Please join us for the panel discussion "Education in Myanmar: Examining Race, Gender, and Religion" on Thursday, September 12, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center 217. Panelists are Dr. Thet Su Htwe, a physician and activist; Kyaw Thein, a civil engineer and activist; Thamora Fishel, associate director of Cornell University's Southeast Asia Program; Rhoda Linton, international feminist and activist; and Ph.D. students from Cornell University.

Myanmar, also known as Burma, is one of Asia’s most diverse nations, with over 100 languages spoken and a huge range of cross-cutting ethnic and religious identities and communities. During the colonial period, the linked domains of religion and education were catalysts for the independence movement. Since independence (at the end of World War II), education has been used as a tool for building national unity, but it has also served as a flashpoint for the many groups seeking autonomy and self-determination. The education system also powerfully reflects wider discourses and practices of national inclusion and exclusion. This panel will discuss the religious and colonial foundations of the education system in Myanmar and share how race, gender, and religion shape pedagogy and students’ experiences of learning in contemporary Myanmar.

Sponsored by the Cornell University Southeast Asia Program, with partial funding from a Title VI NRC grant from the U.S. Department of Education and the Buffalo State Honors Program.

Please join us for "Breaking Stereotypes, Breaking Boundaries: Life Stories of Muslim Feminists from Myanmar," featuring Thet Su Htwe and Kyaw Thein, on Thursday, September 12, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center 216.

Muslim feminists in Myanmar find themselves a religious minority within a gender minority. Not many women are feminists, and not many of them are Muslim. And not many self-identified Muslim feminists work with Muslim women’s groups. Family activities generally keep Muslim women close to home. Most Muslim women who are active outside the home and family follow traditional activities either in religious or NGO groups, primarily in cities, while some Muslim women work in family businesses.

As a family physician who teaches about sexuality, Dr. Thet Su Htwe (aka Zakia), and Kyaw Thein (a.k.a. Myo Thazin Kyaw), a civil engineer, immediately break the stereotype of Muslim women in Myanmar. Taking on beliefs, attitudes, and actions as feminists automatically leads them to defy expectations and break boundaries. They will tell stories from their lives that make these breaks real.  

Sponsored by the Cornell University Southeast Asia Program, with partial funding from a Title VI NRC grant from the U.S. Department of Education, and the Buffalo State Honors Program.

The Buffalo State community is saddened by the death of Sharon L. Wojnowicz, clerk 2 in the Registrar’s Office (retired), who died August 24, 2019. Ms. Wojnowicz joined the college in 2001 and retired in 2011. She is survived by two children and four grandchildren. Prayers will be said today, August 30, at 9:45 a.m. at the John J. Kaczor Funeral Home, 3450 South Park Avenue, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Victory Basilica, 767 Ridge Road, Lackawanna. More information is available online.

The Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore is now selling Legos. We have Legos for all ages, including Harry Potter, architecture, and sets for children. Don't forget to ask for your faculty-staff discount.

From the Chair of the College Senate
College Senate meetings for the fall 2019 semester will be held as follows:

Fall 2019
September 13  |  3:00 p.m.  |  Bulger Communication Center 423
October 11  |  3:00 p.m.  |  Bulger Communication Center 423
November 8  |  3:00 p.m.  |  Bulger Communication Center 423
December 13  |  2:00 p.m.  |  Bulger Communication Center 215

The College Senate Office is located in Cleveland Hall 211. Joseph Marren, professor of communication, serves as chair of the College Senate for the 2019–2020 academic year. Please stop by the office, call 878-5139, or e-mail Vincent Masci, assistant to the College Senate, with questions or for general information.

From the Director of Equity and Campus Diversity
The fall semester deadline for Equity and Campus Diversity Minigrant proposals for 2019–2020 is Friday, October 11. Consistent with the college’s mission, minigrants provide financial assistance for projects, workshops, and activities that have institutional impact—strengthening Buffalo State’s inclusive excellence toward diversity as described by our mission statement, core values, and strategic plan.

Applications must be submitted at least four weeks in advance of proposed events.

For additional information, please visit the Equity and Campus Diversity website.

From the Chair of the College Senate
Reports to the College Senate are posted on the College Senate website. The most recent reports are from the May 10, 2019, Senate meeting.

Podcasts serve as the official audio record of each College Senate meeting. If you missed a Senate meeting and want to catch up, podcasts are posted to the Senate's podcasts web page. Senate meeting summaries are posted to the website after they are presented to the Senate.

The Student Conduct and Community Standards Office (SCCS), in collaboration with United Students Government and the Residence Life Office, will host a Campus Community Circle to celebrate the opening of the Restorative Justice Center (Porter Hall 15) on Wednesday, September 4, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the Student Union Plaza. All students are invited to participate in the discussion “Exploring the Dimensions of Our Identity,” which will include a conversation about talking circles, a core component of the restorative justice process. A talking circle, sometimes called a peacemaking circle, uses a structural framework to build relationships and to address conflict within a community.

For more information about the Restorative Justice Center, please contact the SCCS, 878-3051, or visit the SCCS website.

From the Director of Equity and Campus Diversity
The fall semester deadline for Equity and Campus Diversity Minigrant proposals for 2019–2020 is Friday, October 11. Consistent with the college’s mission, minigrants provide financial assistance for projects, workshops, and activities that have institutional impact—strengthening Buffalo State’s inclusive excellence toward diversity as described by our mission statement, core values, and strategic plan.

Applications must be submitted at least four weeks in advance of proposed events.

For additional information, please visit the Equity and Campus Diversity website.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The first College Senate meeting of the 2019–2020 academic year will be held at 3:00 p.m. Friday, September 13, in Bulger Communication Center 423 (second level). The College Senate meeting schedule will be posted on the College Senate website. New Senator Orientation for newly elected senators will be held Thursday, September 5, during Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.) in the Grande Conference Room, Cleveland Hall 418. Please direct questions to Vincent Masci, assistant to the College Senate, 878-5139. The College Senate Office is located in Cleveland Hall 211.