March 30, 2020

Dear BCCC Students:

I know the status of BCCC’s Class of 2020 Commencement ceremony has been on the minds of many students. Like other colleges and universities across the nation, we have given this signature academic event a great deal of attention and thought. After careful consideration and based on the guidance from CDC and others, we are unable to continue as planned with our traditional Commencement ceremony (originally scheduled for May 30th). For these same reasons, our plans for the Alternative High School Commencement ceremony for Baltimore City Community College’s GED program must change as well.

The change in plans does not mean we are closing the door on celebrating your accomplishments. We do not yet know what Commencement 2020 will look like, but we will celebrate those graduating from BCCC. No doubt our lives will return to a new “normal” at some point, but no one really has any way of knowing exactly when. What we do know, is that the enormous challenges that we face through this unprecedented global health emergency and the health and safety of our community will continue to guide the decisions we make.

A number of students have contacted me about how grades will be handled. Options for some BCCC students may include regular grading, pass/fail or incomplete. We are also determining how to proceed with labs and clinical requirements. We are currently reviewing the impact of having moved to online instruction and are evaluating the best options for our students that will also comply with transfer requirements of other institutions.

Whether you are concerned with simply completing the semester courses or graduating, we share your uneasiness and the uncertainty that you are experiencing. I will continue to emphasize that the faculty and staff at BCCC will get you through this semester. We know how incredibly hard you have worked to get to this point in your academic pursuits and understand how the conversations surrounding commencement, grades, clinics and labs have impacted you; faculty and staff also feel the impact. Many of you have overcome obstacles and made countless sacrifices while holding down one or more jobs and caring for your families. Others have carried on through illness and other challenges and responsibilities.

Lastly, I wanted to make sure you saw Governor Hogan’s announcement this morning that, effective at 8:00pm this evening, no Maryland resident should leave their home except for an urgent reason – to obtain food, medicine or medical attention, or to travel to an essential job. The Executive Order indicates that you can continue to go outside for walks, hikes, runs or bike rides as long as you stay at least 6 feet away from other people and don’t congregate in groups of more than 10.

Through all this, I hope you find ways to relax over the Spring Break and continue to take care of yourselves and your families. I will provide additional information about access to remote support services and any potential for limited access to the Campus computer labs in the coming weeks.

We’ll see you back online on April 6. Stay well, close to home and safe!

Debra L. McCurdy, PhD
President