New Hire Information

Welcome to Baruch! Here’s a guide to getting set up. Below, you’ll find information on the following:
For more faculty resources, including Educational Technology and Campus Resources, click here.

Getting Started

Step 1: Contact the English Department

Once you’ve received a formal offer to join Baruch’s faculty and accepted a teaching schedule for the upcoming semester, email English Department Administrator Claudye James to begin the HR paperwork process. You should do this asap to ensure you’re paid on time (pay schedule). Claudye will provide you with a letter from the Department stating the terms of your employment for the upcoming semester which you must bring with you to Human Resources, and she will need the following documents from you:

  • Personal Data Form, which you can complete in the attached PDF, print out, sign, and return via scan or hard copy. HR also will need their own copy of this form.
  • A hard copy of your most recent CV
  • If you teach at another CUNY college, a CUNY Adjunct Workload Reporting Form, which you also can complete in this pdf version, print, sign, and bring hard copy to Ms. James to ensure you do not exceed PSC-CUNY union contractual workload limits (see section 15.2 in the union contract for details).
Step 2: Complete HR Paperwork
  • Human Resources (135 East 22nd Street, Room 200, corner of 22nd and Lexington) will contact you to fill out a number of forms for payroll and employment verification purposes. If you are online and wish to alternatively contact HR about delivering this paperwork, use the email [email protected].
  • For the personnel forms please bring (or send*) the required form(s) of ID for the Federal Employment Eligibility Verification Form (Form I-9; see page 9 for a list of acceptable ID) as well as a voided, blank check from your checking account if you wish to have your paychecks directly deposited into your bank account.

*if teaching exclusively online. Please reach out to HR to verify details about their most up-to-date remote work policies for new hires.

Step 3: Obtain a Baruch Username
  • Once Human Resources has created your employee account and Electronic Personnel Action Form (ePAF), IT will be automatically prompted to create Baruch login information for you. IT will contact you via your personal email to confirm this information and provide details about accessing your account.
  • Your Baruch user name gives you access to your Baruch email and other important tech systems at Baruch (CUNYfirst, Blackboard, etc), and allows you to log in to any computer on campus. You’ll first need to get your CUNYfirst login information and CUNYfirst EMPLID number:
    1. Go here and click the “First-Time User” link. It’s also the link for forgotten user name, EMPLID, or password.
    2. It will ask for first name, last name, Date of Birth, and last 4 digits of SSN.
    3. After that it will ask you to create 5 security questions.
    4. Click the OK button.
    5. It will ask for your new CUNYfirst password and then it will show your user name and EMPLID.)
  • Users can change the password and security questions through this website. Baruch account passwords require a minimum of eight characters and should contain either a special character or upper-case.
  • For CUNYfirst, follow the instruction on this site on how to activate the account. If you have any issues activating the account, contact the Baruch help desk (646-312-1010 or [email protected]).
  • To order books: Check out info here on ordering through Baruch’s campus bookstore. You also should indicate which books you’ll require on your course page in CUNYfirst (directions here).
  • To email your students (via Blackboard, Baruch’s Course Management System), see your course roster and classroom location (via CUNYfirst), and more, check out the Introduction to Tech for Faculty at Baruch. To log in to this page, use your network username and password that you use to access Baruch email and to log in to any computer on campus, then select “Faculty.”
  • For troubleshooting or other questions about Blackboard or accessing CUNYfirst, please contact the Baruch Computing and Technology Center (BCTC) Help Desk:
Step 4: Get your Baruch Faculty ID

HR will give you a form allowing you to obtain a Baruch Faculty ID after you’ve completed your paperwork. Take it to the CUNYCard ID Center (lower level of the Information and Technology Building, 151 East 25th Street). You will need your Faculty ID to enter most buildings at Baruch as well as classrooms on the Newman Vertical Campus.

FAQs

How do I order my books for class?

To order books: Check out info here on ordering through Baruch’s campus bookstore. You also should indicate which books you’ll require on your course page in CUNYfirst (directions here).

How do I set up CUNY First (C1), and what does that allow me to access?

