Hunter College has used media to keep students updated and make accessibility to webpages easier and more convenient. Instagram is one of the biggest platforms used by today’s society; through this platform information, and news are easily shared and travel much faster. Hunter College has multiple pages on instagram all organized by specific categories theres the main page, and other pages depending on what your looking into such as sports, majors, and current events going on.
Hunter College uses Instagram as a way to keep students updated and if you look into their bio you will see this link linktr.ee/huntercollege . Through this link, you are led to a website where all the information is separated into its categories so depending on what your looking all its information should be there or another link can and will be provided to help with students obtain the in formation they need. Hunter College instagram page is very reliable due to the constant updates and being easily accessible to students.
Even I have become dependent on Hunter College’s Instagram page due to its accessibility, especially the Hunter Human Biology page I’ve become reliant on this page due to all the information it provides on my major and how easily I can keep up to date with workshops and events that may be going on having to do with the Human Biology program.
Hunter College’s usage of Instagram is beneficial for all students even incoming freshmen cause it gives you a sense of what you may expect when coming to Hunter. And you’ll get to see what Hunter is about just by simply looking through these Instagram pages.
As a college student, technology plays a significant role in your academic life. You have to rely extensively on your devices and the internet for everything from research and assignments to online classes and communication. But as anyone who has attended college is aware, technology isn’t always dependable. Knowing how to ask for and receive tech support when problems emerge can make a big difference. Fortunately for Hunter students all information regarding technology help can be found on the Hunter Information Technology website. They offer a variety of services here, including maintaining student accounts, gaining access to programs, protecting information, resolving technical issues and many more.
Although the Hunter Information technology website provides some extensive services, some students express discontent with the online services provided by the website. Delay in email replies is a regular complaint, with many students having to wait “at least 24 hours for a response” , says an anonymous student. Most of them by that time are feeling concerned and frustrated about their problems. It is clear that their online services should be more accommodating when it comes to students’ concerns. Some students, however, hold a different perspective. They argue that despite the lengthy email response times, the service offered by the information technology team is still good and frequently resolves issues within minutes of contact. Additionally, these students noted that this year’s record growth in the number of new freshmen must be taken into account. “Hunter college may not have expected this level in tech-related problems, so maybe they have been unable to handle the increased need for support,” says one anonymous student.
Moving on with their in-person services people tend to be more satisfied stating that their problems are solved significantly more effectively when they do so. In person interaction offers a direct response and a personal touch that are frequently missing from digital communication. Students value having direct conversation with experienced staff members who can address their questions and provide assistance and direction. This one-on-one engagement helps technical issues to be resolved more quickly and gives students a greater knowledge of the solutions offered. An anonymous student says, “ Their service was actually pretty good, went in to get my email fixed cause it wasn’t working and they got it done in a few seconds with nice service.” Another hunter student says,”I had to wait for a while to get my issues solved since there were a lot of people with the same problems but honestly I feel like it’s more worth it to actually fix it in person, it’s time saving. From the looks of it, it seems like students mostly prefer the in person experience over online mainly because of how time efficient it is.
Support options for technology resource center, Source: https://hunter.cuny.edu/information-technology/services/learning-resources/technology-resource-center/Lab hours for technology resource center, Source: https://hunter.cuny.edu/information-technology/services/learning-resources/technology-resource-center/
In my personal experience I too prefer the in-person services that Hunter Information Technology Support provides. I visited Room 303 in the North Building during my first week of college to receive instruction on how to use Blackboard. The welcoming receptionist gave me a warm smile and asked me to sign in on a board. It took some time for someone to help me because there were a lot of students in line. Eventually, a tall guy approached me who was probably a student helping out due to a staff shortage. He gave me around ten minutes of his time to help me navigate Blackboard’s complexities. The help I received in person was quick and a lot simpler to understand. He manually explained the Blackboard features, which would have taken me more time to understand if I were to read through written instructions online or explore the website myself.
I recently made the decision to go back to the support desk to find out more about their services. I noticed the room was far less packed than it had been during my first week when I had arrived. I signed in as usual, and the staff named Ashley greeted me and asked what the matter was. I asked her regarding the services they offer. Ashley then went on to describe their main services, which included email support, Net ID support, help with Wi-Fi access for students without internet access, aid with the ONE card, CUNY First account, and assistance with those. They also handle supplemental name changes for students who get married or legally change their names. I asked her about their email response time, and Ashley clarified that they use a ticketing system called CUNY IT Help, where each email creates a ticket. She also addressed the longer wait times for responses, referring to extreme demand during the opening weeks, when 150–200 students a day were requesting tech support. Interestingly enough, they have just six people on their staff, thus it’s difficult to reply to everyone right away. Ashley advised going in person as they prefer walk-ins over tickets. I also asked Ashley whether they assist with fixing devices, to which she responded that they don’t handle the technical aspects but can assist with issues like password keychain problems or software malfunctions etc.
