Bearcat Buzz – November 19, 2021

November 25-28: College Closed – No classes scheduled

Dear Students,

CUNY has changed the implications of the WU grade. The basic meaning remains the same: WU still means that a student has “unofficially withdrawn” from a course. The change is that, in the past, a WU was figured in a student’s grade point average as an F (in other words, as a zero); starting in Fall 2021, the WU will not be counted in the GPA—in that sense it will be the functional equivalent of W, but assigned by the faculty instead of via the student’s own withdrawal.

CUNY’s Executive Registrar has further clarified the difference between the F and the WU as follows:

“A grade of WU is to be assigned to students who participated in an academically related activity at least once, completely stopped attending at any time before the culminating academic experience of the course (e.g., a final exam, final paper, etc.), and did not officially withdraw.

A WU grade should never be given in place of an F grade.

The F grade is an earned grade based on poor performance and the student not meeting the learning objectives/outcomes of the course throughout the entire academic term/session. If the student has participated in an academically related activity at least once or if there is documented evidence of the student’s participation in a course, and they have ceased participating in the course, at the end of the term, the unofficial withdrawal grade reported must be a WU. When a student does not officially withdraw from a course and fails to complete the course requirements, the instructor assigns the WU grade on the final grade roster.”

Please note that the WU grade is available only to undergraduates, not to graduate students. For the full glossary of grades used at Baruch College, see this page on the registrar’s website.
– Dennis Slavin, Associate Provost

The Allen G. and Mary E. Aaronson Student Center is now open for all undergraduate students! You must make a reservation through Navigate. The appointment time slots are each 90 minutes long, Monday to Friday, as listed below:
9:30- 11:00 a.m.
12:00- 1:30 p.m.
2:30- 4:30p.m.
Same day appointments can be made starting at 9:30 a.m. and are subject to availability. The Aaronson Student Center is located in back of the Madison Square Post Office. The entrance is on East 24th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues, next to the AutoMotion garage.

Make sure to sign up on Navigate!

Baruch College Class of 2022 its time to celebrate all you’ve achieved!
When: Beginning Monday, November 1
Where: NVC 2-110 (Baruch College)
To schedule your appointment and find important updates please visit the Lexicon website.

Interested in getting involved with clubs? Make sure to check out their virtual events and activities by going onto MyBaruch! Continue to check this webpage in the future to find more engagement opportunities throughout the academic year.

November Coffee Hour Creative Writing
Higher Education Administration Club
Monday, November 22 2021
7:00– 8:00 p.m.

[GBM #9] EmbrA.C.E
Vietnamese Student Association
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
8:00- 9:00 p.m.

Beyond the Books: Exploring Creativity
Books & Beyond
Tuesday, November 23, 2021
6:00– 8:00 p.m.

Our free immigration lawyer services are up and running. The Undergraduate Student Government and the Graduate Student Assembly provide current undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to speak with an immigration lawyer twice a semester.  Appointments can be scheduled for the Fall 2021 semester. Please make an appointment for the immigration lawyer via our online form.

Hey Bearcat Community! Are you looking to be a part of something spectacular for the month of February? Then join the Black History Month planning committee through the Office of Student Life. We are recruiting faculty, staff, and students as we help celebrate the contributions of Black people to the United States. Sign up on MyBaruch!

Craving a more fulfilling college experience? Want to become a part of a close-knit community of high-achieving students? Learn how to become a Provost or Inquiry Scholar within Baruch’s Honors Program. Honors students receive priority registration, individual advising with a dedicated advisor throughout their academic career, access to smaller classes, and a myriad of professional development opportunities. Contact Harmony.Osei@baruch.cuny.edu to discover what an Honors education can do for you. Learn more on the Baruch Honors website.

In response to the current environment, the Counseling Center offers free and confidential individual and group counseling and Support sessions:
Individual Counseling
Please visit the Counseling Center’s website or email Counseling@Baruch.cuny.edu.

