The Research and Creativity Council Incentive Program is accepting applications until 4:00 p.m. Friday, February 22, 2019, for funds to promote faculty research, scholarly, and creative activities. Please submit completed applications to the Sponsored Programs Office in Buckham Hall B206. Three council members have been appointed to review all applications received by the above deadline.

Incentive funds administered by the Research and Creativity Council are intended to promote faculty research, scholarly, and creative activities. Their ultimate goal is to generate additional funded programs. At the end of the award period, recipients are required to submit a report documenting the use of the funds. They are then required to submit a grant proposal within the following year to an outside sponsoring agency through the Sponsored Programs Pre-Award and Contract Services Office. Submitting a proposal through the Buffalo State College Foundation does not meet this requirement. Recipients are also obligated to participate in the Faculty and Staff Fall Forum, which takes place in October.

Expenditures considered for support under this program include travel to consult with a funding source or program officer, or to a workshop sponsored by a potential sponsor; student assistance; consultation with specialists in the field; preparation of specialized support materials for proposals (e.g., graphs, drawings, resource books); release time; and any other expense that can be justified. Funds may not be requested for the purchase of computers, laptops, etc. Also, it is not the council’s intention to directly pay an individual for writing a proposal. Please contact Jessica Berg, director of pre-award and contract services, with questions regarding the incentive application.

When issuing a student a non-passing grade (E, F, U, I, or N), please also report the student's last date of attendance when entering the grade online. This assists the Financial Aid Office in determining whether a student unofficially withdrew and whether the student is able to retain the aid he or she received.

The last date of attendance is the last date the student sat in class, took an exam, handed in homework, or actively participated in an online course. If assigning an I or N grade, the last date of attendance is the last date you met with the student to discuss progress in the course. If you have no record of a student's attending, do not enter a date. Instead, use the grade EV, which indicates that the student never attended the course.

Questions regarding this policy or procedure should be referred to the Financial Aid Office, 878-4902. The grading guide (PDF, 162 KB) may also assist you.

Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State will host a book signing with Thomas J. Reigstad, professor emeritus of English, today, December 11, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Dr. Reigstad will sign copies of his book Scribblin' for a Livin': Mark Twain's Pivotal Period in Buffalo, expanded edition. Refreshments will be served.

Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State will host a book signing with Thomas J. Reigstad, professor emeritus of English, tomorrow, December 11, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Dr. Reigstad will sign copies of his book Scribblin' for a Livin': Mark Twain's Pivotal Period in Buffalo, expanded edition. Refreshments will be served.

A disturbing incident has been reported by another SUNY institution. A scam artist pretending to be an agent from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) called and coerced an international student into paying $6,000 in false fines to avoid the threat of deportation. The student spent "a couple of hours" on the phone with the impersonator.

The criminal had only the student's first name and phone number yet was able to manipulate the student. Please encourage your students to be aware. The Department of Homeland Security or other federal agencies (IRS, Justice, etc.) will not call anyone on the phone.

Stay safe. Be aware.

All members of the Teacher Education Unit (TEU) are invited to attend the Teacher Education Council (TEC) meeting on Friday, December 14, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Carmine A. Grande Conference Room, Cleveland Hall 418. The meeting will feature a presentation by Kathleen McNerney, assistant professor of speech-language pathology, on creating badge systems for students. Current issues in teacher education and assessment will also be discussed.

New Student and Family Programs welcomes offices and departments to register for the Resource Fairs to take place during both Transfer (January 24) and First-Year (January 25) Orientations. Details on time and location are on the registration form.

The Resource Fair Registration is open to the first 30 respondents.

Thank you for helping welcome our students to Buffalo State.

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 November 9, 2018, 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 also posted to the website after they are presented to the Senate.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The final meeting of the College Senate for fall 2018 will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, December 14, 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!

From the Dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences
I am pleased to announce that Kelly Frothingham, professor of geography and planning, has accepted the position of interim associate dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences. Dr. Frothingham replaces Karen O’Quin, who is returning to the faculty of the Psychology Department after serving 18 years as associate dean. Associate professor Camille Holmgren has graciously agreed to serve as acting chair of the Geography and Planning Department.

Dr. Frothingham has served as chair of the Geography and Planning Department since 2009. She also serves as coordinator for the Great Lakes environmental science M.A. and M.S. programs, and she will continue as coordinator while serving as interim associate dean. Dr. Frothingham received her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2001, after earning her B.S. and M.S. degrees from Buffalo State. She joined the Buffalo State faculty in 2000. Her research in environmental geography focuses on human impact on streams, stream restoration, and the watershed.

Please join me in welcoming Kelly Frothingham to the SNSS dean’s office.