Bhuiyan, Ahmede, Front door of Student help desk, October 5th 2023Bhuiyan, Ahmede, Inside student help desk, October 5th 2023
Given these insights, it makes sense why some students complain about the online service provided by Hunter Information Technology. All students should, however, choose in-person support as it often results in quicker problem resolution. Hunter should really invest more into their student help desk department because issues like these can make students stressed while they are already dealing with the heavy coursework and personal life.
Living on campus. Isn’t that interesting. That’s something many can’t say they do going to a CUNY college. But it is most definitely possible. Which makes you wonder why somebody would. Most college students decided to go to cuny colleges for one of the simplest reasons being that it is super affordable for New York residents. Compared to going out of state or even up state, it’s definitely a money saver for sure. Also considering the fact that some students don’t want to leave home, have responsibilities at home, other personal reasons, and etc. Some students still find it hard to juggle commuting to school on a daily basis. Like me for example I’m a commuter student. It takes me one hour to get to school and one hour to get back home traveling from Brooklyn. While also going to work four times a week and the gym four times a week also. But I still manage to be able to do everything. But sometimes it’s a lot for students to handle, so they decide to dorm. And that’s why Hunter College offers dorms near the campus for students who need them. Considering the fact that about 25,000 students go to Hunter and these students come from all 5 boroughs and even outside of the boroughs also explains why we need them. This is a resource at hunter college that is what allows students to even get to go to school. They need a place to live and what better than one near their school.
What does living in a hunter college residence even offer students?
Living 20 minutes away from campus is definitely a big plus. Everyone loves getting those 20 minutes of extra sleep in the morning. But that can also give you more time to run to get breakfast in the morning. Maybe a quick workout session to get you moving. Give that time to yourself to make your day a little more productive and not feel like all your time is being taken away by commuting. Sitting in a train waiting for your stop to say “68th street, Hunter college.” But also living in the city? Come on now. That’s definitely an experience and a hell of a view also. Which continues into getting that college experience many college students go away to universities to get. But people seem to not realize that these dorms aren’t just hunter college students. But a variety of other Cuny colleges as well. Which leads you to meeting people from different schools and making amazing bonds and connections with unforgettable memories.
Different residence options:
They offer up to 23,000 hunter students the opportunity to get this dorm experience. It is highly competitive to get. But priority is only guaranteed to incoming macaulay honors freshmen, rising macaulay honors sophomores, and incoming freshmen gold/nursing scholars. If you aren’t a part of the priority list that’s okay! They have applications to apply also. Hunter offers 3 locations of residence. One of them being the brookdale campus located on 425 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010. . This residence price range is $7,170- $9,674 for the fall and spring semester only. So for one year. It consists of having a roommate and sharing the building with other college residences as well. Another one being Midtown residence life being located in 569 lexington ave, new york,ny 10022. These are a little more pricey for the whole year starting from $12,350-$12,995. They still have a shared room with a roomie but have a more luxury aesthetic and are closer to the school. Last but not least we have hunters apartments. These are apartments you room from 3-6 people with. You get a whole apartment but have to live with others also. Depending on the amount of rooms and bathrooms these apartments can range for the year from $15,591-$16,485 per person. These apartments will be located only a few blocks away at 334 E 79th St, New York, NY 10075. 3 different options to accommodate which their students feel is best for them. But one scary thing is that the residence price can change out of the blue. And Of course you have to be a student to get the opportunity to live in one. Living@Hunter, Hunter College, 2023,
I interviewed an incoming freshman. she told me her experience about dorming/deciding to dorm. She originally lives in a small town in Long island. The commute would have to be by train. Which will then continue to be about a 2 hours and 30 minutes commute just for her to get to school. Doing this multiple times a week didn’t seem practical to her. She hurd Hunter was an amazing school for STEM majors. So she took the sacrifice of deciding to dorm in the Brookdale campus. Another reason wanted to live in the hunter residences dorms is for the simple reason that she wanted to feel freedom of being on her own from her family. She said that this can give her the independence she has been lacking since she has always been provided with everything from her parents. Being by yourself makes you build character and makes you grow as a person. This is one step closer for her to prepare herself for the future and what’s coming. One of the biggest struggles for her is missing her family and friends. They are so close but so far at the same time. Focusing on school and doing school activities makes her feel like she doesn’t have time for them. She still has been trying on the weekends. But her goal is to have mental reassurance in herself that she can handle what is coming next. Balancing everything at this time in her life. And this is a good place to start.Living in the brookdale campus she has a roommate who she is very close with. But at first it was weird living with a random person. Now she has friends all over the building and feels more like home. Not having a curfew is a huge plus side when she wants to have a night out with her friends in the city. Brookdale campus does have a lot of nice studying spots which helps her get her work done when she feels like she can’t do it in her room. Which is how she met a lot of her friends also. Now they have study dates so they can be productive together. But she still doesn’t regret her choice of dorming.
