News

BMCC Signs Statement of Shared Interest with The London School of Economics and Political Science, Expanding Global Educational Opportunities
BMCC is thrilled to announce the signing of a Statement of Shared Interest with The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a world-renowned institution of higher learning located in the heart of London, England. BMCC is the first and only community college locally or abroad to have entered into a shared interest agreement with LSE. This is a testament to BMCC’s commitment to becoming the nation’s leading community college for shaping globally minded graduates who are ready to serve their communities nationally and internationally. The collaboration will allow BMCC students to enroll in LSE courses during the summer semester and beyond, offering them the opportunity to study alongside peers from around the globe and gain insights from LSE’s distinguished faculty members.

2024 Kaplan Scholars Focus on Social Impact and Lasting Change Four BMCC students—Business Administration major Emily Blanco, Small Business Entrepreneurship major Shaheim Kellum, Economics major Tymika Lawrence and Computer Science major Joseph Sahap—have been selected as Kaplan Leadership Scholars. For almost 20 years, BMCC has partnered with the Kaplan Educational Foundation, which provides scholarships, stipends and a supportive community to guide students from associate degree programs to exceptional four-year colleges.

BMCC Community Gathers to Commemorate Transgender Day of Remembrance
On November 20, the BMCC Center for Belonging and Inclusion—home of the Women’s Resource Center, the LGBTQIA+ Pride Center and the Center for Immigrant Services—commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR). “This was a day to honor the lives of trans, nonbinary and gender-expansive individuals lost to violence, bringing attention to the urgent need to end brutality against our communities,” says Dr. Celiany Rivera, Manager of the Center for Student Belonging and Inclusion. The event featured guest speaker Kim Watson-Benjamin, a BMCC Public Health Administration major who serves as the LGBTQ and Health Coordinator for the Office of NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams. Photo by Kim Watson-Benjamin (center front), TDOR guest speaker who helped participants connect with the power of their advocacy.

GIS Student Mia Pinto Wins Award at National Conference for Research Poster Presentation
Geographic Information Science (GIS) major Mia Pinto (pictured above with GIS Professor Dr. Henry Bulley) received a Social and Behavioral Sciences and Public Health award for her mentored research poster presentation at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS) held November 13 to 17 in Pittsburgh. Pinto’s presentation—“How does Your Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status Influence Your Flood Vulnerability? GIS-Based Assessment of Flood Mitigation in Brooklyn”—also won first place at the 2024 Spring BARS poster competition at BMCC. "More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate STEM students from across the United States participated in the ABRCMS conference and Pinto was one of just a few CUNY students who took home an award," said GIS Professor Henry Bulley. BMCC is the only CUNY community college with a GIS degree program. November 20 was International GIS Day.

BMCC Recognized as a 2024 ALL IN Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting
BMCC has been recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) as a 2024 ALL IN Most Engaged Campus for College Student Voting. The ALL IN Most Engaged Campuses for College Student Voting recognizes colleges and universities for outstanding efforts to increase nonpartisan student voter participation.

Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development Celebrates National Apprenticeship Week
The BMCC Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development celebrated the U.S. Department of Labor’s Tenth Annual National Apprenticeship Week on November 19 at the Center’s 25 Broadway building in lower Manhattan. A registered apprenticeship program is the process of learning a skilled trade through a combination of on-the job training and related classroom instruction approved by the state. “The beauty of apprenticeship programs is that students have an opportunity to really learn, and at the same time earn a livable wage as they gain new skills, new technologies and new approaches to work,” said Assistant Vice President of the Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development, Dr. Terry Kidd.

BMCC Students Generate Ideas for Funding Through City’s Participatory Budgeting Process
More than 30 BMCC students gathered on November 15 to participate in an “Idea Generation” session that is part of the City’s Participatory Budgeting process. The People's Money, as the annual citywide process is known, is an initiative where community members decide how to spend over $3.5 million of the city's budget on projects to improve their communities. Ideas submitted through this early stage of the process will be developed into ballot proposals which will be voted on by residents in each borough in the Spring. The BMCC community is also encouraged to submit their ideas online. For more information contact Doug Israel, Director of Government and Community Relations at disrael@bmcc.cuny.edu.

South Korean National Election Commission Hears from BMCC Students and Staff about Voter Engagement Efforts
On November 15, delegates from the National Election Commission of the Republic of Korea visited BMCC to hear about campus efforts to register voters and recruit poll workers this fall semester. The South Korean delegation was specifically interested in the work of BMCC’s Help America Vote Student Ambassadors that were part of an effort funded with a grant from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to increase civic engagement on campus. To learn more about this program contact Dr. Lisa O’Connor in the Office of Student Affairs at loconnor@bmcc.cuny.edu.

