News

NYSED Awards $4.25 Million to BMCC for Literacy Zone and Digital Works Programs
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has awarded four grants totaling $4,250,000 to the BMCC Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development, Adult Continuing Education (ACE). The five-year, federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity (WIOA) Title II funding awards $150,000 a year for five years to three centers of educational opportunity provided in partnership with BMCC: 1) the Bridges Literacy Zone at Hamilton Madison House, 2) the Chinatown East River Literacy Zone at the Educational Alliance and 3) the Lower East Side Literacy Zone at P.S. 188. In addition, the ACE program DigitalWorks will receive $400,000 a year for five years to provide contextualized ESOL classes linked to Microsoft Office Specialist training in partnership with the Manhattan Educational Opportunity Center (MEOC) and Sanctuary for Families (SFF).

Alison Roach Wilson, Consul General of Jamaica, Meets With President Munroe
On Tuesday, August 30, Alison Roach Wilson, Consul General of Jamaica, met with BMCC President and fellow Jamaican Anthony E. Munroe at Fiterman Hall and toured the BMCC campus at 199 Chambers Street. Karen Wilson-Stevenson, Interim Vice President of the Office for Institutional Advancement and Sanjay Ramdath, Acting Vice President for Enrollment Management at BMCC, were also in attendance. The meeting focused on potential partnerships between the Office of the Consul General and BMCC to provide scholarships, high-level academic programming and workforce training to underserved students at BMCC and in Jamaica. "This exciting first step opens the conversation about partnership programs that could benefit both BMCC students, many of whom are from Jamaica and the Caribbean, and students who live in Jamaica. We look forward to exploring further, how our students can benefit from our shared resources and programming." 

BMCC and International Collaborators Complete First Semester of Black Studies Across the Americas Program
The BMCC Department of Ethnic and Race Studies has partnered with the BMCC Office of Internships and Experiential Learning to launch the Black Studies Across the Americas program. The research, cohort and mentoring program enrolled 18 students during its first semester in Spring 2022. It brings scholars in the study of Africans and Afro-descendants across the Americas to BMCC, and is one of seven projects funded through the President’s Fund for Excellence and Innovation, which was established in December 2020 through a generous donation to BMCC from philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott.

Exhibitions by Johannah Herr and Jean-Marc Superville Sovak Open September 15 at Shirley Fiterman Art Center
Exhibitions by artists Johannah Herr and Jean-Marc Superville Sovak will be on view in the Shirley Fiterman Art Center from September 15 through December 22. “I Have Seen the Future: The American Home,” an immersive exhibition by Johannah Herr, focuses on the 1939 and 1964 World Fairs in Queens and related propaganda of a utopia that excluded people of color. “The Price of Half-Freedom,” an installation by Jean-Marc Superville Sovak, is based on the 17th-century life of Manuel de Gerrit de Reus, formerly enslaved by the Dutch West India Company in New Amsterdam, a colony renamed “New York” by the English. 
IMAGE: Johannah Herr, The American Home Pavilion (Suburban Jubilee) 2022, Chipboard, acrylic, nylon flocking, 15in x 9in x 10in

Announcements

Welcome Back Super Fair, September 7
New Student Programs in the Office of Student Affairs invites students, faculty and staff to join a Welcome Back Fair in Richard Harris Terrace on Wednesday, September 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Staff and faculty will host tables at the fair and be available to talk about academic offerings, services and resources at the college. For more information, contact newstudentprograms@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Join the Planning Committee for Pride Month
October is Pride Month at BMCC. Faculty and staff are invited to complete this form by September 9 to join the Pride Month planning committee as a co-chair, general member or event organizer/facilitator. Faculty, staff and students are invited to complete this form to propose a virtual event or activity for Pride Month. For more information, please contact Student Affairs Dean Michael Hutmaker at mhutmaker@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Encourage Students to Apply for Stipend-Supported STEM Opportunities
The BMCC Office of Research invites students to apply by September 9 for STEM research projects that provide valuable experience and stipends. These include CRSP (CUNY Research Scholars Program), three semesters mentored research, $5,000 stipend, must have 3.0 GPA and 12 credits accrued so far, be U.S. citizen or permanent resident; NYC LSAMP (Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation), two semesters (Spring/Summer) mentored research, $3,000 stipend, must have 2.5 GPA, be U.S. citizen or permanent resident; BFF (BMCC Foundation Fund for Undergraduate Research), one semester mentored research, $1,500 stipend, must have 3.0 GPA, be U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and Becoming a Scientist, 10-week virtual workshop at Rockefeller University, $250 stipend, no GPA requirement.

CUNY IT Conference: Submit Proposals by September 15
The 21st annual CUNY IT Conference, “The Powers and Perils of Scripting,” is set for December 1 and December 2 at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. CUNY faculty, administrators, instructional or information technologists and other staff are invited to submit a presentation proposal online by September 15. 

BMCC Cafeteria Is Open for Fall The BMCC cafeteria (MBJ Food Services) at 199 Chambers Street is ready to serve hot meals, salads, healthy snacks, coffee and more for the fall semester. Hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Office of Public Safety Offers Resources and Services The Office of Public Safety ensures a safe and comfortable learning environment at BMCC through resources including free trainings for faculty, staff and students in C.P.R., A.E.D./First Aid, and Campus-Community Emergency Response. Public Safety also trains staff as campus fire wardens. Watch the video, Run. Hide. Fight.® to learn about surviving an active shooter event. To report a crime or emergency, call Public Safety at (212) 220-8080 or 911. Blue call boxes are located throughout campus. For more information, visit the Public Safety website.

