News

BMCC President Munroe and PAC NYC Artistic Director Bill Rauch Sign MOU
On Monday, August 5, BMCC President Anthony E. Munroe and PAC NYC Artistic Director Bill Rauch signed a four-year renewal of the PAC NYC-BMCC Anchor Alliance Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The signing took place in the office of Dr. Munroe, at BMCC’s 199 Chambers Street campus. The MOU acknowledges shared goals such as Community Participation, in which BMCC and PAC NYC will share networks, making it possible to participate in each other’s programming and hold auditions for collaborative projects. Story Circles will bring PAC NYC lead artists together with BMCC student and staff communities. Joint Programming opportunities will be available, and the monthly Lobby Stage Series will continue from September to May. The Space Sharing & Venue Access provision states that when programming allows, PAC NYC will host BMCC events at PAC NYC, and BMCC will host PAC NYC events at BMCC, both without charge. Finally, BMCC Federal Work Study Students Employment at PAC NYC is part of the MOU. As a non-profit organization, PAC NYC will file required paperwork and pay 25% of the students’ total Federal Work Study salary. Shown above, L-R: Bill Rauch, Anthony E. Munroe

BMCC Leadership Visits India to Continue Building Educational Opportunities and Exchanges
In July,  Acting Assistant Vice President of Continuing Education and Workforce Development Dr. Terry Kidd, Vice President of Enrollment Management Dr. Sanjay Ramdath and Director of the Office of Diplomatic Engagement and Training (ODET) Dr. Daniel H. Katz traveled to Mumbai, India, to meet with The Honorable Sujata Saunik, Chief Secretary for the Government of Maharashtra—the first woman to serve as Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, a former Takemi Fellow in Global Health and Population at the Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, and a powerful advocate for public health initiatives and international educational collaboration across all agencies in the state of Maharashtra. Under discussion were potential projects including executive training for mid- and senior-level bureaucrats from Maharashtra on the BMCC campus, and students from Maharashtra enrolling at BMCC. These efforts build on BMCC partnerships with multiple universities and partners in India led by BMCC President Anthony E. Munroe and Dr. Ramdath. “This is an amazing opportunity to expand global economic and workforce development efforts to meet 21st-century demands in diplomacy, cyber intelligence and health care in India,” says Dr. Kidd. Shown above, L-R: Rakesh Naithani, Terry Kidd, Sanjay Ramdath, Sujata Saunik, Yachneet Pushkarna, Daniel Katz

BMCC Leads Workshop on Inquiry into AI and XR technologies in New York City’s Contemporary Performance Scene BMCC Theatre Professor, Dr. Bertie Ferdman is Lead Principal Investigator in a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded workshop, “Developing Dramaturgical Strategies for AI and XR alongside New York City’s Contemporary Performance Scene,” scheduled for September 28 and 29 at NYU Tandon @ The Yard. The event will bring together experts from the fields of performance, computer engineering, data science and experiential media to explore pathways to innovation and future partnerships between STEM and contemporary performance. The workshop will investigate how live performance processes can help enhance AI and XR technologies.

CUNY Alumni 50 Under 50 Features Two BMCC Alumni
BMCC alumni are trailblazers across a wide range of industries. Luz Espinobarro, who graduated from BMCC in 2016, was the first in her family to graduate college and is passionate about bridging gaps in higher education access. She balances her roles as a mother and Early College Coordinator at a high school in Queens, where she once walked the halls as a student herself. Romario Ricketts, who graduated from BMCC in 2019, is a first-generation college graduate and law student, first-generation Jamaican-American, and a member of the first cohort of CUNY community college students to transfer to the Macaulay Honors College through the Bridge Scholars Program. He is now a Fellow at Penn State Dickinson Law and intends to use his skills to promote justice and defend democracy. 

Professor Sheldon Applewhite Publishes Research on Promoting Uptake of Injectable PrEP  Social Science Professor Sheldon Applewhite’s research paper—“Recommendations from Black and LatinX sexual minority males to include pharmacists to increase greater accessibility and OnlyFans stars to promote uptake of injectable PrEP”—has been published in the peer-reviewed Journal of American Pharmacists Association.  The paper highlights the need to promote awareness of PrEP uptake among Black and LatinX men who have sex with men (BLMSM). The article makes recommendations to increase PrEP uptake through engagement with popular social media stars and community pharmacists. These recommendations are crucial for addressing the disproportionate impact of HIV among the BLMSM community.

