks to Gina for passing this along.

 

 

Updated on 2/19/21

Spring preference forms due Thursday 2/25

The first draft of the spring schedule is available by clicking here. The schedule will open in a new tab. You can download your spring 2021 preference form by clicking here. You may need to give your computer permission to download the form.

Preference forms are due to Teresa Yamada by close of business on Thursday 2/25. As always, the schedule is a draft and actual assignments are subject to change based on enrollment. 

ctcLink is here! Get your Faculty Emplid!

Starting Wednesday 2/24, faculty can get their shiny, new EMPL ID which will replace your SID. Step-by-step instructions are available on the ctcLink Training and Resources for Faculty page by selecting the accordion box for Account Activation. If you have already been given an EMPL ID by another college (for those of you who work at more than one college), the EMPL ID will work at every school across the state.

This process is happening in waves (so as not to overwhelm the system), so students will be getting their EMPL IDs later. All of our High School 21+/GED students and many of our ESL students will be expected to access that EMPL ID on their own, and we'll be providing resources for you to help students. For ESL students without digital literacy, access to technology, or other barriers, the BTS admin team is working on strategies for how we can access their EMPL ID for them. 

More to ctcLink news and updates will be coming, but for now it's a race to see who will be the first in the division with their cool, new EMPL ID.

Course evaluations for ESL 1-3

As we've done throughout COVID, we will again be offering to mail course evaluation forms to our English learners in levels 1-3. Again, these forms are standard across the three levels and are sent with a stamped return envelope. 

Jill McDonough is among the faculty teaching at levels 1-3 who collects course evaluations using Google forms. This is very easy for students, and they can complete the evaluations on any device. Jill has offered to show this technique to faculty or even set up a group session if people are interested. 

Either way, please let Teresa, Gina, and/or Amber know if you would like the office team to mail course evaluations to your students. We're aiming to get them in the mail around the week of March 1.  

 

 

Updated on 2/12/2021 

Spring preferences coming soon

I had hoped to send around the preference form so part-time faculty could request spring assignments today, but we unfortunately had to cancel our full-timer meeting this week, so that process is delayed. Look for the spring assignment form to come soon!

ctcLink resources

The go-live for ctcLink is just around the corner, and new faculty training resources have arrived. You should have seen these in an email from district, but in case you missed it, here are two key links:

Check them out when you get a chance!

Turn off your camera, save the climate

Thanks to Rebecca Yedlin for sharing a recent article she found titled Turning off cameras during Zoom meetings can help the climate. I encourage you to give it a look and consider your classroom practices.

Packets for ESL 1-3

Faculty teaching English levels 1-3 should contact Amber, Gina, and Teresa if you plan to send another packet in winter quarter. I apologize for the late notice, but the team is hoping to receive packets soon after the 3-day weekend so we can try to get them in the mail before Friday. 

Submit your winter 2021 packets here. 

 

 

Update on 1/20/21

Drop your no-show students

There are still a small number of faculty who have not dropped their no-show students. Please do that as soon as possible, as we are responsible to provide good information to partners who help fund our classes. 

Seattle Hospitality Worker Relief Fund

The City of Seattle is providing cash assistance for low-income workers in bars, restaurants, hotels and motels whose income has been impacted due to COVID-19. Please pass this resource on to your students.

People who live and work in Seattle are eligible, assuming their household income is 60% or less of the area median income, and the Website provides information and a Q&A.

Students can find information at https://hospitality.wellspringfs.org/.

COVID Vaccine: FindYourPhaseWA.org

The Washington Department of Health has an online survey at FindYourPhaseWA.org that lets visitors know whether they are currently eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. If you're not yet eligible, you can also provide your phone number, email or other contact information, and the Department of Health will contact you when you are eligible. Please share this resource.

Benefit Hub Classroom Visits

Representatives from the Benefit Hub would love to visit classrooms to share resources with your students. Email Max Paulin at max.paulin@seattlecolleges.edu for more info. Classroom visits are the best way to connect your students to these resources, since it gives you an opportunity to help students understand what's available and how to access it. 

The Benefits Hub has team members who speak Spanish, Mandarin and some other languages. They also have access to languageline services to help with interpreting for people with other home languages. 

Packets due next Tuesday, January 26

For faculty needing to send another packet to students enrolled in ESL 1-3, please submit your packets by the close of business next Tuesday, January 26. We plan to copy, sort, address, and mail packets by Thursday so your students will receive them early during the week of February 1.

Submit your winter 2021 packets here. 

Undocumented Student Support

Just a reminder to make sure your students know that undocumented students can find a variety of resources on the Undocumented Student Support Web site--available here. There you'll find an array of resources from basic needs (rent, food), legal help, and more. Encourage your students to take advantage of what we can provide. 

 

 

Updated on December 29, 2020 

Chromebook and Hotspot Student Loans

The college intends to again loan Chromebooks and Hotspots to students. In fall quarter, our supply ran out before all student needs were met. The college/district is still waiting on additional Chromebooks we ordered this summer. We are hopeful they will arrive in time for winter quarter. 

To request technology for your students, please email Amber a copy of your IBC, highlighting the students who need devices and indicate which device they need. 

We do not know if/when students receive their technology. If the student does not provide an email address, we will provide your faculty email address so you will be aware of when technology becomes available. 

