Visit the spring Study-Away Fair on Thursday, February 9, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union. Learn about our programs in Siena, Amsterdam, Australia, and Manchester in addition to the National Student Exchange program. Scholarships are available. Representatives from the International Education Office will be there to answer all questions. See you there!

Join the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center (VSLC) during an interactive session for faculty and staff new to service learning on Friday, February 3, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the Campus House board room. 

Topics will include an overview of the theory and practice of service learning, support for converting a course to include a community-based project, and discussion of effective methods of incorporating student reflection to connect the service and course learning. Anyone interested in learning more about service learning is encouraged to attend.

The workshop will be led by Joy Guarino, the new faculty coordinator for service learning and associate professor in the Theater Department's dance program, and Laura Hill Rao, VSLC coordinator. RSVP to 878-5811 or vslc@buffalostate.edu.

Instructional Design and Training (IDT) will host an open lab every Friday between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. in Bulger Communication Center 122 during the spring 2017 semester. Faculty and staff members are encouraged to stop for one-on-one consultations with IDT staff members on campus-supported technologies. No appointment is necessary.

One-on one consultations are available for Blackboard Learn, Blackboard Collaborate, Clicker (response systems), Ensemble Video, Office 365, Smartboard, and Turnitin Feedback Studio. We will try to provide assistance with other campus-supported technologies as well.  

For scheduled training sessions on these technologies, please visit the Workshop Registration System.

SUNY has announced its 2017 request for proposals for the Innovative Instruction Technology Grant (IITG) (PDF, 618 KB) program. An outcome of this program is to support academic excellence and student success. The mission of the SUNY IITG program is to "increase efficiency and capacity for SUNY-wide delivery of high-quality instruction." Award tiers are $10,000, $20,000, and $60,000.

All Buffalo State applications are to be reviewed by the CIO and vice president for enrollment, marketing, and communications to ensure that Buffalo State can support the project. The CIO and vice president will also provide a letter of support from the campus. Proposals are due to the CIO and vice president no later than Monday, February 20, and are due to SUNY by Sunday, March 5. Please e-mail all proposals to Melissa Miszkiewicz, director of academic and research technology planning.

Given Buffalo State’s current strategic plan, projects that address open educational resources, student success, student engagement, student retention, student recruitment, and improving the first-year-student experience are sought.

This year, IITG applications will be stewarded by a team from RITE and Faculty Development: John Draeger, director of faculty development; Meghan Pereira, senior instructional designer; and Melissa Miszkiewicz. If you plan to submit a proposal or have ideas for a proposal, please contact one of the above IITG team members for a consultation.

Campus community open forums on Buffalo State's broad-based fees will be held to gather feedback from the student body on the fees that students pay: Athletics, Health, Technology, Transportation, and the College Fee. Three forums will be offered; all three will have the same information. All forums will take place in the Campbell Student Union Assembly Hall.

• Tuesday, February 7: 12:15 p.m.
• Thursday, February 9: 12:15 p.m.
• Friday, February 16: 7:00 p.m.

The following Blackboard training sessions and workshops will be held in February:

Blackboard Learn 9.1: Introduction
Blackboard Learn 9.1: Assessments
Blackboard Learn 9.1: Grade Center
Blackboard Learn 9.1: Collaboration Tools

Detailed descriptions of each training session (PDF, 65 KB) are available on the RITE website. All sessions will be held in Bulger Communication Center 122 or in a virtual webinar format.

All workshops are suitable for instructors teaching face-to-face, hybrid, or online courses. Workshop presentations will be one hour and are limited to 10 participants. The instructor will be available for an additional 30 minutes after each workshop for additional questions and discussion.

Please register online through the Workshop Registration System.

RITE Instructional Design and Training offers a four-workshop Blackboard Specialization Certificate. A new cohort begins in February.

Blackboard Learn is the official learning management system (LMS) at Buffalo State College that allows for dynamic learning to occur in the online environment. Earning a Blackboard Specialization Certificate will demonstrate your ability to enhance student learning and foster better engagement, interaction, and quality learning. This certificate is suitable for instructors teaching face-to-face, hybrid or blended, or online courses.

You may also earn an Advanced Blackboard Specialization Certificate by attending an additional four workshops.

Please download the Blackboard Training Workshops page (PDF, 65 KB) to learn more about these courses.

For more information, please contact Michael DiFonzo, Blackboard trainer.

Members of the Students of Concern Care Team are available to attend meetings or gatherings of faculty and staff members to provide information and share strategies and techniques for working with students of concern on campus. Upon request, we will attend chairs' meetings, departmental meetings, office gatherings, or other group meetings.

The Care Team seeks to identify and provide support for students in distress who may threaten harm to themselves or others. Your help in providing notice of any students of concern is essential to keeping our campus community safe. Notify the Care Team whenever a student’s behavior gives reason for uncertainty about possible harm so that we can investigate the situation, develop a plan for action, and follow up with appropriate intervention.

To contact the Care Team, please complete an online report, e-mail the team, or call the Dean of Students Office at 878-4618.

Questions about the operation of the team should be addressed to Charles B. Kenyon, associate vice president and dean of students, 878-4618.

If you wish to invite members of the team to meet with your department or office to discuss “red flag” warning signs, ways to report a concern, legal or FERPA issues, or how to respond when confronted by a student in distress, please contact Amy Rosen-Brand, associate director of student accessibility services services, 878-4500.

Turnitin is a web-based service instructors may use to deter and detect plagiarism. Instructors can use Turnitin within their Blackboard courses or at Turnitin.com.

This hands-on workshop will show you how to create assignments, navigate the Feedback Studio Interface, interpret originality reports, and provide grades and feedback.

All workshops will take place in Bulger Communication Center 122 unless otherwise noted.

• Thursday, January 26: 10:00–11:00 a.m.
• Monday, January 30: 10:00–11:00 a.m.
• Monday, February 6: 10:00–11:00 a.m. (webinar)
• Thursday, February 16: 2:00–3:00 p.m.

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

Increase student engagement and active learning in your classroom with the TurningPoint student response system. This hands-on workshop will introduce you to the TurningPoint cloud polling environment.

We'll discuss

• how a response system can increase student engagement;
• different types of classroom polling (PowerPoint polling, anywhere polling, self-paced polling);
• how to set up and run PowerPoint polling;
• how to view session data and export results to Blackboard;
• response device options for students: clickers and mobile polling.

All workshops will be held in Bulger Communication Center 122.

• Thursday, January 19: 9:30–10:30 a.m.
• Wednesday, January 25: 2:00–3:00 p.m.
• Thursday, February 2: 10:30–11:30 a.m.
• Wednesday, February 8: 2:00–3:00 p.m.