You first need to claim your CUNY First (hereafter, C1) account and generate a username and password. To claim your C1 account, go to Baruch’s home page and click on the large “C1” orange tab, which will take you to C1’s homepage. Click on the “claim your account” tab found on the left side of the page. Please write down the C1 employee ID number the system will generate when you claim your account.

To access your class roster, after logging into C1, go to Self Service (left side), then to faculty center/class roster (right side). If your Baruch classes do not appear, click the large green “change term” tab and choose “Baruch [current year].” Once your courses appear, to access the roster, click on the icon of the group of people to the left of the course number/description. Do not click on the actual course number/description. You have to cut and paste your roster onto a Word document if you would like to print it.

You can also utilize C1 to order books, take and verify attendance and submit final grades (outlined below), so please do claim your C1 account as soon as possible. If you are a last-minute hire and are waiting for your course to be posted on C1, you may email your book order directly to the campus bookstore.

How do I access my courses on CUNY Portal/Blackboard (BB)?

In order to access your course Blackboard (hereafter, BB) page, you need to set up a CUNY Portal account. You’ll be given the option to set up a CUNY Portal username and password.

Once you set up a CUNY Portal account, you can access your course BB page. Please be sure to make your BB page available to students by clicking on “Customization” and then “Properties,” found on the lower left side of your course BB page.

In total, how many usernames and passwords do I have to keep track of?

You’ll need 2 users and passwords at Baruch:

(1) One for your Baruch email account/campus computer login (“Network password”) and that also gives you access to Blogs@Baruch, a WordPress platform customized for Baruch; and

(2) Another for CUNYfirst (accessing your course roster, “verifying” your roster for financial aid purposes week 3, emailing students, and turning in grades); it also gives you access to Blackboard, CUNY’s course management platform.

If you have any issues, please troubleshoot with the BCTC Help Desk: Phone Number: 1-646-312-1010. Website: http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/bctc/

Settling into the Office

What should I do to get set up in my cubicle?

Please include your office hours and cube number on your syllabi. The phone extension is listed next to the cubicle number on the assignment sheet. If you have any questions about your cube computer or printing from your cube, please contact Danny Cayas. Contact Buildings and Grounds if any part of your cube is broken. The cubicles are going to be tight, sometimes up to six people per cube. Please communicate with your cube mates or, if yours is occupied, use an empty nearby cube.

How do I access the drawers in my cubicle, the bathroom or the department’s doors?

Please ask Claudye James for keys to your cubicle drawers, to the 7th floor bathroom (by the elevators), or keys to the department’s main doors if you teach at 7:50 am or after 5:00 pm.

May I store things in my cubicle?

Be mindful that you will most likely be sharing a cubicle with three or four other instructors. Do not leave your personal possessions unattended. Unfortunately, we have had theft issues in the past. It is not even advisable to store books in your cubicle unless you lock them in a drawer. For these reasons, it is usually best to hold office hours shortly before or right after your classes.

Where are the copier/scanners, and how do I use them?

There are two copy machines/scanners in the English Department, one near the department’s entrance in the supply room and one by the cubicles in Room 7-290. Gina or Claudye can give you the 4-digit code that works for either machine. If a copy machine is not working properly, please tell Claudye and Gina right away. They lock the door to the department’s supply room after 5:00 pm so if you need to make copies before 9:00 am or after 5:00 pm, please use the machine by the cubes. Also, aim to post as many documents on BB and Blogs@Baruch as possible to avoid wasting paper.

How do I receive snail mail?

All adjuncts and graduate teaching fellows have mailboxes in the English Department—once you’re in the main entrance of the department, walk straight ahead toward the row of offices, make a right, and you’ll see a wall of mailboxes on the right side of the hallway. Books have been stolen from mailboxes so please be mindful when leaving items in mailboxes or when asking folks to leave items in yours.

What other supplies does the English Department provide?

The Department can supply you with dry erase markers, erasers, pens, pencils, Sharpies, white out, staples, paper clips, manila folders, rubber bands, Baruch letter head for letters of recommendation, blue books for exams and legal pads. Please ask Claudye or Gina for these supplies but please do not take supplies from or use Claudye’s or Gina’s desks–use the phone and computer in your cube. 

Classrooms, Attendance, and Grading

How do I find out where my class will meet?

