Phishing is the “biggest threat to your online security.” Please read the short blurb in Endgadget.

Take an additional 50 percent off clearance merchandise—including clothing, accessories, and school supplies—during the Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Flash Sale. Today only: Thursday, January 18.

There will be no 8:00 a.m. First Friday Mass this Friday, January 5, because of the semester break. Our next scheduled First Friday celebration will take place February 2 in the Newman Center Chapel, 1219 Elmwood Avenue.

The Graduate School will host its Spring Graduate Student Orientation for new students entering the spring 2018 semester on Wednesday, January 24, from 4:00 to 7:30 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center.

The Buffalo State Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) will host a Citizen Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) course during Winterim from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 16, and Thursday, January 18. Please save the dates. This extremely important class is open to everyone, so please invite your colleagues. Details will be posted in early January.

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.

When issuing a student a non-passing grade, that is, an E, F, U, I, or N grade, please also report the student's last date of attendance when entering the grade online. This assists the Financial Aid Office in determining whether a student unofficially withdrew and whether the student is able to retain the aid he or she received.

The last date of attendance is the last date the student sat in class, took an exam, handed in homework, or actively participated in an online course. If assigning an I or N grade, the last date of attendance is the last date you met with the student to discuss progress in the course. If you have no record of the student attending, do not enter a date. Instead, use the grade EV, which indicates that the student never attended the course.

Questions regarding this policy or procedure should be referred to the Financial Aid Office, 878-4902. The grading guide (PDF, 162 KB) may also assist you.

Michael Spogli from TIAA will be on campus for individual consultations with Buffalo State faculty and staff members on Thursday, December 21, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. in Caudell Hall 110. Appointments are required.

As 2017 comes to an end, this is an opportune time to ensure that you are saving enough for your retirement in the coming year. Schedule an appointment today to confidentially discuss your personal financial situation with an experienced TIAA financial consultant to help you review your financial goals.

To schedule an appointment, please visit the TIAA website.

Don’t delay. Sign up today.

The Research and Creativity Council Incentive Program is accepting applications until 4:00 p.m. Friday, February 23, 2018, for funds to promote faculty research, scholarly, and creative activities. Please submit completed applications to the Sponsored Programs Office in Buckham Hall B206. Three council members have been appointed to review all applications received by the above deadline.

Incentive funds administered by the Research and Creativity Council are intended to promote faculty research, scholarly, and creative activities. Their ultimate goal is to generate additional funded programs. At the end of the award period, recipients are required to submit a report documenting the use of the funds. They are then required to submit a grant proposal within the following year to an outside sponsoring agency through the Sponsored Programs Pre-Award and Contract Services Office. Submitting a proposal through the Buffalo State College Foundation does not meet this requirement. Recipients are also obligated to participate in the Faculty and Staff Fall Forum, which takes place in October.

Expenditures considered for support under this program include travel to consult with a funding source or program officer, or to a workshop sponsored by a potential sponsor; student assistance; consultation with specialists in the field; preparation of specialized support materials for proposals (e.g., graphs, drawings, resource books); release time; and any other expense that can be justified. Funds may not be requested for the purchase of computers, laptops, etc. Also, it is not the council’s intention to directly pay an individual for writing a proposal. Please contact Jessica Berg, interim director of pre-award and contract services, with questions regarding the incentive application.

Since fall 2016, all reports to the College Senate have been posted on the College Senate website. The most recent reports are from the December 8, 2017, 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 podcast web page. Senate meeting summaries are also posted to the website after they are presented to the Senate.