what Dorming can give you
Hunter residence doesn’t just give homes to students. It starts their journeys as young adults who are learning to live their life independently and giving them responsibility to handle what the real world is like. Learning the value of things that were not seen as significant before. And Hunter college is there to help them algo the way. This resource makes their students one step closer to success.
Yalow Scholars Program: scientific Research and Pre-Health
Early access to register for classes each semester
Merit scholarship, financial scholarship based on academic achievement
Access to a personal dedicated advisor
Priority access to a room in the residence hall, limitation fresman year only
Academic trips given to students, such as a trip to the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) and American Medical Student Association Convention and Exposition (AMSA) in 2018
Social events and gatherings for students, such as secret santa in the hunter library and Yalow Award night
Daedalus Scholar Program: Computer Science
Free Laptops for students
Tuition benefits
Residential priority for students
Students can be connected with professional software engineers from tech companies such as Google, Yext, and Facebook
Access to mentors directly from tech companies such as Google
I’m a person who enjoys traveling a lot. Even though I haven’t had many opportunities to do so, I enjoyed the trips I’ve had. Therefore, it is intriguing that Hunter College offers a service where I can travel and study simultaneously. On a positive note, I gathered a few reasons why studying abroad might be a good option. First, we will gain a new perspective, develop confidence, and build cross-cultural skills. I’m mostly intrigued by the programs and financial aid Hunter offers. Therefore, I decided to dig deeper into Studying abroad to understand better and help other students with my investigation.
To begin my investigation, one great resource was browsing the Hunter College Studying Abroad webpage. I started by reading the requirements to know if I was eligible. The main conditions I should highlight are being 18 years old, completing at least two semesters, and possessing a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA. There would also be other requirements depending on your program of choice. These options will be available on the program pages above scholarships and finance. It reads semester exchanges. There were also many other helpful tools for students to have a head start on the steps to follow. Something useful for me was the planning timeline, which helped me organize my thoughts better.
Having steps to guide me through the process is the best way to start. Besides that, it was very explicit about financial aid, scholarship expenses, etc. After researching programs, scheduling an appointment with an advisor is essential. This way, you can clarify your thoughts and ask as many questions as needed. Some questions you might consider asking are:
What terms work best for you?
What courses would you take abroad?
How does studying abroad fit into your academic plan?
What classes can I take abroad that apply to my degree at Hunter?
Another helpful resource is to sign up for a virtual Study Abroad 101 info session. An effective way to do so is to search @hunter_edabroad on Instagram.
On the description, you will see a link; once you click it, you will find many other helpful links according to your needs.
I viewed the Hunter College Study Abroad 101 webinar on YouTube for my investigation. In the video, we are introduced to the director of education abroad, Sarah Carver, and a staff associate, Emma Heineman. They gave me a more amplified explanation, including program options, affording your study abroad, and how to apply.
First, I will discuss the program options and explain the two parts of the application process. The first part consists of filling out an application to verify you meet all the eligibility requirements. The next step would be to apply to the specific program that is your top choice.
The two programs that Hunter offers are a semester exchange during fall and spring with partnered universities around the world, a few of which include the following countries: Australia, UK, Japan, Spain, The Netherlands, and Germany. Another option is the faculty-led programs during winter and summer, which are approximately three weeks. Besides those two options, we can include CUNY and SUNY programs. Beyond that, we have affiliated program partners such as USAC, CIEE, CIS, IES, and ICDS; almost all have short-term, both semesters or a full academic year.
