On January 20 and 21, Bronx Community College hosted and organized the ninth annual Conference on Community College Excellence. The theme of the conclave of educators was “What Makes Community College Extraordinary?” which examined “the struggles of facilitating an excellent educational experience to our students during unprecedented disruptive change.”

U.S. Representative Jamaal Bowman, a former school principal, delivered the opening day keynote address. He sent his prerecorded remarks from Washington where he was busy fighting for the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. “You all serve students from multiple backgrounds and have to make sure they feel seen and heard,” said Rep. Bowman. “When they show up to a lecture or reach out for support, you are there for them.”

The entire two-day event can be seen here, from the opening remarks by Dean Luis Montenegro, Vice President & Provost Lester Edgardo Sandres Rápalo, and President Thomas A. Isekenegbe to the final round of presentations and workshops on such topics as “Nurturing Student Social Justice Leaders at BCC” and “Effective Engagement of Bronx Community College/CUNY Students in a Lab Science Class During the Pandemic.”