BMCC Learning Academy Receives More Than $2.6 Million to Expand Successful Program
BMCC has received a $2,625,000 Title V grant from the U.S. Department of Education to expand the BMCC Learning Academy, which will serve at least 2,800 students over the next five years. This small-cohort program — which began in 2012 and at first, served only freshmen — was expanded to serve BMCC students all the way to graduation and their transfer to a four-year college. The Academy’s success is evident in its high retention and graduation rates: The general BMCC student retention rate is 63.6% a year, while the BMCC Learning Academy retains 81% of its students in a one-year period. “Expanding access to successful cohort models is a critical strategy for accomplishing our highest priority: improving student success and facilitating timely degree completion,” says Karrin Wilks, BMCC Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs who is principal investigator for the grant.

Out in Two Welcomes 35 Scholars to Fall 2016 Cohort
Thirty-five students were welcomed into the Out in Two scholarship program during a Fall 2016 induction ceremony and luncheon held on October 18 in Theater II. The scholarship, founded by BMCC President Antonio Pérez, provides tuition scholarships and services such as individualized academic counseling. Out in Two scholars participate in community service activities on and off campus, and more than 90% of the scholars graduate in two years and go on to four-year colleges — a much higher rate than the national average.

BMCC Hosts Middle States Town Hall, Oct. 28 BMCC is engaging in its Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) institutional self-study. This process affords the College with an opportunity to thoroughly review how effectively we are delivering upon our mission and institutional goals. BMCC is committed to ensuring that the entire College community remains informed about our process through the College Middle States webpage, which can be found by clicking the links on the right side of BMCC’s homepage. Additionally, BMCC will be convening its first Middle States town hall meeting on Friday, October 28, 2016 in Theatre II at 199 Chambers Street, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. During this initial town hall, the BMCC community will receive additional information about the institutional self-study process, hear from the standards working groups, and may ask questions. BMCC encourages all students, faculty and staff, schedule permitting, to attend the session. The institutional self-study is a college-wide effort. The BMCC Community is encouraged to come out and learn more about the process, the people involved and the positive impact that this effort will have on BMCC.

College Offers Support Services to Those Affected by Hurricane Matthew
Hurricane Matthew recently destroyed parts of Haiti, the Caribbean and southeastern coasts along our country including sections of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. The hurricane endangered people and has taken many lives. It destroyed properties, uprooted homes and will change many communities for years to come. Among the individuals directly affected by the hurricane are friends and families of our own BMCC community. Members of the BMCC community who have been impacted or are in need of assistance, can contact the following areas to receive support services: The Counseling Center, (212) 220-8140; The Office of Student Affairs, (212) 220-8130; International Student Services, (212) 776-7179; Financial Aid, (212) 220-1430 and Single Stop, (212) 220-8195. From October 24 – 26, the Office of Student Activities is collecting donations for the Hurricane Matthew relief efforts. Donations can be made from 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., in the main lobby of the 199 Chamber Street building. All proceeds will be sent to the Red Cross.

A Musical History of the Lower East Side Coming November 18
BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center will present A Musical History of the Lower East Side on Friday, November 18 at 8:00 p.m. This special concert will present songs reflecting the Irish, Italian, Jewish, Hispanic and African-American residents of New York City's Lower East Side. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased through Ticketing Services at (212) 220-1460, by visiting the TPAC website, or by visiting the BMCC TPAC Box Office at 199 Chambers Street, Tuesday through Saturday, from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

BMCC Mandatory Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault Prevention Online Training Available
New York State has passed legislation that requires colleges and universities to implement sexual harassment and sexual assault prevention programs. The legally mandated Haven On-line Training program was emailed to students, and faculty members are asked to encourage them to complete the training. Resources to educate the BMCC Community on sexual assault and harassment prevention include: CUNY’s Enough is Enough, BMCC Title IX page, City University of New York Policy on Sexual Misconduct and the Students’ Bill of Rights. If you have any questions, contact Michael Hutmaker, Dean for Student Affairs, at (212) 220-8130 or mhutmaker@bmcc.cuny.edu, or Odelia Levy, Chief Diversity Officer, at (212) 220-1236 or olevy@bmcc.cuny.edu.

BMCC Helps Students Apply for ID NYC From November 2 through 18 in Room S642 at 199 Chambers Street, BMCC will help students apply for their ID NYC. This NYC-sponsored ID provides access to exclusive benefits and discounts around the city, including free one-year memberships to museums, zoos and botanical gardens; discounts on Broadway shows, theme parks, and ballet performances; savings on sporting events such as baseball, basketball and soccer games (including Barclays Center and New York Road Runners events); discounts for the YMCA and NYC Parks Department and a 15% discount on annual Citi Bike membership. Last but not least, BMCC students can use their ID NYC as a library card at NYC public libraries in all five boroughs.

BMCC Student Leadership Retreat Held in Upstate New York
Approximately 60 BMCC student leaders of clubs and programs on campus, as well as from the BMCC Student Government Association (SGA), attended a three-day conference at Honor’s Haven Resort in Ellenville, N.Y., October 14 through October 16. The retreat was sponsored by the BMCC Office of Student Activities (OSA) and the SGA. “The retreat’s goal was to engage student leaders who maybe don’t receive as much formal leadership training throughout the year, and to connect them to them to OSA services and with other leadership programs on campus,” said Melissa Aponte, Assistant Director, OSA. “The conference gave them time for networking and social activities as well."