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

Human Resources

Edward M. Bostick, Quilting Artist and Professor for 47 Years, Dies
The BMCC community deeply mourns the passing on August 25 of Academic Literacy and Linguistics Professor Edward M. Bostick. Professor Bostick taught at BMCC for 47 years, retiring in 2020. His colleagues state that, “Professor Bostick was passionately committed—year round—to teaching students with the greatest academic needs to improve in their reading. He had a unique gift for motivating his students. He was a role model for them and his empathy for them led him to start and personally fund a free lunch program as well as provide breakfast to students with food insecurity. He was also a fantastic mentor to new faculty.” A native of Beaufort, South Carolina, Professor Bostick was also a self-taught quiltmaker who came from a long line of family quiltmakers, including his grandmother, great aunt and two aunts. Intrigued by the brilliant colors and geometric designs of quilting, Professor Bostick’s main purpose was to revive an interest in the art of quilt making, as well as convey its role in the important legacy of southern African American women. He also opened people’s eyes to quilting as a tailoring craft that has origins with enslaved African men who gathered up scraps of material to create the genre known as the “Scrap Quilt.” In 2006, Professor Bostick was featured in the BMCC News story, The Rich History Told in Scraps of Cloth. In 2007, BMCC News featured quilting and painting collaborations between Professor Bostick and his long-time friend and fellow artist, BMCC Media Center Director Vinton Melbourne, who would paint on cotton cloth that Professor Bostick then sewed into a quilt. For 16 years, they created over 260 pictorial quilts, vibrant portraits of Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King Jr., Ma Rainey and other famous African Americans. Professor Bostick’s quilts also brightened the BMCC lobby at 199 Chambers Street for decades. No memorial service is planned, but condolences can be sent to Director Melbourne at vmelbourne@bmcc.cuny.edu, who will relay them to the family of Professor Bostick. 

BMCC Closed Monday, September 5 for Labor Day 
BMCC will be closed on Monday, September 5 in observance of Labor Day. Visit the CUNY Employee Holiday and Leave Calendar, for more information.

Learn How to Apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness WorkWell’s latest Wellness Snacks podcast is "Student Loans are Back! Now What?" Special guest Ben Kuhn, a policy analyst at the Office of Financial Empowerment, will help BMCC community members complete the Public Service Loan Forgiveness application. Listen now.

Join Monkeypox and Covid-19 Briefings 
Tune into the Department of Health's bi-weekly briefings, Immunization Justice, to stay updated on Monkeypox and COVID-19 news in NYC.

Do You Communicate Effectively During a Crisis? 
BMCC community members are invited to attend the webinar Effective Communication During a Crisis, provided by CAA@yourservice. Learn to understand different cultural values as you practice coherent, empathetic communication  — even in a crisis.

Enrollment

Resources for Supporting Students: Two Updated Brochures The Office of Public Affairs has released the new Academic Programs brochure, which provides degree program information, and the Support Programs brochure, which highlights offices and services such as financial aid and tutoring. Downloadable and online versions are available here.

Fall Registration Help: Super Zoom
Students can save time and avoid long lines by joining the online advising and registration assistance Super Zoom. Faculty and staff, please encourage students to join the Super Zoom to secure their Fall registration, and to get help uploading their proof of vaccination.  For more information, contact Academic Advisement at (212) 220-8315 or aatc@bmcc.cuny.edu. 

Registration for Fall 2022 Express Sessions is Open
This fall, BMCC is offering two express sessions: a 7-week session from September 9 to October 25; and an 8-week session from October 27 to December 21. The regular 15-week session will be August 25 to December 13. The express sessions give students the flexibility to take courses during a shorter time frame. Learn more.

• Please keep in mind that the Fall Express Sessions will have limited course offerings and some financial aid limitations.
• Students are encouraged to speak with an advisor to determine whether the Express Sessions are the best option for them.
• Students can register on CUNYfirst or meet with a Panther Station Specialist on Zoom, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, contact Academic Advisement at (212) 220-8315 or aatc@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Making Headlines

NYSED Awards $4.25 Million to BMCC Adult Continuing Education
August 30, 2022 — GlobeNewswire

NYCHA and Knicks held Junior Basketball tournament at BMCC Gymnasium
August 30, 2022 — NYC.gov

BMCC offers credentialed pathway to work in the cannabis industry 
August 26, 2022 — Ganjapreneur.com

Donors and Alumni

Save the Date: BMCC "Invest in a Future" Gala, October 27
The BMCC Foundation is pleased to present the College's most important fundraising event—BMCC's "Invest in a Future" Gala, scheduled October 27, 2022 (6 p.m., cocktail hour; 7 p.m., program), at Tribeca 360 in lower Manhattan, 10 Desbrosses Street, NYC 10013. This year's theme is "Empowering Student Success," and the event will raise funds for student scholarships. To learn more about the Gala, send an email to: advancementevents@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Buy Through Amazon Smile and Support BMCC Student Scholarships
Just in time for Back-to-School, BMCC is now registered with Amazon Smile. Amazon Smile converts a portion of your eligible purchase into a charitable gift. For every qualifying purchase, 5% of the total purchase will go to BMCC’s Annual Giving Program where proceeds will benefit student scholarships at completely no cost to you, giving your purchase further charitable powers. The process is easy. Simply create an Amazon Smile account or if you already have an account, choose Borough of Manhattan Community College Foundation Inc as your preferred charity and shop. It’s that easy! For more information on how to participate and support BMCC, contact the Office for Institutional Advancement at (212) 220-8013 or advancement@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Calendar

Online Free Workshop: Microsoft Excel Orientation (Students only)
September 2

Online Free Workshop: How to Be a Successful Online Student (Students Only)
September 5

Welcome Back Super Fair 
September 7

Immigrant and Undocumented BMCC Students: Apply for the Senator José Peralta New York State DREAM Act
September 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.