News

BMCC Partners With Amazon to Offer the Company's New York Hourly Employees Tuition Benefits so They Can Pursue Associate and Bachelors Degrees BMCC will be part of a new partnership between the City University of New York and Amazon which allows the company’s hourly employees — current Amazon worker only — to attend college to further their career opportunities. Starting in January 2022, through Amazon’s Career Choice program, the company will provide an annual benefit covering tuition and select fees for all qualifying hourly employees accepted into BMCC.

President Munroe to Address BMCC Community at State of The College Address March 9 at 11 a.m. BMCC President Anthony E. Munroe is inviting the entire college community to the State of the College address, which will be held in-person on Wednesday, March 9 from 11 a.m. to 12 noon in Theater I, located in the 199 Chambers Street building, as well as livestreamed. The president will provide an overview of BMCC’s many accomplishments and points of pride from the past year, and he will share information about how BMCC is moving ahead to address enrollment challenges, the enhancement of programs, and workforce development.

BMCC Named Top Community College for Hispanics in Northeast Region
BMCC has been named one of the nation’s “Top 10 Two-Year Schools by Region 2019-2020” for Hispanic students according to rankings released by Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine. BMCC is also the top-ranking CUNY college as well as the top-ranked college in the entire northeastern region for awarding the most—2,062 total— associate degrees to Hispanic students.

Seven BMCC Students—More Than any Other CUNY College—Named Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Semifinalists The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announced that seven BMCC students—more than any other CUNY college— are semifinalists for its highly competitive Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The students will find out in early May who has been selected for the transfer scholarship which awards up to $55,000 annually for up to three years to complete a bachelor’s degree.

Criminal Justice Professor Liza Chowdhury Receives Outstanding Service Award by Rutgers University
Criminal Justice Professor Liza Chowdhury has been awarded the Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice Inaugural Outstanding Service Award for undergraduate alumni.  Professor Chowdhury graduated from Rutgers University-Newark, School of Criminal Justice in 2003 and then earned a Master’s degree in 2005 followed by a Ph.D. in 2015. Professor Chowdhury embraces and furthers the principles of transformative justice through her pioneering violence intervention work in Paterson, New Jersey as well as her teaching, mentorship and leadership at BMCC.  In 2017, Dr. Chowdhury along with academic colleagues and community practitioners co-founded the nonprofit organization Reimagining Justice, to reimagine a justice system that provides love, empathy, equality, and opportunities for marginalized communities. Professor Chowdhury also spearheaded a grant proposal to develop the first Hospital-based Violence Intervention program in Passaic County - Paterson Healing Collective in partnership with St. Joseph’s University Medical Center.

Professor and Jazz Musician Quentin Angus Releases New Album The State of Things, an album by associate professor, jazz guitarist and composer Quentin Angus, is set to release March 18. NPR music contributor Nate Chinen reviewed the album in WBGO, which premiered a video of the album single “Broken Bones,” featuring Professor Angus (composer and guitarist), Michael Mayo (voice) Nate Smith (drums), Can Olgun (BMCC music lecturer, piano) and Desmond White (BMCC adjunct professor, bass). Professor Angus started the BMCC Guitar Ensemble in Spring 2018 and the College’s Jazz Ensemble in Fall 2018. He has led the creation of many curriculum changes and new courses, including a new specialization of Jazz and Pop, with new courses like Music Business and Popular Music Theory/Aural Skills, along with two new pathways courses, Bebop to Hiphop and The World of Hip Hop.

New York State-Sponsored EMT Class at BMCC Helps Meet Dire Shortage in the Field
On February 25, 41 National Guard members — men and women ages 18 to 50 — completed an intensive class at BMCC to prepare for the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) online certification examination. “This was the first time we provided this class, and it came about because we are facing a dire shortage in pre-hospital care providers, or EMTs, across New York State,” said Meghan Williams, EMS Program Director and Assistant Professor in the BMCC Allied Health Sciences Department. “To address the shortage, the state of New York activated the National Guard, all across the state, to start taking courses to prepare for their EMT certification.”

Women’s Herstory Month Provides Strategies, Community and More
Women’s Herstory Month (WHM) kicked off on Wednesday, March 2 with an opening ceremony, Women Like Me: Making Women’s Needs Visible. “The theme of the month’s events is woven through the opening ceremony, which identifies the needs of women and provides strategies and community to support them, taking into account race, ethnicity, religion, class, sexuality and other factors that impact women’s lives,” says Tammie Velasquez, Manager of the Women’s Resource Center and Co-Chair of the Women’s Herstory Month Committee.

