Student Support Services and Information

The Disability Services Office has the primary objective of supporting graduate students with disabilities in successfully accessing their programs of study here at Bank Street. This is both a legal and ethical obligation. Students who are deemed eligible will receive a letter from the office outlining the accommodations to which they are entitled. Instructors must provide these accommodations should students request them. The student and instructor/advisor, however, need to have a conversation together about how particular accommodations are enacted in the context of a course or fieldwork. The accommodations for fieldwork are based on the demands of the fieldwork site.

The director of the office keeps confidential all student information related to their disability unless students have given explicit permission to speak with instructors and advisors (and unless there is an issue of student safety). Instructors and advisors must also keep student information confidential.

In addition to being a support to students, the office is a resource for faculty and adjuncts. Stop by Room 811 or contact Kim McLeveighn, Director of Student Learning Support, at kmcleveighn@bankstreet.edu or at dso@bankstreet.edu, should you have any questions or concerns related to a student’s disclosed disability and how to provide accommodations. You can also call Kim at 212-875-4462.

Bank Street College does not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in the recruitment and admission of graduate students, as a matter of policy and as specified by applicable laws and regulations. Course syllabi should contain a statement regarding services for students with disabilities. The following statement is a model that you can use in your syllabi:

The Disability Services Office. Bank Street College has both a legal obligation and philosophical commitment to making reasonable accommodations in order to meet the needs of students with disabilities. Any student requesting specific accommodations should contact Kim McLeveighn at 212-875-4462.  Email address: dso@bankstreet.edu. If you are already registered with The Disability Services Office, please let her know your particular needs so you can work together to create a plan to best support your learning.

Graduate students are expected to write in ways that serve various purposes. Some students may have difficulties with assignments that ask them to reflect on educational experiences and make connections to course concepts and readings. Others may encounter challenges that require them to research a topic to develop new insights.

Kim McLeveighn, Director of Student Learning Support, at kmcleveighn@bankstreet.edu or at dso@bankstreet.edu, 212-875-4462, is available to support students in developing their academic writing through individual or group consultations. In addition, she assesses whether students are a good fit for the Graduate Writing Assistance Program.

The Graduate School Writing Assistance Program provides individual tutors for matriculated students who have significant difficulties with written assignments. Tutors are volunteer Bank Street Graduate School alumni who have been trained to work with adults. If you have a student in your course or an advisee whose papers exhibit significant challenges with writing, and the student would welcome assistance, please email the student’s name and a brief description of the writing issue(s) to Kim McLeveign. There is no cost to students, just the commitment to regularly meet with the tutor. Kim is also happy to answer any questions you may have about the program. Tutoring is contingent on the resources and schedule availability of the program.

Occasionally, advisors recommend (or students request) mental health consultation for a student. The Graduate School maintains a list of recommended providers and will pay for an initial session. Please see the Graduate Suite staff for more information.

The Graduate School also provides a listing of Counseling and Support Resources throughout the NYC area that may be more easily accessible to students.

When confronted with an instance of sexual misconduct, students may also seek out the support of their advisor or instructor. Faculty must be acquainted with the College’s Enough is Enough policy, practices and resources. In addition to completing required training, faculty are strongly encouraged to closely review rights and responsibilities of students and how to report an incident. For more information, faculty should be in contact with the College’s Title IX Coordinator, Gretchen Adams (gadams@bankstreet.edu).

Policy on Faculty Providing Services to Students

Many faculty members in the Graduate School have professional education, training and certification in clinical roles in which they see adult clients in private therapeutic and counseling contexts. Due to professional and institutional conflicts of interest (see APA ethics code 3.05 and 3.06) for both graduate candidates and faculty members, the Graduate School has formalized its related policies.

• Graduate faculty cannot market their own psychological services within Bank Street (bulletin boards, etc.).
• Graduate faculty cannot provide therapeutic services to candidates either within or outside of Bank Street.
• Graduate faculty members cannot provide current graduate school candidates in their own classes or SFW/Conference groups with academic support (e.g tutoring) on a private fee for service basis.

General certification information is available on the Graduate School Certification webpage.  Ann Cox, Assistant Dean for Institutional Data, Assessment, and Certification, assists students with special certification concerns. Additionally, Beatrice Benavides in Career Services hosts a certification and career planning workshop at the start of each spring semester. Faculty are encouraged to attend and to bring their students.

Students apply to graduate and must follow a specific process. Please see the Registrar’s Office webpage for Graduating Students for more information.

The Council of Students (COS) is an open-membership graduate student organization at Bank Street College. All students enrolled in academic programs at Bank Street College are members of COS. Faculty engagement of COS activities and programs is welcomed.

The Student Associate Trustee represents the Graduate School student body and provides a student perspective when pertinent issues are in front of the Board. The student trustee attends all scheduled meetings of the Bank Street College of Education Board of Trustees (BOT) and when relevant, gathers and shares information from and for the graduate student body by reporting to and hearing from students. The student trustee also works with COS and the Dean’s Office.

Interested students must file for consideration by the BOT and be in good standing with a minimum of one year of study remaining at Bank Street. The student trustee should be interested in issues of governance and advocacy on behalf of fellow students. Excellent speaking and organizational skills are essential. Nominees cannot be in staff positions at Bank Street.

The College complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. See the current Academic Catalog for more information regarding student records.