Group Counseling
Are you struggling with a new transition, feeling lonely, wanting to make new connections or having trouble in your relationships? The Counseling Center is offering two groups called Relationship to Self and Others, during 2020-2021. The groups are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 -2:00 p.m. on Zoom. To participate, in the Tuesday group, please send an email to Vanessa Rumie at Vanessa.Rumie@Baruch.cuny.edu. To participate in the Thursday group, please send an email to Nina Lei at Nina.Leil@Baruch.cuny.edu.

Black Mental Health Matters (BMHM) Support Sessions for Baruch Students
Fridays: 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. via Zoom.

Dear Black students,

In light of the recent events of racial violence and injustice towards Black, African American and African descendant communities, the Baruch College Counseling Center would like to remind you of and invite you to join Black Mental Health Matters. These support sessions aim to foster and support the growth, networking, collaboration, success, and well-being of Black Students. Past topics have included:

• Self-care during the pandemics (Covid-19 and Racism)  
• Being Black at Baruch  
• Intersecting Identities  
• BLM Movement and Advocacy  
• Power and privilege  
• Finding motivation  
• Coping with loss  
• Social distancing   
• Remote learning  
• Developing community  
• Power dynamics in and out of the classroom  
• Microaggressions  
• Food/Housing/financial insecurities

…and much more. If you are a Black student who is interested in finding a safe space to meet and talk with others who may have similar experiences, then these support sessions are for you. These support sessions are led by two Black Psychologists, Dr. Jael Amador and Dr. Gary Dillon, who work from a social justice and multicultural framework. We meet on Fridays at 2 pm.  

To participate in these support sessions, send an email to Dr. Jael Amador at Jail.Amador@baruch.cuny.edu from your Baruch student email account and we will send you the Zoom link.

In solidarity and support,
Drs. Amador & Dillon

Note: In a previous version of this post, it was brought to our attention that we used offensive language. Despite our intent, we acknowledge that our impact was hurtful. For that, we offer to you all our sincerest apologies and a commitment to continue to learn and grow as we continue our work. We have also corrected our communications on all platforms.

The Abraham J. Briloff Prizes in Ethics are funded by a gift from alumnus Charles R. Dreifus (’66, MBA ’73) in honor of Abraham J. Briloff, Emanuel Saxe Distinguished Professor of Accountancy Emeritus. The emphasis of the Briloff prizes is ethics in professional life; to wit, ethics in the broadest sense. Recent writings on current ethical issues in a wide range of formats—such as books, articles, essays, op-ed pieces, and websites—are eligible for the prizes, as are those written or recently published for traditional scholarly settings.

Winners will be announced for the 2021 Briloff Prizes as part of Ethics Week 2022 (TBA – the week of March 14, 21, or 28).

THE FACULTY PRIZE: any faculty member may submit an article, essay, op-ed piece, website, or book, unpublished or recently published. Works must be topical and current; relevance is more important than length. THE FACULTY AWARD IS $1,500.

FOR THE STUDENT PRIZE: any currently enrolled Baruch College student may submit an original essay or research paper. Work that was done for a course may be submitted for this prize. Works must be topical and current; relevance is more important than length. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible. THE STUDENT AWARD IS $500.

The prize winners are selected by a committee of faculty from the Zicklin School of Business, the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, and the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 18, 2022. Previous faculty and student winners are listed on the Baruch website.

Submissions and questions should be addressed to the Abraham J. Briloff Prizes in Ethics Committee: Via Email: vanessa.cano@baruch.cuny.edu Subject: Ethics Competition

ERAP provides significant economic relief to help low and moderate-income households at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability by providing rental arrears, temporary rental assistance and utility arrears assistance. Applications from households with income up to 100 percent AMI will be prioritized for processing through October 29, 2021. After that, all applications for households with income up to 120 percent AMI will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information on ERAP, eligibility criteria and applying for this resource, visit the New York State website.

