Inside Higher Ed will offer a free webcast, "11 Innovative Ideas for Higher Education during COVID-19 and Beyond," on Wednesday, June 10, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Join us for an interview with one of the most creative thinkers about the future of higher education and work. Inside Higher Ed co-founder and editor Scott Jaschik interviews Brandon Busteed, president of University Partners and global head of Learn-Work Innovation at Kaplan, about his 11 ideas for higher education. These ideas run the gamut from how universities can generate new sources of mission-driven revenue, remain relevant in changing times, deliver online educational experiences worthy of their brands, and more quickly adapt through ecosystem partnerships and shared services.

Please register through the Webinar Registration link. 

Waitlists for Summer Sessions ES and VS were turned off at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, May 27, and Sunday, May 31, respectively, and all drop activity is no longer available in Banner.

However, students can still contact an instructor and ask for Instructor Permission to register for a class. If the Instructor Permission override is granted in Banner, the student can then register for the class. There is no late add fee for Summer Session (only). 

Please review the Summer 2020 Deadline Calendar and Withdrawal from a Course guidelines for more information.

Congratulations to the winners of Wednesday's Lunchtime Zoom Trivia contest:

Team Southtowners: Maureen Huber, associate director, and Lynn Rogers, senior career counselor, of the Career and Development Center.

SUNY System Administration is offering two new resources funded through a grant by the New York State Office of Mental Health: Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) and Crisis Text Line.

Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training is a user-friendly online training intended to equip all of us—administrators, faculty, staff, and students—with the skills needed to identify and respond to a mental health crisis, much in the way that CPR training is designed to prepare people to respond to a cardiac event. QPR training is brief; it takes about an hour to complete the course. You can participate in QPR training through the training website using the organizational code SUNY. 

Crisis Text Line is a free 24/7 text-based service for individuals in distress. SUNY and OMH are promoting a range of new marketing materials that highlight a new SUNY-specific keyword, “Got5U.” The marketing materials are designed to ensure that our students know there is always someone available to help. Please feel free to integrate these materials—in a range of formats, with a range of messages—into your prevention and response efforts. All materials can be found on the Professional Development Center website, along with the PDF document "Guidance for Faculty in Identifying and Engaging with Students Who May Be in Distress" (160 KB).

If you have questions, please contact Leah Wentworth, SUNY director of student wellness, who is Buffalo State College's lead on this grant.

Buffalo State IT and University Police are embarking on a project to convert some existing Sonitrol alarms to a newer technology. The new system, called RS2, is implemented with our contractor, U&S Services Inc. 

A schedule of site visits, subject to change, is posted in the Buffalo State IT Knowledge Base. Site visits are scheduled for June 8 and 9, and will provide the basis for U&S technicians to begin their work installing RS2 in campus buildings. All U&S Services Inc. technicians are informed by the regulations that allow contractors to work on campus. We hope to have this work completed over the summer months.

The Buffalo State College community is saddened by the death of James F. Mabry III, professor emeritus of music, who died May 21, 2020. Dr. Mabry joined the college in 1977 and retired in 2003. He is survived by his wife, Linda; four children; eight grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. A family gathering will be held in Texas at a later time. More information is available online.

The Academic Appeal Petition has been redesigned as an online form. The form must be completed by the student, as the request will alter the student's educational record if the request is approved. The online petition form includes all information from the paper form and still requires documentation and official college support for review. Please discontinue use of paper petition forms and dispose of any paper petition forms you may have in your office when you return to campus.

If you are working with a student or former student who would like to submit a request to waive an all-college requirement, please direct him or her to the Academic Standards website for information on how to file and access to the online Academic Appeal Petition form. Students will be notified of the outcome of their petition via their Buffalo State e-mail account.

Those who encounter difficulty using the online petition form can e-mail the Academic Standards Office for assistance.

Information Technology will patch all core Windows servers during our regular maintenance window: Monday–Friday, 5:00–7:00 a.m. We do not expect any downtime, but if you experience any problems, please contact the Help Desk through the IT self-service portal, by e-mail, or by phone at 878-4357. Buffalo State College’s core Windows servers provide file storage and other functions on campus.

The Civic and Community Engagement Office is providing information about ways faculty, staff, and students can be active citizens and support our community during the coronavirus pandemic.

Big Brother and Big Sister matches are not able to spend time together, but they’re finding ways to stay in touch. To send the Big Brother Big Sister "littles" some joy, BBBS collaborated with Jeff Rogers to design a 200-piece puzzle with the theme "Together." For every puzzle purchased, one will be sent to the "little" to enjoy with their families for free.

Each puzzle costs $35 and can be purchased on the BBBS website.

More information about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Erie, Niagara, and the Southern Tier can be found on its website.

Blackboard Learn will undergo a planned extended maintenance on Tuesday, June 2, between midnight and 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Please plan accordingly. This maintenance is required to move to a newer version of Blackboard Learn. Updates include Blackboard Collaborate Attendance Integration with Blackboard Learn, calendar items and due date notifications for additional content items, and Accessibility: "Skip Link" improvements for assistive technologies.

Please contact the Open SUNY HelpDesk if you experience any technical difficulties after this maintenance period.