News

Early Childhood Center Receives $1.4 Million Dept. of Education Grant
The BMCC Early Childhood Center has been awarded a $1.4 million Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program (CCAMPIS) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The mission of CCAMPIS program is to provide high quality early childhood care and education for low-income student parents so they can persist and graduate from degree programs. The four-year grant period—$356,930 allocated each year—begins October 1 according to the BMCC Office of Sponsored Programs.

Escobar, Psychology Major, Earns Belle Zeller Scholarship BMCC congratulates Samantha Escobar, psychology major, for earning a $5,000 Belle Zeller Scholarship. Samantha will be finishing her last semester at BMCC in December 2021, and she is planning to attend City College of New York, CUNY. Samantha says her life events are no different than those of many other students, but she says it was critical for her to remain optimistic and to seek out assistance in order to successfully navigate through her college experience. “The help I got from BMCC provided me with reassurance that I was going to complete my degree,” she said. “Everyone should go to BMCC!”

Watch the 2020-2021 BMCC Employee Appreciation Awards Ceremony
The 2020-2021 BMCC Employee Appreciation Awards ceremony premiered via livestream on September 23. The full program is available for viewing here. BMCC’s Employee Appreciation program recognizes outstanding achievement, performance and creative contributions beyond what is normally expected of non-teaching employees. The categories and winners of the 2020-2021 Employee Appreciation Awards are: Innovation award, Joe Picataggio (Student Affairs); Inspiration Award, Joseph Ginese (Student Affairs) and Mark Goodloe (Tribeca Performing Arts Center); Leadership Award, Tiffany James (Student Affairs); Rookie of the Year, Neda Hajizadeh (Counseling Center); Tammie Velasquez (Women’s Resource Center); Team Achievement Award (Public Affairs). To learn more about the BMCC Employee Appreciation Awards and view a full list of nominees and winners, click here.

Pablo Helguera Exhibition Opens October 15 at Shirley Fiterman Art Center
The Shirley Fiterman Art Center (SFAC) at BMCC will present A Journal of the Year of the Pharmacy, a large-scale exhibition of the work of Pablo Helguera accompanied by a series of performances at BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center (TPAC). The exhibition at SFAC will be on view from October 15, 2021 through January 22, 2022 and accompanied with a series of free performances on October 15, 22 and 29 at the BMCC TPAC. Shown above: Pablo Helguera, Evanston, November 10, 1989 (video, 13 min), 2021.

Alumni and Donors

BMCC Foundation Invites Community to Invest in the Future of Students 
BMCC and the BMCC Foundation Board of Directors invite everyone to support the “Invest in a Future” Virtual Fundraiser scheduled at 6 p.m., September 30. Donations collected from the fundraiser will support student scholarships. The fundraiser will be livestreamed and will include student success stories, as well as music and theater performances from BMCC students. This year's honorees are Deirdre Featherstone, owner of Featherstone Fine Jewelry and award-winning gemologist; and John Dunleavy, Global President of Eightbar/WPP Global Client Leader of IBM. MAKE A DONATION HERE. For more information email advancementevents@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Announcements

BMCC Pride Month Kicks Off October 7 
October is Pride month at BMCC. Join the opening celebration on October 7 with welcoming remarks from BMCC administrators, and a special keynote address from André Thomas Co-Chair of Heritage of Pride in New York City.

Play Reading: Debris of Dreams Virtual Event October 3
The Department of Speech, Communications and Theatre Arts is inviting the BMCC community to a reading of the play The Debris of Dreams, which reveals connections between 9/11 and our current lives. The Debris of Dreams was written by recent BMCC graduate Leonardo Dominguez, with BMCC actor-alumni Maria and Christopher Hernandez. It is directed by Keith Winsted, adjunct Associate Professor of the Speech, Communications and Theatre Arts Department.

Encourage Your Latinx and Other Students to Join BMCC’s Conexiones Program
Latinx students make up the largest group of students at BMCC, and the college’s Conexiones program is designed to provide services and engagement for this group. Conexiones builds community cohesion, cultural awareness and a holistic student services approach so participants can persist and graduate. While the program is geared toward Latinx students, it serves all students from low-income households who are not participants in ASAP, the BMCC Learning Academy (BLA) or College Discovery. If you have first- and second-semester students who could benefit from the Conexiones program, your referrals are welcome. Please email connections@bmcc.cuny.edu with the student's name and CUNYfirst ID number, and the Conexiones team will reach out to them. Another option is for the students to complete this Conexiones & Connections Interest Form.

Hispanic Heritage Month Proposals Accepted Through October 1 BMCC will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) in November. The Hispanic Heritage Month Committee is accepting proposals for events. Proposals can range from academic events (such as a conference, symposium or guest lecture), to cultural events (such as a dance performance, concert, poetry recital or art exhibit), to social events (such as fitness classes or recipe sharing). Most HHM activities will be virtual; however, proposals for in-person, on-campus activities scheduled during an on-campus class meeting will be considered. To submit a proposal, please fill out an Activity Proposal Form and send it to Rosario Torres at rtorres@bmcc.cuny.edu or David Caicedo at dcaicedo@bmcc.cuny.edu no later than October 1. Applicants will receive notifications by October 5.

