Taking a Course on the Commons

Welcome to CUNY Academic Commons! It’s great to have you here.

Check out the menu on the left for more information.

 

What is the CUNY Academic Commons?

If you’re reading this, it’s likely that your professor has decided to teach their course on the Commons. The Commons allows instructors and students to create projects and interact online in ways that that other platforms do not. Students on the Commons have participated in public-facing oral history projects, made interactive timelines and maps, and created their own websites and blogs. Your class will have its own specific assignments, but you are welcome to explore what is going on throughout the Commons.

The CUNY Academic is built on the open source framework called WordPress. Because WordPress is open-source, CUNY faculty and staff created and maintain our own CUNY-dedicated WordPress platform. The Commons is free for CUNY members to use and can be customized to meet the needs of instructors and students.

Getting Started

You should always consult your professor for what you are required to do on the Commons for your course. Typical steps for getting started on the Commons are below. Links will take you to more detailed instructions.

  1. Register for the CUNY Academic Commons. You may not be required to do this for you course but having a Commons account is open to anyone at CUNY so, couldn’t hurt.
  2. Set up your Commons Profile.
  3. Find and join your course on the Commons.
  4. Contact your professor for help or more course information

Other Frequently Asked Questions include:

One last thing… you might find these downloadable quick guides helpful as you begin using the Commons: