News

Spring 2026 Open House Attendance Rises

BMCC’s Office of Admissions hosted the Spring 2026 Open House on March 16 at 199 Chambers Street. Attendance at this semester's event grew by 9%—from 598 in 2025 to 654 attendees at the 2026 event. BMCC Director of Admissions and Outreach, Jose Altamirano, said the event was a success. He said the floor layout was expanded at this semester’s event to provide more space for students and faculty introduced social media hashtags signs for Manny the Panther (BMCC’s mascot) to enhance promotion and engagement. Among attendees who participated in a survey about the event, around 95% said they gained a strong sense of student life and campus community. Between 76% and 84% of attendees who took part in the survey indicated they are likely to apply to BMCC.

BMCC Center for Belonging and Inclusion Director Celiany Rivera Velázqueza Recognized at Women’s Herstory Celebration

BMCC Center for Belonging and Inclusion Director Celiany Rivera Velázqueza received a  “Leadership and Empowerment” recognition during a Women’s History Month celebration— organized in collaboration with the Office of the Public Advocate, Jumaane D. Williams, and the Office of the New York City Comptroller, Mark Levine— on March 26 at the Surrogates Courthouse at 31 Chambers Street. “Receiving this Women’s History Month honor affirms the collective work that has shaped my journey as a queer Afro-Puerto Rican scholar and higher education professional committed to expanding pathways of belonging for students across public and private university systems,” said Rivera Velázqueza. “I hope my efforts at BMCC, CUNY, and beyond inspire others to lead with intellectual rigor, cultural grounding, and a commitment to creating educational spaces where historically marginalized voices are seen, uplifted, and empowered to shape a better future for all of us.”

More than 100 Students Attend “Are You Ready to Get Hired?” Event

More than 100 BMCC students attended the career-focused event—Are You Ready to Get Hired?—on March 20 in Fiterman Hall. The event was organized by the Urban Male Leadership Academy in partnership with humanUPtions, BMCC’s Center for Career Development, and ASAP. The event also featured a dynamic panel including Monica Morales, reporter/anchor at PIX11, who moderated the discussion; Walter Geer III, chief creative officer at VML; Jeff Sundheim, sculptor and AI strategist at Google; Kamina Singh, founder of humanUPtions; Dr. Ashtian Holmes, director of UMLA; and Robert Earl, director of the BMCC Center for Career Development. Together, the speakers offered students valuable insight on how to stand out as individuals, build their brand, and prepare for success in an ever-evolving job market. The event reflected BMCC’s continued commitment to connecting students with timely, relevant opportunities that support career readiness and professional growth.

Modern Languages Professor Delivers Lecture at Wesleyan University

Modern Languages Professor Sophie Maríñez will deliver the lecture, “Prophecies from the Caribbean: On Birthright Citizenship and the Need for Decolonizing Democracy,” on March 30 at Wesleyan University in Middletown Ct. The talk draws on her book Spirals in the Caribbean: Representing Violence and Connection in Haiti and the Dominican Republic (2024) and examines how birthright citizenship can be dismantled through constitutional violence, producing spirals of statelessness that echo across time and space. For further details, click here.

Making Headlines

CUNY Vice Chancellor and Provost highlights BMCC Early Childhood Education program in Op Ed

March 27, 2026—AM New York

Sharon Reid, Director of BMCC’s Office of Internships and Experiential Learning, shares insight on College’s AON apprenticeship program

March 23, 2026—Inside Higher Ed

Did You Know?

Announcements

Middle States Town Hall, April 16

All BMCC students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend to attend the upcoming MSCHE (Middle States Commission for Higher Education) Town Hall. The town hall will include information about BMCC's Middle States accreditation process and feature a conversation with the President and team leaders. RSVP and join us on April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Room N-451 at 199 Chambers Street. Learn more about BMCC's MSCHE Accreditation Self-Study.

BMCC Hosts Evening with Filmmaker Warrington Hudlin on March 30 BMCC’s Media Arts and Technology Department and the Social Services department will host a  screening of filmmaker Warrington Hudlin’s short film, Clinic Escorts, and a women’s Herstory-related discussion with Mr. Hudlin and a team of activist filmmakers. Warrington Hudlin is best known as a producer of the 1990’s films House Party, Boomerang and Bebe’s Kids. He is also founding president of the Black Filmmaker Foundation (BFF), Hudlin has been a pioneering community organizer in the black film movement for four decades.

