Butler Library will be giving drop-in library tours to introduce Buffalo State students to the services and resources available to them. The tours will cover a range of services, including navigating the library's website, finding books, and using the Writing Center. Students are encouraged to get a jump start on the semester by familiarizing themselves with everything Butler Library has to offer. 

Tours will be held on the following dates and times:

• Tuesday, September 6: 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. (two tours, every 30 minutes)
• Wednesday, September 7: 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. (two tours, every 30 minutes)

To attend, simply show up in the library’s main lobby and look for the sign. Tours are open to all students and are especially recommended for incoming freshmen, transfer students, and graduate students.

In the past, the Registrar's Office has sent a FERPA notification to all faculty at the start of each semester. This year, we have expanded on that communication with a Faculty Resource page (PDF, 524 KB) that contains a wealth of important information, including a link to our new FERPA web page. We hope you find this useful.

Leadership Buffalo is offering a yearlong program that consists of monthly full-day sessions and two overnight retreats, beginning in January. This program is designed for individuals who are currently serving in a leadership role.

The program will explore the challenges, concepts, and practice of leadership. Key ideas will be explored throughout the program year, providing an in-depth view of the critical issues facing our community and opportunities for sharing hands-on experiences and networking with other leaders in the Buffalo Niagara community.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please submit paper or electronic applications to Lauren Turner, staff assistant in the Professional Development Center, by Saturday, October 1. All applications must include a recommendation from the respective area vice president or dean.

For more information, please visit the Leadership Buffalo website. For any additional questions, please contact Lauren Turner.

The Public Relations staff in College Relations uses the Events Calendar to publicize Buffalo State events that are open to the public. The list, produced monthly, is sent to events calendars hosted by a variety of print and broadcast media. It includes exhibitions, lectures, presentations, and speakers.

To make sure your event is included, please post it in the Events Calendar at least six weeks before it is scheduled.

Faculty, staff, and students with a current Buffalo State user account (required) may submit events using the online submission form.

Mike Spogli from TIAA will visit the Buffalo State campus on Thursday, September 22, and Friday, September 23, between 9:00 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. in Butler Library 210B. Meet with this experienced financial consultant to confidentially review your personal financial situation and discuss how you can pursue your financial goals by investing in products such as mutual funds, brokerage, life insurance, and annuities.

A detailed evaluation will tell you everything you need to know to ensure that your investments are properly allocated and that you are saving enough.

Appointments are required.

Schedule an appointment on September 22.

Schedule an appointment on September 23.

The Fashion and Textile Technology Department is proud to present its first guest speaker of the year, Barinder Gahir, who will present "Developing Your Brand: Insight from a Textile Designer" ?on Tuesday, September 6, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Technology Building 358.

Ms. Gahir left her first career to pursue her dream and passion of creating beautiful fabrics. Since graduating from Loughborough University in 2009 with a degree in textile design, she has been working as a freelance designer specializing in print. Now an accomplished printed textile designer, she has sold her designs around the world to brands such as Calvin Klein, DKNY, Coast, the White Company, and Victoria's Secret.

She has always drawn inspiration from nature, especially from her love of flowers, and uses her own photography, drawings, and mark-making to produce unique and original bespoke luxury scarves, cushions, and wall art. All her printing is done in the East Midlands (UK), and her entire collection is handmade from her Nottingham studio. For more information on her work, please visit http://barinderdesigns.co.uk.

If you are interested in professional development opportunities or have questions about a specific type of campus-supported technology, please see the available workshops in our Workshop Registration System. Upcoming classes include Blackboard Collaborate Ultra (web conferencing software), SMART Boards (interactive whiteboards), Ensemble (video management solution), and more.

For more information about educational technology on campus, please visit the Instructional Design and Training website, part of RITE Services.

Faculty or staff members who have received significant awards from academic, professional, or service organizations at the international, national, or state levels, or grants of $50,000 or more, from September 1, 2015, through August 31, 2016, are invited to submit that information for consideration for the Faculty and Staff Recognition Ceremony booklet.

New faculty and staff members (hired September 1, 2015, through August 31, 2016) who received SUNY awards, such as the Chancellor's Award for Excellence, while previously serving at other SUNY institutions at any time during their careers may submit that information also.

Awards and grants meeting the criteria will be listed in the program booklet distributed at the ceremony on October 6. The names of faculty and staff hired during the past year will be included in the program booklet as well.

The deadline for submitting information using the online forms is Friday, September 9.

The ceremony takes place on Thursday, October 6, at 12:15 p.m. in Rockwell Hall Auditorium. The campus community is invited to attend, and a reception will immediately follow.

Please e-mail Patricia Alessandra in the Academic Affairs Office with any questions about the awards and grants criteria.

The Buffalo State Registrar's Office will go live with Credentials Solutions on October 1, providing online transcript ordering and payment as well as electronic delivery services (where available). For more information about how this process will expedite transcript requests, please visit our website.

As previously announced, the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) is conducting a Dependent Eligibility Verification Audit to help ensure that every participant who receives benefits is entitled to them. Targeted participants include those who are enrolled in a NYSHIP-sponsored plan (Empire Plan, one of the offered HMOs, or Opt Out) who insure or cover a dependent (i.e., spouse, child, etc.).

The deadline for the verification phase, originally July 5 to August 19, has been extended to Wednesday, September 7.

Enrollees with family coverage should have received a home mailing from HMS Employer Solutions that includes a cover letter and verification form explaining required documentation of eligibility for their dependents covered under NYSHIP.

Required documentation for any covered dependents must be received no later than Wednesday, September 7, 2016. The verification form together with copies of all required documents is to be submitted to HMS Employer Solutions. These forms are not to be submitted to Human Resource Management or to the NYS Department of Civil Service. For fastest processing, please submit required documents by uploading them via the web portal or by faxing them to (877) 223-8478. If web and fax are unavailable to you, documents may be mailed to HMS Employer Solutions, P.O. Box 165308, Irving, TX 75016-9923. Please do not mail original documents. If you have any questions, please call HMS (866) 252-0635 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

It is imperative that enrollees respond and provide copies of acceptable proof of eligibility (such as birth certificates or marriage certificates and proof of inter-financial dependence) in a timely manner during their verification phase. Dependents of enrollees who fail to respond will be removed from coverage retroactively to January 1, 2016. In addition, enrollees may be responsible for repaying all health insurance claims for ineligible dependents as early as the date the dependent became ineligible.