​Log in to CUNYfirst > Choose “HR/Campus Solutions > Choose “Self Service > Under “Faculty Center” choose “My Schedule” 

What do I need to know about Baruch’s classrooms?

Baruch is operating at full capacity and space is at a premium, so your classroom cannot be changed.

If something is broken in your classroom, please report the problem to Buildings and Grounds. (*Note that you should not open the windows in the Field Building at 17 Lexington Avenue. They do not stay open and close suddenly.) The Office Hours for Buildings and Grounds are: Monday to Friday, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. You can reach their Main Office by calling (646) 660-6630, or, in the event of an after-hours emergency: (646) 660-6000.

Please report your classroom issue to Claudye James as well since she will need to submit an official work order for your classroom repair.

Despite the space and maintenance challenges, all classrooms are smart classrooms. If you teach in the Field Building, you have to get the keys to the computer console from Newman Library’s main desk (the library is on 25th and Lexington). You may need to bring your own markers and erasers.

How do I verify my class roster? (generally due the third week of the semester)

We must verify our attendance rosters via C1. This is a mandatory CUNY requirement, as it affects compliance with federal regulations and students receiving financial aid. To verify rosters in C1, please watch this video or follow these instructions:

  1. Once you log onto C1, click “HR Solutions” and then “Self Service” (both on the left side of the screen in small font). Next, click “Course Rosters” under “Faculty Center” (both on the right of the screen). If you’re unable to view your rosters after going through this process, please click the large, green “Change Term” tab and choose the appropriate semester year and CUNY school.
  2. Once your course appears, click “View Course Roster”–look to the absolute top of the screen, and in light blue font, you’ll see some options for rosters and one is “Verification of Attendance Roster.” Please note that it’s easy to miss given that light purple font. Click “Verification of Attendance Roster” and you will be ready to verify. You only have to confirm that students attended at least one class. Once you’re done going through the roster, at the very bottom of the page, click the green “Submit” tab and after the system processes the information, click the green “Return” tab.

Please let IT know as soon as possible if you’re having any issues with roster verification.

Be sure to verify your roster on time. If you fail to verify your roster or submit it late, it will cause much extra work and harms our students’ academic standing and financial aid. So before submitting your roster verification (by clicking the “Submit” tab), double and triple check that it is correct against your attendance records.

How do enter grades in C1?
  1. Log into the system and wait patiently while the page loads–it takes awhile sometimes. This does not necessarily mean the system is down.
  2. On the top left side of the screen, click on “HR/Campus Solutions.”
  3. Under menu on the top left side of the screen, click on “Self Service” and then “Faculty Center.” The “Faculty Center” icon also appears on the lower right side of the screen. Then click on “Grade Roster.” The current term may not be pre-selected. If it is not, or if another CUNY school where you might teach is selected, click on the green “Change Term” icon. Again, please note that it may take awhile for the necessary pages to load. You may also click on “My Schedule,” and your class roster will appear there too. Then click on the icon of the tiny person standing by what looks like a blackboard–this is your grade roster.
  4. Please click the “Save” icon often as you enter the grades in case the system times out (these things happen). Then after you’re finished entering grades, be sure to click the “Post” green icon (lower right hand side of the screen). You must click “Post” for the grades to be officially submitted. It is not enough to click “Save.” You need to actually click “Post” to complete the submission process and render your students’ grades official.

Once you officially post your grades in C1, you cannot change them in C1. You’ll have to come to the department and fill out a change of grade form, which the Chair needs to sign. So please triple check the final grade entry for each student to make sure it is correct before clicking “Post.”

If you want to check that your grades are indeed posted, you can log into C1 and view your grade rosters. You’ll see if the roster reads as officially posted/submitted. If your roster reads: “saved but not posted/submitted,” and the grades do not appear in the “official grade” column next to each student’s name, then you need to still “Post” them.

Please keep in mind that the grade of Incomplete may only be given in the case of fully documented, serious medical situations or emergencies.

May I submit grades late or some other way besides C1?

