From the Chair of the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee
The scheduled nomination and election process to fill the upcoming College Senate vacancies will proceed as planned.

Two at-large College Senate positions, one University Faculty Senate position, and one University Faculty Senate alternate position will become vacant on August 31, 2020. All full-time faculty and professional staff members are eligible to run for these seats provided they meet other eligibility requirements (see below).

At-large senators represent the entirety of the college. University Faculty senators are senators within both the Buffalo State College Senate and the SUNY University Faculty Senate. The alternate attends SUNY University Faculty Senate meetings only in the absence of the university faculty senator.

A call for nominations and information about candidates’ statements will be posted on the College Senate website. The call for nominations begins at 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 13, and continues through 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 17. Elections for these positions will run from 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 20, to 11:59 p.m. Friday, April 24.

Senate elections conducted by the schools of Arts and Humanities, Education, Natural and Social Sciences, and the Professions as well as the Professional Staff Caucus (PSC) should be concluded before the College Senate election cycle (April 20).

Eligibility: Current College Senate members who are completing two consecutive terms in their respective positions are not eligible for reelection. For additional information on eligibility requirements, please consult the College Senate bylaws.

Campaigning: The College Senate Elections and Bylaws Committee strongly discourages using college e-mail services for campaigning. Please limit campaigning to the candidate statement posted on the College Senate website, available to the college community on Monday, April 20.

Please note: Individuals running for a senator position in another election may not also run for at-large senator or university faculty senator positions while the other election is being conducted. If the other election concludes during the period when nominations for at-large or university faculty senator are still being accepted, eligible individuals may self-nominate for either position.

If you are interested in being a candidate, please contact Vince Masci, assistant to the College Senate, 878-5139. We look forward to your participation in the vital process of campus governance.

From the Chair of the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee
At its March 13, 2020, meeting, the College Senate passed a resolution (DOCX , 66 KB) concerning the College Faculty Bylaws. The college faculty will vote on the approval of the bylaws included in this resolution the week of April 20–24. All college faculty are eligible to vote. The vote will be conducted using a Qualtrics poll that will be distributed by e-mail to all those who are eligible to vote. For further information about these bylaws or this vote, or to share feedback, questions, or concerns, please contact Julian Cole, chair of the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The final College Senate meeting of the spring 2020 semester will be held Friday, May 8, at 2:00 p.m. via Zoom videoconferencing. Details will be forthcoming. The podcast of the April 10 College Senate meeting is posted on the Senate website, along with the minutes and all reports from the March 13, 2020, meeting. Please contact Vincent Masci, assistant to the College Senate, with questions.

The Educational Pipeline Initiatives Office (EPIO) would like to extend a sincere thank-you to the five individuals and office who became sponsors for our Supporting West Side Families initiative. The generosity of our sponsors has made an immediate impact on our families during these challenging times. If you or your office is interested in sponsoring another local family, please e-mail EPIO for more information.

From the Chair of the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee
The College Senate will hold elections April 20–24 to fill two at-large College Senate seats, one University Faculty Senate seat, and one alternate University Faculty Senate seat. Voting will begin at 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 20, and continue until 11:59 p.m. Friday, April 24. The College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee will again use an electronic voting system supplemented by paper ballots to conduct the elections.

Our primary goals are to encourage participation in the shared governance of Buffalo State and to share information on each candidate. If you have not already visited the College Senate’s elections information site to review the candidates’ qualifications, please do so.

Voter Eligibility
All full-time academics and professionals (NU = 8; negotiating unit 8)

We urge everyone to vote electronically. Paper ballots will be sent only to voters who request them. 

Electronic Ballot

• Visit the College Senate Elections voting site.
• Log in using your e-mail user name and password.
• When you log in, the system will identify the election(s) in which you are eligible to vote. If you think you have been misidentified or some other issue arises, please contact Slade Gellin, College Senate parliamentarian.
• Please contact Vincent Masci, assistant to the College Senate, with general questions.

Paper Ballot
Paper ballots will be sent only to voters who request them. Please e-mail Vince Masci, assistant to the College Senate, to request a paper ballot. Please provide your name and phone number.

Paper ballots will be distributed before or during election week (April 20–24) and must be returned to the Senate Office by 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 24, to be counted.

Thank you for your participation in this year’s election. Please share any feedback, questions, or concerns with Julian Cole, chair of the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee.

From the Chair of the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee
At its March 13, 2020, meeting, the College Senate passed a resolution (DOCX , 66 KB) concerning the College Faculty Bylaws. The college faculty will vote on the approval of the bylaws included in this resolution the week of April 20–24. All college faculty are eligible to vote. The vote will be conducted using a Qualtrics poll that will be distributed by e-mail to all those who are eligible to vote. For further information about these bylaws or this vote, or to share feedback, questions, or concerns, please contact Julian Cole, chair of the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee.

The 2020 KidBiz Program is canceled. Please contact Andrea Lizak, associate director of the Small Business Development Center, with questions or for further information.

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.

At the Ronald MacDonald House, families are spending most of their time in their rooms. Shop on the Amazon wish list to choose crafts and activities for the children, and they will be shipped directly to the house.

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.

Share your appreciation for our essential workers and send them a digital thank-you card. The United Way of Buffalo and Erie County has partnered with local businesses, hospitals, and organizations to share these cards with essential workers on the front lines and support our community during this challenging time. Visit the United Way website to get started.

The Undergraduate Admissions Office continues to serve the needs of our prospective students. In response to the developments surrounding COVID-19, the Admissions Office has created a virtual options website, where students can register for virtual events and have their admissions questions answered. Opportunities include the following:

• Virtual Information Sessions
• Virtual One-on-One Appointments
• Virtual Tours of Campus
• Online Form for Admissions Staff to Contact Students and Answer Questions
• Virtual 360 Degree Views of Our Residence Halls
• Virtual Video Chats with Current Buffalo State Students
• Social Media Information with Links to Class of 2024 Facebook Page
• Virtual Department Presentations

Please feel free to share the virtual options website with prospective students. The Admissions Office has also created a robust communication plan to share all of the aforementioned opportunities with our prospective students.

If your department is interested in conducting a presentation, please contact Tom Karanas, assistant director of admissions.