Coincidental with Buffalo’s “Mark Twain in Buffalo Day,” E. H. Butler Library's Archives and Special Collections received notification of an approved $15,000 grant to begin digitizing Buffalo State’s microfilm editions of the Courier-Express newspaper. The grant is from the Western New York Library Resources Council’s  Regional Bibliographic Data Bases and Interlibrary Resources Sharing Program.

The first phase of this project will make available online, keyword-searchable editions of the Courier from October 1977 to September 1982, totaling roughly 99,450 pages. Phase one is expected to be completed by the end of the calendar year.

The Archives and Special Collections already maintains an index to the more than 1 million items in its physical article and images newspaper morgue; digitization of this material will lead to text-searchable remote access to the collection for students and other scholars 24/7.

“The Courier is our most regularly accessed collection," said grant manager and special collections archivist Hope Dunbar. "This is a monumental first step in making the full run of the Courier-Express newspaper available and accessible online for the local and national community. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am. This is part of a multiyear effort to shift the Archives and Special Collections to an increasingly digital model of archiving and retention of our historic resources.”

As a reminder, beginning with the spring 2018 semester, no State University of New York (SUNY) campus may include questions regarding criminal history on admissions applications; however, admitted students who are seeking campus housing, clinical or field experiences, internships, or study-abroad programs can be asked if they have been convicted of a felony as part of the application process for those programs and services.

SUNY policy prohibits Buffalo State admission applications from inquiring into an applicant’s prior criminal history. After acceptance, the college shall inquire if the student has previously been convicted of a felony if such individual seeks campus housing or participation in clinical or field experiences, internships, or study-abroad programs. The information required to be disclosed under SUNY policy regarding such felony convictions shall be reviewed by a standing campus committee consistent with the legal standards articulated in New York State Corrections Law. Students who have previously been convicted of a felony are advised that their prior criminal history may impede their ability to complete the requirements of certain academic programs or to meet licensure requirements for certain professions. Students who have concerns about such matters are advised to contact the dean’s office of their intended academic program or the Dean of Students Office.

Students who indicate that they have been convicted of a felony will be reviewed by a standing review committee chaired by the dean of students. The dean of students has been designated as the campus liaison with parole, probation, and correctional alternatives offices.

Please contact Sarah M. Young, dean of students, 878-4618, with questions regarding the policy or committee.

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.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The College Senate will hold its annual New Senator Orientation on Thursday, September 5, during Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.) in the Grande Conference Room, Cleveland Hall 418. Formal invitations have been sent to all newly elected senators. Please check your e-mail for your invitation, and contact Vincent Masci, assistant to the College Senate, 878-5139, with questions.

The College Senate Office thanks all those who submitted Standing Committee Interest Forms for 2019–2020. The information has been forwarded to the appropriate committee chairs. Committee chairs who need members will directly contact those who have expressed an interest in serving. The Senate Office does not officiate over committee memberships. Please contact the respective committee chair with questions:

Academic Plan Committee Chair
Jason Grinnell, Chair and Associate Professor of Philosophy

Budget and Staff Allocations Committee Chair
Ted Schmidt, Professor of Economics and Finance

Bylaws and Elections Committee Chair
Julian Cole, Associate Professor of Philosophy

Curriculum Committee Chair
Bhakti Sharma, Associate Professor of Interior Design

Faculty and Staff Welfare Committee Chair
Maria Brickhouse, Coordinator of the Academic Center of Excellence, Educational Opportunity Program

Instruction and Research Committee Chair
Arlesa Shephard, Associate Professor, Fashion and Textile Technology

Standards for Students Committee Chair
Marguerite “Meg” Knowles, Associate Professor of Communication

Student Welfare Committee Vice Chair*
Steve Macho, Associate Professor, Career and Technical Education

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*The Student Welfare Committee chair is a student senator who works with the vice chair.

