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TIAA financial consultant Michael Spogli will be on campus for individual consultations with Buffalo State faculty and staff members on Thursday, November 29, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. in Caudell Hall 110. Appointments are required.

This is your opportunity to review your investments and allocations or set up a supplemental retirement account. Make an appointment to speak with a professional regarding your financial retirement goals. Don't delay. Visit the TIAA website to schedule your appointment today.

Brent Peterson, Fidelity director and retirement planner, will be on campus to meet with Buffalo State faculty and staff members regarding their individual retirement needs on Thursday, November 29, between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. in Cleveland Hall 205. Appointments are required.

Fidelity is committed to helping you plan for a future that’s unique to you. Meet with Fidelity's retirement planner for all your retirement planning questions. Make sure you are on track toward a future that’s unique to you. Ensure that you are saving enough for retirement and make sure you are investing properly and on track with your retirement savings.

To schedule your free one-on-one appointment, please call (844) FOR-SUNY or visit the Fidelity website.

Please help the student leadership team provide Buffalo State students with a low-cost Alternative Break experience by supporting our lunch order fundraiser. All proceeds from this fundraiser will support students participating in the Civic and Community Engagement Office's Alternative Break program to help in the rebuilding efforts in Puerto Rico with All Hands and Hearts this January.   

The lunch order deadline is Wednesday, November 28; lunch will be delivered to faculty and staff on campus on Monday, December 3, between 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Please submit your order by filling out the online order form.

Choose from

• arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas) and pernil (roast pork) and a side of tostones (fried plantains) for $6;

• arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas) and a side of tostones (fried plantains) for $4;

• a side of tostones (fried plantains) for $2; or

• chocolate-covered pretzels for $1.

This fundraiser is sponsored by the Civic and Community Engagement Office and the Health, Nutrition, and Dietetics Department.

Representatives from Buffalo State's health insurance providers—the Empire Plan, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and Independent Health—will be on campus for the annual NYS Employee Health Benefits Fair on Thursday, November 29, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Campbell Student Union Assembly Halls 1 and 2.

Representatives will be available to answer questions regarding the current health insurance plans and changes in coverage for 2019. Staff members from the Employee Benefits Office will also be present to assist employees in making changes to health insurance coverage. This is an opportunity to ensure that you are enrolled in the health insurance plan that is best for you and your family.

Information on dental and vision benefits will also be available. Attendees can have their blood pressure checked, find out their body mass and pulse index, learn the benefits of and sample massage therapy, and learn about the Weight Watchers program, all free of charge.

Meet our EAP coordinators and obtain helpful information regarding our Employee Assistance Program. Call Human Resource Management at 878-4821 with questions, and please stop by our benefits fair on November 29.

The deadline to submit proposals to the Grant Allocation Committee (GAC) for spring 2019 funding has been extended to Monday, November 26. The GAC requests proposals from individuals, departments, and student clubs and organizations for funding of programs, speakers, and events to take place during the 2018–2019 academic year.

Applications for funding and complete details of requirements may be found on the Student Affairs website. All proposals must be submitted electronically to marzolkl@buffalostate.edu with one hard copy delivered to Cleveland Hall 513.

Questions about the GAC may be addressed to Kathy Marzolf, secretary 2, 878-4704.

The Buffalo State Research and Creativity Council (RCC) will conduct the workshop "Preparing an Incentive Grant Proposal" on Thursday, November 29, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Cleveland Hall 418. Feel free to bring a brown-bag lunch.

Do you need base funding for your research project? Do you want to launch your creative ideas into bigger projects? The Research Incentive Awards Program, sponsored by the RCC, funds a variety of research, scholarly, and creative projects with the intention of enhancing future proposal submissions to outside agencies. Jessica Berg, director of pre-award and contract services, will provide an overview of the program and offer tips for proposal preparation. Robert Warren, Research and Creativity Council chair and a past recipient of the program, will be on hand to share his know-how in preparing a competitive application.

A successful research incentive grant proposal is one that is well-prepared, thoughtfully planned, and concisely packaged. The RCC wants to help make your research incentive grant proposal a success. The maximum request for an incentive proposal is $7,000. The funds support activities that lead to the preparation of a competitive proposal to an external agency. For example, these funds could be used to perform preliminary survey research, gather pilot data, hire a graduate assistant to perform literature reviews, or cover travel expenses to meet with experts in the field. Salary for the faculty or staff member developing the grant is not supported. The next deadline date is February 28, 2019.

RSVP to Gina Game, Research and Creativity Council administrator, by Monday, November 26.

Please join members and leaders of the Student Civic Leadership Board for a community service project to help the Erie County Medical Center lift the spirits of patients during the holidays on Tuesday, November 27, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the breezeway between South Wing and Twin Rise. Come and spend 10 minutes or the whole hour making holiday and motivational cards. Coloring is also a great way to reduce stress.

RSVP to the Civic and Community Engagement Office, 878-3919.

Proposals for the E. O. Smith Arts and Humanities Faculty Development Fund are due by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, November 25. Completed applications must be submitted online.

These competitive, peer-reviewed projects funded at $2,000–$7,000 support opportunities for the professional development of full-time Buffalo State faculty members in the arts and the humanities. Eligible candidates must be members of departments included in the arts (art, design, art conservation, theater, music, dance) or the humanities (history, art history, museum studies, philosophy, religious studies, literature, English, modern and classical languages) and who teach discipline-specific courses in the arts and humanities.

Information about the fund and application process is posted on Blackboard. The announcement of funded proposals will be made in December, and expenses according to the approved budget must be incurred during the 2019 calendar year (January 1–December 31, 2019).

Please contact Academic Affairs with any questions.

Letters from President Conway-Turner notifying UUP employees that they will receive a discretionary award were mailed on Wednesday, November 14. UUP employees who did not receive an award letter are reminded that they may appeal the decision by Monday, November 26, as follows:

Appeal Process
Any eligible faculty or professional staff member who is not notified by the president of an award by the designated date should assume that his or her name was not on the preliminary list. Employees not scheduled for an award, and employees dissatisfied with the amount of their award, may file an appeal with the Appeals Board. 

The Appeals Board includes the president, provost, vice presidents, CIO, deans, and other administrative staff members selected by the president. The board will consider written appeals of no more than 600 words. The board meets in closed session, and testimony or personal appeals are by invitation only.
 
Written appeals, addressed to the president, must be delivered to the President’s Office by 5:00 p.m. Monday, November 26. We encourage electronic submission of appeals to discrappeal@buffalostate.edu. Copies of the appeal must also be provided to the appropriate vice president, dean, director, and department chair.

Appeal candidates will be notified of the outcome of the appeal by Tuesday, December 4.

Discretionary awards will be reflected in the paychecks dated December 26, 2018.