Fall 2025 FDD Session Resources

 

Zoom Breakout Sessions

Day One Accessibility: Inclusive Practices for the First Weeks (Recording Not Available)

Presenters: Nicole Azran, Claudia Zuluaga, Ingrid Conley-Abrams

Abstract: Too often, accessibility in higher education is approached through reactive, hurried adjustments, driven by urgency rather than intention. These responses often emerge under pressure, without the time or resources needed for thoughtful planning, leaving both students and faculty caught in a cycle of compliance instead of care. By approaching assignments, communication and expectations with clarity and purpose, we create stable and accessible learning environments that reduce stress and foster a greater sense of safety for all.

AI Superheroes Protect Democratic Values: Comic Justice & Enhanced Learning

Presenter: M. Victoria Pérez-Ríos

Abstract: When students feel secure in knowing what to expect, how to engage, and where to find support, they are more likely to approach learning with confidence and curiosity. These conditions also create space for self-advocacy and allow faculty to respond with empathy. As students navigate unprecedented levels of risk and vulnerability, particularly related to mental and physical health, their capacity to learn is increasingly affected. These conditions call for clear communication, greater flexibility, and a shared commitment to inclusive support.

Student needs from the student perspective: Data-driven suggestions from the Office of the Dean of Students

Presenter: Rachel Brown

Abstract: This session highlights efficient, high-impact strategies that support accessibility while fitting within the pace and demands of academic life. Participants will learn simple but meaningful ways to make course materials more accessible, adjust classroom environments to reduce barriers, and connect students with the resources they need from the start of the term. These approaches recognize the constraints faced by already overextended faculty and offer sustainable ways to embed access and inclusion into everyday practice. As higher education continues to navigate profound challenges, we must prioritize accessibility, clarity, consistency, and care across our classrooms and departments.

Academic Freedom and Critical Thinking- A General Primer and Introduction

Presenter: Daniel Perrone

Abstract: What is Academic Freedom? What does it mean to faculty and students now that the usually “dormant” phrase has entered the mainstream consciousness? Join us as we discuss a brief history of the law of “academic freedom” and have an introductory discussion on how it can be critically implemented in the classroom (and out of the classroom) by faculty and students.

 

 

Beyond Counting: Assignments that Model Quantitative Reasoning

Presenters: Valerie Allen, Valerie West, Thomas Herndon, Sara Martucci

Abstract: In this session, faculty from English, Economics, Criminal Justice, and Sociology will share effective assignments that integrate quantitative reasoning skills (QR) with course learning objectives and content. Q & A will follow the panelists’ presentations and discussion of their assignments.

 

 

Community Discussion

The State of Higher Education and Charting John Jay’s Future In It: A discussion

Location: Student Dining Hall East (In Person)

Presenter: Allison Pease

 

In Person Breakout Sessions

(Please note that there are no recordings for the in person breakout sessions)

Beyond Accommodations: Building Neurodivergent-Inclusive Institutional Practices Through Student Voice

Presenters: Emese Ilyés, Kim Lonzo

Abstract: How can institutions move beyond (the often misleading promise of) individual accommodations to create systemically neurodivergent-inclusive practices? This interactive workshop draws on groundbreaking student-led podcast research that revealed critical gaps between institutional assumptions and neurodivergent student experiences.

Through dialogical methodology, student researcher Kim Lonzo identified three key areas where John Jay can better support neurodivergent learners: classroom structure and pedagogy, academic advising practices, and accessibility service design. In conversation with John Jay student body, Kim found that many leave courses not due to academic inability, but because teaching methods don’t align with neurodivergent learning needs. They found that current accessibility processes often discourage rather than support help-seeking, and that neurodivergent students themselves should be consulted in designing support systems.

This workshop positions neurodivergent students as institutional change agents and provides concrete strategies for faculty, advisors, and administration to create more inclusive practices. Participants will engage directly with student researchers, learn specific pedagogical modifications that benefit all learners, and develop actionable plans for implementing neurodivergent-inclusive approaches in their own work.

Click here for the presentation slides

Improving your assignments using ChatGPT (Responsibly)

Presenter: Adam Wandt

Abstract: Many of us are focusing on the problems ChatGPT is causing in higher education. But did you know it can be used to significantly improve the quality of your assignments? This session will explore ethical and responsible ways that faculty members can use ChatGPT to improve the quality of their courses and improve student success. 

Inspirational and Supportive Teaching

Presenters: Kimora, Ian Heller

Abstract: Many of us are focusing on the problems ChatGPT is causing in higher education. But did you know it can be used to significantly improve the quality of your assignments? This session will explore ethical and responsible ways that faculty members can use ChatGPT to improve the quality of their courses and improve student success. 

Click here for the session resources

Cybersecurity Primer for Faculty

Presenters: Jennifer Holst, Meryem Abouali

Abstract: Learn about the phishing scams that target our students while impersonating faculty and staff, as well as multi-factor authentication and best practices for passwords.  

