If you missed a College Senate meeting and want to catch up, podcasts of each meeting are posted to the Senate's podcast web page. Senate meeting minutes and summaries are also posted to the website and distributed to Senate members with the monthly Senate packet.

The exhibition Craig LaRotonda: Divine Messengers, a visual record of artist Craig LaRotonda’s conceptual thoughts, philosophic views, memories, and dreams, is currently on view in the Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State through Sunday, January 28, 2018.

In conjunction with the exhibition, Craig LaRotonda: Origin, a representation of personal objects from LaRotonda’s home and studio—a lamp, books, dolls, molds used in his creative process, and collected artworks—is showcased in the Czurles-Nelson Gallery in Upton Hall now through September 28. Origins allows viewers to explore LaRotonda’s world through a different lens, seeing what informs his work and what he cherishes in his private space.

A reception and artist gallery talk will take place Tuesday, September 26, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Czurles-Nelson Gallery.

LaRotonda’s figurative works combine fantasy with dark elements of surrealism. His mysterious genre of artistry comes to life using a variety of mediums—oil, acrylic, gold leaf, wood, paper, wax, and found objects—to create paintings and sculptures that are richly layered and enchanted.

“Everybody makes autobiographical work,” said LaRotonda when defining a visual record. “Whether creating a portrait of a person, tree, or a robot, I’m creating it through my lens; everything is a self-portrait or record of consciousness. I’m not necessarily trying to dictate something very specific. Only afterwards I might glean what the real essence of the piece was for. I’m not setting about to always create something that has some strong message to it but a reflection of some subconscious things. The creations themselves tell a story over time.”    

The Czurles-Nelson Gallery is a teaching space open Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Private showings can be scheduled by appointment. More information is available on the gallery’s website.

Jack Kertzie of JKstorm will present "Sharing Stories, Images, and Videos of Storm Chasing” on Tuesday, September 19, at 7:00 p.m. in Classroom Building A209.

Mr. Kertzie is a local storm chaser living in Wilson, New York. He has followed storms in 21 states and Canada and has seen about 40 tornadoes, as well as many other interesting weather events. He has driven for two tornado tour companies and has been a guest on various television shows.

This presentation is part of the Western New York Chapter of the American Meteorological Society’s fall 2017 seminar series, hosted by the Buffalo State Geography and Planning Department. Parking permits and directions for off-campus guests will be available in Lot I-37.

Please join the Great Lakes Center, the Biology Department, and the Great Lakes ecosystem science program for the seminar "Defining WNY's Climate Zones and Exploring Local Climate Trends," presented by Stephen Vermette, professor of geography and planning at Buffalo State College, on Monday, September 18, from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center West. All interested faculty, staff, and students are welcome.

Please join the Great Lakes Center, the Biology Department, and the Great Lakes ecosystem science program for the seminar "Defining WNY's Climate Zones and Exploring Local Climate Trends," presented by Stephen Vermette, professor of geography and planning at Buffalo State, today from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center West. All interested faculty, staff, and students are welcome.

Welcome back! It’s a new academic year, and time to change your Buffalo State password. Keep yourself—and your students—safe. Change your password, and remember these best practices (PDF, 414 KB) from SANS, Securing the Human.

Welcome back! It’s a new academic year, and time to change your Buffalo State password. Keep yourself—and your students—safe. Change your password, and remember these best practices (PDF, 414 KB) from SANS, Securing the Human.

Flu vaccines will be available for faculty and staff members on Wednesday, September 20, and Thursday, October 12, between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in Butler Library 210.

No appointment is necessary. The following health insurance plans will be accepted: Blue Cross Blue Shield of WNY, Independent Health, Blue Choice, MVP, and Medicare Part B. Employees without a participating insurance plan will be charged $30 for the flu shot.

Participation and acceptance of any insurance is not a guarantee of benefits or payment in full. Co-payments or a deductible may apply. Please call your insurance provider’s member services department with questions regarding coverage.

Empire Plan enrollees may obtain their flu shot from an Empire Plan participating pharmacy without co-pay or at their doctor’s office (participating provider) for their usual co-pay should they wish to do so.

Please call Employee Benefits at 878-4821 or the member services department of your insurance company with questions regarding your health insurance coverage. The phone number should be on your insurance card.

Office 365 group training sessions are now scheduled through September. Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

September Workshops

• What's New in Mail and Calendar? Office 365 (Outlook)
• Microsoft Office in the Cloud (OneDrive, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel online)
• Office 365 Groups

If you'd like more information on these sessions or online alternatives, please visit the Office 365 training page.

Please note: Individual and department or office-specific training sessions can be requested through the RITE Self-Service Portal. Trainings can also be scheduled for smart boards, Ensemble Video, Blackboard Collaborate web conferencing, and more.

Contact Todd Benzin, educational technology specialist in Instructional Design and Training (IDT), or visit the IDT home page for more information.

Are you having difficulty using Blackboard, or do you have questions you need answered? Would you like to learn more about how to better utilize the learning management system?

A wealth of resources are available to you:

• Attend a Workshop
• Review the Rite Portal Knowledge Base
• Review Blackboard Help
• Review the Instructional Design and Training Page
• Contact Open SUNY Support
• Request Service at the Rite Portal

Any campus queries related to Blackboard that Open SUNY Support is unable to answer should be directed to riteportal.buffalostate.edu to request service. This process will ensure the most efficient service.