Please join the Biology Department for the seminar "The Other 99 Percent...Next Generation Sequence Insights into Uncultured Microbial Communities," presented by Anthony Hay, associate professor of microbiology at Cornell University, on Friday, February 19, at 2:00 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center East.

All faculty, staff, and students are welcome.

Weigel Health Promotions will host an Opiate Overdose Workshop through Horizon Health Services on Thursday, February 11, from 11:00 a.m. to noon in Classroom Building B309.

Prescription opiates and heroin are a serious concern in Western New York and the nation as a whole. Horizon Health Services offers trainings on Narcan, a drug used to reverse the effects of opiate overdose and give victims a chance at survival. This workshop will cover how to identify if a user is in active overdose, how to administer Narcan, and how to get victims the help they need.

For more information on Weigel Health Promotions programs, please visit our website, check out our newsletter, follow us on social media, and watch us in action on our Youtube channel!

Please contact Paula Madrigal, assistant director of prevention and health promotions, 878-4719, with questions or concerns.

The Western New York Service Learning Coalition will host a local conference on Friday, March 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Hilbert College. Buffalo State is a coalition member; conference attendance is $50 for Buffalo State employees. This is a great opportunity for faculty members new to service learning and experienced service-learning faculty members to network and learn from other faculty, community partners, and service-learning professionals across Western New York. Details are available at wnyslconference.org.

Requests for new fall 2016 service-learning designations are due to the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center (VSLC) by Friday, March 4. Existing SL-designated courses do not need to reapply. Simply complete an online request form or return a paper form along with a syllabus by Thursday, March 4.

Why should your course be a designated service-learning course?

• Students will be able to easily identify service-learning courses in course listings.
• Service learning will be identified on students’ transcripts.
• You will be recognized as achieving the Senate criteria for service learning.
• The VSLC can track participation to ensure accurate information on community engagement efforts.

Designated service-learning courses can also meet the IF Global Engagement requirement if the service activity in the course is dedicated to serving populations or communities where English is not the primary language. Additional information and IF Global Engagement application materials can be found on the University College Intellectual Foundations website.

Blended learning—the strategic combination of face-to-face and online learning experiences—is growing in popularity within higher education and K–12 settings around the world.

Educause and the University of Central Florida (UCF) are offering BlendKit 2016, a free five-week online course on blended learning, with a local cohort connection here on campus.

Faculty members who participate in the BlendKit 2016 cohort will

• participate in facilitated online activities starting Monday, February 22, through Canvas Network;
• view live webinars from blended learning experts with colleagues here on campus;
• receive a digital badge each week for completing online activities along with a certificate of course completion as a blended learning designer.

To join the Buffalo State BlendKit 2016 cohort, please register online.

To learn more about BlendKit 2016, please register for an introductory meeting on Tuesday, February 9, in Bulger Communication Center 104, or contact Meghan Pereira, senior instructional designer in Instructional Resources.

The spring 2016 Conversations in and out of the Disciplines Series begins Friday, February 26, when M. Stephen Pendleton, associate professor of political science, presents "From Bad Air to Bugs: Buffalo’s Role in the Vanguard of the Public Health Revolution, 1832–1910" at 3:00 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 320. A Q&A and brief wine-and-cheese reception will follow. Everyone is welcome.

Please also mark your calendars for the second and third talks of the semester: Jason Grinnell, department chair and associate professor of philosophy and humanities, will present “Codifying Excellence: The Tension between Ethics and Accountability” on Friday, April 22; and Alice Pennisi, department chair and associate professor of art education, will present “Painting as Research, Activism, and Teaching Tool: Nine American Boys Series” on Friday, April 29. All talks will be held at 3:00 in Ketchum Hall 320.

The campus community is invited to attend upcoming training sessions on the new SUNY Procurement Card (P-Card) web application system. This system is mandatory for all cardholders as our current legacy system of certification will be phased out.

The new SUNY Financials P-Card web application is used to manage the regular operations of SUNY’s P-Card program. The online system allows cardholders the ability to view their statements, reconcile and certify their monthly transactions, and change their own transaction and default accounts based on their individual accounting securities.

All cardholders should become familiar with this new P-Card web application before February 7. Cardholders are able to access the P-Card web application from http://suny.edu.

Training on the new system is not mandatory; however, we are offering the campus community training sessions during Bengal Pause (12:30–1:30 p.m.) in Butler Library 318 on the following dates:

• Tuesday, February 16
• Thursday, February 18
• Thursday, February 25

Please contact Bonnie McKay, procurement and travel card administrator, 878-4117, to RSVP. Visit our website to stay up to date with current corporate card news.

The deadline to submit online student proposals for the second annual SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference has been extended to Friday, February 12. The conference will be held on the SUNY-Cobleskill campus on Friday, April 15, from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Student proposals for research poster sessions, oral presentations, and performances of creative work are welcome. For guidelines and further information, please visit the SURC conference website and online submission portal.

As the spring semester is under way, departments, programs, and academic and service organizations are planning recognition for their graduates at Commencement. Please refer to the Policy on Commencement Honors Cords and Accessories provided on the Commencement website. You may call the Academic Affairs Office at 878-5550 with any questions. Thank you.

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.

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. 

The spring deadline for applications is Wednesday, February 17. Applications must be submitted four weeks in advance of proposed events. For additional information, please visit the Equity and Campus Diversity website.