Dear BMCC Staff,
The Governor announced today that CUNY and SUNY will suspend classes effective tomorrow; there will be no in-person classes on campus from March 12-March 18. During that time, BMCC will be open regular hours and will provide training and support to faculty and students to transition all courses from face-to-face delivery to distance teaching formats. Starting March 19, the spring semester will resume with all instruction provided through distance learning for the duration of the semester.
By “distance formats” we refer both to online learning as well as to simpler methods of providing content to students “at a distance,” including using email or some of the more basic capabilities of Blackboard. Distance learning can be both asynchronous—meaning that students and instructors provide and access course material at different times convenient to them—or synchronous—meaning with students and instructors participating at the same time, much like a regularly-scheduled class.
Faculty are expected to attend training sessions and seek support as needed to be ready to transition all instruction to distance learning starting on March 19. We also recognize that many students are not familiar with distance learning and may not have easy access to the internet. From Thursday, March 12-Wednesday, March 18, we will provide training and support for students to prepare for distance learning. Academic and student support staff should plan appropriately. BMCC will remain open throughout the semester (excluding any holidays) for students to access our computer labs, the library, the Learning Resource Center and other tutoring, advisement, Single Stop, the Office of Accessibility, Counseling and other support services. Staff throughout the College will be present, and faculty will have access to their offices and labs.
We are awaiting additional guidance from CUNY about flexibility for staffing arrangements, and we will continue to assess the situation. We recognize that remaining open may pose challenges for staff. Please talk with your supervisor about any concerns you may have.
We will continue to provide updates as available. I am grateful for our collective commitment to ensuring a safe and welcoming community, and for the care and concern that you have shown for all community members, particularly the most vulnerable among us. In these challenging and uncertain times, we are truly a community working together and taking care of each other. Thank you for your contributions and commitment.
