@BMCC

July 2, 2020

Dr. Anthony E. Munroe Becomes BMCC’s 11th President
The City University of New York Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Dr. Anthony E. Munroe as the 11th President of BMCC on June 29. Dr. Munroe, the president of Essex County College in New Jersey, brings three decades of experience as an educator and nationally recognized executive and leader of urban healthcare and health education institutions to his role at BMCC, which he will assume on October 1.

Message from the Interim President
In a message to the BMCC community, Interim President Karrin Wilks says it has been a great honor to lead the college for the past two years. She noted the significant progress in the college's work to improve student success and advance equity, as recognized most recently when the college was named a top ten finalist in the nation for the prestigious Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Wilks also noted BMCC’s Designing for Success strategic planning process, which involved over 1,000 faculty, staff and students, an usually high level of participation. For more of WIlks' message, click here.

Interim President Wilks Shares Strategic Planning Updates
Committee reports and recommendations for the BMCC Designing for Success strategic planning process led by Interim President Karrin E. Wilks have been posted on the BMCC website. In a message to the college community, Wilks thanks the faculty and staff who have served as committee co-chairs and members, and who have continued their work even as the college transitioned to working remotely and confronting multiple crises. So far, these efforts have narrowed equity gaps and helped yield a three-year graduate rate that has increased for six years straight and is now at 24.9 percent. BMCC students, faculty and staff are invited to review the recommendations and provide feedback to President@bmcc.cuny.edu by July 13.

BMCC Soccer Player Receives Prestigious CUNYAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award
BMCC men’s soccer player Lamarana Diallo was named the 2019-2020 CUNY Athletic Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year at the community college level. Diallo graduated BMCC with an Associate in Mathematics degree this past January, earning a 3.64 GPA and earning a spot on the Dean’s List. An international student from Senegal, Diallo arrived in the United States alone and was not fluent in English. He has applied to Columbia, New York University and City College, among others, for the fall.

Small Business and Entrepreneurship Program Accepted into NACCE Pilot Program
BMCC is one of 11 community colleges nationwide to have had its Small Business and Entrepreneurship program accepted into the Financial Entrepreneurs Curriculum Initiative Phase 2 pilot program. The program, which empowers future entrepreneurs, is managed through a partnership between the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) and the company Intuit, maker of TurboTax, QuickBooks and Mint. For more information, visit the NAACE webpage.

"RESET" Collaborative Voice Initiative Featuring BMCC Playwrights and Directors Premiers July 3
Members of the BMCC community have prominent roles in an upcoming series of Reset Theatre Coalition productions focused on racial injustice. The performances will begin streaming July 3 and will continue every Friday at 8 p.m. BMCC affiliated performances include: July 10, The Signs of Friendship written by Karl O'Brian Williams, Chair of Speech, Communications Theatre Arts Department, directed by BMCC alumnus Keenan Charles; July 17, Tissues for Issues written and performed by BMCC alumnus Jovaun Black, directed by BMCC alumnus Damian Jöel; July 24, Chi Can't Breathe written by BMCC Professor Alvin Eng and I Cannot, written by BMCC alumna Nyanda Cammock and on July 31 Amerikkka written by criminal justice major Jevone Andy. Alumni Santos Collado is the production's stage manager. Visit Conch Shell Productions to view the live stream.

Announcements

Now Available: Summer/Fall 2020 Course Catalogue
With all courses offered online — many of them free to qualifying students — opportunities abound in the BMCC Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development. "Whether you are looking for a pathway to an associate degree or professional development that leads to improved career opportunities ... The Center provides cutting-edge technology, hands-on experience, partnerships with local businesses and industry, and an engaging classroom experience designed to help you meet your goals," said BMCC Interim President Karrin E. Wilks.

Summer Blood Drives Scheduled at BMCC
BMCC will host blood drives throughout the summer at the BMCC Express Center, 255 Greenwich Street, from 12 to 6 p.m. on July 8, July 15, July 29, August 5, August 12 and August 19. For more information, email Health Services Director Penny Jordan at pjordan@bmcc.cuny.edu. To schedule an appointment, click here.

Early Childhood Center Hands Out Activity Bags to Parents
BMCC's Early Childhood Center is providing activity goodie bags to parents whose children have been enrolled in the Early Childhood Center. The goodie bags include coloring books, markers, snacks, comic books and games. The Center's staff have been distributing the goodie bags during the summer in an effort to help parents who are taking care of their children at home during the pandemic.

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.

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.

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.

