Staff can also select the courses that are right for them based on the following factors: breadth of topics covered as it relates to their job responsibilities, certifications required, level of ingoing expertise, and time commitment to course.

EMI courses range in length from half-day workshops to months-long courses. Depending on the course, there may be up to 20 students per class. EMI’s virtual sessions are instructor-led, and students participate using virtual training technology (Zoom). Most sessions will still take the same amount of time as an in-person training, and sessions will still have the same expectations on project deadlines, exams, and class participation, such that the program complies with third-party certification requirements.

To participate, potential students should complete the following five steps:

• Enroll: To enroll in an EMI course, potential students first should seek and receive permission to participate in the course from their direct supervisor(s). They should then register online.
• Participate: Students should attend sessions, complete online modules and exams, if applicable, and do required assignments and projects. 
• Provide feedback: Students should complete in -session and post-session evaluations to provide feedback on their experience. EMI uses this information to improve the course for future students.
• Take any necessary certification exams: CUNY SPS helps City staff complete their paperwork to take certification exams and receive credentials. DEM provides funding for City staff to take credential exams one time.
• Apply lessons learned: Students are expected to work towards implementing the energy management best practices that they have learned at their agencies.

Some EMI courses are multi-day, while others are a single day or less. Each EMI course has different requirements for time spent in class for instructor-led learning and outside of class to conduct research, develop projects, complete online learning modules or reading assignments, and prepare for exams. The Time Commitment to Course (TCC), which considers time spent in class and outside of class (for projects and self-study), as well as the duration of the course itself, can be classified as Low, Medium or High.

Low: Up to seven hours a week, or, courses that only run for one day

Medium: Up to 10 hours a week, or, courses that only run for one week

High: Up to 15 hours a week over multiple weeks, or, courses that include a certification exam that requires further subject matter study.

EMI courses are offered according to a fall and spring semester schedule and take place during standard working hours. In addition, DEM offers select courses during Learning Fairs.

Registration Guidelines

City employees should refer to their agency’s training guidelines and must obtain their supervisor’s (and, depending on their agency, their training liaison’s and HR department’s) approval before participating in EMI courses.

Course Enrollment Cancellation Policy

If a City employee registers for an EMI course but drops out before satisfactory course completion, a “No Show” fee will be assessed to their agency’s training department in accordance with the CTC’s cancellation policy. The specific cancellation fee for each course is listed under the course description. CUNY SPS must receive requests to cancel enrollment without a fee in writing at least seven business days before the confirmed start date for the course. Agencies may designate a qualified participant for substitution up to the commencement of the class without penalty.

Course Attendance Policy

City employees participating in an EMI course are expected to attend all scheduled sessions and arrive by the scheduled start time. Excessive lateness or absences will result in the employee being dropped from the course and their agency being assessed a “No Show” fee. In the event of an emergency, illness, or other unforeseen circumstances which would prevent you from attending a session or taking a scheduled exam, course participants are expected to contact their course instructor and the program manager assigned to your course about your absence and make any necessary arrangements to complete missed assignments/exams prior to the next class.

Course Academic Integrity Policy

CUNY SPS and DEM are committed to upholding CUNY’s Academic Integrity Policy. To this end, students are expected to submit assignments that reflect their own individual efforts and to seek support directly from the course instructor when they encounter challenges with the course requirements. Students who submit work that has been copied from other students or sources will be penalized and withdrawn from the course. Unless otherwise indicated by the course instructor, group projects will not be accepted. For more information, please visit: http://sps.cuny.edu/acad_policies/acad_integrity.html.

Accessing EMI Online Materials

Students can access online instructional materials through a dedicated portal, the Hughes Learning Management System (LMS), at https://boc1.rapidtraining.com/login. Students will receive specific information about the process for logging into the LMS once they are enrolled in a course.

During the Learning Fairs, DEM and CUNY SPS offer half-day courses over a concentrated two - to three-day period. Learning Fairs are designed to serve both (1) City staff who hold either BOC-1 or BOC-2 credentials and want to maintain their active credentials and (2) City staff who seek to expand their energy management knowledge in specific areas, but do not necessarily have those credentials.

Yes! DEM, CUNY SPS, and other partners work together to update courses to include the newest developments and technologies. We always are looking for subject matter experts (SMEs) to contribute to course development. If you are interested in supporting EMI as a SME, please contact the Program Manager at gguivelondo@dcas.nyc.gov.

No! In addition to the training opportunities offered through EMI, DEM also offers three other energy management training options to City staff to support their professional development. In particular:

• Customized energy management training available for agency staff using ExCEL funding: City agencies can apply for competitive expense funding to offer specialized energy-related training to their staff through the ExCEL Program. Previously, DEM has focused on funding manufacturer-specific, hands-on training through ExCEL, as distinct from the broader overview training provided through EMI. Generally, DEM-funded Agency Energy Personnel lead the preparation of proposals for ExCEL-funded training.
• In-house training directly offered by DEM: DEM also directly provides select training in-house on specific topics core to our work. DEM continues to work on refining the set of in-house training that we offer. However, we generally provide EC3 and EnerTrac training on a quarterly basis.
• Energy-related training videos: In addition, DEM has worked with CUNY SPS to develop a range of energy-related training videos for City staff. The full collection of training videos is available through the DEM Videos website.

If you have questions about ExCEL-funded, in-house, or video training opportunities, please contact the Program Manager at gguivelondo@dcas.nyc.gov.