News

BMCC Celebrates the Class of 2020
BMCC is excited to celebrate the Class of 2020 with a virtual ceremony on May 29 during a live webstream at 11 a.m. The COVID-19 pandemic may be putting other celebrations on hold, but not at BMCC! We are happy to celebrate the academic success of our students and we wish them well in their future endeavors as they demonstrate our college’s slogan — Start Here. Go Anywhere. Featured speakers include BMCC Interim President Karrin E. Wilks; Acting Provost Erwin Wong; Vice President for Student Affairs Marva Craig, and Student Government Association President Cheng Chen. For more details, click here.

BMCC Names Aspiring Filmmaker and Social Justice Advocate Ana Maldonado as Valedictorian Ana Maldonado, Class of 2020 valedictorian, maintained a 4.0 GPA while working at the 9/11 Museum, completing an internship at ARK Media in Brooklyn and participating in the BMCC chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), Phi Theta Kappa and BMCC Learning Academy. She also made six short films.

BMCC’s National Society of Leadership and Success Chapter Receives Distinguished Chapter Award
The BMCC chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) is one of six nationwide to receive the Distinguished Chapter Award. Starting with 226 inductees in 2018, the chapter welcomed over 100 BMCC students in May 2020.

BMCC Employee Appreciation Awards Live Webcast on June 5 Join the BMCC community for a live webcast as the 2019-2020 Employee Appreciation Awards on June 5 from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. The BMCC Employee Appreciation Program recognizes outstanding achievement, performance, creative contributions, and/or improvement beyond what is normally expected of employees. Learn more about the Employee Appreciation Awards here. To view the June 5 Livestream, click here.

BMCC Virtual Fundraiser for COVID-19 Emergency Fund on June 11
BMCC will livestream a virtual fundraiser on June 11 from 5:30 until 6:30 p.m. The virtual fundraiser is a call to action to raise money for the COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund and scholarships to help BMCC students. The event will feature BMCC Interim President Karrin E. Wilks; Vice President for Student Affairs Marva Craig; Global President, Eightbar/WPP global client leader, IBM, John Dunleavy; BMCC Foundation Board Chairman Tony Portannese, and Vice President for Advancement at BMCC Lorna Malcolm. To view the June 11 Livestream, click here.

Civil Service Recognition Virtual Ceremony on June 17
BMCC will celebrate  the commitment of its Classified/Civil Service employees who have reached milestone years during their time with the college during a virtual ceremony on June 17 from 12:30 until 1:30 p.m. This year's virtual ceremony will recognize BMCC Classified/Civil Service employees who are marking 35, 30 and 20 years of service.  Learn more about past BMCC civil service ceremonies here. To view the June 17 Livestream, click here.

BMCC Census2020 Social Media Challenge Raffles Amazon Gift Cards BMCC students, faculty and staff could win a $200 Amazon gift card by spreading the word to their friends on social media about the importance of completing the U.S.Census. The BMCC Census2020 Social Media Challenge is open to all BMCC students, staff and faculty. For more information, click here.

Announcements

Bursar Holds Removed for BMCC Students
While balances incurred before Spring 2020 must be paid in full to register for Summer and Fall 2020 semesters, there will be no bursar’s hold on balances up to $4,000 incurred during Spring 2020. For more information, please contact Bursar@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Students Can Switch A-F Grading to Credit/No Credit in Spring 2020
In the Spring 2020 semester, BMCC students have the option to convert letter grades (A-F) to Credit/No Credit grading. For more details, click here.

Vote and Be Heard: Register by May 29 The voter registration deadline has been extended to May 29 and the presidential primary as well as local elections have been pushed to June 23. Take two minutes and register to vote at cuny.edu/vote.

Join the CUNY Virtual Choir by May 31 Record and upload a performance onto the CUNY Virtual Choir Project website by May 31 and join aspiring singers worldwide. The performances will be synced and live-streamed and released in early Summer 2020.

STUDENTS: Virtual Learning Resource Center (LRC) Is Ready to Help The LRC provides online tutoring, academic coaching and more. Students can meet virtually with certified tutors and academic coaches. Faculty can access the LRC's Online Services Orientation for an online demo of virtual LRC services for students.

Compliance and Diversity Policies: Equity Is our Strength 
BMCC policies protect equal educational and employment opportunity and prohibit unlawful discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment. These policies may also apply to online and off-campus incidents. If you have experienced or witnessed unlawful discrimination and harassment, you can report it to the Office of Compliance and Diversity.

NYC Well Offers Free Counseling and Assistance 
NYC Well offers free apps, counseling and referrals in more than 200 languages. BMCC faculty, staff and students can contact NYC Well’s confidential 24/7 helpline staffed by trained counselors at (888) 692-9355. They can also text "WELL" to 65173, or reach help via Chat.

Campus Planning and Facilities

Limited Building Access
The Office of Campus Planning and Facilities is unable to accommodate individual requests for access to BMCC campus buildings. Thank you for your cooperation. Please follow the Governor’s directive to stay home and help us stop the spread of this deadly virus.

Enrollment

Summer 2020 Virtual Open House Welcomes Future Students on June 27
Do you have a family member or friend who is interested in attending college? Invite them to the BMCC Virtual Open House, Saturday, June 27 from 10 a.m. to 12 Noon and 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. They will become familiar with online learning options through virtual mini sessions, speak with current BMCC students and faculty, take a virtual tour of the campus, and learn about financial aid options, student services, success programs and how to apply. For more information, contact the Admissions Office at (212) 220-1265 or admissions@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Weekly Virtual Information Sessions
Whether it’s a prospective student getting a jump start on the college selection process, or an admitted student with a few follow up questions, students can tune in via Zoom on Thursdays at 6:00 PM to learn more about academic and success programs at BMCC hosted by an admissions representative.

