@BMCC

October 6, 2022

President Munroe Named 2022 Power Player in Education
Since assuming leadership of BMCC in September 2020, President Anthony E. Munroe has galvanized college-wide initiatives to build equity and inclusion, support students’ basic needs and increase their academic and career opportunities. As a result of his advocacy for equity in higher education, President Munroe was just named a Power Player in Education 2022 from PoliticsNY and has been granted other recent honors including the Heritage Award 2022 from the Consulate General of Jamaica, New York and the 2020 Paragon Award for New Presidents from the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Read more about President Munroe here.

Alumna Domonisa Hurley and Political Science Major Lukas Florczak Author First Books
A BMCC student and alumna have each written books that provide — in very different ways —startling, life-and-death scenarios. “The Forgotten Heroes, COVID-19 From the Lens of the Respiratory Therapist,” is a first-person account by BMCC Respiratory Therapist alumna Domonisa Hurley (Prindle House Publishing, 2022). “The Adventures of Andrew Bailey” by Political Science major Lukas Florczak (Barnes & Noble Press, 2022), is a work of fiction that loosely follows his own travels and is informed by his experience in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Trinity Church Wall Street Awards $10K to BMCC's Healing Rhythms Initiative
Trinity Church Wall Street has awarded $10,000 to support Healing Rhythms, a counseling initiative and collaboration between the BMCC Early Childhood Center and Counseling Center. Student parents as well as students who seek the services of the Counseling Center will soon be able to participate in the Healing Rhythms project, which is now in the staff development stage. “This new modality could help increase access to mental health care on campus,” says Counseling Center Director Neda Hajizadeh. “We aim to decrease barriers to care by offering new means of connection for BMCC students who may not want to engage in traditional talk therapy.” According to research, she explains, drumming therapy can help reduce anxiety and depression, as well as build community and social resilience. “We are excited about the therapeutic potential of group drumming interventions," she says.

Early Childhood Center Receives Donation from Bundles of Joy NY
The BMCC Early Childhood Center at 199 Chambers Street received its first large donation of essential items for student parents from the nonprofit charitable organization Bundles of Joy New York on October 5. The Westchester County based organization delivered several containers of diapers, maternity apparel and an assortment of toddler clothing that will be distributed to families served by the Early Childhood Center.

Announcements

BMCC in Collaboration With Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies Addresses Students’ Housing Insecurity
Housing insecurity can mean many things — “couch surfing,” living in a shelter, needing to escape domestic violence and more. Students living with these conditions are at risk in critical ways, including the risk of discontinuing their education. A collaboration between BMCC and Trinity Church Wall Street Philanthropies addresses the needs of students experiencing housing insecurity by providing them with the opportunity to live in The Towers at The City College of New York, CUNY for one to three years while attending BMCC. These dorm rooms will be offered to BMCC students taking at least nine credits and maintaining a grade point average of at least 2.0. Faculty and staff who know students needing help with housing can submit this BMCC Housing Referral Form. Students with housing needs can also email the Advocacy and Resource Center (ARC) at arc@bmcc.cuny.edu, call (212) 220-8195 or drop by the ARC offices at 199 Chambers Street, Room S-230.

Sign up for CUNY Alerts: System Test October 11
The CUNY Alert system notifies the CUNY community when a natural or man-made disaster strikes. To ensure that you are receiving CUNY Alerts, CUNY will conduct a test of the system on Tuesday, October 11, at 10:11 a.m. Before then, please update your contact information, including your SMS / Text messaging preferences by logging into CUNYfirst and selecting the CUNY Alert tile. Visit online for more information or visit the BMCC Technology Resources and Help Desk at 199 Chambers Street, Room S-141, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also call (212) 220-8379 or email servicedesk@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Pride Month Opens With October 11 Brunch and Guest Speaker Cindy Rizzo
The BMCC community is invited to attend 2022 Pride Month events including the Coming Out and Connecting Workshop, Pride Mentoring Network, SafeZone Training and more. Join the Pride Month Opening Brunch on Tuesday, October 11 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Richard Harris Terrace at 199 Chambers Street, and meet featured guest speaker and author Cindy Rizzo. RSVP here.

BMCC Celebrates Italian Heritage Month
On Wednesday, October 19 in Richard Harris Terrace and Theater 2 at 199 Chambers Street, a full day of dynamic events will celebrate Italian Heritage. A hot Italian buffet lunch will be served, and there will be musical performances by Mario Giacalone as well as by BMCC Music majors led by Department Chair Eugenia Oi Yan Yau. Professor Rebecca Collier and students will lead a talk on Antonio Meucci, the "true" inventor of the telephone.There will be talks by Professors Tom Means, Catarina Mata, Virginia Lee and Sultan Catto, and Associate Dean Janice Zummo will deliver opening remarks. Learn more here.

