Marketing and Communications will move the Daily Bulletin database and archives to an off-campus web host November 9–13, the final stage in the campuswide migration of all official Buffalo State Drupal websites. Daily Bulletin users are asked to refrain from submitting items to the Daily Bulletin between noon on Friday, November 9, and 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 13. Any entries submitted during this content freeze period will not carry over to the new system.

Only submissions to the Daily Bulletin will be affected during this window; readers will still receive the Daily Bulletin in their in-boxes each morning throughout the shutdown. The new Daily Bulletin site will be brought online with the same URL, and readers should see no discernible changes following the move.

Please send questions, comments, or concerns to Melissa Meehan, director of web administration, 878-3903. Thank you for your cooperation.

Please join the Teaching and Learning Center for a discussion of the importance of helping students develop professional behavior and dispositions in the college classroom on Wednesday, November 28, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Chase Hall 109.

In this session, we will (1) share ideas for how to set expectations and communicate those expectations to students, (2) provide examples of ways to build competency for success in both college and careers, and (3) offer an opportunity for participants to develop and share ideas for their own classes. This session will be facilitated by Pixita del Prado Hill, professor of elementary education, literacy, and educational leadership; Lauren Mirabella-Ormsby, lecturer in exceptional education; Angela Patti, associate professor of exceptional education; and Pamela Schuetze-Pizarro, professor of psychology.

A follow-up session in spring will address how applied learning can be used to promote in- and out-of-class professional behavior and dispositions.

The recently ratified collective bargaining agreement between NYS and UUP discontinued the Opt-Out Program under the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) for UUP employees effective January 1, 2019. Therefore, the final 2018 opt-out reimbursement will be in the paycheck of December 12, 2018.

As noted in the Planning for Option Transfer mailing sent to employees' homes, participants who have been enrolled in the Opt-Out Program based on "other" employer-sponsored health insurance coverage need not take any action and may retain the other employer coverage. If, however, they wish to enroll in NYSHIP-sponsored coverage (Empire Plan or HMO), they will be required to complete the Health Insurance Transaction (PS-404) form (PFD 78 KB) and file it with the HR Benefits Office during the established Option Transfer Period that has yet to be determined. Undated PS-404 forms may be submitted to the Employee Benefits Office in Cleveland Hall 410 or by fax at (716) 878-3068. 

Please note that employees who plan to retire in 2019 or thereafter and are eligible to receive retiree health insurance benefits will be required to be enrolled in NYSHIP just before their retirement date. Because this may require a 10-week waiting period (absent a qualifying event), employees may want to consider enrolling during the pending Option Transfer Period to avoid the extended waiting period.

All members of the Teacher Education Unit (TEU) are invited to attend the Teacher Education Council (TEC) meeting on Friday, November 9, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. in the Carmine A. Grande Conference Room, Cleveland Hall 418. Current issues in teacher education and assessment will be discussed.

The Dietitian Education Program thanks the campus community for supporting our annual chili sale again this year. All proceeds this year will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House. Thanks to your help, we were able to raise $600 for a great cause.

The winner of the 50/50 is Wendy Higgins, secretary 1 in the Music Department. The second-prize winner of a gift certificate to Chef's is Todd Benzin, educational technology specialist with RITE Services. 

Thank you again, and we hope you enjoyed your chili lunch!

Please join us for the next Professional Development Schools Consortium meeting on Friday, November 16, from 7:45 to 10:00 a.m. at Lindbergh Elementary, 184 Irving Terrace, Buffalo 14223. At the meeting, we will learn about Ken-Ton’s district-wide efforts for trauma-informed practices. We hope to see you there.

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 October 12, 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 next College Senate meeting of the fall 2018 semester will be held at 3:00 p.m. Friday, November 9, in Bulger Communication Center 217. (Please note the room change for the remaining two College Senate meetings for fall 2018—November 9 and December 14). The meeting agenda will be posted on the College Senate website on November 1. Senate meetings are recorded and posted as podcasts following the meetings. The meeting schedule for the 2018–2019 academic year 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 Buffalo State community is saddened by the death of Donald W. Blundell, ’70, ’77, director of the Campbell Student Union (retired), who died October 29, 2018. Mr. Blundell joined the Buffalo State community in 1970 and retired in 2003. He is survived by his wife, Kimberly A. Kline, professor of higher education administration at Buffalo State, and three children. The family will be present on Friday, November 2, from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the John J. Kaczor Funeral Home Inc., 5453 Southwestern Boulevard, Hamburg, NY 14075, where prayers will be said Saturday morning at 10:15 a.m. followed by a funeral service at 11:00 a.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 261 E. Main Street, Hamburg, NY 14075. Additional information is available online. Memorial contributions to Buffalo State in Mr. Blundell’s honor may be made online. Please enter “Higher Education Administration Department” in the Designation field.

Join us for a celebration of World Vegan Day, coordinated by our new director of the Bengal Kitchen and former culinary specialist with the Humane Society of the United States, Jennifer DiFrancesco, today, November 1, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Bengal Kitchen. Enjoy hearty and savory vegan recipes, and products from Hungry Plant, Daiya, Elmhurst, and more. See you there!