Moving on to choosing a program. It may be stressful trying to figure out the right program, having many options. To make it easier, consider asking the following questions:
Does the program offer classes that you can transfer back into Hunter?
Do you meet all the requirements?
What options does that program offer me?
How long are you planning on staying?
What housing option do you prefer?
The topic that most students stress about, including myself, is looking to afford to study abroad. A good way to start is by looking at the financial aid you have already received. Once that’s done, the next question to be answered will be: How will you cover the difference? Here are the various scholarship options that you can apply to. Hunter/ Cuny scholarships, affiliated/ external scholarships.
While scrolling through Hunters Studying Abroad on Instagram, I was interested in a post of a past Hunter student named Rohan. Rohan was a sophomore at Hunter College when she decided to study abroad in Costa Rica. Her program of choice was ICDS, which is part of the affiliated programs. For her, this experience was the best decision ever made. Her host family and she became very attached and still communicate anything interesting that happens in their lives. Rohan acknowledges that “The three weeks we spent at Finca la Flor were the best three weeks of my life that I got to spend with some of the best people I’ve ever met, and I don’t think I ever would have found it or gotten to go if it hadn’t been for ICDS!”
“Hunter College Study Abroad 101 webinar.” YouTube, uploaded by Education Abroad, 7 September 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jj1KD8SKDo0&t=1445s
Between the inflating prices of subway fares to groceries, the cost of living in New York has increased substantially, and for college students, this is not good news. Especially during the pandemic, rates of food security had plummeted, leaving many students feeling as though they’re drowning in the living expenses of NYC. The solution, however, lies right past the West Building Subway Entrance at Hunter College. This solution, founded by Hunter President Ann Kirschner, is called the “Purple Apron Food Pantry”, and it houses the food essentials you would find at your local bodega, but free of charge.
Photo from the New York Times
The Purple Apron Food Pantry was founded by Ann Kirschner as a way of combating food insecurity. This describes students who do not feel that they have a reliable source for their dietary necessities, and as of 2022, 40% of CUNY students suffer from it (NYC Food Policy). This is why it is so imperative that the pantry is accessible and resourceful. According to the Hunter College Website, there is one location in room B103 (located just a few steps down the hall from the West building subway entrance), one in the main lobby of the Hunter Brookdale campus, and even a mobile service called the “Hunter Fresh Food Box Program”. The Purple Apron Food Pantry is available to all CUNY students, no matter what their income is or whether they qualify for federal food assistance. The Hunter Fresh Food Box Program, however, is only available to Hunter students currently.
I visited the food pantry one day after my morning class, and around 10am. As of Fall 2023, the Hunter location is open three days a week (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 9am-2pm), and was open throughout the summer as well. The Brookdale campus pantry is open three nights a week, in the evenings. As for the delivery/food box program, there is no available information regarding its hours as of now. I found that the pantry was a little difficult to locate, as there weren’t many signs that would direct students to the location. However, upon entering it, I found it to be very organized and had a thorough selection. There was a nice range of products, including canned goods, dairy and non dairy products, and different cereals.
Photo of the protein section of the pantry, taken by author Photo of the grains section of the pantry, taken by author Photo of a misc. section of pantry, taken by author Photo of one of two refrigerators in the pantry, taken by author Photo of the milk section of the pantry, taken by author
Through an article published by Fox 5 NY, entitled “Hunter College’s Purple Apron Pantry: Providing Food Security beyond the Classroom”, I was informed that the pantry is restocked twice a month, through their partners at the food bank of New York (Russo). I discovered that students could also inquire about federal benefits, like SNAP, through discussing with a worker at the front desk. I didn’t take any food, but I asked the desk administrator what the process looked like, and he responded by simply saying that you can grab food of your choice and leave.
Through discussion with my classmates, I also realized that there were very few people that realized that the pantry existed. It seems that the pantry needs more publicity and advertisement across the Hunter campus to allow more students to be aware of it. Considering the staggering rates of food insecurity and the rising costs of living in New York, the food pantry could be a very well utilized resource once students become more aware of it.
Works Cited
Barron, James. “A Food Pantry That Keeps Hunger at Bay for Needy College Students.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 14 Aug. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/08/14/nyregion/newyorktoday/food-pantry-college-students.html.
