The Instructional Design and Training Department, the Teaching and Learning Center, and the Professional Development Center are offering workshops and trainings to support the move to remote learning. New workshops are being continually added, so please check the Workshop Registration System regularly for updates and to register for sessions.

Webinars offered through the Open SUNY Help Desk have also been added to the Workshop Registration System, and can be found on the SUNY Center for Professional Development website. 

Drop-in instructional design support sessions have been created to assist with remote course preparation. Join a live meeting for SUNY instructional design support for emergency remote teaching during the following hours:

• Monday–Friday: 7:00 a.m.–midnight
• Saturday: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
• Sunday: 1:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.

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. The American Red Cross is facing a severe blood shortage. Healthy individuals are needed to donate now to help patients counting on lifesaving blood. Please call (800) 733-2767 (800 RED-CROS) or visit the website to schedule your appointment today.

In lieu of in-person check retrieval from Cleveland Hall, the Payroll Office will mail paychecks to employees who are not enrolled in the New York State Direct Deposit Program. Paychecks will be mailed to the address printed on the check beginning with the April 1, 2020, pay day. This includes all faculty, staff, student assistant, and work study student checks from New York State. Please visit NYS Payroll Online as soon as possible to verify that your address is current and accurate.

Student assistant and work study supervisors, please inform your student employees of this change. Payroll staff will also notify affected employees by e-mail to inform them of this change. Payroll will call employees who may not have access to e-mail. To enroll in Direct Deposit, please complete the Direct Deposit Form for NYS Employees (PDF 370 KB) and return it to the Payroll Office, Cleveland Hall 408.

Again, employees are encouraged to visit NYS Payroll Online to make address changes, view and print pay stubs, go paperless, view and print W2s, or change federal or state tax withholdings.

A tutorial for using New York State Payroll Online Self-Service (PDF, 91 KB) can be found on the Human Resource Management website.

The Marketing and Communications Office has been working with partners throughout campus to provide daily updates related to COVID-19 across a number of communication platforms. The office has integrated additional resources related to services for faculty and staff:

• Coronavirus Information – Please continue to monitor your Buffalo State e-mail account and the Buffalo State Coronavirus Information website, which includes all related communications sent to our college community, a set of frequently asked questions, and the most recent updates.
• Daily Bulletin – The Daily Bulletin, which is normally on hiatus during spring break, will be published March 23–27 to provide a consistent channel of communication throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Please submit information and updates that your office or program has to share with colleagues.
• Service Catalog for Marcomm – Please visit the online Service Catalog to request services related to advertising and marketing, creative services, photography, publicity, video, and web.
• Drupal Website Training – Drupal training for the web is now taught remotely via Blackboard Collaborate. Learn how to update and manage your Buffalo State website from wherever you are working. Training sessions cover the fundamentals of how to create, edit, and maintain your department or office site while maintaining site accessibility. Please register through the Workshop Registration System.
• Web Support – Request web support, including site creation, updates, images, technical help, and more, via the IT self-service portal ticketing system.

Please e-mail Marketing and Communications with questions.

Because of the high-wind watch issued by the National Weather Service for Friday, March 20, please ensure that windows are kept closed, and be mindful when opening or closing outside entrance doors to be certain that they re-latch. Thank you.

The Daily Bulletin will continue to publish March 23–27 to facilitate communication during the coronavirus outbreak. Faculty and staff members may submit items as usual. The deadline is 2:00 p.m. for publication the next business day. Please see submission guidelines for more information or contact the editor with questions.

TIAA will host a special webinar and share perspectives on the recent market volatility on Wednesday, March 25, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. The webinar will cover what's driving current volatility and some strategies to help you deal with the current market swings, as well as what this could mean for you. Register online today for this live webinar.

From the Chair of the College Senate
Minutes of the February 14 College Senate meeting are now posted on the College Senate website. The official podcast and reports from the March 13 meeting will be available soon.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The April 10 meeting of the College Senate will be held using video technologies in compliance with state and local directives during the COVID-19 crisis. This will be the first time an official Buffalo State College Senate meeting does not convene in person. The College Senate is committed to continuing its work and supports all mandates for limitations on large public gatherings in an effort to keep everyone safe. All senators are expected to remotely participate in the meeting as they would normally. Details will be forthcoming on options for remote access to the April 10 Senate meeting. Please contact Vincent Masci, assistant to the College Senate, 878-5139, with questions.

From the Chair of the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee
Please note: 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.