In the next few days I’ll be putting up a letter here on the blog welcoming you all to another school year and sharing some thoughts about the upcoming year. But I wanted to take a quick moment here on this Tuesday, the eve of the semester, to just remind you all that the fall semester begins on Wednesday 9/7. At some point this Wednesday your professors will unlock the Blackboard sections for your courses. One of the strengths of online learning is its asynchronicity; that is, that you are not all required to be online at any particular day or time during a weekly unit. It is still a good idea, though, to check in to your courses as early as possible during the first week of classes so to read the syllabus, see the required books, and get into whatever first week activities your professor has set up. If you have any questions about your courses after going over the initial materials posted for them, ask your professors for clarification. Of course keep in mind that I serve as faculty advisor to all students in the program so if you ever have more general questions about your coursework or the degree, or need help with something, drop me a note at cloots@mercy.edu. I check there all the time. More soon, -CL