NYC Mobile Vaccination Bus Coming to BMCC March 7, 8 and 9
BMCC students, faculty, staff and all New Yorkers can get FREE vaccinations, boosters and COVID-19 testing. The NYC Mobile Vaccination Bus will be parked on the BMCC campus at Fiterman Hall, 245 Greenwich Street (at Park Place) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 7, 8 and 9. The bus will offer the following services: 

• Pfizer vaccines, boosters, and COVID-19 (PCR and rapid) tests are available for ages 12 and up
• Johnson & Johnson vaccines, boosters, and COVID-19 (PCR and rapid) tests are available for ages 18 and up
• Rapid and PCR tests are available for ages 4 and up

Students, faculty and staff can upload their vaccination verification in CUNYFirst. Booster verification is also uploaded in CUNYFirst — here are some helpful instructions for students and helpful instructions for faculty and staff. 

For more information call the Office of Public Affairs at (212) 346-8501 or email publicaffairs@bmcc.cuny.edu

CUNY Mandates Masks in all Campus Indoor Space, Regardless of Vaccination Status A CUNY mask mandate updated February 7 instructs everyone, regardless of vaccination status, to  wear a face mask inside all CUNY campuses and office buildings. Read the full memo on the CUNY website. Students, Faculty and Staff Must Register Through Cleared4 System to Obtain CUNY Access Pass To access BMCC buildings, all students, faculty and staff, must upload  their vaccination verification to CUNYfirst, which automatically generates a Cleared4 account. Cleared4 is the platform used by CUNY to conduct random testing and provide building access.  After successful completion of the upload process in CUNYfirst, an account activation email will be sent from no-reply@cleared4work.com to the email address associated with your CUNYfirst profile.  The activation email includes a link to complete your registration which is required to obtain your CUNY Access Pass. Please check your SPAM folder if you cannot find the email from Cleared4. Students who cannot find the email should contact Health Services at healthservices@bmcc.cuny.edu. Faculty and Staff who cannot find the email should contact Human Resources at: officeofhumanresources@bmcc.cuny.edu Please complete your profile on Cleared4 accurately and entirely to ensure that all communications, including test results can reach you. The access pass and BMCC ID will facilitate access to all BMCC buildings and other campuses in the CUNY system. For additional information please visit CUNY Access – Cleared4 Guide for Vaccinated CUNY Students, Faculty and Staff  or Cleared4 FAQs available in CUNY IT Help. REMINDER: All students, faculty and staff, please review and update your primary business email address and cell phone on CUNYfirst. How to Upload Your COVID-19 Booster Verification BMCC students, faculty and staff can now upload their verification for the COVID-19 booster on CUNYfirst: Sign on to your CUNYfirst account Select “Vaccination Verification” from the CUNYfirst Menu Click on the “Add New Record” button For more information on how to upload verification for the COVID-19 booster, click here for students, or here for staff and faculty. All CUNY faculty, staff and students are also eligible for free COVID-19 testing at 20 CUNY university locations, including BMCC. Monitoring and Reporting Positive Cases See the full details of BMCC's Spring 2022 Repopulation and Operations Plan. Visit the Reimagining BMCC website for more information on returning to campus.

Announcements

Resilience, Health and Wellness Website Provides Support for BMCC Community
No one has to go it alone. A wide array of services is available to every member of the BMCC community. Whether you are a faculty or staff member seeking counseling through the CUNY Employee Assistance program or a student trying to overcome food insecurity, the Resilience, Health and Wellness website provides links and contacts for a wide range of support.

Deadline to Apply for Vassar College Exploring Transfer Program is March 7 Each summer, a small group of BMCC students are selected for the Exploring Transfer opportunity at Vassar College. This residential, five-week immersion program takes place June 17 through July 22. Participants' tuition, room, meals and books are fully covered and they experience first-hand what dorm life and college culture is all about. Contact the BMCC Vassar College Exploring Transfer committee for more information. The student application deadline is March 7.

Submit Your Ballot for the 2021-2022 Employee Appreciation Awards by May 6 BMCC students, faculty and staff, show your appreciation for staff (non-faculty) who demonstrate outstanding achievement and creative contributions through their role at BMCC — beyond what is normally expected of employees. SUBMIT ONE BALLOT with a detailed nomination in any or all categories: Leadership, Inspiration, Innovation/Technology, Rookie of the Year and Team Achievement.

