From the Chair of the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee
Three at-large College Senate positions will become vacant on August 31, 2018. Two seats are reserved for academics only, and one seat is open to academics and professionals. At-large senators represent the entirety of the college. All full-time faculty and professional staff members (PSC) are eligible to seek the position provided they meet other eligibility requirements (see below).

A call for nominations and information about candidates’ statements can be found on the College Senate website. The call for nominations for all positions begins at 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 16, and continues through 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 20. Elections for these positions will run from 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 23, to 11:59 p.m. Friday, April 27.

Senate elections conducted by the schools of Arts and Humanities, Education, Natural and Social Sciences, and the Professions as well as the Professional Staff Caucus (PSC) should be concluded before the election cycle for the at-large seats.

Eligibility: Current College Senate members who are completing two consecutive terms in their respective positions are not eligible for reelection. For additional information on eligibility requirements, please consult the College Senate bylaws.

Campaigning: The College Senate Elections and Bylaws Committee strongly discourages using college e-mail services for campaigning. Please limit campaigning to the candidate statement posted on the College Senate website (available to the college community beginning Monday, April 16).

Please note: Individuals running for a senator position in another election may not also run for at-large positions while the other election is being conducted. If the other election concludes during the period when nominations for at-large senator positions are still being accepted, eligible individuals may self-nominate for an at-large position.

If you are interested in being a candidate, please contact Vince Masci, assistant to the College Senate, 878-5139. We look forward to your participation in the vital process of campus governance.

From the Chair of the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee
Three at-large College Senate positions will become vacant on August 31, 2018. Two seats are reserved for academics only, and one seat is open to academics and professionals. At-large senators represent the entirety of the college. All full-time faculty and professional staff members (PSC) are eligible to seek the position provided they meet other eligibility requirements (see below).

A call for nominations and information about candidates’ statements can be found on the College Senate website. The call for nominations for all positions begins at 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 16, and continues through 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 20. Elections for these positions will run from 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 23, to 11:59 p.m. Friday, April 27.

Senate elections conducted by the schools of Arts and Humanities, Education, Natural and Social Sciences, and the Professions as well as the Professional Staff Caucus (PSC) should be concluded before the election cycle for the at-large seats.

Eligibility: Current College Senate members who are completing two consecutive terms in their respective positions are not eligible for reelection. For additional information on eligibility requirements, please consult the College Senate bylaws.

Campaigning: The College Senate Elections and Bylaws Committee strongly discourages using college e-mail services for campaigning. Please limit campaigning to the candidate statement posted on the College Senate website (available to the college community beginning Monday, April 16).

Please note: Individuals running for a senator position in another election may not also run for at-large positions while the other election is being conducted. If the other election concludes during the period when nominations for at-large senator positions are still being accepted, eligible individuals may self-nominate for an at-large position.

If you are interested in being a candidate, please contact Vince Masci, assistant to the College Senate, 878-5139. We look forward to your participation in the vital process of campus governance.

Please join the Student INC.Ubator for this month's member meetings on April 5, 19, and 26. Meetings will take place during Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.) in the Student INC.Ubator suite, located in Buckham Hall A107.

Student INC.Ubator membership is free and open to all Buffalo State students. Becoming a member affords students exclusive access to the Student INC.Ubator suite and other exclusive membership benefits. Membership is officiated after attending three or more meetings or workshops a month. Drop in to our upcoming session to get registered for membership.

For more information or to RSVP to attend any of our upcoming April sessions, please contact Olivia Harbol or Dhannayia Johnson at smallbus@buffalostate.edu.

Congratulations to our newly officiated INC.Ubator member Aierfan Maierdan, '19.

COMPASS, the College Opportunity Mentoring Program Achieving Student Success, is designed to assist students as they transition through their first year at Buffalo State.

The college’s COMPASS program was moved to the Academic Success area during the 2017 Academic Affairs reorganization and, as a result, has been repositioned to better connect COMPASS students with academic resources and enhanced high-impact practices.

The fall 2017 COMPASS class included 146 entering students. COMPASS students are expected to attend mandatory scheduled meetings with the COMPASS coordinator or graduate interns and meet regularly with student success associates (SSA) as part of the COMPASS Peer Mentoring Program. COMPASS students are also expected to attend mandatory success and transition workshops on topics such as maintaining financial aid eligibility, improving study skills, and goal setting. Students who access the COMPASS support network have higher grade point averages than those who do not. The program recently celebrated high-achieving COMPASS students in an event attended by President Conway-Turner. 