Submit Proposals for Hispanic Heritage Events by October 19
The BMCC community is invited to submit proposals for Hispanic Heritage Month 2022 events, by October 19. The theme is “Inclusivity: Unidos, We Are Stronger.” Proposed events can be either in-person or virtual, and range in focus from academic (such as conferences or guest talks), to cultural (such as poetry readings and art exhibitions), to social (such as fitness workshops and recipe sharing). Applicants will hear back on their proposals by October 21. For more information, please contact Rosario Torres at rtorres@bmcc.cuny.edu or David Caicedo at dcaicedo@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Nominate Yourself or Another Community Member to REI Committee by October 14
The BMCC Race, Equity, and Inclusion (REI) Steering Committee invites students, staff and faculty to nominate themselves or others to join REI and work on projects connected with social justice, equity and belonging. Since Fall 2020, the REI Steering Committee has led BMCC's inaugural Social Justice Week, facilitated a college-wide town hall, guided critical discussions with BMCC departments and community leaders, and conducted a faculty survey on strengthening curriculum and pedagogy. This academic year, REI will partner with the BMCC Social Justice and Equity Centers to offer programs and workshops for all members of BMCC. To get involved, please complete the REI Nomination form by Friday, October 14. For more information, visit the REI web page or email rei@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Psychology Day, October 19 Focuses on STEM Track
Psychology Day will introduce students and faculty to a new STEM track in the BMCC psychology program. Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, the STEM track prepares students for cognitive psychology, neuro-psychology, and neuroscience-focused degree programs and careers.The keynote speaker is Dr. Bianca Jones Marlin, a neuroscientist at Columbia University. In her presentation, “Parental Roles in Promoting Survival in Offspring,” Dr. Marlin will discuss her research in transgenerational epigenetic inheritance – how learned behavior in the parent can become innate behavior in their offspring. For more information, please contact Professor Masha Komolova at mkomolova@bmcc.cuny.edu.

BMCC Swimming Pool Open to Students, Faculty, Staff and Neighbors
Current BMCC students, faculty and staff can gain free admission to the BMCC pool. View rules and hours here. Neighbors of BMCC can use the pool through the Community Pool Program. View rules, hours and fees here.

BMCC Cafeteria Open for Fall
The BMCC cafeteria (MBJ Food Services) at 199 Chambers Street serves hot meals, salads, healthy snacks, coffee and more. Fall 2022 hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Friday 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.

Reimagining BMCC Website Offers COVID-19 Information
Visit the Reimagining BMCC website for updated information about wearing masks on campus, Random Testing Program for ALL BMCC community members, CUNY Access Pass Through Cleared4, and tips to help upload Vaccination and Booster Verification in CUNYfirst. Following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and higher education safety guidelines issued by the New York State Department of Health and CUNY, BMCC is committed to creating the best possible learning and working experience for students, faculty and staff.

Human Resources

Monday, October 10 Is a CUNY Holiday
Visit the 2022-2023 Employee Holiday and Annual Leave Schedule for more information.

All Employees Required to Complete ESPARC and WVP Training, Now on Blackboard
CUNY requires all employees to complete the Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Course (ESPARC) and the Workplace Violence Prevention Training (WVP). Part-time employees, including adjuncts, must complete both trainings by the end of the current semester to ensure their completion is logged by the University. Full-time employees must complete both trainings by May 31. Employees can sign into their CUNY Blackboard account and navigate to My Organizations to view and complete both the ESPARC and WVP trainings. For more information, read Compliance Training FAQs or reach out to Lori Mazzola, lmazzola@bmcc.cuny.edu, or Maria Deckinger, mdeckinger@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Join Exclusive Movetober Exercise Classes in October
NYC.gov presents Movetober with three events to build fitness. Register online for one or more sessions:

October 13: Join the Hispanic Heritage Dance Party.
October 18: Bollywood Class combines choreography, a cardiac workout and music.
October 25: Barre Class supports posture, fitness, stretching and basic ballet moves.

Faculty and Staff: Get a Free Flu Shot on Campus
BMCC and WorkWell will offer flu vaccines to BMCC faculty and staff on Wednesday, October 12 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 199 Chambers Street, Room S-343 (in the back of the faculty/staff lounge). Make an appointment with username "nyc" and the password "welcome." Or schedule your worksite flu shot appointment by calling (866) 481-4391 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Please print and complete your consent form, and bring it to your appointment.

Pay Stubs Are Only Available on NYCAPS
To access or create your account use the Employee Self-Service account pdf.

Free Webinar: Navigating the Holidays
On October 18 at noon, CCA@YourService will make available to BMCC employees, the on-demand webinar Navigating the Holidays. Login with the company code CUNY.

Enrollment

Admissions Will Host In-Person Fall Open House October 27
BMCC is giving prospective students a taste of on-campus life with an in-person Open House. This welcome event will be held Thursday, October 27 from 5 to 8 p.m. at 199 Chambers Street. Students and families will explore the main campus, learn about financial resources and support programs, meet BMCC’s dynamic faculty and participate in mini interactive academic sessions. For more information, visit the Open House webpage or contact Admissions at admissions@bmcc.cuny.edu.

There’s Still Time to Register for Fall 2022 Express 8-week Session
BMCC is offering an 8-week express session from October 27 to December 21, enabling students 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 PantherStation Specialist on Zoom, Monday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Students can register on CUNYfirst or meet with a PantherStation Specialist on Zoom, Monday, Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, contact Academic Advisement at (212) 220-8315 or aatc@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Making Headlines

Sandra Lindsay, BMCC alumna and first American vaccinated for COVID-19, appointed VP of public health advocacy at Northwell Health
October 3, 2022 — Medical Device News Magazine

Goretti Ng, a BMCC adjunct since 2009, is now a full-time lecturer in mathematics and talks about how that benefits her students
October 1, 2022 — Clarion

Justyna Jagielnicka, BMCC College Discovery counselor, weighs in on CUNY remote work agreement extension
October 1, 2022 — Clarion

Donors and Alumni

Join the 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.

Calendar