The Buffalo State Alumni Association and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company will offer a defensive driving course for Buffalo State faculty, staff, alumni, and students on Saturday, February 29, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 113.

Save money on your auto insurance by taking this class offered through Liberty Mutual. Friends and relatives are also welcome if accompanied by a faculty or staff member, alumnus, or student. The discount is 10 percent off liability insurance in New York state, regardless of one’s auto insurance provider; this course will also remove points from your driver’s license. The cost of the class is $25 per person.

Attendees should park in Lot R-2 or along Rockwell Road and enter Ketchum Hall through the door on the west side of the building (across from Moot Hall).

To enroll, please call Damien Lawrence, Buffalo State’s local representative, at (716) 984-9111. The registration deadline for this class is Wednesday, February 26.

Come and join the conversation during the workshop “Lightening the Paper Load: Responding to Student Writing Effectively and Efficiently” on Friday, February 21, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m in Butler Library 314. Presented by Maggie Herb, assistant professor of English and director of the Writing Center. 

It’s nearly midnight; you have 15 more papers to read, and your red pen is running out of ink. Don’t despair! Come to this workshop to learn strategies to manage your paper load more efficiently—while at the same time giving your students focused, meaningful feedback that they can understand and apply. 

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

Please join the Teaching and Learning Center for the workshop “Being Mindful of Financial Aid Implications When Advising Students” on Friday, February 21, from 10:00 a.m. to noon in Chase Hall 109. Presented by Sara Reese, assistant director of the Academic Commons; Linda Rainforth, associate director of financial aid; and Cyndie Syracuse, program aide in the Student Accounts Office.

Each semester roughly 1,000 Buffalo State College students are notified that they have either lost their financial aid eligibility or are given a warning that they could lose their financial aid eligibility if their academic standing does not improve. Faculty and staff members who advise students can help guide them toward smart academic choices to keep them on track to retain or regain financial aid eligibility,* which is vital for increasing student persistence to graduation. This workshop will address the relationship between academics and financial aid and how those who advise students can help them maintain their financial aid eligibility. 

At this workshop, attendees will learn the following: 

•  What information to consider before advising a student to add, drop, or repeat a course or increase or decrease a course load to ensure that his or her financial aid eligibility is not at risk. 
• How and when Buffalo State reviews academic progress and determines financial aid eligibility.

Get your financial aid questions answered and be a part of this campuswide dialogue. 

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

*Note: The policy on Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Eligibility is different from other academic policies on campus that govern a student's eligibility to continue taking courses. A student may be eligible to take courses at Buffalo State (as an academic recovery student, or as a probationary student) but still be ineligible to receive financial aid. For additional information on the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), please visit the Financial Aid website.

Come and join the conversation during this Teaching and Learning Center workshop, “Formative Assessment Tools That Can Be Used in Face-to-Face, Online, and Hybrid Courses” on Thursday, February 20, from 12:15 to 1:300 p.m. in Chase Hall 109. Presented by Pixita del Prado Hill, professor of elementary education, and Brooke Winckelmann, instructional designer in Information Technology Services.

This presentation will provide an overview of how to use formative assessment in college classrooms to support active student learning. Specific formative assessment tools that can be used in a variety of course formats will be shared. 

Please register through the workshop management system.

Come and join the conversation during this Teaching and Learning Center workshop, “Tricks in Bengal Success Portal You Don’t Know About,” on Wednesday, February 19, from noon to 1:00 p.m. in Butler Library 314. Presented by Aimee Woznick, director of the Academic Commons.

You’ve already heard a lot about the Bengal Success Portal—you might already be using it to respond to progress reports on your students each semester, or even allowing students to book appointments during your office hours through the tool. But did you know there are a bunch of other helpful features that you might not be using? In this fun and interactive 30-minute session, you’ll learn things like how to identify and filter out students who might be struggling and in the most need of a little extra help; harnessing the behavioral science of “nudging” to help students succeed by using the system’s tools; and where to (easily!) locate essential information that will make your advising conversations richer and more productive. 

Please register through the workshop management system.

Come and join the conversation during this Teaching and Learning Center workshop, “Tricks in Bengal Success Portal You Don’t Know About,” on Tuesday, February 18, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Butler Library 314. Presented by Aimee Woznick, director of the Academic Commons.

You’ve already heard a lot about the Bengal Success Portal—you might already be using it to respond to progress reports on your students each semester, or even allowing students to book appointments during your office hours through the tool. But did you know there are a bunch of other helpful features that you might not be using? In this fun and interactive 30-minute session, you’ll learn things like how to identify and filter out students who might be struggling and in the most need of a little extra help; harnessing the behavioral science of “nudging” to help students succeed by using the system’s tools; and where to (easily!) locate essential information that will make your advising conversations richer and more productive. 

Please register through the workshop management system.

Monday, March 9, is the deadline for departments and programs to submit their student awards listings, which should include degree candidates who have received awards and scholarships during their studies at Buffalo State. Your students will be recognized in the Commencement program distributed at all three ceremonies on Saturday, May 16. Awards submission guidelines are posted under the For Faculty and Staff tab on the Commencement website. E-mail notices are also sent to department chairs and program coordinators. Please contact Academic Affairs with any questions.

Thank you for recognizing the many outstanding achievements of the baccalaureate graduating Class of 2020 and the Graduate School Class of 2020.

Come and join the conversation “Using a Team Approach to Support Students on the Autism Spectrum in the College Classroom” on Friday, February 14, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Bengal Kitchen (Student Union side room). Presented by Kathy Doody, associate professor of exceptional education; Sumana Silverheels, technology accommodations coordinator in Student Accessibility Services; and Lynne Sommerstein, lecturer in Exceptional Education.

As more students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) attend college, it is important for instructors to understand their learning needs. This workshop will give an overview of ASD and supports available for both instructors and students.

Lunch provided by United University Professions. Please register online.

Are you an instructor who has been working since September with specific students who you have come to think of highly as aware, involved, and possible leaders? If so, we urge you to personally encourage them to run in the upcoming student elections for a position on campus during the 2020–2021 school year.

There is a lot of room (58 undergraduate positions) for new people in both United Students Government and some other decision-making bodies on campus—and the time to apply is now. 

The application and full information on all available positions can be found on the Bengal Connect website (log-in required).

Applications are open through Friday, February 7. Student voting is in early March.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The first meeting of the College Senate for the spring 2020 semester will be held Friday, February 14, at 3:00 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center 217. All information pertaining to the College Senate is available on the Senate website, including the complete Senate roster and spring meeting schedule as well as all meeting podcasts, reports, and minutes. Please contact Vincent Masci, assistant to the College Senate, 878-5139, with questions.