In order to maintain a safe and secure computing environment at Buffalo State, as well as to ensure that the campus is compliant with the support schedules dictated by Microsoft and Apple, RITE Services has begun a campaign to upgrade campus computers to the latest supported operating systems over the next several months.

This includes

• upgrading all PCs currently running Windows 7 or 8.1 to Windows 10,
• upgrading existing Windows 10 PCs to the latest build, and
• upgrading all Macs currently running older versions of OS X to OS 10.12 (Sierra).

RITE Services began making operating system upgrades available on a department-by-department basis the week of December 11 (see the detailed OS rollout schedule). This enables you to install the upgrades yourself, at your convenience, using the self-service tools available for PCs and Macs. We have step-by-step guides that explain how to upgrade your PC to Windows 10 and your Mac to Sierra. These upgrades are "in-place," meaning your applications, peripherals, data, and settings are automatically migrated.

Self-service upgrades will be available for approximately three months. At the end of March, RITE Services will begin deploying the operating systems upgrades to any computers that have not been updated. For more information, please visit the Planned Operating System Upgrades for 2017/2018 web page.

We received information from haveibeenpwned indicating that RootsWeb, a free community-driven collection of tools used to share genealogical information, has been compromised. RootsWeb does not host sensitive information such as credit card or Social Security numbers, but usernames and passwords were compromised. More information is available on the Ancestry.com website. If you subscribed with a username or password that you use for other systems, please change those passwords right away.

The NYS & CSEA Partnership for Education and Training has announced the spring 2018 Skills for Success courses. Skills for Success courses provide CSEA-represented employees with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to meet their personal and professional development goals. The catalog can be accessed on the partnership's website.

We urge CSEA-represented employees to take advantage of these valuable training opportunities. Employees may enroll through the Statewide Learning Management System or by completing the partnership's course application form located on page 31 of the catalog.

For further information, please contact the partnership by phone at (800) 253-4332 or by e-mail learning@nyscseapartnership.org.

The New York State Teachers’ Retirement System will hold its spring 2018 Pension and Retirement Education Program (PREP) seminars on Friday, February 23, and Thursday, March 8, at the Holiday Inn Buffalo International Airport, 4600 Genesee Street, in Cheektowaga.

The seminars will include information on NYSTRS benefits, financial planning, Social Security, estate planning, retirement, and the retirement process.

The seminars will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; check-in begins at 8:00 a.m. PREP seminars are free, and spouses and partners may also attend, but advance registration is required. Seminars fill up quickly, so book early. Visit NYSTRS.org using your My NYSTRS account ("my tools" tab) or call (800) 348-7298, ext. 6180, to register. When calling, you must provide your Employee ID or Social Security number, e-mail address, and phone number. 

Please note: Seminars are not designed for one-on-one retirement counseling. Individual benefits consultations may be scheduled year-round online or by phone through NYSTRS.

The New York State Teachers’ Retirement System will hold its spring 2018 Pension and Retirement Education Program (PREP) seminar on Thursday, April 12, at Erie 1 BOCES, 355 Harlem Road, West Seneca.

The seminar will include information on NYSTRS benefits; financial planning; Social Security; estate planning; retirement: a new beginning; and the retirement process.

The seminar will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; check-in begins at 8:00 a.m. PREP seminars are free, and spouses and partners may also attend, but advance registration is required. Seminars fill up quickly, so book early. Visit NYSTRS.org using your My NYSTRS account ("my tools" tab) or call (800) 348-7298, ext. 6180, to register. When calling, you must provide your Employee ID or Social Security number, e-mail address, and phone number.

Please note: Seminars are not designed for one-on-one retirement counseling. Individual benefits consultations may be scheduled year-round online or by phone through NYSTRS.

Master schedule addendums are posted for each semester (except for January Term) starting the day the semester master schedule becomes viewable online until the last day of the semester. The addendum contains a list of new sections added, day or time changes, and cancellations for the semester. You can access addendums from the Registrar's Office Courses web page by clicking on the term heading. Updated addendums are posted each Friday afternoon.

January Term 2018 begins Wednesday, January 3, and ends Tuesday, January 23. Please be sure to bookmark the deadline calendar (PDF, 63 KB) and informational flier (PDF, 411 KB). Students in good standing will be limited to a maximum of 7 credit hours. Students not in good standing will be limited to a maximum of 4 credit hours. These limits apply to both undergraduate and graduate students. Maximum credit overrides may be approved by academic departments for students in good standing or by the dean's office for student not in good standing.

The online Campus Application Portal for Scholarships (CAPS) is open and accepting fall 2018 applications until Saturday, March 31. Please encourage students to check out available scholarships through CAPS.

Raelynn Harlach, financial adviser with VALIC, will be on campus Wednesday, January 10, between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. in Caudell Hall 208 to meet with Buffalo State faculty and staff members. Appointments are required.

In an effort to provide you with tools to better prepare to meet your financial and retirement goals, Ms. Harlach will address questions you may have regarding

• planning, budgeting, and meeting your savings goals;
• managing your investments; or
• calculating contributions to meet your retirement needs.

If you have never met with a VALIC adviser, here is your opportunity to get acquainted and get help planning for a more secure financial future.

Please register through the VALIC website.

Learn how to strengthen your online and hybrid skills to enhance your course design and increase student engagement with the Online Course Development Certificate series. These series prepare instructors to design, teach, and enhance online or hybrid courses using best practices of online teaching and learning.

Both the basic and advanced Online Course Development series will be offered to Buffalo State instructors during J-Term in an online asynchronous format. All learning and instructional activities will occur in Blackboard for the duration of the series.

Both series of asynchronous courses will begin Wednesday, January 3, and end Tuesday, January 23. Participants may enroll in one or both series.

The basic Online Course Development series is composed of the following six modules: 

1. Introduction to Online Teaching and Learning
2. Backward Design Step 1: Developing Course Objectives and Priorities
3. Backward Design Step 2: Developing Course Assessments
4. Backward Design Step 3: Developing the Learning Plan
5. Designing and Organizing Your Online Course
6. Interaction: Communication and Collaboration

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

Register for the online asynchronous Online Course Development Certificate series.

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