Two-Phase Renovation of Bathrooms in 199 Chambers Street Building
The College is in the first phase of a comprehensive bathroom renovation project at the Chambers Street Building. The North Side bathrooms are currently being renovated and people are encouraged to use the South Side bathrooms during the first phase of the renovation project. This capital project focuses on greater accessibility and includes upgrades to the ventilation and temperature control systems to fixtures, stalls, floors, ceiling and lighting.

Celebrate Italian Heritage Month Speakers, musical performances and a book discussion are among the concluding events for Italian Heritage Month.

BMCC Hosts LGBTQ Pride Month Through November 2, LGBTQ Pride Month will present speakers, workshops and more.

Fall 2016 BMCC Commons Available The Office of Public Affairs has published the Fall 2016 issue of the BMCC Commons. The publication highlights faculty research, alumni and donor engagement, grant awards and student achievement. It is available in print and online. Read online Download

Nominate Students for BMCC Foundation Scholarships
Last year, more than 300 BMCC Foundation Scholars received up to $3,200 a year each from the BMCC Foundation, Inc., and this year the college hopes to increase that number. Eligible students are pursuing their first college degree, attend full-time and have completed at least 12 credits at BMCC; or they are attending part-time and have completed at least 24 credits at BMCC. They must be U.S. Citizens/Permanent Residents or have a F-1 Visa and a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Please send your nominees’ names and CUNY ID numbers to Sussie Gyamfi, sgyamfi@bmcc.cuny.edu, by Friday, November 11.

Article highlights efforts at BMCC to register voters
Oct. 20, 2016 — The Jewish Voice

BMCC President Antonio Perez featured as Hispanic leaders and role model
Oct. 17, 2016 — Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine

Dolores Batista, BMCC alumna, featured as breast cancer survivor
October 15, 2016 — Bronx Times

BMCC President Antonio Perez endorses support for University of Puerto Rico
October 15, 2016 — El Nuevo Dia

BMCC Aims to Close STEM Gap With $6 Million Grant
October 14, 2016 — One News Page, The Candadian Business Journal, Yahoo Finance, Financial Buzz, Market Wired, Ameritrade, Stock News Now

Weight Watchers Hosts Inspire Event: Oct. 24
Weight Watchers will host an Inspire open house on October 24, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Room S341 at 199 Chambers Street. This event, open to all BMCC employees, will highlight personal success stories and practical tools for the holiday season. For more information, contact the BMCC Office of Human Resources, (212) 220-2364.

Open Enrollment Period for Health Benefits: Through Nov. 11
During the Annual Transfer Period, eligible employees may transfer into a health plan; add or drop Optional Rider coverage, or add or drop dependents in their present plan. Also, PSC members ONLY can change their Dental Plan at this time. For more information, here is a summary of benefits for all plans. Visit the PSC-CUNY website or contact the BMCC Office of Human Resources, (212) 220-2364.

Alumni Now: Praq Rado Praq Rado (Communication Media Studies, ’14) made the Dean’s List three times at BMCC before transferring to Baruch College, where he is now completing a bachelor’s degree in Marketing the Arts. Rado is also an actor and producer with Dreaming Film Production, a company he founded with director Lee Percy. Rado's current project is a film that focuses on undocumented college students, a subject he has experienced first-hand, as he himself fled his country of origin, Albania, and has managed to excel in college while struggling with his immigration status since that time.

Help Make a Difference
The BMCC Faculty/Staff Campaign enables faculty and staff to provide much needed scholarship and emergency support to BMCC students, 90% of whom need financial assistance to reach their educational goals. By donating just $25 to $100, you can help the college raise over $80,000 for students. There are three ways to give:

• Send your check, payable to the BMCC Foundation, via interoffice mail to the Office of College Development, F1330. (Please note, you can designate your donation to your department.)
• Make a donation online.
• Text your donation to BMCC at (646) 876-2622

BMCC Alumni Council Encourages Participation in Events and Networking
BMCC’s Alumni Council welcomes BMCC alumni interested in strengthening relationships between alumni and the college. For information contact Kami Crary, Manager of Alumni Affairs and Events, at kcrary@bmcc.cuny.edu.

Asian American Studies Colloquia presents socio-cultural anthropologist Stanley Thangaraj
Oct. 21

Internship Orientation
Oct. 25

Celebrate Fall 2016 Issue of the Faculty/Staff Journal, Inquirer
Oct. 26

Veterans Resource Center: Jericho Project/Help USA/Syracuse University
Oct. 26

	BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center Listings		Center for Career Development Events
	Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship Events		Center for Continuing Education and Workforce Development Events

Men’s Soccer: BMCC Panthers Win CUNY Athletic Conference Championship with 4-0 Victory

Women’s Volleyball: BMCC Panthers Fall to Rockland in Nail Biter

Women’s Soccer: BMCC Panthers Fall to Lions

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