Bearcat Buzz – February 19, 2021 - Student Affairs

Academic Calendar Reminders

Warning! Alert Regarding Scam Messages

Email Hoaxes

It has come to our attention that students at Baruch College and other CUNY campuses have received a message with the subject “Important Message from College Finance Department.” The message offers a “covid-19 financial aid grant.” The message is NOT from the College; it is a scam designed to get students to divulge their personal information. If you have received this message, please delete it. If you responded to the message and provided your personal information, please contact helpdesk@baruch.cuny.edu for assistance with changing your passwords and taking further action, if necessary.

Remain Vigilant Against Scams and Phishing

The College has distributed previous warnings about email scams. Please keep the following in mind regarding any message you receive:
– Do not provide personal information (home address, user names, etc.) in response to emails, text messages, or websites that come from someone you do not know or from a suspicious email sender.
– Never provide your password in an email.
– Do not deposit checks from unknown senders.
– Do not click on links or open attachments in suspicious emails.
– Be wary of messages requesting urgent action.

While we work actively to identify and prevent these messages, our ability to keep users secure is critically dependent on the Baruch community being educated and skeptical about fraudulent messages. Please remain alert, as scams can happen at any time and dupe individuals of all ages and backgrounds and all levels of tech sophistication.

Job Scams

This is a reminder to bring your attention to recent job scams and email hoaxes. Although it is not from Starr Search, we want to bring it to your attention. Here is the latest job scam that we received: Job Scam. If you received these types of job scams, please delete it immediately and flag it as spam in your Baruchmail email system. Do not engage in any correspondence with the sender. Please read this announcement to on how to look out for warning signs and to better protect yourself against these hoaxes and scams.

Warning Signs
Look out for the following warning signs in any job posting you encounter:
·    Hiring manager promises a large salary with minimal work required.
·    Hiring manager offers you a position without any sort of interviewing process being conducted.
·    Hiring manager is using a personal email or an address that doesn’t match the company name.
·    The position expects you to transfer wire funds between accounts.
·    The company sends you a large check and requires you to cash it using your personal account.
·    The company/hiring manager asks for personal information like social security number or bank account.

Remember:
·    Do not deposit any check before you start working at a new job
·    Do not lend any money or pay fees to prospective employers
·    Do not share any personal information unless it is submitted to a trusted source
·    Be aware of any free checks or calls that look questionable and ask for personal information
·    Apply for jobs directly to company website, Starr Search and any other trusted source

For more information visit The Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information on Job Scams.

Resources for Reporting Suspicious Employers and Fraudulent Job Postings
Are you the victim of a fraudulent job posting? Please see the following resources available for you to get help.
·    Starr’s resources on how to avoid job scam.
·    Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Unit accepts reports of job scams and provides instructions for ﬁling a complaint.
·    U.S. Department of Justice accepts reports of job scam incidents that have occurred over the Internet.

Remember to trust your instincts. If communication with an employer or company feels suspicious, end the communication immediately. Report fraudulent activity to us immediately. Please contact us at careerdc@baruch.cuny.edu.

Moratorium on Pledging and Rush Activities in Social Fraternities and Sororities

Are You Ready to Graduate?

Spring 2021 Commencement Plans From Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez

Black History Month 2021: Family, Representation, and Resilience

We invite the entire Baruch community to celebrate Black History Month 2021, a celebration that provides the opportunity for our community to reflect on the significant roles that people of the African Diaspora have played in the shaping of United States history. The goal of BHM 2021 is to provide opportunities to educate on, celebrate and advocate for the diversity that exists in the world today. Follow us on Instagram @BHM_Baruch for Black history facts, live interviews and more.

Toolkit Tuesday
Tuesday, February 23 | 3:00–4:00 p.m.
Join us for workshops that support and guide our students to success! Hosted by the Black Male Initiative at Baruch College.

Success and Giving Back: The Black Experience
Tuesday, February 23 | 6:00–7:00 p.m. | NVC 2nd Floor Lobby
This Black experience panel serves as a platform for all students of color to have an open space and informative panel of successful Baruch alumni doing excellent work in their career and/or their respective communities.

The B-Shops
Thursday, February 25 | 3:00–4:00 p.m.
A no-holds barred conversation. Hosted by the Black Male Initiative at Baruch College.

