News

Message from Interim President Wilks: Governor Cuomo Announces CUNY Will Suspend Classes Effective March 12
There will be no physical classes at BMCC effective March 12. During that time, BMCC will be open and provide training to faculty and staff to transition all courses to distance learning. Read more here. Visit the Coronavirus: Information and Resources website for updates and information.

Instructional Continuity Training Presents Distance Learning Options
On March 11 in Theatre 2, administrators from E-Learning, IT, CETLS and Academic Affairs reviewed options for distance learning, including Blackboard, Zoom (web conferencing), Google Meet+ and Google Voice. Faculty will use these platforms during the interruption in campus-based classes through the end of the Spring 2020 semester. The session was live-streamed and can be viewed online. Additional Instructional Contingency Planning workshops will be provided on campus as well as via Zoom on March 12 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m., and on March 13 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The BMCC website also provides information on Emergency Preparedness and Course Continuity Resources.

BMCC Community: Vote on Mission and Vision by March 20 BMCC's 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, forthcoming September 1, will reflect feedback from students, faculty and staff. As part of that process, the BMCC community is invited to view drafts of the mission and vision statements, VOTE on favorite versions and provide feedback at president@bmcc.cuny.edu — all by March 20. Results will be shared at the State of the College Address, April 7 at 10 a.m. in Theatre II.

Jean Armaral Wins National Award for OER Leadership at BMCC
Open Resource Librarian Jean Armaral won the Elton B. Stephens Company (EBSCO) Community College Learning Resources Leadership Award, and a $750 grant. Armaral co-leads BMCC's Open Educational Resources (OER) Zero Textbook Cost and Open Pedagogy programs, which have saved an estimated 50,000 students over $6 million in four years.

2020 Spring Career Fair Matches Students with Potential Employers
More than 500 BMCC students looking for part- or full-time work met with more than 80 employers across industries including retail, hospitality, technology and finance, today in the BMCC gymnasium. The Career Fair was sponsored by the Center for Career Development.

St. Patrick's Day Luncheon Raised Funds for BMCC Emergency Fund
The 12th Annual St. Patrick's Day Lunch, held March 11 in Richard Harris Terrace at 199 Chambers Street provided Irish dance and music, door prizes and a traditional Irish buffet. Funds raises support the BMCC Emergency Fund, which helps students with immediate needs, such as the cost of food or a monthly MetroCard.

Announcements

MBJ Food Services Hours Adjusted
Due to the suspension of on-campus classes, MBJ Food Services (cafeteria at 199 Chambers Street) will be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Barclay Cafe, located in Fiterman Hall, will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.

BMCC Presidential Search Updates Available Greenwood/Asher and Associates is conducting a national search for the next BMCC president. Visit the Job Posting and Presidential Search Brochure on the BMCC Presidential Search website.  For more information, contact search liaison Douglas Israel,  disrael@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Singers Wanted: BMCC Creating CUNY's First Virtual Choir BMCC is creating CUNY's first user-generated virtual choir. Singers around the world can record and upload their performances to the CUNY Virtual Choir Project website through March 31. Those performances will be blended with a BMCC choral performance, live-streamed in May. For instructions, click here.

Free Tax Preparation Available to BMCC Community Thanks to support from Citigroup and BMCC Single Stop, BMCC students, faculty and staff with pre-tax household income at or below $64,000 can access FREE walk-in tax preparation at 199 Chambers Street, Room S-230, through April 15. MONDAY-THURSDAY, 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. FRIDAY: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. SATURDAY: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit online or call (212) 220-8195 for more information.

Fair Fares Program Provides MetroCard Discounts for Eligible New Yorkers Eligible BMCC community members are invited to apply for Fair Fares NYC for a 50 percent discount on their subway and bus fare.

BMCC Offers Petrie Completion Waiver and STEM Tuition Waiver, Summer 2020
Eligible, degree-seeking students can apply for waivers of $210 per credit. Visit the Academic Advisement and Transfer Center, 199 Chambers Street, Room S-108 or email advisementandtransfer@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Campus Planning and Facilities

Reminder to Take Care of Facilities BMCC’s Office of Buildings and Grounds has completed bathroom renovations at 199 Chambers Street. All bathrooms are ADA compliant and reflect sustainability practices. Remember not to flush baby wipes, cleaning wipes, feminine hygiene products, paper towels, tissues or trash of any kind. Let’s take care of our facilities together!

Plaza Reconstruction Project Update As part of BMCC's Plaza Reconstruction, abatement of hazardous materials beneath pavers is underway. Notifications are posted on building entrances and this project is regulated by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. For more information, contact Eric Lugo at elugo@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Report Non-Emergency Building Needs Through Archibus Work Order System
Individuals serving as Archibus Work Order liaisons alert the BMCC Buildings and Grounds team to non-emergency building needs ranging from a light bulb that needs replacing to equipment malfunctions. To report an emergency, call (212) 220-8025, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. After business hours, call Public Safety, (212) 220-8080. To report hazardous conditions after 5 p.m., call the engineer on duty, (212) 220-8034. For more information, contact b&g@bmcc.cuny.edu, subject line: “Archibus Work Order System.”