Virtual Chat with a Campus Tour Guide
While COVID-19 might prevent our traditional on-campus tours, college tour guides are available virtually via Zoom on Tuesdays at 3:00 PM to engage students in a conversation about the BMCC experience.

STUDENTS: Admissions, Financial Aid and Enrollment Services Staff Are Ready to Assist You  Students can explore online the many admissions and enrollment resources BMCC has to offer, and they are welcome to reach out by email, phone or text. The web page also links to staff members who can help them make their college dreams a reality.

Virtual Chat with a Campus Tour Guide While COVID-19 might prevent our traditional on-campus tours, college tour guides are available virtually via Zoom on Tuesdays at 3 p.m. to engage students in a conversation about the BMCC experience.

Weekly Virtual Admissions Information Sessions
Whether it’s a prospective student getting a jump start on the college selection process, or an admitted student with follow-up questions, students can tune in via Zoom on Thursdays at 6 p.m. to learn more about academic and success programs at BMCC from an admissions representative.

Summer and Fall 2020 Registration Is Open
Please encourage students to continue on their path to success and register for the Summer and Fall 2020 semesters. Things to know: All students must meet virtually with their advisor before registering. Students can use Schedule Builder on CUNYfirst to create a schedule and register for classes. For more information, visit the Registration page, or contact Academic Advisement: eadvisement@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Say Hello to the Admissions Office on Social Media We appreciate your likes, follows and thumbs up.  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat

Making Headlines

Professor Cheryl Fish's new poetry book on 9/11 and Mt. St Helens eruption spotlighted
May 19, 2020—Tribeca Citizen

Professor Joseph “Joey” de Jesus in race for NY Assembly seat
May 20, 2020—Queens County Politics

Dean Sunil Gupta pens op-ed on post Covid workforce equity
May 20, 2020—Community College Daily

Professors Lesley Rennis and Shane Snipes featured in segment on CUNY TV
May, 2020—CUNY TV-Urban U

Human Resources

BMCC will be closed on Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day
The day is a scheduled holiday, excused without charge, for Instructional Staff in Non-teaching functions, Civil Service: Clerical, Administrative, Professional, Custodial, Stores-Stock, [Campus Security excused without charge subject to essential scheduling], Skilled Trades, and Career and Salary Plan Titles. Hourly employees will be paid based on time worked only.

Deadline to Complete WPV and ESPARC Training Extended Until August 7
Due to the coronavirus crisis, CUNY has extended the Workplace Violence Prevention and ESPARC training deadlines to August 7 for the current academic year. Please complete them ASAP, but before August 7.

HR Provides Instructions to Employees Interested in Having Paychecks and Paystubs Mailed to Them 

Starting in June, employees without direct deposit who want to receive their paycheck by mail are asked to mail several self-addressed, stamped envelopes to "Bursar-Payroll Distribution Unit," 199 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007.

Employees interested in having pay stubs mailed to them on a monthly basis should send several self-addressed stamped envelopes to: ATTN: HR Pay-stub Distribution, 199 Chambers Street, NY, NY 10007.

Employees who have not picked up paychecks that were issued between the end of January through the end of February, should email officeofhumanresources@bmcc.cuny.edu.

How to Sign up For Direct Deposit or Suspend Transit Benefit Deductions
Employees who wish to sign up for Direct Deposit, or suspend payroll-deducted transit benefits, should complete the Direct Deposit form, Transit Benefit form and/or Park and Ride form and send it to officeofhumanresources@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Work Well Digital Offers Free Yoga, Meditation and More WorkWell NYC is New York City’s workplace wellness program. BMCC faculty and staff can sign up for free digital classes and programs in healthy eating, mental well-being, exercise and more.

COVID-related FAQs Provides Updates and Contact Information
A resource document, HR COVID-19 FAQs provides information related to direct deposit, transit benefits, college assistants, full-time classified staff and more. For more HR-related pandemic information, visit the Human Resources website.

Alumni and Donors

DONATE NOW: COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund Enables Students to Continue Their Education
The COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund at BMCC can help students overcome hardship and move forward with their educational goals. To make a donation, please click here. For corporate donations and matching gifts, please contact Ana Fernandez at AFernandez@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Use your IRA-Qualified Charitable Distribution to Help During this Time of Student Need
The CARES Act of March 2020 waives the requirement for IRA owners to take Required Minimum Distributions (RMD) in 2020. However, the Qualified Charitable Distribution allowance (QCD), for donors 70½ or older is still in force, and the annual limit remains at $100,000. This means that at age 70½, you can still help students and use your IRA to make a QCD of up to $100,000 for the year.

New Charitable Deduction for Non-Itemizers
Taxpayers who take the standard deduction rather than itemizing their deductions will nevertheless be able to claim a charitable deduction of up to $300 for cash donations made in 2020. Only cash gifts are entitled to the $300 deduction. Gifts of stocks, clothes, vehicles and land are not eligible. 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.

Naming Opportunities Send a Message of Support to Students, When They Return to Campus In recent years, 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 students — many of whom have had their educations disrupted by a global pandemic — we have established memorial funds in support of naming opportunities on the BMCC campus. Make a donation today and select a memorial fund under the “Designation” option. Your name and visual message of hope could inspire students when they eventually return to campus.

Calendar

Chat with a BMCC campus tour guide
May 26

How to Get Money for School: Financial Aid Workshop
May 27

Join a BMCC Performance Ensemble and Make Music (Virtual Auditions)
Though May 31

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.