Black Business Expo
Thursday, February 25 | 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Sponsored by the West Indian Culture Club, the Black Student Union and the Lawrence N. Field Center for Entrepreneurship, this event will be an opportunity for Black entrepreneurs to showcase their business and discuss their journey in the business world. Passcode: BHM

Starr Career Development Center Diversity Career Expo
Friday, February 26 | 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Starr will be hosting their 5th Annual Diversity Career Expo. The program will begin with a keynote address delivered by one of our corporate partners and DEI industry expert. Students will have an opportunity to join breakout room discussions led by recruiters on various DEI topics focused on recruiting, pipeline programs, mentorship, employee resources groups, and more. The program will conclude with a 2-hour mini career fair. Baruch
Undergraduate Students: RSVP via Starr Search under Career Fairs & Expos.

Instagram Live Series
Every Friday in February – 4:00- 5:00 p.m.

In partnership with the Department of Black and Latinx Studies, we will be going live on Instagram (@BHM_Baruch) with Black professionals making trailblazing moves in the name of social justice. You do not want to miss it!

– February 5: Cidra Sebastien, Manager of Black Girl Freedom Fund
– February 12: Jibreel Jalloh, Brooklyn Borough Advocate at NYC Public Advocate Office
– February 19: Priscilla Plat, M.A. Diplomacy and International Relations Candidate and United Nations Center Digital Representative
– February 26: Zamir Ben-Dan, Attorney with Black Attorneys of Legal Aid

Club Virtual Events and Activities

Nominations for the Phenomenal Women Campaign

Free Legal Services

Asian Pacific American History Month Committee Sign Up!

Ombuds Information

Counseling Center

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 Jenny Choi atJenny.Choi@Baruch.cuny.edu. To participate in the Thursday group, please send an email to Kai Lin Fu at Kailin.Fu@Baruch.cuny.edu.

Black Mental Health Matters (BMHM) Support Sessions for Baruch Students

Wednesdays: 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.

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.

Student Disability Services Virtual Office Hours

Baruch College Diversity Career Expo

Project Starr

Positions available for FYS Peer Mentors

Baruch & Beyond Roundtable: Entrepreneurship

LGBTQ+ Resources Webpage

Financial Women's Associaton Mentoring Program

The Terrors of Toxic Masculinity

Conversation Partners Program

MathMinds

Athletics

File Your 2021-2022 FAFSA Today!

Academic Integrity Cases

Faculty are obligated to report any suspected violations of academic integrity policies, such as cheating and plagiarizing to the Office of the Dean of Students. On a monthly or semi-monthly basis, data will be shared with the Baruch Community via the Office of the Dean of Students website on any administrative sanctions (e.g., warnings or suspensions) imposed, and, when we know them, academic sanctions leveled by members of the faculty (e.g., F for the assignment or exam or F for the course). All information is anonymous.

Cases reported at the end of a month might not have been heard by the time reports are shared.

December 2020 Reports
181 students were reported to the Office of the Dean of Students in the month of December. Of those:
– 114 were for cheating
– 24 were for plagiarism
– 42 were for obtaining an unfair advantage
– 01 were for falsifying documentation

Findings in December
– 73 were found “Responsible”
– 03 were found “Not Responsible”
– 17 allegations were withdrawn

Note: Cases reported at the end of November were adjudicated in December. The numbers reported here include cases reported in both November and December. Of all the cases submitted in December, 141 were reported after the last day of classes (December 12, 2020). These reports account for 78% of the cases submitted to the Office of the Dean of Students in December.

Administrative Sanctions
Of the 73 students found responsible in November:
– 68 received a Warning
– 05 received Probation

Academic Sanctions
The most common academic sanctions unofficially reported to the Office of Dean of Students included failure on exam/assignment and failure in the class. (Note: unless the faculty member formally notifies the Office of the Dean of Students, we don’t know if any academic sanctions have been assigned to students who were found to be responsible.)

Fall 2020
In Fall 2019, 62 academic integrity cases were reported to the Office of the Dean of Students. In contrast, Fall 2020 saw 377 cases reported—an increase by more than 600%.

COVID-19 Guidance, Directives, and Resources