From the Chair of the College Senate
The final meeting of the College Senate for fall 2018 will be held tomorrow, December 14, at 2:00 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center 217. (Please note the room change and the one hour earlier time change to accommodate the campus holiday party.) The meeting agenda is posted on the College Senate website. Senate meetings are recorded and posted as podcasts following the meetings. The meeting schedule for the spring 2019 semester and all past agendas are available on the College Senate website. The College Senate Office is located in Cleveland Hall 211. Joseph Marren, professor of communication, serves as chair of the College Senate for the 2018–2019 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.

The College Senate wishes everyone a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season and a very happy new year in 2019!

The Buffalo State community is saddened by the death of Paul R. Beaudet, professor emeritus of geography, who died December 9, 2018. Dr. Beaudet joined the college in 1961 and retired in 1997. Private services will be held in New York City in January.

A big thank-you to everyone who so kindly and generously supported the 22nd annual Student Art Sale. Through this event, students participated in a "real world" experience, tested their works in the marketplace, supported the visual arts programs, and earned some money at the same time.

Thanks again, and happy holidays to all!

Eligible adult children of NYSHIP enrollees may enroll in the Young Adult Option and current Young Adult Option enrollees may switch plans during the Option Transfer Period (December 10, 2018–January 18, 2019). The Young Adult Option allows unmarried adult children under the age of 30 to purchase their own NYSHIP coverage at the full-cost individual rate. Coverage applies only to medical benefits. Enrollment in the NYS dental and vision plan is not available through this benefit.

For additional information on the Young Adult Option, please visit the NYSHIP website or call the Employee Benefits Division at (800) 833-4344.

Note: Young adult children of NYSHIP enrollees are eligible to continue coverage as dependents under the enrollee's family coverage up to age 26.

Health insurance rates for 2019 have been established and are now available on the Human Resource Management website.

Employees who wish to change their health insurance plan for the coming year have until Friday, January 18. We encourage you to complete the option transfer form (PDF, 78 KB) and return it to Cleveland Hall 410 as soon as possible. Coverage changes will be effective December 27, 2018. The earliest paycheck in which a deduction change will be made is the check of December 12. Based on payroll deadlines, deduction changes related to the option-change request may be made in a future paycheck and will include adjustments retroactive to the beginning of the plan year. This will result in retroactive premium adjustments.

The 2019 “Choices” booklet (PDF, 1.4 MB), a comparison of the health insurance plans, and an Empire Plan supplement (PDF, 790 KB) is also available online. You may want to review this information before you decide whether to change insurance carriers or remain with your current carrier for your health insurance coverage.

No action is required if you wish to keep your current health insurance option.

Please call the Employee Benefits Office at 878-4821 with questions.

The SUNY Conference on Instruction and Technology (CIT 2019) will take place May 28–31, 2019, on the campus of SUNY Purchase. All SUNY campuses, state-operated, statutory, and community colleges are invited to submit abstracts to present at this conference.    

This year’s theme, "Elevate Learning: Transforming Challenges into Solutions," is supported by the following tracks:

• Pedagogically Speaking
• Learning Spaces and Places
• Emerging Technologies and Digital Strategies
• Measuring Effectiveness
• Open Education

Abstract submissions are being accepted at the introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels and in the following formats: presentation, panel, birds of a feather, hands-on demo, ignite, workshop, special interest group, and poster. 

To submit an abstract, please visit the SUNY CIT presentation portal and follow the instructions to use your SUNY sign-in or create an account if you don’t already have one. Once you have set up an account, select "Abstract Submission" from the top menu bar to begin.

Proposals are due by Monday, December 31.

EdTPA e-voucher applications are available. To be eligible to apply for an edTPA e-voucher, candidates must have been enrolled in an educator preparation program seeking their first NYS Initial Certificate during the 2017–2018 academic year or later, and have successfully completed all other certification requirements (EAS, CST, fingerprinting, Release Authorization form, TEACH application). If you think you are eligible to apply for an edTPA e-voucher, or if you have questions about the eligibility requirements, please call the Teacher Certification Office at 878-6121.

Are you a faculty member who has advising responsibilities? Would you like to improve the quality of student advising on campus? Please take just one minute to respond to this very brief survey designed by the Academic Advising Advisory Council. The resulting data will be used to inform the design of professional development activities and resources and to make recommendations regarding advising policies and practices on campus. Thank you.

The New York State Education Department, Office of Higher Education (NYSED-OTI), has issued Buffalo State College a limited number of e-vouchers (electronic vouchers) to be distributed to students to help defray the cost of the registration fees for the New York State teacher certification exams (NYSTCE). There are two different voucher types: one for the EAS, one for the CST. Students should check their Buffalo State e-mail accounts and the Teacher Certification website for eligibility requirements, directions, and the application.

From the President's Council on Equity and Campus Diversity
Nominations are encouraged for the Dr. Muriel A. Howard Presidential Award for the Promotion of Equity and Campus Diversity. The award recognizes faculty and staff members who promote respect for diversity and individual differences through classroom discussions, curricular experiences, out-of-classroom activities, projects, conversations, or special mentorships that go beyond what is usually expected as a part of their regular job expectations or teaching assignments.

We welcome nominations from students, faculty, and staff so that we might acknowledge members of our community who live the values of respect for diversity and advocacy for social justice at an awards reception at the end of the spring 2019 semester.

The award criteria can be found on the Equity and Campus Diversity website. Please take some time over the winter break and early spring semester to think about potential nominees and watch for the 2018–2019 nomination form and further information on the deadline and award ceremony in early March.

Please contact the Equity and Campus Diversity Office, Cleveland Hall 415, 878-6210, with questions.