BMCC Office of Diplomatic Engagement and Training Hosts State Dept Diplomat-in-Residence for NJ and NY
On November 19, the BMCC Office of Diplomatic Engagement and Training hosted Eric Aldrich, the U.S. Department of State Diplomat-in-Residence for New Jersey and New York, for an informative session about career, internship, and fellowship opportunities at the U.S. Department of State as part of the commemoration of International Education Week.

Professor Leyro Shares Insight Into Anti-Immigrant Sentiment, on CUNY TV
On November 5, CUNY TV aired an episode of “One to One” in which host Sheryl McCarthy interviews BMCC Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Shirley Leyro. Their conversation explores anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States and Dr. Leyro notes that while it seems to be rising, such feelings have always existed and are often exploited by politicians. She emphasizes immigrants' positive economic contributions and talks about the concept of "crimmigration," a term describing the intersection of immigration and criminal law, highlighting how minor infractions can lead to deportations. The discussion ends with a call for immigration reform that addresses root causes and the complexities of legal processes, advocating for a path to citizenship and better support for immigrants. View episode here.

BMCC and Trinity Church NYC Distribute Food for Thanksgiving
BMCC and Trinity Church NYC worked together to distribute free food for Thanksgiving to more than 200 BMCC students on November 21 in the BMCC gymnasium. In addition to Trinity Church NYC, donors included World Vision and UA3. Student, faculty and staff volunteers from the BMCC Early Childhood Center Inc. and BMCC’s Conexiones program made the event possible. “We graciously thank all our partners who joined in our efforts to combat food insecurity,” said Dr. Cecilia Scott-Croff, Executive Director of the Early Childhood Center.

Making Headlines

BMCC Sociology Professor Robin Isserles featured in article about ways “diploma divide” potentially impacted the 2024 election
November 17, 2024—NBC News

Kaplan Foundation announces leadership scholars
November 19, 2024—Ed Tech

Did You Know?

Announcements

Faculty and Staff Encouraged to Weigh in on Next Senior VP for Academic Affairs and Provost by December 2
BMCC staff, faculty who were unable to attend a listening session for the College’s next Senior VP of Academic Affairs and Provost can still fill out a digital survey and share attributes, perspectives and insights they feel are important. The deadline to complete the survey is December 2.

Start the Season of Giving on CUNY Tuesday December 3
Tuesday, December 3, is CUNY Tuesday.  Start the season of giving by showing what it means to be a Leader. Be one of the first to donate before December 3. For more information on CUNY Tuesday or ways to support contact: advancement@bmcc.cuny.edu or call (212) 220-8020.

Speech, Communication and Theatre Department’s Production of Almost, Maine Runs Through Nov. 24 BMCC is proud to announce its production of Almost, Maine, running through November 24 in Theatre 2 at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center at 199 Chambers St. Admission is free and open to the public. Written by acclaimed playwright John Cariani and directed by Theatre Professor Jonny Maldonado, the BMCC’s Speech, Communication, and Theatre Department production will feature a series of heartwarming and whimsical vignettes about love and loss in the remote town of Almost, Maine. This production is made possible with the support of the BMCC Foundation and The Butson Fund. For more specific times, visit the event’s web page.

NYC Dept of Health to Host Information Session November 25 BMCC Health Services is hosting an information session featuring a representative from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene who will detail free resources, clinics and vaccinations available to NYC residents, on November 25 from 12 to 3 p.m. outside Richard Harris Terrace at 199 Chambers St. This session is an opportunity for students to learn about accessible healthcare services and resources available to them, especially those who are uninsured students. For answers to questions, contact Darin Soliman at dsoliman@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Become a Better Ally to the Queer Community: Sign Up for Safe Zone Training, Nov. 27 BMCC students, faculty, staff and administrators who want to become better allies to the BMCC Queer community are invited to attend the virtual BMCC Safe Zone training on Wednesday, November 27 from 12 to 2 p.m. The two-hour session will explore LGBTQIA+ identities, gender, sexuality and intersectionality while also examining prejudice, societal expectations and privilege. Participants who complete the training will be certified for two years and receive a Safe Zone email-signature logo to verify they are Safe Zone trained. Register here.