Making Headlines

BMCC Sociology Professor Youngmin Seo advocates for adjunct job security
August 2024—Clarion

BMCC signs agreement with the University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) 
July 29, 2024—Caribbean Life

BMCC Sociology Professor Schneur Zalman Newfield hosts podcast with Michoel Rotenfeld, translator of “The Shochet: A Memoir of Jewish Life in Ukraine and Crimea”
June 28, 2024—PlayerFM

BMCC Professor Elizabeth Wissinger sheds light on wearable technology
June 28, 2024—King Newswire 

Then & Now

Announcements

Let Your Students Know: CUNY’s First Introduction to Diplomacy Course Is Now Available
BMCC now offers Introduction to Diplomacy as an elective to Liberal Art majors. The course was created through a collaboration between the Department of Ethnic and Race Studies and the Office of Diplomatic Engagement and Training. It is offered by the Department of Ethnic and Race Studies. This groundbreaking course is the only one of its kind offered at a CUNY community college. An education in diplomacy opens doors to fields such as international relations, public policy, law, humanitarian aid and more. Students who aspire to careers in government, non-profits or the private sector benefit from a background in diplomacy, which strengthens their critical thinking skills, ability to negotiate and understanding of global dynamics—traits highly sought after in today’s job market.

Brightspace Training Available Online and In Person
Course content from Summer 2022 through Spring 2024 has now migrated from Blackboard to Brightspace and can be added to your Fall 2024 offerings by following these instructions. For more support, enroll now for the self-paced Brightspace Training for BMCC faculty and check out the complete training/support calendar here. Other resources include CUNY Workshops on Zoom, a Brightspace Q&A and BMCC Drop-in Support on Zoom as well as in-person drop-in support. View the full BMCC Faculty/Staff Training Calendar here. For more information reach out to DEFacSupport@bmcc.cuny.edu or brightspace@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Fall 2024 Cafeteria Hours
At the start of the fall semester, August 28, the cafeteria at 199 Chambers Street will be open weekly from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday.

Staff and Faculty: How to Set Up Ring Central Welcome, staff and faculty to the Fall 2024 semester! To learn how to set up or use a Ring Central account at BMCC, visit the Ring Central resources page. There, you will find written instructions, videos and a Q&A about the phone console.

Virtual IDs Available for Students The virtual ID for BMCC students provides convenient access to campus facilities. To obtain a virtual ID, students must be enrolled in classes, have access to student email and have an ID picture taken. Contact the BMCC IT Service Desk support team for more information.

Be Aware of This Resource: BMCC’s Office of Accessibility
The Office of Accessibility at 199 Chambers Street is available to support students in person and on a virtual basis Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Learn how students can register to receive reasonable accommodations and find the answers to frequently asked questions here.

BMCC Bookstore Hours Visit the BMCC Bookstore online 24/7, or visit in person on the following days and times: • August 26 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. • August 27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  • August 28 and 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.  • August 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. • August 31 closed • September 1 and 2, closed • September 3, 4 and 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. • September 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. • September 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. • September 8, closed.

Enrollment

Let Students Know, There's Still Time to Register for Fall 2024!
As we prepare for the Fall 2024 semester, please encourage students to take advantage of BMCC’s online and in-person Advising and Registration sessions.

• From August 12 through August 16, help will be offered via Zoom.
• From August 19 through August 23, help will be available via Zoom and in person.
• From August 26 through August 30, help for advisement, registration and change of program will be available in person only at 199 Chambers Street. Student ambassadors will be on hand to guide incoming Fall students to the advisement and registration session areas.

BMCC registration and advisement hours of operation will be Monday through Thursday, from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. More information can be found on the Panther Station webpage or by contacting Academic Advisement staff at (212) 220-8315 or aatc@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Human Resources

Say Good-Bye to Summer Fridays! The final Summer Friday is August 9. After that, BMCC and CUNY will resume regular weekly schedules.

The HR Website Is a Useful Resource
To access forms, new hire packets, policies, healthy tips and more, visit the BMCC Human Resources website. For more information, visit 199 Chambers Street, Room S-717, call (212) 220-8300 or email officeofhumanresources@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Sports and Wellness

Tryouts Ongoing for Women’s Soccer, Women’s Volleyball, and Men’s and Women’s Cross County
All prospective student-athletes must be enrolled full-time (12 credits or more in the fall semester) and have at least a 2.0 GPA. All tryout participants must bring cleats/running shoes, blue shorts/grey shirts and water. Club or high school team playing and running experience is required. Before trying out, all participants must submit a physical examination form, signed and stamped by a doctor, to Director of Athletics & Recreation Matthew Ruiz in the Athletics office at 199 Chambers Street, N-255 or emailed to mruiz@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Follow the Panthers The BMCC athletic program leads eight varsity teams competing at the NJCAA Division III level. For more news on the Panthers, visit the official site of BMCC Athletics and follow the Panthers on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Calendar

Admissions Information Session (Online)
August 12

Stop by our FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Information Table
August 13

Admissions Information Session (In Person)
August 14

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.