@BMCC

May 28, 2020

BMCC Celebrates the Class of 2020, May 29
BMCC is excited to celebrate the Class of 2020 with video presentation and website launch on May 29 at 11 a.m. BMCC students and families will be able to watch speeches by CUNY Chancellor Felix V. Matos Rodriguez, Interim President Karrin E. Wilks, Vice President of Student Affairs Marva Craig, and Acting Provost Erwin Wong. BMCC's Class of 2020 Valedictorian Ana Maldonado and SGA President Cheng Chen will also present their speeches. Students and guests can visit https://bmccgraduation.com/ to congratulate graduates and sign the guest book!

BMCC Virtual Fundraiser, June 11
Join the live streamed, BMCC Virtual Fundraiser on June 11 at 5:30 p.m. and help raise money for the COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund and for scholarships to help BMCC students live up to their potential and complete their degrees. Donate to the COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund here. Donate to student scholarships here. We appreciate your generous contribution!

Congratulations! Five STEM Majors Earn Scholarships to NYU
The Pipeline Opportunities for Inter- Collegiate Stem Education (POISE) Program is a collaboration between BMCC and the College of Arts & Science at New York University (NYU) to create a pipeline for BMCC students pursuing careers in science, computer science and math. Five outstanding BMCC students have received the POISE transfer scholarship for Fall 2020: Biotechnology major Adebayo Efunnuga, Science majors Latanya Moncrieffe and Sergio Gomez Navarro, and Computer Science majors Anfernee Jervis and Mohamed Jalloh.

BMCC Employee Appreciation Awards, Live Broadcast June 5
Tune in to a live webcast as the 2019-2020 Employee Appreciation Awards on June 5 from 4 to 5 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.

Announcements

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.

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: 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
Is your family member or friend interested in attending college? Invite them to the BMCC Virtual Open House, Saturday, June 27 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. They will experience online learning options through virtual mini-sessions, speak with BMCC students and faculty, take a virtual campus tour, 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.

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.

Weekly Virtual 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.

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. They can also reach out by email, phone or text, as well as talking to staff members listed online 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.

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

Making Headlines

Professor Tiffany Schreane lists keys to successful digital transformation
May 26, 2020 — American Marketing Association website

BMCC professors among 215 educators in open letter to Joe Biden on the future of public education
May 26, 2020 — The Washington Post, Common Dreams

Professor Geri Lipschultz examines the transformative act of student writing during COVID
May 21, 2020 — Ms.

Professor Schneur Zalman Newfield releases study on Ultra-Orthodox Jewish culture
May 21, 2020 — Jewish Standard

BMCC welcomes Lorna Malcolm, vice president for advancement
May 20, 2020 — Chronicle of Higher Education

Respiratory Therapy Clinical Instructor Felix Khusid works with COVID-19 patients in the NewYork-Presbyterian health care system
May 15, 2020 — U.S. News and World Report

Human Resources

Pick Up Payroll Checks on May 29
Payroll distribution will take place May 29, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 199 Chambers Street, Breezeway, 2 South. Checks from the May 1 and May 15 payrolls will also be available. Please bring a pen to sign the registry.

How to Receive Paychecks by Mail
Employees without direct deposit can receive their paycheck by mail if they mail several self-addressed, stamped envelopes to: Bursar-Payroll Distribution Unit, 199 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007.

How to Receive Paystubs by Mail
Employees can receive pay stubs monthly by mail if they mail several self-addressed, stamped envelopes to: HR Pay-stub Distribution, 199 Chambers Street, NY, NY 10007.

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

Deadline to Complete WPV and ESPARC Training Extended to August 7
In compliance with New York State law, all full- and part-time CUNY employees must complete these online trainings by August 7: The Employee Sexual and Interpersonal Violence Prevention and Response Course (ESPARC) and the Workplace Violence Training (WPV). Please log into CUNY Blackboard to access each course. For help disabling pop-up blockers or other assistance, contact Maria Deckinger, mdeckinger@bmcc.cuny.edu or Lori Mazzola, lmazzola@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Free Workwell Webinars: Fitness, Finance and More

BMCC employees can register now for the May 29, 12 p.m. webinar Let’s Talk Financial Fitness.
Register here for the June 4, 2 p.m. webinar Thrive In Your Workplace, and learn how to support employees managing stress during COVID-19.
For best practices on reducing mental health stigma in the workplace, download the Workplace Mental Health Guidance for Commissioners and Agency Leadership Toolkit.
Join In the Kitchen with WorkWell NYC, June 3, 10, 17 and 24 at 5 p.m.
Register for a Network and Chill event from Project XYZ event, a wellness initiative for young professionals June 9 at 5 p.m.
Men’s Health Week, June 15 to 19, will offer a fitness boot camp, webinar, roundtable discussion on men's mental health and more.

Learn More About the New York State College Savings Plan, May 29
Join a webinar on May 29 at 12:30 p.m. to learn more about the New York State 529 Savings Plan. Hosted by New York Saves, this event will introduce the 529 college savings plan that offers tax and financial aid benefits. Parents can save for their children’s future, grandparents can create a legacy of education and friends can make a difference for a special child.

COVID-related FAQs Provides Updates and Contact Information
A resource document, HR COVID-19 FAQs provides information on 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
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 to support 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 return to campus.

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