Information for Students & Parents

Dear Students,

In late March the College provided information regarding planned credits to students’ accounts for the spring 2020 semester. I am writing today to provide an update and more detail about the process, the calculations, and how these credits will be applied. I know these funds are even more vital now and hope that we can alleviate some of the financial burdens on you and your families.

All students will receive a prorated credit to their account, where applicable, for room, board, other meal plans, many broad-based fees, and certain course fees.  The calculation of the amount of the credit is based on a SUNY established departure date of March 19 through the conclusion of the semester on May 15.  The broad-based fees, which will be credited to students on a prorated basis, were outlined in a letter sent to students on March 27.

For most students this credit will result in a refund to their student account. These students will therefore receive a refund payment from the College. Students who would prefer to transfer the credit to a subsequent semester rather than receive a direct refund from the College should contact student accounts by Wednesday, May 6.

Students who still have a balance due to the College following the credit will have a reduced payment obligation.

In cases where students have outstanding loans for their education these payments will not reduce their outstanding loan obligation.

Where possible, refunds will be processed through Bank Mobile. To update your refund delivery option with BankMobile, go to www.bankmobiledisbursements.com.  If a Bank Mobile account is unavailable, the College will issue a paper check.

We have created an FAQ to help address your questions and to provide additional information about the process, how we calculated these credits, and the timing of expected payments. Please click the link to confirm receipt of this information and please review it in detail so that we can ensure a complete understanding of the impact of these credits.

We know the last several weeks have been difficult for students. As we are working diligently to assist students through the challenges posed by COVID-19, we will process these refunds in the easiest and most efficient way possible. The College very much looks forward to seeing you on campus in the fall 2020 semester.

Thanks for your cooperation.

Sincerely, 
John S. Nader

Dear Farmingdale Students and Families:

We want you to know that we are working quickly to resolve the financial impact this transition
to remote learning will have on a student’s unused campus housing, meals and fees for the
remainder of the spring semester while taking into account student’s financial aid awards.

Students living on campus prior to the COVID-19 crisis will receive a refund or credit for housing
fees and meal plan fees (if applicable) based on the proportionate time between when they
leave campus housing -- or as cleared by Residence Life -- and the end of the spring term.

Students living off campus with meal plans will receive a refund or credit for the unused portion
of their meal plans.All students will receive prorated refunds or credits for certain other fees for services that have
been discounted due to the COVID-19 emergency. The calculation of the amount of the refund
or credit is being determined for each of these fees. The fees eligible for a credit/refund
include:

• Transportation fee
• Athletics fee
• Recreation and campus life fee
• Student activity fee
• The category of “Other Broad Based Fees” as appropriate and approved annually by SUNY System Administration

As soon as additional information is available, we will update you. Credits or refund approaches
will be finalized as soon as possible and certainly before the end of the spring semester. We
recognize that this is a difficult time, if you have any questions or a critical financial need
please be in contact with the financial aid office.

Sincerely,
John S. Nader
President

Dear Students:

We continue to address technology and other needs you may have as we move to a distance learning environment, wherever possible, when classes resume Monday, March 30. Please review the following information.

Classes will resume on March 30. Please be prepared to receive instruction via a distance learning format. Faculty will be in contact with their students with specific information about the mode of delivery and how to find their course content. If you have not heard from your instructor by March 27 please contact the academic department chair or school dean.

• For Brightspace-related and other distance learning related questions contact distancelearning@farmingdale.edu. This email will be answered between Monday through Friday from 9AM to 5PM.
• For after-hours service, contact Open SUNY Helpdesk; available Monday through Friday from 7 AM to 12 AM; Saturdays from 10 AM to 5 PM; Sundays 1 PM to 9 PM: 1-844-673-6786 or helpdesk@opensuny.suny.edu.
• For questions from students needing access to technology, contact us.
• For questions about other technology-related matters, contact helpdesk@farmingdale.edu

How to find and log into Brightspace LMS: · Go to www.farmingdale.edu

• Click on myFSC at the top right corner
• Login with FSC credentials · Click on Brightspace from the left navigation menu on the next page
• From there, you will click on Courses and see your course site(s) This Video: "Logging into Brightspace" a video tutorial is available with step-by-step instructions on how to log into Farmingdale State College's Brightspace LMS.

The FCC recently announced a Keep Americans Connected Pledge. In response, a number of Internet Service Providers have announced programs to provide free home Internet Access to students. Many are also opening up their WiFi hotspots to all users

• Altice/Optimum
• Charter/Spectrum
• Comcast/Xfinity

Greenley Library is closed at this time, but Library staff are on-call 86 hours a week to provide assistance. Go to www.farmingdale.edu/library for more info and to access online library resources.

Barnes & Noble is partnering with VitalSource.com, which is providing free online access to most textbooks until May 25. Create an account and search for your textbooks to add up to seven texts to your free bookshelf.  For instructions, go to https://www.farmingdale.edu/health-wellness-center/coronavirus/pdf/vital-source.pdf.

If your textbook is not in VitalSource, email the reference@farmingdale.edu with the Book Title and Course Number and Library staff will get back to you with access options.

Farmingdale State College cares deeply about the health, safety, and well-being of our campus community. The College wants to keep you up-to-date on developments in the Academic area as we prepare for the resumption of classes.

Registration

Registration for Fall 2020 will open on March 30 as planned. To view your specific registration appointment date, please access the email that was sent to you on March 3. If you have any questions, email the Registrar’s Office at regoffice@farmingdale.edu.

It is imperative that you review your degree audit before, after and whenever you make schedule changes to ensure that all courses you register for are fulfilling course requirements. To check your degree audit, log on to DegreeWorks.

If you should have any questions regarding course requirements, please contact your advisor or the chairperson of your program. Advisement contact information is available in the registration appointment email that was sent to you on March 3.

All Classes

Classes will resume on March 30. Please be prepared to receive instruction via a distance learning format. Faculty will be in contact with their students with specific information about the mode of delivery and how to find their course content. If you have not heard from your instructor by March 27 please contact the academic department chair or school dean. 

Laboratory, Clinical, & Flight Classes

For students enrolled in laboratory, clinical and flight courses, your instructors will be informing you as to how those classes will be managed.  Many of these classes have been converted to a distance learning format for the remainder of the semester. If possible, others will continue to be offered in a face-to-face format using social distancing once campus operations resume. Some due to the nature of the discipline will have to be postponed until further notice.

Technology Needs

We understand the transition to distance learning will be unfamiliar to students who have not previously studied online. Students should be reassured that the College is working as quickly as possible to address your technology needs. 

• For Brightspace-related and other distance learning related questions contact distancelearning@farmingdale.edu. This email will be answered between Monday through Friday from 9AM to 5PM.
  • For after-hours service, contact Open SUNY Helpdesk; available Monday through Friday from 7 AM to 12 AM; Saturdays from 10 AM to 5 PM; Sundays 1 PM to 9 PM: 1-844-673-6786 or helpdesk@opensuny.suny.edu.
• For questions from students needing access to technology, contact us.
• For questions about other technology-related matters, contact helpdesk@farmingdale.edu

Please continue to check the students tab on the coronavirus website for the most up-to-date information and resources. www.farmingdale.edu/coronavirus