News

BMCC President Munroe and EDISU President Sciretti Sign Statement of Shared Interest
On October 15, BMCC President, Dr. Anthony E. Munroe and EDISU President, Dr. Alessandro Ciro Sciretti, met to sign a Statement of Shared Interest. Ente Regionale Per Il Diritto Allo Studio Universitario Del Piedmonte (EDISU) is located in Turin, the capital city of Piedmonte, a region in northwestern Italy. The breakfast event, attended by BMCC leadership and other members of the college community, opened with remarks by Dr. Munroe, who said the signing ceremony “is a testament to our mutual intention to promote educational cooperation and to deepen the ties between our institutions. It embodies our shared vision of creating opportunities for our students to expand their horizons and to engage with diverse perspectives.”

Attendance at Fall 2024 Open House Highest in Years
More than 1,000 attendees, including prospective students and their families, explored the BMCC campus during an Admissions office Open House on October 15 at 199 Chambers Street. This event marked one of the highest attendances in recent years, with a notable 47.9% increase compared to the previous Open House, according to the Admissions office. BMCC President Dr. Anthony E. Munroe opened the evening with a warm welcome, setting the stage for an engaging and interactive experience. Attendees gained valuable insights from current BMCC students, who shared their personal and academic journeys. Over 25 representatives from various academic programs were available to answer questions and provide mini-lessons, offering a sneak peek into the BMCC classroom experience. In addition to campus tours, participants engaged in a student services fair, where they discovered the wide range of support resources available at the College. The BMCC Admissions Office extends its gratitude to everyone who helped make this event a success. Students, faculty, and staff interested in participating in the Spring 2025 Open House can reach out to RNeary@bmcc.cuny.edu. See photo gallery.

Making Headlines

Criminal Justice Professor Michelle Ronda shares insight on prison to college pipeline program
October 15, 2024—Community College Daily

Director of Research and STEP Program Odaelys Pollard featured in research spotlight profile
October 15—The Member Magazine of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB-Today)

Did You Know?

Announcements

BMCC 2024 Gala: Invest in a Future, Transform a Life Set for October 22
Join the celebration of BMCC students and their bright futures, supported by our generous donors. Reserve your seat now for the 2024 BMCC Gala, Tuesday, October 22 at the Perelman Performing Arts Center, 251 Fulton Street in lower Manhattan, just south of BMCC’s Fiterman Hall. The Gala will honor Khady Kamara Nunez, Executive Director, Perelman Performing Arts Center, and John Sutter, President, Canal Street Associates, LLC and Secretary/Treasurer, BMCC Foundation Board. The Gala will be hosted by Cindy Hsu, Emmy Award-winning television anchor and reporter. Our success in the 2024 Scholarship Gala will ensure that we can reach more of the students who are counting on the scholarships the Foundation provides to transform their lives through their educational experience at BMCC.

Visit here for current BMCC faculty and staff ticket rates. Staff and faculty can also purchase their Gala ticket through a payment plan by completing the form that is available by contacting Jennifer Towles, Office of Institutional Advancement, at (212) 346-8650 or jtowles@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Second Annual BMCC AI Innovation Challenge for Social Good November 1 and 2
BMCC’s Technology Learning Community Project invites students to participate in the AI (Artificial Intelligence) Innovation Challenge for Social Good on November 1 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and November 2 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The AI Innovation Challenge is a large-scale experiential learning event in which students work collaboratively in teams to propose solutions for logistical, social and other challenges on campus, in the greater community and globally. Industry professionals from JP Morgan, Google and IBM as well as other technology companies will be on hand to provide mentoring, feedback and also participate in career panel discussions. For more information and registration details, click here. Contact Dr. Mohammad Azhar in the CIS department with any questions.

Protect Yourself From Cyber Attacks: Turn on Multi-Factor Authentication
CUNY is observing National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and this week’s focus is Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). A password alone isn't enough—activating MFA greatly reduces the odds of being hacked via email, social media, financial platforms and more. At CUNY, Microsoft MFA provides cybersecurity protection. Learn how to Turn on Multi-Factor Authentication. Review an MFA Tip Sheet at CISA, the Cybersecurity @ Infrastructure Security Agency, and check out additional security resources. For more information, contact BMCC’s Campus IT Security Manager, Mr. Amish Batra at abatra@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Roll Up Your Sleeves and Give Blood
The New York Blood Center is hosting a two-day Blood Drive in Richard Harris Terrace on November 6 and November 7 from 12 to 6 p.m. Click to schedule an appointment on November 6 and here for November 7.

October is Pride Month at BMCC!
From Roundtable discussions on the upcoming election to open mics, student panels, a talk with author Abby Stein, pickleball and more, BMCC’s Pride Month presents a wide range of events and activities. View the full month of events.

Digital Accessibility Seminar October 25
The BMCC Office of Public Affairs in partnership Office of Accessibility will host a Digital Accessibility Seminar on October 25 from 1 to 2 p.m. on Zoom. The event is designed to inform faculty and staff on how they can make certain their materials—PDF documents, flyers, videos, social media and more—are accessible to all. The Office of Accessibility is working to educate its community members on disability employment issues and BMCC’s commitment to an accessible and equitable work culture for student and professional employees. For more information and to RSVP, visit the event’s calendar page.