Embedding Career Learning in Your Class 

Presenters: Natasha Graf and Kate Szur

Abstract: The goal of this session is to equip faculty with strategies for making career preparation an explicit part of their course through active learning, transferable skills, and cultural scripts relevant to John Jay College students. This fun and engaging session will help faculty gain strategies to bridge the academic-professional divide and help students recognize and communicate their transferable skills for the job market.

Click here for the presentation slides

Understanding our Bilingual Students for Career Readiness and Belonging

Presenters: Rosemary Barberet, Cristina Lozano Argüelles, Sarah Hoiland, Sancheska Tapia, M. Victoria Pérez-Ríos

Abstract: This session will provide preliminary results from an NSF funded collaborative project at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Hostos Community College, focused on examining the feasibility of a bilingual STEM transfer pipeline between these two HSIs in the CUNY system. We assessed student linguistic profiles as well as motivation for bilingual Spanish-English bilingual programming, particularly in criminal justice. Alongside grounding participants in key research on bilingualism and its importance for justice-centered careers, we will also highlight how faculty can actively support bilingualism as an asset — not a handicap — and foster students’ sense of belonging. Our argument is that career readiness is not just about skill development; it is also about creating a college experience that feels welcoming, enriching, and inclusive for bilingual students.

Click here for the presentation slides

Thinking Critically About Using AI in the Classroom

Presenters: Timothy McCormack and colleagues

Abstract: The workshop facilitators participated in a Teaching & Learning Center seminar that looked at the relationship between AI and critical thinking. In this workshop, we will present the classroom assignments we developed in the workshop as examples of how AI can be used to enable critical thinking. Participants will then work with each other to produce their own AI assignment ideas that foreground critical thinking. This seminar is ideal for faculty who are familiar with the Bloom Revised Taxonomy and include critical thinking activities regularly in their courses.

Click here for the presentation slides

Streamlining Accommodations – Universal Design for Accessible Courses

Presenter: Nicole Azran

Abstract: Each year more and more students with disabilities are enrolling into higher education institutions. Students with a range of disabilities, including learning disabilities, visual and hearing disabilities, ADHD, and students struggling with mental health struggles, apply for accommodation with the office of accessibility services who then notifies professors of the students reasonable accommodations. However, administering accommodations is not always as simple as extended time on exams. Sometimes accommodation can be tricky to administer within the constraints of a course designed for students without disabilities.
In this workshop we will be exploring the ways professors can design their courses, with policies and practices that will help streamline the administration of accommodations. We will be looking at three accommodations, 1) Extra time on specific assignments 2) Class Notes Provided, and 3) Flexible Attendance, and how you can design your course to embed accommodations into the infrastructure of your course. 
Participants will discover straightforward yet effective approaches to making course materials more accessible, creating inclusive classroom environments, and connecting students with essential resources from the very beginning of the term. When implementing these universally designed practices, not only will students with disabilities feel that their needs and learning differences are prioritized, but ALL students will benefit.

Click here for the presentation slides

Learning and Unlearning: Navigating Challenging Conversations in the Classroom

Presenters: Alessandra Early, Meriem Rebbani

Abstract: As criminal justice professors, our courses, and the conversations had within them, span a variety of topics that can be challenging for us to teach and our students to learn about. Extending past the boundaries of our classrooms, faculty and students alike navigate difficult macro-dynamics such as warfare, police brutality, and a global pandemic, to name a few. The college classroom has, and remains, a space bridging course materials with the reality that many of our students face and seek to examine. Sometimes, many of us as ourselves and colleagues, “how do I talk about this with my students?” Over the course of the Spring 2025 semester, we participated in a Teaching and Learning Center sponsored seminar, Navigating Challenging Conversations in the Classroom, where we practiced how to effectively and respectfully engage in difficult discussions, identified materials or conversations that are challenging to teach, improved our discussion-based facilitation skills, and increased our confidence in navigating classroom dynamics. For today’s discussion, we would like to cultivate an open and honest conversation about what it is like to teach and support our students in learning challenging materials. We will share some tense moments we have experienced, the resources and tools we have developed, and the insights we learned during the seminar. We would also like to learn about some of your experiences, how you have navigated them, and topics that are challenging for you to teach.

Pros & Profs: Unlocking Student Success Through Collaborative Advising

Presenters: Sumaya Villanueva, Ray Patton, Purnima Taylor, Lorena del Pilar Laverde

Abstract: Drawing on lessons learned through campus-wide engagement with the findings of the National Institute for Student Success, this session will explore the dynamic partnership between professional and faculty advisors in fostering comprehensive student success. Together we will explore the distinct but complementary roles of professional and faculty advising, identify optimal moments for students to engage in academic and career planning, and consider how faculty and professionals can collaborate to guide students toward academic, career, and personal success. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of essential processes, policies, and technological tools that impact advising work and help develop a shared understanding of how faculty and professionals can collaborate to provide a rigorous and professionally relevant educational experience. Join us for an engaging discussion on how we can collectively enhance our collaborative efforts to guide students effectively towards their academic and post-graduate goals.

Click here for the presentation slides