The midterm grading window for spring 2018 is now open in Banner and will close on Friday, March 30, at 9:00 p.m. In addition to entering a midterm grade, faculty members can mark how regularly a student has attended a course by entering 0 (never attended), 1 (sporadic, unsatisfactory attendance), or 2 (consistent, satisfactory attendance) in the “Hours Attended” field. Midterm grade submissions for all registered students are useful, as these grades are helpful for campuswide academic intervention and retention efforts.

Students will be able to view their grades in Banner, Degree Works, and the Bengal Success Portal as soon as midterm grades are posted, and advisers can obtain copies of the midterm grading reports for their academic intervention use through their deans’ offices.

Thank you for your commitment to our students’ success.

From the Special Adviser to the Provost for Academic Research Initiatives
Please join us for "NEH, or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Grant Proposal Process"—the first in a series of workshops on funding your research—presented by Jill Gradwell professor of history and social studies education, on Tuesday, March 13, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Caudell Hall 127.

Dr. Gradwell is the coordinator of social studies education for Buffalo State. In 2014–2015, she served as the principal investigator on a $179,000 National Endowment for the Humanities Landmarks of American History and Culture grant titled “Buffalo’s Pan-American Exposition and Ideas of Progress.” Previously, she co-wrote and oversaw the subcontract on two million-dollar Department of Education Teaching American History grants.

A number of SkillShops remain in the spring semester, with topics especially relevant to the middle and end of the semester: studying effectively, time and stress management, evaluating sources, and citations.

SkillShops are 30- to 50-minute drop-in workshops covering a range of topics related to student success. These workshops focus on developing skills related to finding and using information, college readiness, writing, and technology.

SkillShops are held in Butler Library 314 or Weigel Wellness Center 203 and are free and open to all.

View the complete schedule or register for sessions online.

Upcoming SkillShops for Spring 2018:

Preparing for Tests 
Tuesday, March 13  |  12:30 p.m.  |  Butler

Finding Books and Articles
Sunday, March 18  |  3:00 p.m.  |  Butler

Effective Time Management 
Tuesday, March 20  |  12:30 p.m.  |  Butler

Beat Stress for Academic Success 
Tuesday, April 3  |  1:00 p.m.  |  Weigel

Evaluating Sources: The Good, Bad, and Ugly
Wednesday, April 11  |  2:00 p.m.  |  Butler

Master Your Citations: MLA 
Tuesday, April 17  |  12:30 p.m.  |  Butler

Master Your Citations: Chicago 
Wednesday, April 18  |  12:30 p.m.  |  Butler

Master Your Citations: APA 
Thursday, April 19  |  12:30 p.m.  |  Butler

Beat Stress for Academic Success 
Tuesday, May 1  |  1:00 p.m.  |  Weigel

Buy one hat at regular price and get 50 percent off the second during the Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore's BOGO hat sale Monday, March 12, through Thursday, March 15. Be sure to stop by the bookstore to stock up on our Nike, Under Armour, Legacy, and sports program hats.

Please join us for the professional development workshop "Managing Student Workers Part 2: Creating Student Employment Learning Experiences" on Thursday, March 22, from 9:00 a.m. to noon in Butler Library 181B.

Student workers can be vital to the success, operations, and productivity of many departments, but at times their skills and perspectives are underutilized. Also, meaningful on-campus employment experiences can assist students in developing career competencies and increase their likelihood of persistence to graduation. During this session, participants will learn

• methods for creating valuable learning experiences for student workers that lead to the development of career competencies, increase workplace motivation, and improve departmental productivity; and
•  how to write and assess student employment learning outcomes.

Please note: participation in Part 1 of this session is not required to attend.

Light snacks will be provided. Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

Please join the Biology Department, the Great Lakes Center, and the Great Lakes ecosystem science program today for the seminar "Think Local, Understand Global: Using Biology to Build Confidence in Projected Global Carbon Cycle Climate Feedbacks," presented by Mark Bradford, professor of soils and ecosystem ecology in the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center West. All students, staff, and faculty are welcome.

Please join the Biology Department, the Great Lakes Center, and the Great Lakes ecosystem science program for the seminar "Think Local, Understand Global: Using Biology to Build Confidence in Projected Global Carbon Cycle Climate Feedbacks," presented by Mark Bradford, professor of soils and ecosystem ecology in the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, on Monday, April 9, from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center West. All students, staff, and faculty are welcome.

The Grant Allocation Committee (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.

The deadlines for submitting applications under this funding cycle are Friday, April 27, for fall 2018 program proposals; Friday, September 28, for fall 2018 and spring 2019 program proposals; and Friday, November 16, for spring 2019 program proposals. 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 in Student Affairs, 878-4704.

The Advanced Online Course Development Certificate Series prepares instructors to design, teach, and enhance online or hybrid courses using best practices of online teaching and learning. Learn how to strengthen your online and hybrid skills to enhance course design and increase student engagement.

Workshop Information

The Advanced Online Course Development Series will be offered in an online asynchronous format. All learning and instructional activities will occur in Blackboard for the duration of the series.

The Advanced Online Course Development Series is composed of the following four modules:

1. Creating Interactive Content for Your Course
2. Authentic Assessment
3. Universal Design for Learning
4. Open SUNY COTE Quality Review (OSCQR) Rubric

This series will begin Monday, April 2, and will end Friday, May 11. Register for the online asynchronous Advanced Online Course Development Series.

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Brooke Winckelmann, instructional designer with RITE Services.

Studying hard is not the same as studying smart. Who couldn't benefit from learning new strategies for owning course material? The Butler Library Skillshops series will host "Preparing for Tests" by Lauren Copeland, coordinator of tutoring services, on Tuesday, March 13, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Butler Library 314. Drop in or register online.