Facilities: What We Are Doing
BMCC’s Custodial Team has been working extended hours to restock hand sanitizers and other cleaning supplies, conduct frequent inspections of restrooms, increase their cleaning of elevators, disinfect classrooms and more. For assistance related to refills and supplies, contact Buildings and Grounds, b&g@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Enrollment

Help Students Create a Personalized Schedule with the CUNYfirst Schedule Builder
This real-time class scheduling tool — accessed via CUNYfirst — provides flexible course scheduling based on time, location and other factors. Summer and Fall 2020 priority registration is from March 20 to May 15. Encourage students to use the Schedule Builder as they register for courses that fit their personal and academic life.

Share this Link: BMCC Virtual Tour
The BMCC virtual tour provides an immersive experience of BMCC. Using their mobile phone, tablet or computer, prospective students can view panoramic images and videos highlighting academic and support service locations, as well as student success stories. Wayfinding features enable viewers to navigate BMCC's 199 Chambers Street campus and the streets of Tribeca to other campus buildings. For more information, please contact publicaffairs@bmcc.cuny.edu.

A Few Important Dates

Making Headlines

BMCC Sociology Professor Zalman Newfield featured in CUNY Book Talk
February 26, 2020 — CUNY

ALA award recipients include BMCC Open Knowledge Librarian Jean Amaral
March 6, 2020 — American Library Association

Adjunct Professor and Playwright Antoinette Nwanda Comments on Honoring Students' English
March 4, 2020 — The Washington Post

Human Resources

BMCC Needs Campus Security Assistants: Civil Service Test Ongoing
Eligible job seekers can take the Campus Security Assistant Civil Service Exam No. 2059. Filing fee is $40 and applications are NOT accepted at college HR departments or the 395 Hudson Street location. Applicants are encouraged to apply via Exams Xpress. Contact CPS HR Consulting, (866) 864-1072, option 5, for more information.

Office of Payroll Administration of NYC Provides W-2 Information
The W-2 Quick Reference Guide helps CUNY employees understand their W-2 statements, which report federal, state and other taxes withheld from salaries and wages.

NY State-Mandated Sexual and Interpersonal Violence Prevention and Response Training Full- and part-time faculty and staff are required to complete an annual Employee Sexual and Interpersonal Violence Prevention and Response Course (E-SPARC). Log into CUNY Blackboard and find the E-SPARC training module at the "My Organizations tab." For more information, please contact Lori Mazzola, lmazzola@bmcc.cuny.edu.

NY State-Mandated Workplace Violence Training Full- and part-time faculty and staff are required to complete an annual Workplace Violence Training by May 20, available on CUNY Blackboard. Employees must also review the Campus Specific Information Supplement relating to each CUNY campus where they work. For help disabling pop-up blockers, contact Maria Deckinger, mdeckinger@bmcc.cuny.edu, (212) 220-1496.

Webinar: Eat Your Way to Health
The BMCC community is invited to a webinar by WorkWell NYC and NYC Health+ Hospitals/Bellevue’s Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine Program on healthy eating, March 24 at 1 p.m. Please submit questions ahead of time, here.

Alumni and Donors

Support Memorial Funds  Last academic year, BMCC lost two beloved colleagues — Sadie Bragg, retired Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, and Scott Anderson, retired Vice President for Administration and Finance. To commemorate their deep commitment to BMCC, we have established memorial funds to raise money in support of naming opportunities of areas located on the BMCC campus. Make a donation today and select a memorial fund under the “Designation” option. THANK YOU for your support!

Gifts of Stocks and Mutual Funds Are an Extremely Tax-Efficient Gifting Option
A gift to the BMCC Foundation of highly-appreciated securities offers tax savings and avoids the capital gains tax you’d owe if you sold the stock and then made the gift. Please contact Phillip Keefe, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving, (212) 346-8650, or pkeefe@bmcc.cuny.edu, for more information. We are deeply grateful for your support.

Alumni Invited to Connect and Network BMCC Alumni Relations provides alumni benefits and services. Alumni are profiled in BMCC publications and welcomed into the vibrant community that is BMCC. For more information, contact Yaritza Gonzalez, Manager of Alumni Relations and Annual Fund, (212) 346-8455 or ygonzalez@bmcc.cuny.edu

Make a Difference in Students’ Lives: Faculty and Staff Campaign
Your support of the Faculty and Staff Campaign makes a significant difference in our students’ lives. Make a donation online; text your donation to BMCC at (646) 876-2622, or send your check, payable to the BMCC Foundation, via interoffice mail to the Office of College Development, F-1330. (Please note, you can designate your donation to your department).

Calendar

Instructional Contingency Planning
March 12

BMCC Economics Day: “Arguing with Zombies” Talk with 2008 Nobel Prize Winner Paul Krugman (online)
March 18

Connect with BMCC

@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.