The campus community is invited to a photography exhibit opening and reception, "Contemplations in Nature: A Blue Economy," on Thursday, April 26, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on the main floor of Cleveland Hall (reception in Cleveland Hall 205). The exhibit will feature the work of students from one of Buffalo State's pipeline high schools: Blue Economy at Riverside Academy. The students worked in collaboration with Buffalo State and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For more information, please call Cecilia Pershyn at 878-4030.

The Buffalo State student rowing club will compete in its first regatta on Saturday, April 21, at 9:00 a.m. The Jim Schaab Collegiate Regatta will launch from Buffalo's West Side Rowing Club, located at the foot of Porter Avenue in Buffalo. Buffalo State will have three boats competing, representing both male and female students. The entire campus is invited to come and cheer on our student rowers.

Are you having difficulty using Blackboard? Do you have questions that you need answered? Would you like to learn more about how to better use the learning management system? 

A wealth of resources are available to you:

• Review the Rite Portal Knowledge Base
• Review Blackboard Help
• Review the Instructional Design and Training page

The summer and fall semester course shells have been created in Blackboard for instructors' use.

Are you trying to copy content to your new section or make your course available and you just can't remember how? All you need to get ready for the new semester in Blackboard is available on the RITE Self-Service Portal.

Please visit these links for answers to the four most frequently asked questions:

• Merge Course Rosters
• Copying a Course in Blackboard
• Make Your Course Available in Blackboard
• Instructor Access to Blackboard Course

If you need further assistance, please contact Open SUNY Support. Any campus queries related to Blackboard that Open SUNY Support is unable to address should be directed to riteportal.buffalostate.edu.

Delaware North's Alice Canaday, operational systems analyst, and Timothy Webb, Ph.D., data scientist, will present "Delaware North Data Analytics and Business Cases" on Tuesday, April 24, at 12:15 p.m. in Science and Mathematics Complex 169.

This presentation will highlight the data points on which Delaware North is currently focused, showing how the data is captured and what is being done to use that data for forecasting and predictive analysis

Delaware North manages and provides food and beverage concessions, premium dining, entertainment, lodging, and retail at many large venues and events. These include sports stadiums, entertainment complexes, national and state parks, airports, and casinos. With operations on four continents, serving half a billion guests a year, Delaware North is a world leader in culinary and hospitality. With more than 60,000 employees, Delaware North is ranked as one of the world’s largest privately held companies by Forbes magazine.

Past, present, and future Peterson Society members were celebrated at a reception hosted by the Buffalo State College Foundation Planned Giving Committee on April 12. President Katherine Conway-Turner began the program by thanking current Peterson Society members for “understanding the importance of not just giving yesterday or today, but also for tomorrow.”

Roger L. Firestien, ’79, Ph.D., senior faculty member in the International Center for Studies in Creativity, remarked, “Those who teach, and teach well, leave a legacy in their students that carries forward what they have learned into the world. My purpose in establishing funds to support Creative Studies graduate students is to leave more than knowledge and love.”

Peterson Society members from the past were featured in an In Memoriam digital display (PDF, 2.1 MB). The evening finished with a delicious interpretation of Lucille Mattern Peterson’s, ’39, traditional apple pie, prepared and served by students from the Hospitality and Tourism Department.

The Peterson Society is Buffalo State’s planned giving or legacy society. It allows you to donate a thoughtful and transformative gift to the college through a bequest, gift annuity, charitable trust, life insurance, or other estate-planning technique. Whatever your choice, you can be sure that your gift will greatly influence the future growth of Buffalo State and its students, providing a powerful and lasting impact.

Buffalo State College Foundation Inc. Planned Giving Committee

James Brandys, ’71, ’73, chair
William J. Benfanti
Ilene R. Fleischmann, ’73
Stanton H. Hudson Jr.
Richard J. Lee, ’68, ’72
Rosalyn A. Lindner
Barbara L. (Czurles) Nelson
Deborah K. Renzi
Sarita C. Samora, ’73

To become a member of the Peterson Society or for more information, please contact Michelle Rudnicki, director of corporate and foundation relations and planned giving, 878-4508. A planned gift to Buffalo State College in any amount is welcome.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The final College Senate meeting of the 2017–2018 academic year will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, May 11, in Butler Library 210. Please note the one hour earlier start time. The agenda will be posted on the College Senate website. Senate meetings are recorded and posted as podcasts on the College Senate website. Please visit the website to catch up on past Senate news, listen to podcasts of past meetings, or review meeting summaries. The schedule (PDF, 46 KB) of all upcoming College Senate meeting dates is also posted.

The College Senate Office is located in Cleveland Hall 211. Howard Reid, professor of psychology, is chair of the College Senate for the 2017–2018 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.

From the Chair of the Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee
The College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee will host the annual College Senate Caucus—the election of Senate officers for the upcoming academic year—on Friday, May 11, from 12:15 to 1:00 p.m. in Butler Library 210. The final College Senate meeting of the spring 2018 semester will follow the caucus at 2:00 p.m., also in Butler 210. Please note the one hour earlier start time. Questions may be directed to Vincent Masci, assistant to the College Senate, 878-5139.

Reports to the College Senate are posted on the College Senate website. The most recent reports are from the April 13, 2018, Senate meeting.

Podcasts are now 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.

Attention, students: 4/23/18 = 3 weeks before Finals Week! This is the time to rev up your studying. Exactly how do you prep for finals? The academic coaches at the Tutoring and Learning Center (TLC) in South Wing 320 can guide you through this process. Visit the TLC website to find academic coaches and their schedules. In addition, the handout "Top 5 Final Exam Preparation Tips" (PDF, 239 KB) provides a simple framework for navigating your next three weeks. This PDF and more are available on the Study Skills Resources page. Questions? Please e-mail Lauren Copeland, coordinator of tutoring services.