Support the Mental Health of Your Students of Color: Join Session October 31 Be part of the transformative process of making the mental health of students of color a campus-wide priority. Learn about BMCC’s collaboration with the Steve Fund’s Equity in Mental Health on Campus (EMHC) initiative to improve campus policies and practices that prioritize students’ mental health and emotional well-being, so they can thrive in the academic setting. Join CETLS and the EMHC steering committee on Thursday, October 31 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. for the live Steve Fund seminar "Promoting the Mental Health of Students of Color: Considerations and Strategies for the Classroom and Beyond." The presenters are Dr. Cirleen DeBlaere, of Georgia State University and Dr. Jesse Owen, from the University of Denver. The EMHC steering committee at BMCC is chaired by Counseling Center Director Neda Hajizadeh and Clinical Coordinator Amy Ojerholm.  Members include Kirsten Cole, Professor, Teacher Education; Esther Rosa, Program Manager, Conexiones & Connections; Varsha Jagjit, Student Life Specialist; Gail Fernandez, Acting Associate Dean of Faculty; Loida Vicki Cedeno, Director of Assessment; Azeez O. Alimi, UMLA staff and Christan Cassidy, ASAP Academic Advisor. Learn more here. Register here for the Oct. 31 session. For more information, contact Dr. Amy Ojerholm, aojerholm@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Students Facing Food Insecurity Can Visit the Panther Pantry BMCC is a member of the College and University Food Bank Alliance. Let your students know that if they are facing a food emergency, they can take home nutritionally balanced, non-perishable and frozen food items by visiting the Panther Pantry in the Advocacy and Resource Center (ARC), 199 Chambers Street, Room S-230, on Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Enrollment

NY High School Students Can Apply to BMCC for Free
BMCC/CUNY is waiving application fees for New York state and city students. New York City students can apply free from October 21 to November 15. New York State students can apply free from November 4 to November 15. BMCC community members are encouraged to share this news with their social and professional networks. Learn more here.

Human Resources

Open Enrollment: Flexible Spending and Health Benefits Buyout Waiver, Deadline November 8 The NYC Office of Labor Relations is accepting open enrollment forms for the Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) Program and Health Benefits Buyout waiver through November 8, with an effective date of January 1, 2025. Links to the Plan Year 2025 Program Brochure and forms for the FSA  Program-Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts and Dependent Care Assistance Program are available on the FSA website. Current FSA 2024 participants (HCFSA & DeCAP) will automatically receive a letter regarding Plan Year 2025 enrollment. Once the FSA administrative office receives the FSA enrollment/re-enrollment letter and processes the employee’s HCFSA/DeCAP enrollment form, participants will receive a confirmation letter. Learn more with FSA videos. If you submit forms and do not experience FSA payroll deductions in January 2025, notify FSA office immediately.

Deadline to Apply for Phased Retirement Is November 15
The CUNY Phased Retirement Program (PRP) enables eligible faculty and staff to continue to work for the University part-time while they transition into retirement. Phased retirement is an opportunity for full-time Teaching and Non-teaching Instructional Staff who are:

• at least 65 years of age
• have tenure or a 13.3b appointment 
• participate in the Optional Retirement Program (TIAA), and
• have at least 15 years of full-time, continuous service. 

To participate in Phased Retirement for the Fall 2025 semester, please submit the Phased Retirement Application for Professional Staff  by November 15. For more information, visit Phased Retirement Program or contact BMCC Benefits Manage in the Office of Human Resources, Daniella Donald at ddonald@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Health Benefits Buyout Waivers Accepted Through November 8
The Office of Human Resources is accepting Health Benefits Buyout Waiver forms through November 8 with effective date January 1, 2025. Plan Year 2025 enrollment is automatic for active health insurance buy-out waiver participants. To withdraw from the MSC Health Benefits Buy-Out Waiver Program for 2025, submit the 2025 MSC Enrollment/Change Form and Health Benefits Application (July 2024 At A Glance Rate Chart) to OHRBenefits@bmcc.cuny.edu. The annual incentive payment amount for the Health Benefits Buy-Out Waiver Plan for Year 2025 is $500 for waiving individual coverage and $1,000 for waiving family coverage (payments issued June and December). To Enroll in the Health Benefits Buyout Waiver for program year 2025, submit the 2025 MSC Enrollment/Change Form with a copy of your insurance card for all listed, to OHRBenefits@bmcc.cuny.edu. 

Mandatory Trainings for 2024-2025 Now Available
New York state law and CUNY policy requires that all employees complete the Employee Sex-Based Misconduct Prevention and Response Course (ESPARC), Workplace Violence Prevention (WVP) and Gender-Based Violence Training (GBVT) on an annual basis.

• GBVT is required for all HR professionals and managers with at least one direct report. 
• Full-time employees are required to complete ESPARC, WVP and GBVT (if applicable) no later than May 30, 2025.
• Part-time employees and adjuncts: Fall appointees: Complete by December 31, 2024. Spring appointees: Complete by May 30, 2025. 
• Active employees are automatically registered for the trainings in Blackboard. Sign into CUNY Blackboard by using your CUNYfirst credentials and navigate to Organizations to complete the trainings.  

For more information, review the Compliance Training FAQs or reach out to your campus compliance administrator.

Sports and Wellness

BMCC Enters NJCAA Div. III Men’s Soccer Poll for First Time This Season At No. 10

Sebastien George Receives NJCAA Division III Men's Soccer Player Of The Week Accolades

Free Lifeguard Certification Training Available
BMCC and the YMCA of Greater New York are partnering to offer FREE lifeguard certification for interested BMCC members. To learn more, contact Matthew Ruiz (Mruiz@bmcc.cuny.edu), Director of Athletics and Recreation, or stop by an information table at 199 Chambers Street on: October 22 from 1 to 5 p.m. in Room S-350 or on October 23 from 2 to 6 p.m. in the main lobby.

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

Pride Month 2024: Student Led Panel on LGBTQ Advocacy
October 18

Vote for Equality: A Roundtable on LGBTQ Advocacy and the 2024 Election
October 21

Women’s Volleyball: Dig Pink Night
October 22

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.