@BMCC

June 4, 2020

BMCC Interim President Hosts Town Hall June 5 at 1 p.m.
BMCC Interim President Karrin Wilks invites the BMCC community to attend a virtual town hall on June 5 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. This forum will give the BMCC community a chance to express collective grief and outrage, and suggest recommended action for change.

Read the Interim President's Message of Solidarity and Social Justice

Virtual Fundraiser Bolsters COVID Emergency Fund and Student Scholarships at BMCC
A virtual fundraiser at BMCC to support the college’s COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund and BMCC Student Scholarships Fund is being held June 11 via live stream, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

BMCC Employee Appreciation Awards, Live Broadcast June 5
Tune in to a live webcast of the 2019-2020 Employee Appreciation Awards on June 5 from 4 to 5 p.m. The BMCC Employee Appreciation Program recognizes outstanding achievement, performance and creative contributions beyond what is normally expected of employees. Learn more about the Employee Appreciation Awards here. To view the June 5 Livestream, click here.

BMCC Launches Free Rapid Response Workforce Training Courses
More than 3,000 virtual workforce training courses are available to New Yorkers, thanks to a recent collaboration between the BMCC Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development and the online learning platform Coursera.

BMCC Honors Class of 2020 With Virtual Celebration
The COVID-19 pandemic did not prevent BMCC from virtually celebrating the success of its 2020 graduates. Students and guests can visit the BMCC Class of 2020 Virtual Celebration to congratulate graduates and sign the guest book!

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: 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.

BMCC Community Encouraged to Participate in Census2020 Social Media Challenge
BMCC community members are encouraged to help spread the word to their friends and followers on social media about the importance of completing the 2020 U.S. Census and be entered in a raffle to win one of ten $200 Amazon gift cards.

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

BMCC student activist mobilizes COVID relief in Guyana and Suriname
June 2—UNAIDS

CUNY summer enrollment up 17 percent
June 2, 2020—Campus News

Media Arts and Technology staffer volunteers with community refrigerator food project
May 29, 2020—Curbed

Future BMCC Theatre student overcomes obstacles to attend college
May 29, 2020—Santa Fe New Mexican

Human Resources

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 Receive Unclaimed Paychecks issued between January through March
Unclaimed Paychecks: If you have not picked up paper paychecks, issued between the end of January through the end of March only, please email officeofhumanresources@bmcc.cuny.edu ASAP for mailing before the checks expire.

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

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 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.

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

Community Invited to Toast New BMCC Graduates
Join us at 5:30 p.m., Friday, June 12, 2020 on Zoom for a Virtual Toast to welcome and celebrate the newly minted graduates of the Class of 2020! The event is hosted by the BMCC Alumni Association Office of Institutional Advancement. Please RSVP HERE. After registering, attendees will receive a confirmation email containing the Zoom meeting link and password. This event is open to BMCC alumni, donors, faculty and staff. For more information contact Yaritza Gonzalez at: ygonzalez@bmcc.cuny.edu or alumni@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.

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