Please join us for the professional development workshop "The Ripple Effect of Workplace Stress: Taking Care of Yourself," on Wednesday, March 15, from 10:00 a.m. to noon in Butler Library 181B.

Most workplaces are inherently stressful. As an employee, you cannot always control the situations and people that at times seem to be carriers of stress. But you can control how you respond to those stressors and minimize their effect on you. This workshop will explore the effects of stress and present skills that may help you proactively manage workplace stressors.

Presented by Robert Delprino, professor of psychology. Light snacks will be provided. Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

Please join us for the professional development workshop "Managing Student Workers: Creating Student Employment Learning Experiences That Increase Department Productivity" on Wednesday, March 8, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. 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. This workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to explore the effectiveness of their student worker management practices. In addition, 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.

Presented by Jonathan Hulbert, director of leadership and organizational development, Professional Development Center.

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

Please join us for coffee and scholarly conversation about the importance of high-impact practices on Friday, February 17, from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. in Butler Library 181B.

This session will focus on Kilgo and Pascarella's (2016) article "Does Independent Research with a Faculty Member Enhance Four-Year Graduation and Graduate/Professional Degree Plans? Convergent Results with Different Analytical Methods" (PDF, 406 KB), Higher Education 71 (4): 575–592.

The discussion will be facilitated by John Draeger, interim director of faculty development.

A light breakfast will be provided. Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

The Community Arts Academy (CAA) at Buffalo State College offers classes in the visual arts and music for teens, kids, and young children. The following offerings are now available:

• Music Enrichment classes (birth–grade 8), beginning Saturday, February 4
• Jazz Workshop (grades 6–12) starting Sunday, February 5
• Introduction to Digital Audio (grades 9–12), starting Tuesday, February 7

Course offering details can be found on the Music Department website. All registration is online. 

Discount
Buffalo Public Schools students registering to take Introduction to Digital Audio (grades 9-12) receive a 25 percent discount. An overview of CAA programming is available on the Arts and Humanities website. CAA offers classes for students from birth to grade 12 in music, creative writing, and digital and visual arts right here at Buffalo State.

The Fresh Air Fund will host an information session to recruit students for summer camp positions on Tuesday, March 7, from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 113. Stop by to connect with a representative and learn more about their openings.

For more information, please contact the Career Development Center in Cleveland Hall 306.

The Small Business Development Center presents “Survive and Thrive: Essentials of Starting Your Own Business,” a workshop covering all the essential information needed to start a business, on Tuesday, February 14, from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the Burchfield Penney Art Center (second floor). Specific topics will include creating a business plan; competition analysis; and tax, legal, and insurance issues. The workshop is free for Buffalo State College faculty, staff, students, and alumni and U.S. military veterans and $20 for all others.

Registration will take place immediately before the workshop, from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. To register in advance, please call the SBDC at 878-4030.

Many Buffalo State students struggle with textbook costs each semester. Whether you’re wondering how to relieve this burden for your students or you’re already taking steps toward greater affordability, you’re invited to join the provost, Butler Library, and Instructional Design and Training for Buffalo State’s Affordable Learning Materials Initiative (ALMI) semester kick-off meeting today, February 3, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. in Butler Library 208.

This informational meeting will introduce a new award program for faculty members who are using OER (open educational resources) or low-cost learning materials and will also provide information and support for faculty at all levels of experience.

ALMI is a campuswide group with a mission to increase access to high-quality, low- or no-cost learning materials for all students at Buffalo State. Affordable materials might include OER, library resources, alternative versions or editions, or other alternatives to expensive traditionally published textbooks.

Please register via the Workshop Registration System. Contact Leah Galka, academic outreach and engagement librarian, with questions.

Brent Peterson, retirement planner with Fidelity Investments, will meet with Buffalo State faculty and staff members regarding their individual retirement needs on Tuesday, February 28, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. in Butler Library 210B. Appointments are required.

Mr. Peterson can assist you with managing your retirement savings goals, reviewing your investment choices, building a plan that’s easy to put into action, or setting up a SUNYORP account with Fidelity Investments.

Consider bringing relevant account statements and any paperwork to help address your retirement questions. To schedule your free, confidential one-on-one appointment, please call 844-FOR-SUNY or register online.

Fidelity can help make your plans possible. Sign up today.

The deadline to submit applications for the SUNY B-140W Tuition Assistance Program for the spring 2017 semester is Tuesday, February 28.

Staff members may apply for tuition assistance after six months of service; faculty members may apply after one semester of service. The following employees are eligible:

• Full-time Buffalo State faculty members and professional or classified employees.
• Part-time or temporary Buffalo State faculty members and professional or classified employees who are employed at least half time (faculty must teach at least two courses in the semester).
• Full-time Research Foundation employees, provided they work on the Buffalo State campus.

Program funds may be used for courses at SUNY campuses only. Eligible employees may apply for a 50 percent waiver of SUNY tuition for up to two courses a semester, to a maximum of 15 credit hours an academic year. Tuition assistance is limited to regular in-state undergraduate or graduate tuition rates. The level of support may be adjusted when necessary if funding is not adequate to cover applications received.

After submitting an application, employees who decide to drop a class or find it has been covered by another source are asked to please notify Human Resource Management immediately to update their applications.

Please contact Human Resource Management, 878-4821, for applications or program guidelines.

In an ongoing effort to support the New York State Mentoring program, we invite faculty and staff members to make difference for a child in Buffalo through a once-a-week mentoring relationship. Buffalo State faculty and staff members are invited to mentor a student at one of the following locations during these times:

• School 80 Highgate Heights on Mondays from 4:20 to 5:20 p.m. 
• School 30 Frank A. Sedita Academy on Wednesdays from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
  We especially need individuals who speak Spanish.
• Enterprise Charter School on Thursdays from 11:00 a.m. to noon

Mentors must be willing to commit this time every week throughout the school year (we ask for your best effort but recognize that schedules do not always permit). Many students in our community need positive influences in their lives. Mentors will engage with students and their interests through discussion, activities, and games to develop relationships. Volunteers will be trained by the Mentoring Program, and a staff member from the school will supervise the sessions and be available to mentors throughout the program.

As state employees, Buffalo State mentors must make sure that the time they spend mentoring is their own, either through flexible scheduling or by using personal time. If their job responsibilities allow them to make this weekly commitment, interested participants are asked to please discuss their participation with their supervisors. Once they receive supervisor and department approval, applicants should contact Melinda Sanderson to express their interest. More information is available on the program website.

If you believe you can make the time commitment to being a positive influence for a student, please considering joining in this important activity.