Are you trying to transfer course content to your new section and are perplexed by the whole export/import process in Blackboard? Great news! We are introducing a new simplified course copy feature that eliminates the exporting and importing. Make your life easier by following these course copy directions (PDF, 25.5 KB).

These directions can also be located on the Faculty Resources tab in Blackboard.

Are you trying to transfer content to your new section or make your course available and you just can't remember how? All you need to get ready for the new semester in Blackboard is available on the Instructional Design and Training website.

Please visit these links for answers to the three most frequently asked questions:

Make Your Course Available in Blackboard
Move Content between Courses (PDF, 25.5 KB)
Merge Course Rosters

What is social engineering? It is trickery masked as legitimate communication.

An example of social engineering might be an e-mail message with the subject line "Parking Ticket." The sender appears to be a real person, for example, Marie Womack. The contents of the e-mail message might say, "We got this today, but I think it's for you. You should pay it ASAP." It would include a link that reads "Parking Ticket 3367221." The message might conclude with Marie's signature, offering a phone number and e-mail address. If a user were to click on the link, he or she would unwittingly give information or download malware (PDF, 410 KB), allowing the nefarious Marie Womack access to coveted contacts and private information.

Read more about social engineering in the January 2017 Ouch! newsletter (PDF, 401 KB), and please share this information with your students.

From the Diversity Program Coordinator
The Equity and Campus Diversity Office is pleased to announce the continuation of the campus's Equity and Campus Diversity Minigrants for 2016–2017. Consistent with the college’s mission, minigrants provide financial assistance for projects, workshops, and activities that have institutional impact—strengthening Buffalo State’s inclusive excellence toward diversity as described by our mission statement, core values, and strategic plan.

Applications must be submitted at least six weeks in advance of proposed events. The deadline for spring semester minigrants is Friday, February 17.

For additional information, please visit the Equity and Campus Diversity website.

Please call or e-mail the ECD office with questions, 878-6210.

Learn how to develop your creative business in the studio arts, graphic and digital design, animation, film, music, performance, audio technology, theater, dance, creative writing, communication, or other creative endeavors during Entrepreneurship in the Arts—a series of intensive workshops that will provide essential knowledge for creating and operating your own arts enterprise. Offered over five consecutive Thursday evenings from February 2 to March 2, the workshops will inform you about understanding your market; selling locally, nationally, and online; how to prepare a guiding plan, and the role of finance in your business. Workshops will be held from 5:45 to 9:00 p.m. in Rockwell Hall 302.

For more information about registration and fees, please visit the Continuing Professional Studies website or contact Susan McCartney, director of the Small Business Development Center, 878-4030.

Updating software is a pain. Mobile phones, laptops, tablets, even television receivers require regular updates. You may wonder why you need to update software or firmware when you don’t care about the new features. The reason is security.

Did you know the Android operating system had the most detected security vulnerabilities in 2016? Five hundred and twenty-three, to be exact, and that’s only what was detected or discovered. The SANS Institute reports that Google’s first security update for Android in 2017 includes fixes for 90 of those vulnerabilities. Ninety!

And just because Google has released an update to Android OS doesn’t mean you’re protected. It could be weeks or months before that upgrade gets to you, given the complex supply chain that exists from Google through various phone manufacturers and sellers to you.

You probably have all kinds of information about your family, friends, and co-workers on your phone. Your Facebook app alone can provide a store of information about you. Protect yourself and your loved ones. When your device notifies you that an upgrade is available, please respond and install that upgrade as soon as possible.

There are two very important reasons to use the Buffalo State secure wireless network named Bengal: security and convenience.

1. Security: Wireless communication over this network is encrypted.
2. Convenience: Faculty, staff, and students can enroll their devices and log in only once a year. Persistent wireless connectivity is provided each time you come to campus, without the need to log in each time. Individuals can have up to five devices on the network (e.g., smartphone, tablet, laptop). Yes, you must re-enroll each August, and that means you must download the app yearly to each mobile device.

Please note: The campus has more than one wireless network. BengalOpen16 is a public network. By "public," we mean that information sent over this network is not encrypted. In addition, users are logged off after 15 minutes of inactivity and must log in again.

To recap, Bengal is the secure wireless network; BengalOpen16 is the public wireless network. To use the secure wireless network, you must download the Cloudpath application. You may link to it from the Secure Wi-Fi page on the RITE website by clicking one of the green “Enroll Your Device” boxes. Follow the instructions. You may delete the Cloudpath application once you have enrolled.

Why is the Cloudpath app so poorly rated in my app store?

If you read the reasons people give low ratings to the Cloudpath app, you will see that they are actually rating their wireless service as slow and mistaking Cloudpath as the wireless service. Cloudpath is simply the application that allows you to enroll your devices on our secure wireless network using your Buffalo State credentials. It is not the wireless technology itself, and it provides no bandwidth. Once you have enrolled your devices on the Buffalo State secure wireless network, you can uninstall Cloudpath. It has done its job. You must download it yearly to re-enroll on Buffalo State secure wireless. This occurs every August.

The NYS & CSEA Partnership for Education and Training is pleased to announce the spring 2017 Skills for Success course catalog for CSEA-represented employees. Skills for Success courses provide CSEA-represented employees with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to meet their personal and professional development goals.

The Skills for Success catalog containing course descriptions, dates, and locations can be accessed via the partnership’s website.

One hundred ten classes in 56 course topic areas are scheduled statewide from February through June 2017. In order to increase participation in courses while limiting time away from the office and eliminating travel expenses, the partnership is offering 20 classes via webinar.

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 (PDF, 15.9 MB).

We urge you to work with your supervisor to select the courses most suited to your work and personal goals and hope you will choose from the many learning opportunities that can help you prepare for the challenges and demands of current and future job opportunities.

For further information, please contact the partnership by phone at (518) 486-7814 or by e-mail at learning@nyscseapartnership.org.

Skills for Success is all about making choices for your success!

Project proposals are due today, January 5, for the second annual Fostering Innovation in Teaching with Technology (FITT) Academy, which will be held June 5–9. The FITT Academy is a hands-on, project-specific faculty development opportunity sponsored by Resources for Information, Technology, and Education (RITE). Additional information on the FITT Academy can be found on the RITE website.

Faculty members who are interested in discussing ideas for SUNY Innovative Instructional Technology Grant (IITG) applications are invited to attend an information session on Tuesday, January 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Carmine Grande Conference Room, Cleveland Hall 418. The session will be facilitated by RITE's Meghan Pereira, senior instructional designer, and Melissa Miszkiewicz, director of strategic partnerships; John Draeger, interim director of faculty development; and Lauren Turner, professional development assistant. Please contact Melissa Miszkiewicz, 878-4611, if you plan to attend.

We will discuss new information about Round 6 IITG funding, including funding tiers ($10,000, $20,000, and $60,000), as well as what SUNY and Buffalo State are looking to support in this round. Previous Buffalo State IITG awardees will be on hand to answer questions and discuss their projects. Please join us.