Attendance reporting and other paperwork

We've seen a drop off in timely reporting of end-of-quarter paperwork to the office. There also continues to be a problem with faculty reporting zero attendance (or very little attendance) for students who should have been dropped. As a reminder, we count on faculty to provide this information so we can

  • Offer faculty jobs in future quarters
  • Deliver support services for students who need attention
  • Maintain our grant with ORIA with funds faculty stipends and staff positions
  • Protect our division from future budget cuts

Please turn in your drops, attendance, grades, student paperwork, and next-quarter enrollments on time. It helps us serve students and protect our program.

Help students find your class this winter

Please give the front desk your winter course details, such as Zoom links or preferred contact info, that we can pass along to confused students who call the front desk. You can provide the info by clicking on this link. This will open a PowerPoint presentation where you can edit a different page of the PowerPoint by providing:

winter 2021 PowerPoint slide

ctcLink is coming

Starting February 22, the college will switchover to a new data management system--ctcLink. This will be a profound change that will impact everything we do. Here are a few pointers on what to expect

  • The change will happen mid-quarter. For example, you'll start winter using your IBC, but after February 22, the IBC will stop working and you'll need to use ctcLink.
  • Faculty leads, including Doug Rupik, are generating training materials specific to faculty such as how to find your roster, how to enter grades, etc. 
  • Training for faculty will be rolled out the last week of January. It will likely be accessed via college Web sites (rather than through CANVAS).
  • Some training will be faculty-specific, while others will be "all employee" trainings, like how to look at your earnings history or how to report timesheets.
  • Full, comprehensive training is available from the SBCTC. This training can be overwhelming and take several hours, so the faculty leads are generating training on the basics (a few 10-minute videos with supporting documents).
  • Click here for a sneak peak at a draft training video. 
  • Click here to visit the district ctcLink page for faculty.

ctcLink info for students/syllabi

While this may not be appropriate for many BTS students, the ctcLink team has developed language to share with students about ctcLink. At minimum, the language below will give you a sense of the type of change we are facing.

Seattle Colleges (North, Central, and South) will move to a new system for student data, registration, and self-service called ctcLink starting on February 22, 2021. More information about which systems will be affected will be provided via email as the launch date nears. The move to ctcLink will help you better manage your entire college experience 24/7 from your mobile device, laptop, or home computer.

ctcLink WILL REPLACE MyNorth, MyCentral, and MySouth

The MyNorth / MyCentral / MySouth sites allow students to register for classes and perform other types of student self-service. Most of this functionality will be replaced by ctcLink Student Self-Service. You will use ctcLink to register for Spring Quarter classes starting on March 3, 2021.

The following online tools ARE NOT GOING AWAY. You will continue to use both systems along with ctcLink once it goes live.

· Canvas (Central | North | South), the learning management system for online courses

· Starfish, the advising and student success platform used by student services departments

To learn more, go to the ctcLink for Students web page at seattlecolleges.edu/ctclink/ctclink-students.

 

 

Update on December 18, 2020

Winter schedule and class rosters

Click here for the most recent update to the winter schedule. Class rosters for winter now include students from the EIs, so the rosters should be fairly close to final.

Reminder: First winter packets due Monday, December 28

For ESL faculty teaching levels 1-3, the first deadline for submitting packets to be mailed to students is Monday, December 28. This deadline will allow us to hopefully put packets in the mail by December 30 with the expectation that students will likely receive them by Tuesday, January 5. As you recall, Tuesday, January 5 will be the first day of instruction, as we will hold our BTS division meeting on Monday, January 4. Submit your winter 2021 packets here. 

Winter division meeting

The winter BTS division meeting will take place on Monday, January 4 from 9 am to 11 am. Look for Zoom info coming soon. Please send along any suggested agenda times. The current agenda will include:

  • Welcome/check-ins
  • Thank you for our continued success during COVID
  • Chromebook and hot-spot loan update
  • Reporting attendance: please do not report zero hours at the end of the quarter
  • Provide Amber your student first week contact info
  • ctcLink in February: new IBC and more

Help students find you this winter

Please give the front desk your winter course details, such as Zoom links or preferred contact info, that we can pass along to confused students who call the front desk. You can provide the info by clicking on this link. This will open a PowerPoint presentation where you can edit a different page of the PowerPoint by providing:

winter 2021 PowerPoint slide

We had a very difficult time in fall with the number of students who called to say that they had not heard from their teacher. We want to use this information to point students in the right direction in 2021.

Free children's mask distribution

I know everyone is on break and classes are over, but if you can, please spread the word that free masks for children will be distributed this Saturday. 

Free Children's masks

  • Saturday, December 19, 2020
  • 10 am to 12 noon or until masks are gone
  • Everett Community College: Rainier Hall Parking Lot
  • 2000 Tower Street, Everett, WA
  • Click here for a flyer 

Winter stipends, reimbursements, sub pay and others will be delayed in winter quarter

The transition to ctcLink, the new college information management system, means that we cannot process any stipends, reimbursements, sub payments, course assignment changes, or other financial transactions after the start of winter quarter. Please keep this in mind as you submit these requests. If all goes well, the new system should allow these transactions to process by the start of spring quarter.