BMCC is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month throughout the month of November. Learn more about the month’s events here.

Join BMCC Colleagues Presenting at 23rd Annual CUNY IT Conference
The 2024 CUNY IT Conference, “Advancing CUNY: Intentional Connections & Smart Collaborations,” is set for December 5 and 6 at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Presented by CUNY and the Center for Digital Education, the conference will feature a number of BMCC faculty and staff sharing expertise. James Nadeau, Assoc. Director of Enrollment and Engagement and Melanie Bonilla, Sr. Academic Advisor, will discuss how technology enables cross-campus collaboration and improves student experience in the BMCC Learning Academy. Business Management Professor Shane Snipes will discuss how the Citizen Entrepreneur Explorers Program (CEEP) utilizes AI to create opportunities for students across disciplines and more. Rebecca Hyams, Assistant Professor in the BMCC Library, will be part of a panel highlighting efforts to automate integration of library resources into Brightspace. In addition, BMCC’s upgrade from an outdated phone platform to a centralized, cloud solution will be the focus of a talk led by RingCentral executives Brian Baute and Matthew Foosaner. To register for the CUNY IT Conference, contact Timiko Watkins, Center for Digital Education at (916) 932-1402 or twatkins@erepublic.com.

CUNY Brightspace Improvements Prioritize Ease of Use

1. Demo Student Tool: CUNY has developed a new demo student tool to improve the “view as learner” functionality. Learn how to add a demo student to your class, how to add the tool to your course navbar, and the differences between demo student and “view as learner.”
2. Winter/Spring 2025 Courses: CUNY has begun creating Winter/Spring 2025 courses. You must be the instructor of record listed in CUNYfirst to access your course in Brightspace.
3. Access to Attendance Tool Ends Dec. 28: CUNY will disable the Brightspace attendance tool on December 28. Save your data now, by going to your attendance register and clicking the "Export All Data" button, which will generate a file for download.
4. Are you receiving emails from Brightspace? Emails are forwarded to your preferred email address listed in CUNYfirst. Test your @login.cuny.edu address by sending yourself a test email at that address. If you do not receive the test email, email defacsupport@bmcc.cuny.edu for troubleshooting steps.
5. Ongoing support: View this integrated BMCC/CUNY calendar for workshops and more. Visit a wealth of online resources or email the Digital Education faculty support team at defacsupport@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Faculty Encouraged to Nominate Students for Transfer Scholars Network Cohort The Office of Academic Affairs is recruiting outstanding BMCC students for the College’s third Aspen Transfer Scholars Network (TSN) cohort. TSN connects students with senior admissions reps at highly selective partner institutions, and provides personalized support to help those students navigate the transfer admissions process. Eligible students: Have only attended community college (transfer students from senior colleges are ineligible) Possess a minimum 3.5 GPA Demonstrate academic achievement (including participation in Honors courses) Have financial need (an adjusted gross income not exceeding $100,000) To nominate a student, fill out this form and a staff person will follow up. Please contact Tiffany James, Director of Student Success or Carei Thomas, Director of Academic Advisement and Transfer at transfersuccess@bmcc.cuny.edu for more information.

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

Winter and Spring 2025 Advisement and Registration is Open
Faculty and staff, please encourage students to talk to their advisor to discuss their academic progress and registration. Things to know: All students must meet with their advisor before registering. Students can register on CUNYfirst or meet with a Panther Station Specialist on Zoom. When choosing classes on CUNYfirst, students should pay close attention to the class meeting mode (in-person, online or hybrid), as well as the class session (15, 8 or 7 weeks). For more information, visit the Registration page or contact Academic Advisement at (212) 220-8315 or aatc@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Human Resources

College Closed November 28 and 29
BMCC will be closed for Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29. To view specifics on CUNY employee holiday and annual leave periods, visit here. 

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 who are Fall appointees: Complete the training 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

Women’s Volleyball Team Members Emmanuella Aurel and Jaylynn Mateo Named to CUNY All-Conference

Dive in! The BMCC Pool Is Open
The BMCC pool at 199 Chambers Street, second floor North, is open Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. BMCC community members must present a current BMCC ID and bring their own lock and towel. Pool users are required to wear proper swim attire and bathing caps. Call the Athletics and Recreation Department, (212) 220-8260 or visit here for more information. 

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

Online Admissions Information Session
November 25

Dance Con—Learn how to dance Salsa, Bachata and more
November 25 

Hispanic Heritage Month: LatinX Theatre and Luncheon
December 3

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