Submissions to 2026 FRAME FORWARD CUNY Student Video Competition open until April 10

BMCC students are invited to submit a video project to the Frame Forward CUNY student video competition by April 10 (Late deadline April 30).  This year’s theme, "We Are More Alike Than Unlike," honors the ties that bind us. Drawing inspiration from Maya Angelou’s poem The Human Family, this year’s theme encourages CUNY students to uncover the echoes of similarity within our many differences. Through video, students are invited to illuminate the shared emotions, challenges, and hopes that unite their campus and community experiences. The Competition is open to all CUNY students. Students who completed at least one class in Spring 2025, Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026, or Spring 2026 are eligible to submit, even if they have since finished their studies or graduated. Students must be in good academic standing.  Learn more here.

Invest in a Future, Change a Life Gala Set for April 21 at BMCC Athletic Club

The BMCC Foundation Scholarship Fund announced that it will host its annual gala, Aspiration to Action, on April 21 from 6 to 9 p.m., in the BMCC Gymnasium “Athletic Club” at 100 North Moore Street. This year’s honorees are Michael Dowling, CEO Emeritus of Northwell Health, and Shana Stephenson, Chief Brand Officer for the New York Liberty. The gala supports scholarships and other critical resources that enable student success. Visit the gala web page for more information and a link to special rates for faculty and staff. (As this event is taking place in the Athletic Club, sneakers are allowed!)

Campus Conversation with Nikole Hannah-Jones and President Anthony E. Munroe on May 12

Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and creator of The 1619 Project—will join BMCC President Dr. Anthony E. Munroe for a special campus conversation on race, history, democracy, and justice on May 12 in Theatre 2 from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. The program will offer a rare opportunity for learning, reflection, and dialogue for students, faculty, staff, and community members. A reception will follow in Richard Harris Terrace.

Cafeteria Closed for Spring Break BMCC’s cafeteria at 199 Chambers St. will be closed for Spring Break from April 1 to April 9. The Café at Fiterman Hall will be closed from April 1 to April 12.

Enrollment

Fall 2026 Advisement and Registration is Open

Faculty and staff, please encourage students to talk to their advisor to discuss their academic progress and registration. 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

Cybersecurity Awareness Training Available Now

The 2025–26 CUNY Cybersecurity Awareness Training is now available. Every active employee is required to complete this training each year to help protect university data and enhance our cybersecurity.

This is the first year that all compliance trainings are being offered through Brightspace. While the deadline for completion has been extended to May 29, 2026, to match the schedule of other compliance training, we encourage all employees to log in and complete the required courses as soon as possible. 

Required Training:

• Cybersecurity Awareness Training

Deadline: 

• All full-time and part-time faculty and staff must complete the 40-minute course no later than May 29, 2026.
• Faculty and staff who become inactive in CUNYfirst will lose access to the training. 

How to Access Training: 

You have been automatically enrolled in your required compliance courses. 

To get started: 

1. Log in to Brightspace. 
2. Go to the "Compliance" section under My Courses. 
3. Select and complete Cybersecurity Awareness Training.

Note: New employees gain access the day after their CUNYfirst record becomes active. 

To confirm completion of any CUNY Compliance course: 

1. Log into CUNYfirst. 
2. Select Employee Self-Service and click the Other Employee Tasks tile.
3. Select the Compliance link to display all the compliance training activities.

Resources & Support: 

• Need help? Contact CIS Training at CISTraining@cuny.edu.

Thank you for your continued commitment to maintaining a safe, secure, and responsible digital environment for all members of the CUNY community.

Annual Compliance Training Available Online

We are pleased to announce the launch of CUNY’s 2025–2026 annual compliance training program. All employees are required to complete their assigned trainings in Brightspace, the University’s new learning management system. This is the first year compliance trainings are being offered through Brightspace. We encourage all employees to log in and complete the required courses as soon as possible.

Required Trainings:

• ESPARC: Employee Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Course
• WVP: Workplace Violence Prevention Training
• GBVT: Gender-Based Violence Training (Required for HR professionals and employees who supervise at least one direct report)

Deadlines:

• Full-time employees must complete all assigned trainings by May 29, 2026.
• Part-time employees, including adjuncts, must complete their trainings by May 29, 2026, or by the end of their employment for the semester, whichever comes first.
• Employees who become inactive in CUNYfirst will lose access to the trainings.

How to Access Your Trainings:
You have been automatically enrolled in your required compliance courses.
To get started:

1. Log in to Brightspace
2. Go to the "Compliance" section under My Courses

New employees will gain access the day after their CUNYfirst record becomes active.

Resources and Supports:

• Employee Navigation Guide
• Compliance Training FAQs
• Need help? Contact your campus compliance administrator.

Thank you for your continued commitment to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace for all members of the CUNY community.

Calendar

National Safety Council CPR/AED & First Aid Training

April 1

BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center: Free Dance Workshop with Elodie Dufroux

April 1

Weekly Yoga Class

April 7

Transitions and Transactions Conference: Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, and the Classroom

April 17 – 18

@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.