Editor, NYC Food Policy. “Hunter College President Hosts CUNY Chancellor and Food Bank for NYC CEO on Purple Apron Food Pantry Tour.” NYC Food Policy Center (Hunter College), 2 Aug. 2023, www.nycfoodpolicy.org/hunter-college-president-cuny-chancellor-food-bank-nyc-president-tour-purple-apron-food-pantry/#:~:text=The%20Hunter%20College%2068th%20Street,1%20pm%20to%206%20pm).
“Emergency Support and Resources: Hunter College.” Hunter College |, 21 Sept. 2023, hunter.cuny.edu/students/health-wellness/emergency-support-resources/.
“Health & Support: Hunter College.” Hunter College |, 6 Sept. 2023, hunter.cuny.edu/students/health-wellness/.
Russo, Christine. “Hunter College’s Purple Apron Pantry: Providing Food Security beyond the Classroom.” FOX 5 New York, FOX 5 New York, 16 Aug. 2023, www.fox5ny.com/news/hunter-colleges-purple-apron-pantry-providing-food-security-beyond-the-classroom.
No one likes the idea of being broke, thus we pursue education so as to provide a means for us not to be broke. I am quite certain that most people reading this are students who are either attending college with an end goal of beginning a successful career that provides them with satisfaction or, students that are part-timers looking for a more flexible schedule. The process of selecting a major, a career track or even job hunting can be quite daunting. A lot of students usually get overwhelmed because they don’t know where to start. Hunter College is not only committed to delivering high quality education to its students, but it has also dedicated an entire department towards ensuring a student’s success post-graduation. That department, namely the Hunter College Career Services Department, devotes itself to helping students gain a job which can either be part-time at the school or full-time after graduation with reputable companies. It also helps students who are undecided to explore and choose a major that aligns with their personal attributes, guides students on how to plan their career track, provides coaching on how to prep for internships and interviews and even helps students build a resume from scratch. The Hunter College Career Services department can shed light on any aspect of the planning or building your career process, regardless of a student’s background.
The Hunter College Career services department has their resources well packaged via their online website. Accessing their website was quite easy. You can locate it either through the Hunter College website or simply by googling Hunter College Career Centre/Service. Their website contains additional contact information such as their direct address, telephone number and email address. However, the website failed to highlight the department’s social media presence. The department also has an Instagram account which is only made known through orientations, in person meetings or brochures. This account, which has amassed a substantial following, is where the department would post some of its job postings, career events, tips and tricks for career planning and much more. Though the department’s website and social media platform are quite informative I also found it quite helpful to actually visit the department. The department can be visited by appointments that can be easily made through the student’s app Navigate, or via the hyperlink on the department’s website.
As mentioned above, the career services department presents their resources quite efficiently through their webpage. Upon visiting their website you’d be greeted with weblinks and videos that could answer a range of questions you may have, regardless of whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned career hunter. The website provides links for students to access jobs or internships via their app Handshake. It also provides links to inform students of upcoming career fairs along with links to resources and templates that could help guide students in the process of creating or editing their resume’s. Not sure on a major? The website also provides a link to the Focus 2 assessment which helps students to select a major or career based on their interest, skills, personal traits and values. The website also supplies students with brief but informative descriptions of the different career tracks one could choose, along with links to resources that students could use to become more engaged with whichever career track they choose. Along with all these useful links the website even provides a four-year plan which students could follow in order to help them properly make use of their abundant resources and develop their career.
Though the department’s webpage serves to be quite useful I also found it worthwhile visiting the department and having a meeting with a career counsellor. As previously mentioned, using Navigate I was easily able to set up this appointment. The meeting lasted for 30 minutes. The meeting consisted of the counsellor questioning me regarding my interests, talents, values, educational background and so forth. After a bit of getting to know me, the counselor was able to advise me on the resources I should be aware of and using, the goals I should be setting regarding my academic studies and even advised me on the current state of the job market and the skills employers are looking for. The counselor stressed the importance of making use of their internship programs to build necessary experience and to also attend career fairs which provides us with a great opportunity to network ourselves with other companies and build key connections with other students, alumni and other reputable company personnel. The counselor made me aware of the fact that I can set up appointments to do mock interviews and pointed out that our next meeting would entail setting up a professional LinkedIn account for me as well as start building on a resume. Since I’m a part-time working student I also inquired about the school’s part-time jobs for its students to which the counselor responded that there are always available jobs for students’ year-round, regardless of experience. The department is quite flexible with the hours and work schedules given to students as they very well understand how hectic a student’s schedule can get. The counselor and even the department heavily emphasize the usage of their app, Handshake, in order to apply for jobs and be notified of internships and career events. It is quite easy to download and set up. The app provides a personalized feed of job market news, job postings, internships, career events, and much more. I was absolutely satisfied with the information provided to me and would definitely be making many more appointments in the future.
