Proposals for the SUNY Conference on Instruction and Technology (CIT 2017) are due by Saturday, December 31. CIT is SUNY's largest and most prominent event on instructional technology, providing a forum for faculty, instructional support professionals, and policymakers to present, discuss, and explore innovative avenues for integrating technology into the teaching and learning environment.

All SUNY campuses, state-operated, statutory, and community colleges are invited to submit abstracts to present at this conference. Proposals from outside the SUNY system are welcome as well. This year’s theme, Teaching and Learning in Multiple Dimensions, is supported by the following tracks:

• Diverse Learners, Diverse Learning Styles
• Post Traditional Learners/Lifelong Learning/Career Retooling/Career Credentialing
• Student Success: Retention and Remediation
• Professional Partnerships
• Iterative Journeys

Please visit the CIT website to view detailed descriptions and submit a proposal.

Weigel Health Promotions is looking for students to volunteer, intern, and share their ideas with us. We are seeking students from all majors with experience in graphic design, workshops, web design, social media, event planning, office support, photography, videography, and much more.

Interested students should fill out a student application form.

Please contact Paula Madrigal, assistant director of prevention and health promotions, 878-4719, for more information.

For more information on Weigel Health Promotions and the services we offer, please visit our website, check out our newsletter, follow us on social media, and watch us in action on our YouTube channel.

The Registrar's Office is excited to announce that, effective with the spring 2017 semester, students will have the ability to Late Add courses via Banner self-service (SSB). Beginning the second week of classes, when regular registration activity typically ends, students who wish to register for a course will be able to add the class to their Add or Drop Courses Worksheet in Banner self-service (SSB). This will generate an e-mail that students can forward to course instructors. If faculty members choose to accept the request, they will enter an override for the students in Banner, and students will then register themselves in the course.

This new process will begin at 12:01 a.m. Monday, January 30. Faculty members can provide overrides until 11:59 p.m. February 8, and students will have until 11:59 p.m. on February 9 to act on any permissions they have been granted. More information on this new process can be found on the Registrar's website.

If you have no record of a student on your grade roster attending your class, you must assign the student a grade of EV. This grade distinction replaces the old policy of assigning an E grade and then e-mailing the Financial Aid Office that the student never attended. You no longer need to e-mail the Financial Aid Office of students who did not attend your course as long as you have assigned the EV grade.

Questions regarding this procedure should be referred to the Financial Aid Office, 878-4902.

RITE is pleased to announce that in June 2017, Butler Library 316 will be reconfigured as a team-based BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) active learning classroom. Thirty of the 36 laptops will be removed to permit students to connect and use their own HDMI-compatible devices (laptops, phones, tablets).

Personal devices are a significant part of our students’ lives, and embedding their use within academic courses provides the opportunity for digital literacy and fluency. Engaging students on their own devices increases flexibility while still allowing the creation and sharing of content. From fall 2017 onward, Butler 316 will be an active learning classroom instead of an active learning lab. (A computer lab is defined as having a college-owned device at each student station.)

The existing display monitors and team-based furniture will stay in place. One college-owned laptop will remain at each table to accommodate students who may not have their own devices. The instructor’s computer and smart board will also stay. The Registrar's Office will continue to schedule the space for academic classes; Events Management will continue to schedule the space for nonacademic and one-time needs.

If you have questions about these changes, please contact Melaine Kenyon, director of technology support services, 878-6679.

Did you realize that your mobile devices generally store sensitive data? Information about you, your contacts (friends, family, colleagues), call history, messaging history, location history (GPS), browsing and search history, stored passwords, photos, files, and more. Read this month's OUCH! newsletter to find out how to securely dispose of your mobile device(s).

The campus community is invited to a fine art exhibition featuring works by Carol Siracuse, Dianne Baker, and Ferdinando Cimato today, December 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in Bishop Hall 125. Light refreshments will be served. Sponsored by Centro Culturale Italiano di Buffalo and the Buffalo State Modern and Classical Languages Department.

The campus community is invited to a fine art exhibition featuring works by Carol Siracuse, Dianne Baker, and Ferdinando Cimato on Friday, December 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in Bishop Hall 125. Light refreshments will be served. Sponsored by Centro Culturale Italiano di Buffalo and the Buffalo State Modern and Classical Languages Department.

The campus community is cordially invited to attend an open house for the Center for Development of Human Services/Institute for Community Health Promotion on Monday, December 12, from noon to 3:00 p.m. at 425 Michigan Avenue in Buffalo. Opening remarks by Melanie Perreault, Buffalo State provost; Mark Severson, dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences; and William Wieczorek, CDHS/ICHP director, will begin at 1:00 p.m. Guided tours will run throughout the afternoon, and refreshments will be provided.

If you'd like to learn more about increasing student engagement and creating an active learning environment using a student response system, please attend any of the sessions listed below. Incorporating a student response system can

• increase student-to-student interaction,
• promote student engagement and participation in class,
• help assess students' higher-order thinking skills,
• provide instructors with a better understanding of student needs.

All workshops will be held in Bulger Communication Center 122 unless otherwise noted.

TurningPoint Cloud: Clickers
This hands-on session will introduce you to the new 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, and response device options for students: clickers and mobile polling.

• Monday, December 12; 2:00–3:00 p.m.
• Thursday, January 5; 9:30–10:30 a.m. (online webinar)
• Tuesday, January 17; 2:30–3:30 p.m. (online webinar)
• Thursday, January 19; 9:30–10:30 a.m.
• Wednesday, January 25; 2:00–3:00 p.m.

Promoting Deep Learning with Student Response Systems
Student response systems, or "clickers," can turn multiple-choice questions into effective tools for engaging students during class. Several types of questions work well to promote learning in the classroom environment. Well-designed "clicker" questions have the ability to motivate students and promote active learning. In this session, we'll also discuss several response systems, including some that are free.

• Thursday, December 15; 10:00–11:00 a.m.
• Monday, January 23; 11:00 a.m.–noon
• Friday, January 27; 10:00–11:00 a.m.