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

Team Covidnators: Rita Zientek, interim dean, School of the Professions; Michael Lovorn, director, International Graduate Programs for Educators; and Katie Malik-Willard, executive assistant to the CIO and vice president for enrollment, marketing, and communications.  

The winning Jeopardy-style question was, "Now a senator from Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren was born in what Southern state?" The answer is Oklahoma. 

The next contest will be hosted by Andy Binder, director of the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall, on Thursday, May 21, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. via Zoom. 

To join us, please register through the Workshop Registration System.

As you know, Buffalo State College made the difficult decision earlier this semester to postpone its spring 2020 Commencement ceremonies because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although it is premature to select a new date at this time, the college is strongly committed to rescheduling Commencement and celebrating the accomplishments of our spring 2020 graduates in person when it is safe to gather in large groups again.

In the meantime, we are calling on Bengals far and wide to join us this month in celebrating the Class of 2020 online and through social media. Whether you are a faculty or staff member, a family member of a spring graduate, a classmate, an alum, or a graduate yourself, we are asking you to share your photos, congratulatory messages, and words of encouragement with our graduates by using the hashtag #BuffStateGrads on Instagram and Twitter.

All submissions will be organized and collected through an online Grad Wall. If you don’t have a social media account but would still like to offer a supportive message to the Class of 2020, you can submit your well wishes online and those messages will also be shared on the Grad Wall.

While this unprecedented time has forced us apart physically, let’s show the Class of 2020 that Bengal Nation is stronger and more connected than ever by celebrating and congratulating our amazing #BuffStateGrads!

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.

Drivers are needed to deliver food to public school children.

Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of community, civic, and faith-based volunteers, the Buffalo Public Schools have delivered over 50,000 meals to date to families with extenuating circumstances that prevent them from accessing one of the 27 grab-and-go sites. Given increased requests, additional assistance is needed. If you can spare a few hours a week, please consider volunteering. Masks and gloves will be provided.

Call (716) 816-7100 and press option 7 to volunteer.

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.

PUSH Buffalo (People United for Sustainable Housing) is working on mutual aid through its network of service providers and community partner organizations to ensure that no one in our community is left behind during this pandemic. If you are interested in supporting the organization’s efforts to meet the needs of the most vulnerable members of our community who are socially isolated and cut off from vital support services, please visit the PUSH Buffalo website and sign up to volunteer.

From the Chair of the Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee
The College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee will host the annual College Senate Caucus—the election of Senate officers for the upcoming academic year—tomorrow, May 8, from noon to 1:00 p.m. via Zoom videoconference. Invitations have been sent to all those voting members permitted to attend. This includes returning, reelected, and newly elected senators for 2020–2021.

Candidates for officer positions must be senators who will be in office for the 2020–2021 academic year. Candidates should be present at the caucus to announce their candidacy. Alternatively, e-mails of interest for committee chair positions may be e-mailed to Julian Cole by 11:00 a.m. tomorrow. Candidates who e-mail their interest must specify which standing committee(s) they wish to chair. Should a chair seat be contested, a runoff election will be held expeditiously after the caucus.

Questions may be directed to Vincent Masci, assistant to the College Senate.

From the Chair of the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee
The College Senate extends its congratulations to the following individuals who have won seats on the College Senate for the 2020–2023 term:

University Faculty Senator
Joseph Marren, Professor, Communication Department

Alternate University Faculty Senator
Amy Rosen-Brand, Associate Director, Student Accessibility Services

At-Large College Senators
Laura Hill Rao, Director, Civic and Community Engagement Office
Colleen Toledano, Associate Professor, Art and Design Department

From the Chair of the College Senate
The final College Senate meeting of the spring 2020 semester will be held tomorrow, May 8, at 2:00 p.m. via Zoom videoconferencing. Please note, the meeting is by invitation only, and participation is limited. Please contact Vincent Masci, assistant to the College Senate, with questions.

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.

New York State is seeking immediate assistance from SUNY faculty and staff to help meet a pressing need related to COVID-19. Interviewers are needed to support NYS hiring of important health-focused personnel. Assistance is needed to conduct second-round interviews. 

Each interviewer will be provided both the job description and some sample questions to ensure the candidates understand the role. SUNY is seeking to secure 100 faculty and staff volunteers to serve as interviewers.

The time commitment for each interviewer is four to five hours a day for three to four days. The interviews are expected to take place between May 11 and 17; therefore, immediate action is needed to sign up to become an interviewer.

If you are interested, please provide your contact information online.

Nuventive and Microsoft are offering the free webinar "Leading Change in a Time of Crisis" on Thursday, May 14, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. 

The 2020–2021 academic year is getting closer by the minute. Will your plans hit the mark? You’re no doubt scrambling to plan against the protracted uncertainty wrought by the COVID-19 crisis. How will you know your strategies are working? Do you have the visibility you need to make course corrections as new information becomes available? How do you, as a leader in your institution, drive rapid change in this jarring new reality—especially if some of your stakeholders don’t support it? Now is the time to build adaptive strategies, tightly tied to effective execution, to quickly make progress on high-priority challenges like financial stability, student enrollment fluctuations, and remote learning.

In this informative webinar, Nuventive and Microsoft will give you concrete guidance on how you can use technology to:

• drive strategic decision-making within days by using the best information you have available now;
• monitor progress on execution at a glance, at any time, on any number of plans;
• adapt strategies as conditions change and engage the right stakeholders at any step to harness the natural culture of inquiry in higher education.

Please register through the Nuventive registration website.

The Buffalo State College community is saddened by the death of Joseph D. “Joe” Harrington, ’62, assistant football coach (retired) in the Intercollegiate Athletics Department, who died May 1, 2020. Mr. Harrington joined the college in 1981, as an original member of the Buffalo State football coaching staff, and retired roughly 20 years later. He is survived by his wife, Grace; three children; and several grandchildren. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. More information is available online.