The fall semester begins on Wednesday, September 9. Now is the time to start thinking about the fall and making sure everything is in order with your schedules, books, and such. Here are a few things to consider as you prepare:

• Check your fall schedule in Mercy Connect. Does it look as it should?
• If this is to be your final semester in the program, have you gotten your ENGL 599 master’s thesis tutorial scheduled? (The process to register for it is different than for any other course, and you can learn all about it here on the blog.)
• If you’re taking your 599 tutorial this fall, have you completed the comprehensive exam?

If the answer to any of the above is “no,” it’s time to get that sorted out. Contact cloots@mercy.edu for help. Here are some additional questions to consider in preparation for the fall:

• Have you begun to secure any required books for your courses? (You can see books and ISBNs here on the blog.) Professors will expect students to have required books in-hand at the start of the semester.
• Are you still on the waitlist for some courses? If so, are you still hoping for a seat in your waitlisted course(s), or are you satisfied with your existing schedule? If you are satisfied, please remove yourself from any waitlist(s) that you are on, so that we can have a clearer picture of who is still hoping for a seat in any of the courses. If you are still hoping for a seat in those courses, then remain on the waitlist. We will be opening up an extra seat or two in most courses in the next week or two.

As a final note: all Blackboard sections have become visible today/August 17th. This is ten days earlier than scheduled, and over three weeks prior to the start of the semester on 9/9. This early reveal will take almost all of your professors by surprise, as this decision was made just a few days ago (by the Provost’s Office) and most professors won’t see the memo or realize that their Blackboard sections have been revealed for some time. Many professors won’t have even started yet building their sections for the fall. Please note that professors have no contractual obligation to have their Blackboard sections in order until the first day of class, 9/9, and so before that day you might see Blackboard sections in any state of disarray. Please be patient, and know that when the semester actually begins, your Blackboard sections will be ready for you.