Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has directed that flags on all state government buildings be flown at half-staff on Thursday, November 2, to honor the eight lives lost in Tuesday's terrorist attack in Lower Manhattan, New York City.

"Today, tomorrow, and forever, we will remember the lives of those taken from us too soon, and we keep in our thoughts their loved ones who are feeling unimaginable pain," Governor Cuomo said. "We know that our freedom and our democracy are targets of this hate, and it is critical that we work as one in the face of this attack. There is no alternative. This is not a time to point fingers or blame. It's a time to come together and work for a common goal, to protect New York."

Governor Cuomo directed state agencies, including the New York State Police, the National Guard, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, to increase security at high-profile locations around the state, including airports, bridges, tunnels, and mass transit systems.

The governor also directed One World Trade Center to be lit in red, white, and blue in honor of freedom and democracy.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The next College Senate meeting for the fall 2017 semester will be held Friday, November 10, at 3:00 p.m. in Butler Library 210. The meeting agenda is now posted on the College Senate website. Senate meetings are recorded and posted as podcasts on the College Senate website. The schedule for all College Senate meeting dates is also posted. Please visit the website to catch up on past Senate news, listen to podcasts of past meetings, or review meeting summaries. The College Senate Office is located in Cleveland Hall 211. Please stop by the office, call 878-5139, or e-mail Vincent Masci, assistant to the College Senate, with questions or for general information.

This year, the Veterans Day holiday falls on Saturday, November 11. Under the state’s attendance rules, all eligible classified and unclassified employees will receive equivalent compensatory time off for the holiday, which is noted on the Time and Attendance records. The college has not specified a particular day to be used in lieu of this holiday. Use of the holiday time should be requested in advance and approved by the supervisor. Please note that the holiday time cannot be used before November 11, 2017, and must be used before the Veterans Day holiday recurs in 2018.

The presentation by the third candidate for the position of director of international education, scheduled for Thursday, November 2, at 1:30 p.m., has been canceled. The candidate has withdrawn.

From the Director of Business Services
Buffalo State has been advised by the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations (GOER) that a labor dispute currently exists at the Hilton Albany Hotel, 40 Lodge Street, Albany, NY 12207. In order to comply with GOER's request, we ask that the Buffalo State community refrain from booking new events or reserving rooms at this hotel until further notice.

If you have questions concerning this matter, please call the Travel Services Department at 878-4117.

Thank you.

The Buffalo State community is saddened by the death of Warren Enters, professor emeritus of performing arts, who died October 25, 2017. 

Mr. Enters joined the Buffalo State community as an associate professor in the Speech and Theater Arts Department in 1968. He received continuing appointment in 1970. In 1980, he was promoted to professor, and he retired in 1992. 

Mr. Enters earned his bachelor’s degree in theater from the University of Wisconsin-Madison after serving in the United States Naval Reserve from 1943 to 1946. He held faculty positions at his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Goodman Theatre School at the Art Institute of Chicago before joining Buffalo State.

When he accepted the position at Buffalo State, Mr. Enters also accepted the position of associate director at Studio Arena Theater in Buffalo. He had already received the first Tony Award given to an off-Broadway production at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York City, one of his many successes in New York. His directing credits included productions at the Boston Arts Festival and the Crest Theatre in Toronto, as well as other regional and national productions. He worked with many well-known actors.

At Buffalo State, he inspired generations of students, including Tom Fontana and Diane English. Mr. Fontana, writer and producer of numerous television dramas, including Homicide: Life on the Street and Borgia, and Ms. English, writer and producer of several television series, including the long-running Murphy Brown, were instrumental in raising the funds necessary to renovate the theater in Upton Hall where they had been introduced to their craft while studying with Mr. Enters. When the Warren Enters Theatre opened in June 2003, Mr. Enters expressed his gratitude to everyone who contributed to the resurrection of the theater space where he had taught for many years. He also thanked his "friends of the future—the faculty and students who will discover themselves and grow in this theater." 

Drew Kahn, professor of theater, was master of ceremonies at the gala opening. “Warren was a giant in so many positive, influential ways,” said Mr. Kahn. “Thankfully, his legacy will be remembered and celebrated regularly by our campus in his favorite place, the theater. We are proud to have an artistic laboratory with his name on it.”

Mr. Enters is survived by his partner, William Lennon. At Mr. Enters’s wish, no services will be held.

Because of a Banner upgrade, the fall 2017 midterm faculty grading window will be unavailable from 6:00 p.m. today, October 27, to 1:00 p.m. Sunday, October 29.

The midterm grading window closure has been extended to 9:00 p.m. Monday, October 30.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The next College Senate meeting for the fall 2017 semester will be held Friday, November 10, at 3:00 p.m. in Butler Library 210. The meeting agenda will be posted on the College Senate website on November 2. Senate meetings are recorded and posted as podcasts on the College Senate website. The schedule for all College Senate meeting dates is also posted. Please visit the website to catch up on past Senate news, listen to podcasts of past meetings, or review meeting summaries. The College Senate Office is located in Cleveland Hall 211. Please stop by the office, call 878-5139, or e-mail Vincent Masci, assistant to the College Senate, with questions or for general information.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has directed that flags on all state government buildings be flown at half-staff today, October 25, to honor Buffalo Police Officer Craig Lehner, who died in the line of duty while training with the underwater recovery team. To commemorate the life of Officer Lehner, the Peace Bridge and Niagara Falls in Western New York will also be illuminated blue this evening.   

"This exceptional law enforcement officer, who was taken from us far too soon, will always be remembered in Western New York and beyond," Governor Cuomo said. "The family of New York grieves for Officer Craig Lehner, who devoted his life to serving and protecting the people of this state, and asks that everyone keep his loved ones and colleagues in their prayers during this difficult time."

"On behalf of our deeply saddened community and state, and as a fellow resident of Buffalo, I would like to extend my most sincere condolences to the family and friends of Officer Lehner, a true hometown hero," said Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul. "His death is a reminder of the daily dangers that law enforcement face in the line of duty. His selfless service to country and community touches all of us in Buffalo and beyond."

Officer Lehner, 34, was a nine-year veteran of the Buffalo Police Department. In addition to serving on the department's underwater recovery team, he worked as a K-9 officer with his partner Shield, a 4-year-old German shepherd. Officer Lehner also served as an Army National Guard military police officer for 16 years, assigned to the 105th Military Police Company at Masten Armory in Buffalo. A staff sergeant, he was deployed to Iraq in 2011 and served at Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba in 2014 and 2015. During his time in the service, he was awarded more than a dozen medals, including the Army Commendation Medal, the Air Assault Badge, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, and five Army Achievement Medals.

Lehner's funeral service is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. today. The Peace Bridge will be illuminated in blue along the bridge arches, truss, and spine from dusk until 1:00 a.m. The 176-foot Niagara Falls will also be awash in blue light for 15 minutes at the top of every hour, from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m., in his honor.

Banner and Degree Works will be unavailable between 6:00 p.m. Friday, October 27, and 7:00 a.m. Monday, October 30, because of scheduled maintenance. The Banner database will also be inaccessible during this time. We apologize for any inconvenience.