Zoom & Collaborate

'Zoombombings'

Zoombombing is an intentional disruption of a Zoom call by a person or people who were not invited, often trolls or hackers. The purpose is to take over the meeting and cause chaos, often with the use of offensive, racist or otherwise obscene material. Zoom bombing may be distressing, as it is not only disruptive, but the content can be graphic and hateful.

Common Reactions to Zoombombing:

• Emotional - feeling anxious, panicked, angry, overwhelmed, or embarrassed

• Thoughts – “I lost control of the class,” “how could this happen to me/my class …things are not going according to plan,” “I can’t handle this,” “what do I do?”

• Physiological – racing heartbeat, feeling light-headed/dizzy, feeling a headache coming on, “butterflies in the stomach,” feeling hot /cold

What To Do if Zoombombed:

1. Understand what Zoombombing is and prepare a ‘Zoombombing Action Plan.

2. Give yourself permission to take a moment (or more) in order to re-center yourself -- Zoombombing can be an unnerving experience, and we all feel anxious when we lose control. Do some deep breathing, take a walk around the room, drink a glass of water, stretch, or listen to a short mindfulness meditation.

3. Debrief with your students – Allow for an open discussion of this collective experience. Whether you restart the class within a few minutes, or cancel that class and meet the next time, make sure you have a conversation with your students about it and validate their reactions. Be open to feedback and suggestions offered by your students.

4. Be aware of BMCC resources and reach out to BMCC’s offices for follow-up as needed.

5. Encourage students to connect with the Counseling Center if they continue to feel overwhelmed by their emotional experiences. Counseling can offer a safe and confidential place to process emotions.

University of Massachusetts Amherst has a great resource with additional information:

https://www.umass.edu/ctl/how-can-i-support-students-if-my-class-gets-zoombombed

BMCC Resources:

• Office of Compliance and Diversity

• CUNY’s policies prohibiting unlawful discrimination and harassment as well as sexual misconduct apply to Zoom courses. For additional information about CUNY’s Notice of Non-Discrimination, please click here:

• https://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/ported/hr/upload/Notice%20of%20Non-Discrimination-Final%20(BMCC%20-%20Final).pdf

• Please note that retaliation for reporting an allegation of this sort is prohibited. If you would like to report an incident of unlawful discrimination or harassment on Zoom or any other e-learning site, please contact Chief Diversity Office Odelia Levy at olevy@bmcc.cuny.edu or 212-220-1236 or Deputy Director Theresa Wade at twade@bmcc.cuny.edu or at 212-220-1273.

• Office of Public Safety

• Students have the option of filing a report with Public Safety if they are the victim of a crime. They can be reached via email at safety@bmcc.cuny.edu and more information can be found on their webpage: https://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/public-safety/types-of-crimes/

• Student Affairs

• Students can report experiences of general harassment to the Dean of Student Affairs, Michael Hutmaker, by emailing studentaffairs@bmcc.cuny.edu