The Athletic & Recreation Complex (ARC) is currently accessible to:

• Students enrolled in Physical Education classes
• Students who have rented a Paid Locker Rental
• Student-Athletes competing in the College’s NCAA Division III Programs

Otherwise, the ARC facilities are closed until further notice. Please stay tuned.

– Cross Country’s Karina Chiqui Named CUNYAC/HSS Scholar-Athlete of the Month.

– Cross Country Teams Earn CUNYAC All-Star Honors, Riley Walz Voted Top Rookie!

– Swimming Teams Compete Against Sarah Lawrence, Purchase; Amanda Lee Reaches 1,000 Point Milestone.

– Men’s Basketball Takes Third at Franklin & Marshall Tournament, Defeat FDU Florham 83-59.

Upcoming Athletics Schedule

Friday, November 19
Women’s Basketball vs SUNY Cobleskill, 6:00 p.m. (Home – ARC Arena)
Rose City Classic (at Drew University)
Men’s Basketball vs Farmingdale State, 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 20
Rose City Classic (at Drew University)
Men’s Basketball vs Drew or St. Elizabeth, 2:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday, November 23
Men’s Basketball at Stevens Institute of Technology, 7:00 p.m. (Hoboken, NJ)

Citi Banks Early ID Leadership Program will equip you with the knowledge and training you need to learn about the many divisions across the bank, build technical skills, and successfully navigate our Summer Analyst interview process. We provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to succeed. The Early ID Leadership Program is designed for undergraduate sophomores. The program consists of virtual mentorship, technical training, and intense interview preparation for the 2022 Summer Analyst interview process. We will provide an educational series where students will get an overview of the various businesses at Citi. All candidates will be selected based on their academic achievements such as extracurricular activities, campus leadership, and interest in the financial services industry. A 3.3 GPA is preferred. Applications close on December 14, 2021. For more information on how to apply visit the Citi Bank website.

The Urban Land Institute New York’s Women’s Leadership Initiative announces the inaugural Foundations Fellows program. Two NY Metro area female students (undergraduate and graduate) will be selected for these professional development two-year fellowships, beginning January 2022. The fellowship is targeted for any woman who is interested in a career in the built environment: real estate, finance, architecture, GIS, construction, engineering, environmental sciences, urban planning, urban economics, etc. App. Deadline: December 1, 2021. Apply for the ULI New York WLI Fellowship today!

The New York Collegiate Institute is looking for 12 of the best and brightest African American male freshman, sophomores, and juniors in New York City to participate in an academic yearlong program where students will meet corporate CEO’s, business leaders, elected officials, and more on a personal and private basis. Participants will learn how to network with public and private sector leaders, learn about professions they have not been exposed to. The application and more information available on the Institute’s website. For questions, please feel free to email: cganges@theinstitute.net.

A Mentorship Program for students who identify as Asian and Pacific Islanders, LGBTQ+, are 18-24 years old, and will be in NYC from 9/2021-4/2022.

• New to NYC?
• Need advice on living your best queer API life?
• Just want to meet other API LGBTQ+ New Yorker?

Join our mentorship program, GAYme! Email ichang@apicha.org. To learn more about Apicha, go to: www.apicha.org. You can follow Project Connect on Facebook.

The FAFSA is available at www.studentaid.gov. Don’t forget to obtain or retrieve your Federal Student Aid ID at fsaid.ed.gov to sign the 2021-2022 FAFSA electronically; If dependent, at least one of your parents will need one, too. Baruch’s Federal Code is 007273. The NYS TAP (NY resident only) code is 1409.

To ensure the safety, security, and well-being of our students, Baruch College has determined that a moratorium had been placed on pledging and rush activities in all Baruch social fraternities and sororities at least through May 31, 2024. Read a message from the Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students, Art King, for further details. * To anonymously report any hazing activity please fill out the Hazing Incident Report Form.