The Buffalo State College community is saddened by the death of Hugh M. Neil, associate professor emeritus of art education, who died March 26, 2020. Dr. Neil joined the college in 1964 and retired in 1999. He is survived by a daughter and two grandchildren. More information is available online.

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 outbreak.

Pets and pet owners are being affected by the COVID-19 health crisis, too. Please consider helping our furry friends and their owners. Operation PETS is a local organization that is dedicated to improving animal welfare by providing high-quality, affordable pet health care to the underserved population of Buffalo and Western New York. You can shop with Amazon Smile to purchase some of the items from the Operation PETS wish list.

Buffalo State’s Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship (USRF) program will continue in 2020 with modifications as necessary in response to COVID-19 concerns. USRF supports eight weeks of full-time research, scholarly, and creative activities. USRF applications are welcome from Buffalo State undergraduates in all disciplines with a graduation date of December 2020 or later. Each fellowship provides a student stipend of $3,000, a faculty mentor stipend of $1,000, and $500 for supplies or equipment to support the project.

Student project proposals for USRF 2020 must reflect the president’s announcements on college-funded travel restrictions and density limitations, and the interim provost's directive suspending all in-person human subjects research until further notice. To learn more about the program and access the online application portal, please visit the USRF program page on the Undergraduate Research Office website. The deadline for student applications has been extended to 10:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 15; mandatory faculty mentor approval will be due by 10:00 p.m. Friday, April 17.

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 outbreak.

If you want to help the American Red Cross but are unable to give blood, become a blood drive donor ambassador who provides excellent and enthusiastic customer service and enhances the donor experience for those donating blood. Or help the Red Cross keep its blood drives running smoothly and prevent a blood shortage by volunteering to be a transportation specialist or blood donor screener.

Please visit the Red Cross website or watch the video for more 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 outbreak.

Compeer is seeking new volunteers who will be matched in one-to-one friendship relationships with youth, adults, older adults, or veterans living with a mental health challenge. Volunteers are mentors who become positive role models, help raise self-esteem, increase social and communication skills, and encourage independence for their Compeer friends.

For more information, please visit the Compeer website to access the online application.

Please join the Weigel Wellness Center and Heal Buffalo for lunchtime Zoom Yoga today at noon. This event is free for all students and staff. Before participating in any exercise program, please consult with your primary care physician, and do not attempt any exercises that you are not comfortable doing.

The Buffalo State College Counseling Center remains open and is here to support our students. Although we have temporarily suspended in-person services in accordance with social distancing guidelines, counseling is available via telehealth services. Our hours are Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To schedule a phone screening with a counselor, students can call 878-4436. Please visit the Counseling Center website for more information and helpful tips on caring for your mental health during this challenging time.

"Understanding the 2020 Census" is a series of Daily Bulletin posts meant to help educate the campus about the 2020 census. Please share this information with your colleagues, students, and neighbors. 

April 1 or Census Day is observed nationwide every 10 years when the country is in the midst of the decennial census. By this date, every address should have received an invitation to participate in the 2020 census.

Here are four ways you can support Buffalo State College student and community engagement in responding to the 2020 census.

Complete the Census for Your Household
Completing the census takes about 10 minutes, and its impact lasts 10 years. Respond to the census for your household or help a less tech-savvy friend or neighbor complete the census online. 

Share with Students
College students are a unique population whose inclusion in the 2020 census count is critical. It can be confusing to know how and where they should respond. Please share this information with students you know: 

• Buffalo State students should respond to the census based on where they were living on March 1, 2020. Here's how:

  > Off-campus apartment or house: Respond to the census using the address of your off-campus apartment or house and include any roommates or family members who live with you 51 percent of the time, or were living with you on March 1, 2020.

  > Dorms: You do not need to respond to the census because you'll automatically be counted by Buffalo State based on what dorm you were living in on March 1, 2020. 

Share on Social Media
Share the most up-to-date and accurate Census Bureau news and information with your friends, family, and neighbors on social media. You can use these graphics on social media or see your community's response to the census with this interactive map. Remember, the goal is to count 100 percent of households in the United States. 

Participate in a Digital Census Help Desk
With our in-person outreach efforts restricted by COVID-19, we've had to get creative! Join the Civic and Community Engagement Office each Wednesday beginning today, April 1, until Wednesday, May 27, from noon to 12:30 p.m. as we share information about the impact of the census and answer any questions you might have. Find us on social media and Blackboard Collaborate. We're also hosting a virtual workshop titled "How Does the Census Impact Me?" in collaboration with Student Leadership and Engagement on Monday, April 6, at noon. Please share this information with anyone who may be interested.

Over the last week, there have been reports of “Zoombombing,” a phrase that refers to uninvited guests crashing video conferences to be disruptive.

Here are some suggestions to prevent any unwanted users from potentially joining your Blackboard Collaborate Ultra sessions:

• When creating sessions for your course, consider Adding the Blackboard Collaborate Tool Link to your Blackboard Course and making it visible to your students whenever possible. This enables only the students enrolled in your course to log in to Blackboard and join a session.
• When you do share a Guest Link for sessions you’ve created, avoid making the link public (on a website, for example) in order to limit access to only those for whom the session is intended. A web link in the content area of your course or a direct e-mail would be best.
• Create specific sessions with start and end dates when possible.
• For staff members with separate Blackboard Collaborate Ultra Supervisor accounts, be sure to set your password for access to your account based on our Tips for creating a secure password/passphrases.

When in a session, remember you can do the following:

• Use Session Settings to take away the ability of participants to share their video, share their audio, post in the chat, and draw on the whiteboard and files.
• Watch the Attendee list for uninvited participants.
• Mute all participants from the “More options” icon at the top of your Attendee list.
• Remove individual participants from the session using the Moderator controls icon to the right of individual names in the Attendee list.

For more information, please use the resources listed on our Blackboard Collaborate training page. This page includes video tutorials and includes support for students using mobile apps. This page also presents a link to all IT Knowledge Base articles about Blackboard Collaborate.

Buffalo State College’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a confidential information, assessment, and referral service available to all New York State employees, retirees, and their family members. EAP is designed to help employees cope with personal issues that affect their lives and may impair their work performance, such as emotional stress, family disintegration, or financial or legal difficulties.

If you need assistance, please leave a message on the confidential voice mail system at 878-6699 and a coordinator will return your call promptly, or refer to the EAP website.