Buff State Alert is the campus emergency notification system. Students, faculty, and staff members who wish to enroll in Buff State Alert or modify their contact preferences (e.g., update a cell phone number) may do so by visiting https://buffstatealert.buffalostate.edu and logging in with their Buffalo State user name and password. Anyone who does not have a Buffalo State user name or password can still sign up for text messages only from Buff State Alert by texting the word “buffalostate” to 79516.

Buff State Alert is used only to convey messages regarding serious safety issues, utility failures, or weather-related campuswide closures and cancellations. Buff State Alert is capable of sending text messages, recorded voice messages, and e-mail messages to multiple addresses and phone numbers. In addition, the system is capable of immediately posting messages to the Buffalo State home page, social media sites, the campus cable system, and select video message boards.

Personal data provided to Buff State Alert will not be used for any other purpose or for campus information broadcast. If you have questions about Buff State Alert, please read the user guide (PDF, 526 KB) or e-mail the RITE Support Desk.

Buff State Alert is the campus emergency notification system. Students, faculty, and staff members who wish to enroll in Buff State Alert or modify their contact preferences (e.g., update a cell phone number) may do so by visiting https://buffstatealert.buffalostate.edu and logging in with their Buffalo State user name and password. Anyone who does not have a Buffalo State user name or password can still sign up for text messages only from Buff State Alert by texting the word “buffalostate” to 79516.

Buff State Alert is used only to convey messages regarding serious safety issues, utility failures, or weather-related campuswide closures and cancellations. Buff State Alert is capable of sending text messages, recorded voice messages, and e-mail messages to multiple addresses and phone numbers. In addition, the system is capable of immediately posting messages to the Buffalo State home page, social media sites, the campus cable system, and select video message boards.

Personal data provided to Buff State Alert will not be used for any other purpose or for campus information broadcast. If you have questions about Buff State Alert, please read the user guide (PDF, 526 KB) or e-mail the RITE Support Desk.

Please join President Katherine Conway-Turner for Bengals Dare to Care Day on Saturday, September 17, from 9:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with lunch immediately following. Students, faculty, and staff are invited to volunteer for a morning of service in the community and demonstrate Buffalo State's commitment to community engagement. Over 30 projects have been identified and include sorting donations at a city homeless shelter, painting murals, and assisting in local community gardens. A full list of projects can be found on the VSLC website.

Service projects are identified in collaboration with community organizations across the city of Buffalo, and transportation is provided—all you have to do is register! Volunteers will sign up for a project on the day of the event, so don't be late. Check-in starts at 9:15 a.m. and buses will depart at 9:45 a.m.

The CSI Learning Community of Bengal Scholars invites the campus community to attend a Friday chat with Jonathan Sullivan, DEA special agent and U.S. assistant country attach for Afghanistan, on Friday, September 16, at 3:00 p.m. in Butler Library 210. Agent Sullivan's presentation will include information on federal drug statutes, the aftereffects of illegal drug use, and career opportunities in drug enforcement. Light refreshments will be served.

The Office of the New York State Comptroller has implemented a new service, NYS Payroll Online.

This service allows employees to

• opt out of receiving paper pay statements or direct deposit advices,
• view and print pay statements,
• change tax withholdings,
• view and print current and prior years' W-2s,
• update e-mail addresses.

Accessing this new service is easy. Log-in instructions (PDF, 295 KB) are posted on the Payroll Office website; a user guide (PDF, 1.2 MB) is also available for more detailed instructions.

We encourage all Buffalo State employees to use this new service, especially to help reduce the amount of paper that is generated by biweekly pay statements and direct deposit advices. If you have any questions about the service, please contact Al Galone in the Payroll Office, 878-4124.

RITE: Instructional Design and Training is now offering a four-workshop Blackboard Specialization Certificate. 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 flier (PDF, 193 KB) to learn more about these courses.

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

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

Blackboard Learn 9.1: Introduction
Blackboard Learn 9.1: Assessments
Blackboard Learn 9.1: Grade Center
Blackboard Learn 9.1: Collaboration Tools
Blackboard Learn 9.1: Utilizing Rubrics in a Blackboard Course

Detailed descriptions of each training session (PDF,193 KB) are available on the Instructional Resources website. All workshops are suitable for instructors teaching face-to-face, hybrid, or online courses. All workshop presentations are one hour and are limited to 10 participants. The instructor will be available for 30 minutes after each workshop for additional questions and discussion.

Please register online through the CyberQuad Workshop Registration website.

The call for submissions for the 17th annual Faculty and Staff Research and Creativity Fall Forum is now open. This year's forum will be held on Thursday, October 27, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Houston Gym.

The goal of this forum is to develop, encourage, and support Buffalo State faculty and staff research and creativity, and to make collaborative research endeavors and grantsmanship more accessible. All faculty and staff members are invited to organize an exhibit to present current research, creative activity, or other scholarship. Individual, departmental, or group exhibits are welcome. This is an excellent opportunity to network with other Buffalo State faculty and staff members and to identify common scholarly and creative interests you may have.

To participate, please complete the online form on the Call for Submissions tab of the Fall Forum page. Titles and abstracts or descriptions are to be submitted electronically by Friday, September 30.

Note: The Houston Gym is a smaller venue, with a limited number of electrical outlets, tables, and chairs. Display space is limited to one five-foot table or one or two easels per individual submission.

Please contact Mary Kren, manager of communication and learning development, 878-6700 ext. 2, with questions.

Aloha! The Career Development Center's Part-Time-Job Luau is today, Thursday, September 1, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Student Union Plaza (rain location: Student Union Social Hall).

More than 50 campus departments and local organizations will be in attendance, looking to hire Buffalo State students to fill their part-time job openings, as well as fall 2016, spring 2017, and summer 2017 paid internships. A list of the organizations attending is available on the CDC website.

Please remind students about the luau and feel free to join us for the festivities. For more information, please contact the Career Development Center, Cleveland Hall 306, 878-5811, or visit the CDC website.

Aloha! The campus community is invited to attend the Career Development Center's annual Part-Time-Job Luau on Thursday, September 1, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Student Union Plaza (rain location: Campbell Student Union Social Hall).

This fun and casual event will allow Buffalo State students to learn more about part-time-job opportunities as well as fall 2016, spring 2017, and summer 2017 paid internships by meeting with employers in an informal, relaxed setting.

The Part-Time-Job Luau will feature over 50 employers from campus departments and local organizations. A list of the organizations attending is available on the CDC website. Please provide students with information about this exciting opportunity. Faculty and staff members are also welcome to join in the festivities.

For more information, please contact the Career Development Center, Cleveland Hall 306, or visit the CDC website.