Wrapping up this discussion I’d say that the Hunter College Career Services department is essential for every student to make use of, especially since the service wouldn’t cost you anything. The department can make quite an impact on the development of your career and could definitely expedite the process of a student landing their first job. The career services department can be tailored for the use of a student coming from any background, so I do urge you to take full advantage of your resources and pave a successful career path for yourself.
Citation:
Hunter College, Hunter College Career Centre, Accessed on 10/03/2023,https://hunter.cuny.edu/students/career-center/
Hunter College offers a diverse range of resources and services to enhance the overall health of its students. Among these valuable resources are the Hunter College Fitness Groups and Recreation Center. These services provide Hunter College students with access to fitness classes, open gyms, and weightlifting facilities.
Fitness Classes Catering to Student Needs
The fitness groups are presented as a multifaceted resource catering to the fitness needs of students. The service is designed to promote physical well-being and provide opportunities for students to engage in physical activities that contribute to a healthier lifestyle. These classes include Cardio Spin, Pilates, Yoga, and Tai Chi. The Cardio Spin class is open to all ability levels and provides a challenging cardiovascular workout, while Mat Pilates focuses on enhancing balance and targeting specific muscle groups. The Yoga class offers a combination of relaxation and physical challenge, aimed at improving flexibility and mental centering. Tai Chi, led by an experienced instructor, offers a serene environment for reducing stress, anxiety, and body tension while enhancing flexibility and mental focus. Each class is guided by knowledgeable instructors, ensuring that participants receive tailored guidance and support. Group Fitness Schedules can be found on the B3 level of the west building.
The Hunter College Recreation Center, on the other hand, provides students with access to open gyms and weightlifting facilities. The recreation room and open gym can both be found in the basement floor of the North Building. The open gyms and weight room are available everyday during certain times throughout the entire week, with the exception of weekends. This accessibility gives students the ability to incorporate fitness into their schedules, supporting their overall health and comfort.
The utilization of the recreation provides students with access to information and facilities. Students can check class schedules, gym hours, and location details through the official Hunter College athletics website, making it simple to plan their fitness activities around their academic commitments. Importantly, the fitness classes, open gym sessions, and access to the weight room are made available to students free of charge, reducing financial barriers and promoting inclusivity. This cost-free access aligns with the college’s commitment to supporting students’ overall well-being during their academic journey.
Benefits of Hunter College Fitness Groups
Hunter College Fitness Groups serve as a valuable resource that fulfills several needs within the student community. They promote physical health and well-being, addressing the sedentary nature of academic life. Additionally, they offer a sense of community and social connection, allowing students to build relationships beyond the classroom. Not only can participating in this service benefit a student’s physical health, but can also boost a student’s academic performance in a classroom. Studies show that physical activity serves as a natural stress reliever by triggering the release of endorphins, reducing stress, and promoting emotional well-being. This reduction in stress and anxiety can lead to better focus on academic responsibilities. Increased energy and alertness resulting from exercise can enhance classroom participation and information retention. Furthermore, improved sleep quality, often associated with regular physical activity, supports effective learning and memory consolidation.
Barriers to Access
While Hunter College Fitness Groups offer numerous benefits, there are some barriers to access that students may encounter. These barriers include the limited availability of classes during certain time slots, which may not align with every student’s schedule, thus hindering participation. Additionally, as seen in the photograph below, the popularity of the weightlifting gym can lead to overcrowding, making it challenging for students to exercise comfortably and access equipment. Hunter College should consider increasing the space to avoid overcrowding gyms.
Julius Balatbat, Photograph of Hunter College Gym, 2 October 2023
Intended Audience and Tailored Service
The intended audience for the Hunter College fitness groups and recreation center is primarily Hunter College students. These resources are tailored to the interests of the student body, offering an opportunity for students to stay active and prioritize their health amidst their academic pursuits. The fitness programs are designed to align with the unique challenges and schedules of college life, recognizing that students often face time constraints and academic pressures.