From the Chair of the College Senate
College Senate meetings for the 2019–2020 academic year will be held on the following dates:

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

Spring 2020 (location TBA early fall)
February 14  |  3:00 p.m.  
March 13  |  3:00 p.m.
April 10  |  3:00 p.m.  
May 8  |  2:00 p.m.

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.

University Police will conduct an emergency response training fire drill on campus on Friday, August 16, from 10:45 a.m. to noon. Conducted in concert with the Buffalo Fire Department, the Buffalo State Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Residence Life, and the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control, the drill will include a mock fire in Tower 2 using fog machines to simulate smoke. Buildings in close proximity to Tower 2—Upton Hall, Science and Math Complex, Moore Complex, and the other towers—may be affected. For this training exercise, you may see fire trucks, police action, smoke, and actors portraying victims in the area of Tower 2. Do not be alarmed. This is a simulated event. 

The goal of this exercise is to train first responders in the event of a fire, shooting, terrorist attack, or other critical incident on campus.

If you have questions, please call University Police at 878-6333.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has ordered flags on state government buildings to be flown at half-staff in honor of New York State Trooper Sgt. Jeffrey M. Cicora, who died from an illness resulting from his work at the World Trade Center site following the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Sgt. Cicora joined the State Police in 1992. He was assigned to New York City after the September 11 terrorist attacks to help with search-and-rescue efforts, and he retired from the State Police in 2017 because of an illness caused by his work at the World Trade Center site. He served his entire 24-year career with the State Police in Troop D. He was a native of Auburn and lived in Baldwinsville.

"Sgt. Cicora is a hero who risked his health and ultimately sacrificed his life to help others following one of our country's darkest days," Governor Cuomo said. "His death is a reminder of the selfless actions so many brave first responders took that day and in the weeks that followed. He represents the very best of New York, and we will never forget him. On behalf of the New York family, I extend our deepest gratitude to Sgt. Cicora and am directing that flags be flown at half-staff to honor his memory."

Flags will return to full staff upon his interment.

If you are a PowerPoint user, please join us for a TurningPoint hands-on event with Susie Liebschneron, Turning Technologies account consultant, on Wednesday, August 21, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in Bulger Communication Center 122. Learn how easy it is to add polling questions to new or existing PowerPoint presentations. This session will teach you everything you need to know to get up and running with PowerPoint polling, including:

• creating a presentation,
• setting up hardware or mobile,
• running a presentation,
• saving session data,
• generating reports, and
• connecting TurningPoint with your Blackboard courses.

Register for the PowerPoint polling session today.

The Q&A session is from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Stop by anytime to ask questions about TurningPoint; no registration is required.

For more information, please contact Brooke Winckelmann, instructional designer.

The Student Organization Re-Recognition process is underway. To ensure the educational integrity of co-curricular activities on campus, the college has established registration procedures for student organizations. Student Leadership and Engagement is responsible for overseeing the recognition process. All student organizations, including those that are already recognized at Buffalo State, must annually apply for re-recognition in order to continue being considered affiliated entities of Buffalo State. It is the responsibility of the student organization to complete this process. The Student Organization Re-Recognition process for 2019–2020 runs from Monday, April 1, through Friday, September 6.

If you are a faculty or staff member who currently advises a student organization, please pass along this information to your students.

Re-Recognition Process for Returning Student Organizations

1. Complete the Buffalo State Re-Recognition form through Student Leadership and Engagement.
2. Provide an updated active membership roster of at least seven Buffalo State students, including the newly elected executive board (president, vice president, treasurer, secretary) for the 2019–2020 academic year. All executive board members must be registered as full-time (12 credits), matriculated Buffalo State students.
3. Submit the student organization's most recent constitution and bylaws.
4. Submit an updated Adviser Agreement Form. Student organization advisers must be full-time Buffalo State faculty or staff members.

More information related to student organizations at Buffalo State can be found on the Student Leadership and Engagement website.

Buffalo State recognizes that student clubs and organizations are an important part of the college experience. Student Leadership and Engagement has a team of people available to answer any questions and assist student organizations in this process. Please contact us with questions.