BMCC Cafeteria/MBJ Food Services: New Hours of Operation  BMCC students, faculty and staff can enjoy a hot meal, snack or beverage in the BMCC Cafeteria at 199 Chambers Street. MBJ Food Services provides a wide variety of menu items at a reasonable price. The cafeteria will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on days when no classes are scheduled, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tables are available throughout the lobby, so you can rest and refuel with fellow students and colleagues. Please mask up, when you're viewing and purchasing food.

BMCC Panther Pantry Open BMCC students facing a food emergency are welcome to visit the Pantry on Thursdays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and take home a three-day supply of nutritionally balanced, non-perishable food. Contact the Advocacy and Resource Center (ARC) at arc@bmcc.cuny.edu or by calling (212) 220-8195 for more information.

Resilience, Health and Wellness: A Comprehensive Website Supports the BMCC Community 
Faculty, students and staff focused on fitness, seeking support in a time of crisis and more can find resources in the Resilience, Health and Wellness website. Also, CUNY has partnered with the online program Kognito to provide training modules for faculty and staff on how to recognize signs of distress in students and connect them with support. 

Enrollment

There’s Still Time for Students to Register for Fall 2021 
BMCC is offering an 8-week express session from October 27 through December 21. 

• All students are welcome, but the Fall 2021 Express Session is ideal for part-time students, or new and continuing students who missed registration for the regular 15-week session.
• Please note, there will be limited course offerings in the Express Sessions and some financial aid limitations. 
• Students are encouraged to speak with an advisor to see if the Express Sessions are the best option for them. 
• Here are registration instructions. Students can register on CUNYfirst or meet with a Panther Station Specialists on Zoom, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• For more information, contact Academic Advisement at (212) 220-8315 or aatc@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Enrollment Questions? Visit the Panther Station 
Whether you’re a newly-admitted student or a current student, the Panther Station is your one stop for information and assistance with Admissions, Financial Aid or Registration questions. You can meet with a specialist virtually or speak to a specialist by phone at (212) 220-8000. Ext. 7320 or email Station@bmcc.cuny.edu.  Hours are Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Workshop Walks Students Through the Application Process 
Every Tuesday at 3 p.m., admissions specialists will answer questions and explain how to complete the BMCC application or apply as a readmit student. BMCC uses the CUNY Application to admit new students, and in these sessions, staff will walk students through the whole process — from completing the CUNY application online to figuring out how to send BMCC their school transcripts to complete their applications.

Information Session Demystifies Majors, Financial Aid and More 
On Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m, BMCC admissions specialists will share information about major options, financial aid, career planning and more.

Stay Connected with the Office of Admissions 
Students who prefer communicating via chat, can ask general questions about BMCC on Fridays at 3 p.m., through one-on-one chat sessions.

Making Headlines

CUNY students recall 9/11/2001
September 24, 2021—The Ticker

Human Resources

World Mental Health Day October 10
In recognition of World Mental Health Day, starting on October 10th, CCA will be offering a free, on-demand webinar: Mental Health: Real, Personal, and Transformative. Learn more about how to be a change-agent for mental health inclusion and accessibility.

Full-Time Employees Must Complete ESPARC and Workplace Violence Prevention Training (WVP)
The University’s Employee Sexual and Interpersonal Violence Prevention and Response Course (ESPARC) and the Workplace Violence Prevention Training (WVP) are now available for the 2021-2022 academic year on Blackboard. Keep in mind, there are two separate Mandatory 2021-2022 Academic Year trainings. The first is the ESPARC training, the second is the WPV. All part-time employees are responsible for completing both trainings by the end of the current semester.  If you have any questions regarding the trainings please access the Compliance Training FAQs here or reach out to Maria Deckinger (mdeckinger@bmcc.cuny.edu) or Loriann Mazzola (lmazzola@bmcc.cuny.edu).

Biweekly COVID-19 Briefing for New York City Workers 
BMCC staff are invited to a biweekly COVID-19 briefing presented by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Immunization Justice Workgroup on Thursdays at 12 p.m. Health Department clinician Dr. Julian Watkins will provide updates on current events, COVID-19 cases in NYC, COVID-19 vaccines, and be available for Q&A. Register here.

Employees Asked to File Permanent Address Meeting Commutable Distance Standard by December 1 During the period of remote work necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, some CUNY employees changed their permanent address of record to an area outside the University's commutable distance standard, which encompasses parts of New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and upstate New York. Because CUNY is not set up as an employer in states beyond the commutable distance standard — and cannot withhold other states’ incomes taxes, participate in those states’ unemployment programs or apply their localized state and municipality laws — employees are asked to submit a change of address form to officeofhumanresources@bmcc.cuny.edu, reinstating their pre-pandemic address of record that met the commutable distance standard, by December 1.

Free CCA@YourService Return-to-Work Wellness Seminars Available 
Click to watch these helpful online webinars: Return to Work Wellness Seminar; Kelly McGonigal: How to Make Stress Your Friend; Managing Stress As We Return To Work PowerPoint.

Calendar

Writing Center Workshop: Paraphrasing and Quoting
October 4

LGBTQ and Women’s Health Series: Nutrition and Healthy Eating
October 6

"Stand Up and Speak Out" Social Justice Event: Homelessness
October 6

Career Development: Fall 2021 Career Fair Employer Spotlight
October 7

Connect with BMCC

@BMCC is produced and published by the Office of Public Affairs.

Faculty and staff: Submit items for consideration in an upcoming @BMCC to publicaffairs@bmcc.cuny.edu by 12 noon, Wednesday.