Education is a right that should be given to anyone and everyone. The right to having an education is something that some of us take for granted, when it should be something we can all collectively appreciate and use to its fullest extent. Unfortunately, many people, especially young children or teens, are born with or develop disabilities early on, which make the process of getting an education difficult, along with other aspects of life. On top of this, the city has been delayed in improving the learning aspects of young people. A majority of schools and colleges don’t favor the disabled in how they’re run, how they’re built, etc. “New York is home to nearly 200,000 students with disabilities, and the delays have persisted since at least 2003, during former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration, when parents first sued the Department of Education over them” (Closson). And in this pursuit of bettering education for students with disabilities, public schooling and colleges continue to improve and implement many services and programs to help make learning with disabilities efficient, inclusive and supportive.
The City University of New York offers some of the best programs in the country and is highly reputable in many aspects, such as sports, education, etc. One of these programs that are offered is aid and accessibility services to the disabled. Hunter College, being a CUNY school, offers a wide variety of aid to those who are disabled and need further assistance in education or as an educator. Hunter has their Office of AccessABILITY for disabled faculty and students to help enhance and make the university as accessible and inclusive as possible for all students and faculty. This resource at Hunter offers many additional services to ensure each area of need is targeted. The Office of AccessABILITY works in collaboration with other departments and divisions of Hunter to offer you the best resources.
Hunter’s Office of AccessABILITY has its very own section on Hunter’s main website where all its resources are offered. The main section of the website clearly states its mission, what the service’s goal is, and who it targets as the director of the office, Sudi Shayesteh. The website section is apparent and very easy to navigate. Their subsections, services, and programs are underneath their mission statement, all together in one list. At the very bottom of the list is their contact page for any further questions along with a schedule of their availability. You can contact them at 212-772-4857 or [email protected]. From my experience using the provided website, I wouldn’t say I ran into any barriers navigating through the website. Everything was posted clearly for me to access. It still feels straightforward and simple for anyone to navigate through.
Two CUNY programs are offered throughout every CUNY school. All CUNY’s implement services in an effort to improve education for disabled students. “CUNY is deeply committed to ensuring equal access and opportunity for students with disabilities through innovative support programs, grounded in nationally regarded best practices in postsecondary disability services which support the academic success and personal development of students with disabilities” (CUNY). With this are programs offered through each CUNY. The CUNY LEADS Project and the CUNY Project Reach. CUNY LEADS helps people with disabilities make career-related choices post-education. And CUNY Project Reach is specifically targeted at students on the autism spectrum. This makes it clear that services like these that are offered at Hunter are also offered throughout CUNY universities. Both of these services are provided outside of Hunter’s main accessibility website on CUNY’s accessibility website.
However, as for actually physically getting these resources, it is quite a barrier in itself. Hunter’s Office of AccessABILITY is located at 1214B in the East building. That means that this office is located on the twelfth floor of one of Hunter’s buildings. Hunter college is a university located in the dense and crowded city, meaning the campus and the buildings itself are not spacious and can easily get packed. For students with any sort of disability, having to traverse through narrow hallways with swarms of students is absolutely not ideal for them. This applies for all sorts of education in New York City, both collegiate and public schooling. “Inaccessible school buildings have long represented a barrier for students with physical disabilities” (Zimmerman). The services offered for students with disabilities can definitely improve and aid one’s education, but when the campus is unchangeable and not in favor of students with disabilities, things are different.
Overall, the accessibility services offered at Hunter are shown to be very useful and offered in a wide variety. From offering help to students with hearing disabilities, to visual impairments, Hunter makes sure to provide a plethora of resources to better and enrich the learning for all of its students, despite the boundaries that may be present in the physical campus. With an easy to navigate website, with plenty of resources, Hunter college and its office of AccessABILITY is a reliable source.
(Logo of the Hunter Rockowitz Writing Center). Cite: Design, Twenty Six. Hunter College Rockowitz Writing Center, hunter.mywconline.com/schedule.php. Accessed 27 Sept. 2023.
Writing an essay is one thing, but writing an effective essay with impact can be challenging. I’ve struggled countless times to write essays with cohesion and deep analysis put into it. Starting an essay can be a frustrating experience for me, at times it feels like the only option is just throwing things in the wall to see what sticks and I know I’m not alone when it comes to this situation. My rough relationship with writing was a main factor as to why I was intrigued by checking the Hunter Rockowitz writing center. I assumed the writing center was just there to give tips and simple writing formats for students to follow, I didn’t really have any expectations. I’ll be telling you my experience with the writing center, the good, the bad, and to see if it fulfilled my expectations.
The Web Experience
I checked the website for more information, the website explains and gives you insight as to how this resource can help you, Stating the goals being “to improve students’ reading and writing processes, how they engage texts and write papers, and in the effort help students actively participate in their own education and to appreciate the educational value of all the courses offered in the college’s curriculum” (Hunter Rockowitz Writing Center). I found the website to be pretty unpleasant to navigate. The website did a poor job showing you how to make an appointment. I had to type up Hunter writing center appointments in order to make one instead of it just being on the website presentable for everyone to see, it was only till after I learned that it was shown in a subcategory in the students section. I felt it should’ve been shown in the homepage of the website, and even if it was in the homepage, it shouldn’t be a searching game to find it. Besides that I knew the best way to experience the writing center was to of course get help from the writing center. In order to book an appointment, you’d need to make an account using your hunter college email. After that it’s only a matter of picking whether I’d take it online or in person and what tutor to work with and the time slot. I had a pretty easy experience with booking the appointment. I picked Ana for an in person chat in the afternoon since I had no classes at that time.
Appointment Time
(A glimpse of the front desk at Hunter Rockowitz Writing Center thats located at the 7th floor library). Cite: Rollison, Jude. “The Who, What, When, Where and Why Q&A of the Acting Director of the Dr. Murray and Anna C. Rockowitz Writing Center at Hunter College– Part 1.” The WORD, hunterword.com/index.php/rockowitz-reading-writing-center-rocks-for-students-by-jude-rollins-2022/. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.
When the day finally came, I went to the 7th floor at the library and I took a seat around the lounge area. The tutoring center is broken down into different color strips, each color representing the different departments and their designated spots. I explored a bit on my own to learn that the writing center was represented by the orange color. With the little time I spent sitting and checking, it was overall a pretty quiet room, sometimes there was chatter between a couple of students but that was as noisy as it got. When the time struck two o ‘ clock, the people in the front booth guided me to the booth where I’d be talking to Ana.
Me and Ana greeted each other, she started off by telling me what I needed help with. I told her jokingly how I needed help with writing an effective blog post about the writing center that didn’t drag itself or the reader. She was surprised with what I was asking for but she was eager to help, she started off by telling me questions about why I chose the writing center as my topic for the blog post. I stated “I chose the writing center because I felt I was going to use this resource in the future, but also because it just fits well with the class I needed to write the blog for”. I then elaborated that it was for my English 120 class. I then asked her for her reasons as to why she chose the writing center. She told me how she was deciding on a film major but instead she found it more fulfilling to teach others writing skills and she plans to teach abroad. The conversation turned to this great back and forth, asking questions about the writing center. She reassured me that “the writing center doesn’t spoon feed students writing tips and information but instead they try to lead the students to a direction they feel satisfies their writing assignment the most” (Ana). That’s one of the things I worried about when checking the writing center and I’m glad I got the answer I wanted. Ana also told me her experience working at the center and how it’s a great place to focus on work in general. When it finally came time to talk about the blog post, since I was writing a blog post and not a standard essay, Ana gave me the advice to check out editorials from NY Times magazines. From my own personal checkings, the editorials are structured to be short articles that get their point out in the first few paragraphs, this form of writing is being used to help write this very blog post and I feel is a lot more flexible than a standard three to five paragraph essay. After taking in the feedback, the appointment was finished and I had a better picture as to how I would write the blog post.
My experience with the Hunter Rockowitz Writing Center was overall positive. My only negative experience with it was navigating through the main website, but everything else went by very smoothly. The tutors were eager to help with any issues students have with their writing assignments and are of course the best part about this experience. The room is also just relaxing and is a great place to finish any remaining work. I didn’t even mention the many extras that come with the writing center, like weekly tutor sessions and online sessions for those who prefer to get advice through online interaction. I didn’t use those resources because I tend to learn better in person but that doesn’t mean it can’t be helpful to others. I would say the writing center did exceed my expectations and I would recommend it to others.
Work Cited:
Ana. Personal interview. 27 September 2023.
Design, Twenty Six. Hunter College Rockowitz Writing Center, hunter.mywconline.com/schedule.php. Accessed 27 Sept. 2023.
Rollison, Jude. “The Who, What, When, Where and Why Q&A of the Acting Director of the Dr. Murray and Anna C. Rockowitz Writing Center at Hunter College– Part 1.” The WORD, hunterword.com/index.php/rockowitz-reading-writing-center-rocks-for-students-by-jude-rollins-2022/. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.
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