BMCC Website Can Be Viewed in Many Languages
At BMCC, students come from all over the world and speak more than a hundred languages. To support inclusion and widen access, the College website now offers a translation option. On the right-hand side of the screen, click the orange tab, “Select Language,” then click on an option from the list including Arabic, Chinese, Filipino, French, Indonesian, Polish, Urdu and other languages. To return to English, click the gray tab, "Options," in the upper-right-hand corner of the screen and select “Turn off translation for this site.” 

Encourage Students to Sign Up for the Grow With Google HIS Career Readiness Program
BMCC students with an active BMCC email account can develop digital skills and explore career paths with Google’s free, online learning platform. Students who complete all the lessons in a given pathway will unlock a downloadable certificate of completion to share on LinkedIn and their resumes. Faculty and staff who want to integrate the Google lessons into existing courses or programs can contact Christopher Thunberg, Director, Center for Career Development, cthunberg@bmcc.cuny.edu, for guidance.

Support Students and Build Attendance for Your Event Through the Co-Curricular Transcript (CCT)
Through the BMCC Co-Curricular Transcript (CCT), faculty and staff can build attendance for campus events, and students can build an official CUNY record of their extracurricular activities. To submit activities to be considered for the CCT, faculty and staff can follow these steps: 1) Go to www.bmcc.cuny.edu, 2) Click on: LOG IN in the top right-hand corner, 3) Click on: BMCC Portal, 4) Sign in with the same user name and password used to access your BMCC computer, and 5) Click on the CCT icon. For more information, visit the BMCC CCT website or email CCT@bmcc.cuny.edu.

BMCC Cafeteria Announces Spring 2022 Hours
BMCC students, faculty and staff can enjoy a hot meal, healthy salad or delicious sandwich at a reasonable cost in the MBJ Food Services/BMCC Cafeteria on the second floor at 199 Chambers Street, Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.  

BMCC Panther Pantry Assists Students Facing Food Insecurity BMCC students facing a food emergency are encouraged to visit the Panther Pantry and take home pre-packed bags of nutritious, non-perishable food. The pantry will distribute bags of food, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hot meals will be distributed on Thursdays from 1 to 2 p.m., in S-230 located at 199 Chambers Street. For more information, contact the Advocacy and Resource Center (ARC) at arc@bmcc.cuny.edu or call (212) 220-8195.

Enrollment

Register Now for Spring Express Sessions 
BMCC students can register for the Spring 2022 Express Session (Eight-Week, 3/28 – 5/24). The 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 session and some financial aid limitations. Here are the registration instructions. Students can register on CUNYfirst or meet with Panther Station Specialists on Zoom, Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and Friday 11 a.m.–5 p.m. For more information, contact Academic Advisement at (212) 220-8315 or aatc@bmcc.cuny.edu. 

Remind Students Registering for Spring: Mandatory Zoom with Advisor, Proof of Vaccination  
Faculty and staff, please encourage students to go online and schedule their mandatory Zoom meeting with an advisor to discuss spring registration. Remind students they can register for classes and upload proof of vaccination on CUNYfirst. Drop-in advisement is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. via Zoom link; Meeting ID: 863 5332 0349, Passcode: ADV. 

Enrollment Assistance Available on Zoom and by Phone 
For Enrollment assistance, students can meet with a Panther Station Specialist on Zoom, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Making Headlines

Amazon to subsidize tuition for hourly employees accepted to BMCC and other CUNY colleges
March 3, 2021—New York Daily News

Human Resources

Mandatory Trainings Available on Zoom 
The Office of Human Resources will host virtual sessions for ESPARC (Employee Sexual and Interpersonal Violence Prevention and Response Course) and WPV (Workplace Violence Prevention) trainings via Zoom during the Spring 2022 semester. For dates, times and to reserve a spot, please visit the Human Resources Training and Development page.

BMCC Faculty and Staff Benefit from Free CCA Resources   
CCA@YourService provides services including free short-term counseling sessions and unlimited counseling by phone. In February, CCA presents “Black Health and Wellness,” which aims to close the disparity in health care for Black Americans. CCA also presents the webcast, Navigating Through Grief and Loss. 

Want to quit smoking? Help Is Here. BMCC faculty and staff interested in quitting smoking or vaping can find support and make a plan with an experienced tobacco cessation counselor or Quit Coach through the NY State Smokers Quitline: 1-866-697-8487 (1-866-NY-QUITS). Free patches, guidance in understanding the process of quitting, building awareness of triggers and how to stay smoke free for the long haul are some of the benefits of this free, comprehensive program.

Donors and Alumni

Calendar

Writing Center Workshop: Building Vocabulary
March 4

Career Development: Resume Ready?!
March 8

Gender and Queer Issues in the Workplace
March 8

How to Get A’s in College
March 9

Connect with BMCC

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