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 Open House
A record 2,000 registered participants attended the BMCC Summer virtual Open House on June 27. The event was organized in two 3-hour sessions. The first included presentations from Admissions, Financial Aid, and Support Programs. The second included faculty presentations from more than academic 20 departments followed by ASAP, the BMCC Learning Academy, College Discovery, Math Start, CUNY Star and Accessibility Services. This year’s open house also featured guest DJ providing tunes and other pre-recorded videos and breakout sessions.

Summer and Fall 2020 Registration Is Open!
Please encourage students to continue on their path to success and register for the Summer 2020 and Fall 2020 semesters. The last day to register for Summer 5W2 is July 14. Things to know: All students must meet virtually with their advisor before registering. Students can use Schedule Builder on CUNYfirst to create a schedule that works best for them and register for classes. For more info, visit the Registration page, or contact Academic Advisement at eadvisement@bmcc.cuny.edu.

STUDENTS: Virtual Admissions and Enrollment Services Is Available for Assistance
To keep everyone safe and healthy, admissions and enrollment services have transitioned to an online-only format. Students can use this web page to explore the many resources BMCC has to offer, and they are welcome to reach out by email, phone or text. The web page also shows photos and contact information of staff members who are ready to 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

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 about academic and success programs at BMCC hosted by an admissions representative.

Making Headlines

CUNY Student Fenellah Kargbo recognized in Chancellor’s Op-Ed about CUNY heroes
June 29, 2020—AM New York

BMCC Professors may have detected light from colliding black holes for first time ever
July 1, 2020—Scientific American

BMCC Apprenticeship Program included in article about college’s implementing online learning for other programs
July 1, 2020—Community College Week

New presidents tapped at four CUNY colleges including BMCC
June 30, 2020—AM New York

Human Resources

Reminder: Stay Healthy During July 4th Weekend
Attention BMCC Community, we want everyone to enjoy the holiday weekend. Remember, if you travel to a high-risk area you are required to quarantine for 14 days upon your return. The health and safety of our campus community is our highest priority. We will continue to carefully monitor the situation and assess needs, making adjustments as we go. Please continue to visit the BMCC website to receive more updates.

BMCC’s Four-Day Summer Workweek Continues

The College will be closed these Fridays: July 10, July 17, July 24, July 31 and August 7.
Friday, July 3, will be a CUNY holiday in observance of Independence Day.
More information: CUNY Employee Holidays.

WorkWell Summer Fitness Schedule Begins July 6
The WorkWell Summer Fitness schedule will begin July 6 with new classes that include Martial Arts Cardio, Bootcamp and a HIIT class, along with favorites like Yoga and Pilates. To register use the links in the calendar.

CUNY Work-Life Program Available Online or Phone
The CUNY Work/Life Program will now be offered by CCA@Your Service, a new confidential, 24/7 employee assistance program provider. For additional information refer to the program flyer and their list of services. Call (toll-free) any time of day 800-833-8707 or log on at: www.myccaonline.com/Company Code: CUNY

Eating Well with Work Well Live Q&A July 9 at 4 p.m.
BMCC staff and faculty are encouraged to attend a live interactive conversation with a WorkWell NYC resident nutrition specialist on managing stress eating, coping with cravings and more. WorkWell NYC invites you to participate in Let’s Talk! Self-Care Summer. Each week, WorkWell NYC will feature self-care ideas and prompts about activities you can do to develop your own self-care routines. Sign up at Wellness In Action.

How to Receive Paychecks by Mail
Employees without direct deposit can receive paychecks 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 by mail if they mail several self-addressed, stamped envelopes to: HR Pay-stub Distribution, 199 Chambers Street, NY, NY 10007.

Claim Unclaimed Paychecks Before They Expire
Employees who have not picked up paper paychecks issued from January through March can email officeofhumanresources@bmcc.cuny.edu ASAP, and have the checks mailed to them before they expire.

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

Complete WPV and ESPARC Training by August 7
In compliance with New York State law, 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 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.

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.

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

An Easy Way to Make a Positive Impact
Interested in helping BMCC with our mission but feel overwhelmed and anxious about possibly outliving your current assets? A simple, flexible way to ensure we can continue our life-changing work for years to come is a gift in your will or living trust, known as a charitable bequest. A charitable bequest is a written declaration that a donation be made to BMCC Foundation. You may indicate the purpose and use of your bequest; such as scholarships, food insecurity or general needs. For additional information or a confidential conversation, please contact Phillip Keefe, Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving at (212) 346-8650 or pkeefe@bmcc.cuny.edu. We are deeply grateful for your support.

BMCC ALUMNI: Mid-morning Coffee Break with President Wilks Series July 15
Alumni are invited to participate in July’s Mid-Morning Coffee Break with Interim President Karrin Wilks. This is an opportunity for alumni to ask questions, share concerns and stories, and connect with the college. Click here to register.

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.

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