As Ke-Nijah Holloman-Wilson, a sophomore COMPASS student on track to graduate with honors, reflects:

“To me, the COMPASS program means having a support system away from home that helps you meet your long-term and short-term goals while attending college. These can be personal and academic. It means having someone guiding me along my college journey and believing in me. I would tell an incoming COMPASS student to take advantage of being in the program...having a mentor, access to resources on campus. Attend the workshops and pay attention to the information provided. Take advantage of the support that’s available to help adjust from high school to college; excel academically; be more confident in themselves and their studies; be professional, responsible, and independent.”

New this academic year, COMPASS students whose cumulative GPAs are below 2.25 have been encouraged to enroll in coursework specifically designed to improve their grade point average, further their engagement with the college, and move them closer to graduation. Plans are under way to expand the one-and-a-half-day COMPASS Early Start program to a week-long summer bridge program to better serve the college transition needs of COMPASS students. The expanded summer bridge program will allow COMPASS staff to make early face-to-face connections with students and their parents, as well as allow students to acclimate to their new lives as college students before the semester begins.

For more information about the COMPASS program or to get involved, please contact Shelly Inniss-Jackson, COMPASS coordinator, or visit the program’s website.

Members of any secondary school board in the Western New York area are invited to participate in the Computer Science for All in WNY (CS4All in WNY) project. CS4All in WNY is a Google-sponsored program at Buffalo State that attempts to promote computer science education in Western New York secondary schools through training and other educational events. Individuals who serve on any Western New York school board are encouraged to contact one of the following CS4All project members. Thank you.

Sarbani Banerjee, Professor, CIS Department
Neal Mazur, Chair and Associate Professor, CIS Department
Christopher Shively, Assistant Professor, Elementary Education and Reading Department
Joseph Zawicki, Associate Professor, Earth Sciences and Science Education Department

The Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Office is accepting public comments on the draft Storm Water Management Program Annual Report. The report documents storm water pollution prevention measures taken by Buffalo State College during the reporting year ending March 9, 2018. Measures implementation and the draft report are requirements of the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) General Permit, No. GP-0-15-003, issued by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The draft report, instructions for submitting comments, and additional information on campus storm water pollution prevention efforts can be found on the EHS Office storm water pollution prevention web page. A paper copy of the annual report is also available for viewing during normal business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekdays) at the Facilities Operations and Key Center, located in the Clinton Center.

The Counseling Center of the Weigel Wellness Center is soliciting nominations from students, faculty, and staff members for the fifth annual UPstander Awards.

UPstander Awards are given annually to members of our Buffalo State Civil and Caring Academic Community who have made a difference in someone’s life through such things as acts of kindness, unselfish actions, proactive behaviors, and caring attitudes. We use the term "UPstander" to demonstrate and emphasize the opposite of "bystander." UPstanders are involved in and contribute meaningfully to our community.

UPstander Awards will be presented during the Take Back the Night event on Wednesday, April 11, in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. A small reception will follow the event. Please nominate deserving students and colleagues by Thursday, April 5, using the UPstander Award Nomination Form.

Please note: This event has been canceled.

Kal Touré, Franco-Malian filmmaker and director, will present two short documentaries on Tuesday, April 3, during Bengal Pause (12:15-1:30 p.m.) in Upton Hall 230. The screenings will be followed by a Q&A session.

Mr. Touré will also show his feature film Victimes de nos richesses (Victims of Our Riches) (French with English subtitles) on Tuesday from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center South. The film will be followed by a Q&A session moderated by Rafika Merini, associate professor of modern and classical languages, and Pascal Soares, honorary consul of France in Buffalo. Refreshments will be provided in the lobby following the event.

Mr. Touré has won numerous international awards and prizes for his films, documentaries, and reports. This event is sponsored by a grant from the Faculty-Student Association and by the Modern and Classical Languages Department. For more information, please call Dr. Merini at 878-4830.

From the Special Adviser to the Provost for Academic Research Initiatives
Please join us today, April 3, for the third workshop on funding for research, "Secrets to Successful NIH Grant Applications: Insights from a Longtime NIH Reviewer," presented by William Wieczorek, director of the Institute for Community Health Promotion, during Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.) in Caudell Hal 127. Light refreshments will be served.

Campus departments and offices are invited to add fliers and other information about their areas to the new student welcome bags that will be distributed during the summer Orientation sessions. All materials must be dropped off at the New Student and Family Programs Office, Porter Hall 14K, no later than Friday, May 5.

Please indicate if your materials are for first-year, transfer, or parent bags (or any combination). The following quantities are needed: first-year (2,000), transfer (1,000), and parents (1,000).

If you need further information or have questions, please contact the New Student and Family Programs Office, 878-5336.