We cannot give you an extension for submitting final grades, and instructors are required to use C1. There is no other official grade entry system, and we cannot return your students’ final papers for you. Instructors must enter final grades via C1 by the mandated due date, which the Associate Provost will email to all instructors. Failure to enter grades on time via C1 is considered a dereliction of duty. Late grade submission affects students’ ability to graduate and register for other courses, as well as their financial aid. Instructors are encouraged to spend some time navigating their C1 grade rosters before submitting grades. Please do not wait until the grade submission due date to log onto C1 for the first time. If you have not claimed your C1 account or are having trouble using the system, please go to IT as soon as possible (6th floor, library on 25th Street) for assistance.

It is illegal to discuss or submit grades via email—we recommend meeting with students in person to discuss any issues. Please do not ignore student emails regarding their grades. Set up a time to meet with them. You are expected to be available during Baruch’s final exam period. If we need to contact you about your grade submission or any student issues, please respond to our email in a timely manner.

Compensation for Workshops and Other Professional Development Events

Will I be compensated for participating in Faculty Development Workshops?

Compensation for workshops and other professional development events is available based on annual college budgets. Attendance is encouraged but entirely voluntary.

For faculty development workshops that are funded through the First-Year Writing or Great Works of World Literature Programs, instructors who attend will be compensated for their time at CUNY’s non-teaching rate (based on their highest degree). Abigail Stevens, the Coordinator of Administrative and Financial Services in the Provost’s Office, processes this paper work.

Please submit your completed paper work to the Program Assistant, Seth Graves, no later than one week after the workshop (instructors may also leave their paper work with the department’s executive assistants, Claudye James and Gina Parmar). The Program Assistant will then send the paper work to Abigail Stevens. You will receive payment for the workshop by the end of the semester.

**Please note: Abigail Stevens requires all workshop forms to be typed, with the exception of your signature. You must date the form the actual date the workshop was held.**

Instructions (please follow these closely; if you don’t, Seth cannot submit your paperwork):

  1. If you’ve already been compensated for attending a Baruch English Department workshop within the past two years, then the only form you need to fill out is the Baruch College Fund Personnel Action Form (PAF) form. Please remember that you must sign and date the Baruch College Fund PAF form the date of the actual workshop. This form must be typed, except for your signature. After two years, the Provost’s Office usually deletes all tax forms and they need to be updated. Please ask Abigail Stevens about the status of your tax forms if you haven’t attended a workshop in the past year.
  2. If this is the first time you’re being compensated for attending a Baruch English Department workshop, then you will need to complete a total of 4 forms that you will receive via e-mail. You’ll also need to submit very clear photo copies of your state ID/license or passport AND social security card. Be sure to sign and date all forms with the date of the actual workshop. These forms also need to be typed, except for your signature. If you do not have access to your social security card, you will be e-mailed a List of Acceptable Documents you can use instead.

Please note that your workshop payment will be separate from your teaching paycheck. If you do not have direct deposit, you will have to go to Baruch’s Comptroller’s Office to pick up a paper check, which is in the same building as HR on Lexington and 22nd. If you have any questions about workshop compensation after submitting these forms, you will need to please email Abigail Stevens.

Please note that instructors often overlook the workshop check (especially if they have direct deposit) and assume that they have not been paid, so keep an eye on your bank account deposits because you may miss it.

Also, if you attend a workshop funded through the Schwartz Institute, then it is the Schwartz Institute who compensates you.

Helpful Contacts

For questions regarding your Baruch email or your cube computer, contact [email protected], the Baruch Computing and Technology Center for the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences.

For questions regarding your paycheck, teaching and non-teaching rate or health insurance, contact Human Resources.

For questions about C1, CUNY Portal/BB or reserving a computer lab for your students, contact the IT help desk. Every classroom has a campus phone, which you can use to call IT if your classroom computer or the accompanying equipment is not working. The extension is #1010.

For questions regarding Blogs@Baruch, contact the Center for Teaching and Learning.

To set up a library research visit for your students, contact Christopher Tuthill.

To reach Adjunct Faculty Services, contact Director Linda Lemiesz.

For Campus Security: call ext. 3333.

Here are links to the PSC-CUNY union’s handbook and to Baruch’s adjunct faculty handbook, also found on Baruch’s website. 

PSC-CUNY Union Membership: To obtain a PSC membership application card, call the PSC membership department (212-354-1252), or click here to request an application card by taking 60 seconds to complete an online form.