Registration is now open for Accessibility: Designing and Teaching Courses for All Learners, a free six-week professional development MOOC (massive open online course) available to all faculty, staff, and students, beginning Monday, February 22. Co-developed by Buffalo State and Empire State College, the course will provide participants with an understanding of accessibility as a civil rights issue and help them develop the knowledge and skills needed to design learning experiences that promote inclusive learning environments.

Participants will learn to

• recognize and address challenges faced by students with disabilities related to access,
• articulate faculty and staff roles in reducing barriers,
• apply principles of universal design for learning,
• analyze benefits of backward design when developing learning experiences,
• use Section 508 standards and WCAG 2.0 guidelines to create accessible courses,
• explore and use tools and techniques appropriate for course content.

Register at Canvas Network.

The Buffalo State Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is looking for two volunteers to serve as EAP coordinators. EAP is a free, voluntary, confidential information and referral service available to all New York State employees, their family members, and retirees. EAP provides assistance with many kinds of problems, including family, marital, medical, financial, legal, grief and loss, elder care, and substance abuse. EAP does not provide direct therapy but serves as a link between Buffalo State employees and skilled professionals in the community. EAP is a neutral office, not associated with any disciplinary procedures, whose services are designed to improve the quality of working families' lives.

EAP coordinators are specially trained to assist Buffalo State employees and their family members in finding professionals in the community best suited to help solve problems or address concerns.

Coordinators must have a strong commitment to the goals of NYS EAP, excellent interpersonal skills, a history of productive relationships with co-workers, the ability to communicate with individuals and groups, interest in the community and its services and resources, flexibility and willingness to learn, the initiative and ability to work independently, and a strong sense of confidentiality. Coordinators report to and work with the EAP Committee to increase awareness of EAP on site, expand referral services, and help coordinate EAP-sponsored programs on campus. Coordinators must attend training sessions, including monthly regional trainings, as well as the five-day New Coordinator Institute and campus EAP Committee meetings. Candidates must have supervisory support and approval to assume this role. Faculty members are strongly encouraged to apply.

The EAP Committee is the executive body that administers the EAP. The committee meets regularly to implement and monitor all aspects of the program, including outreach, education, and evaluation.

Please contact Suzanne Johnson, Employee Assistance Program chair, 878-4436, to apply or to obtain more information.

Did you know that as a Buffalo State employee you are entitled to use the services of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for free? EAP helps employees and their families address work, family, and personal issues so they can live healthier, happier, and more productive lives. Specially trained EAP coordinators provide employees with individual assessments and customized referrals to local resources for additional help. EAP services are free and confidential.

What can EAP help with?

• Family and relationship problems
• Stress, physical, and emotional concerns
• Alcohol and other drug problems
• Health insurance questions
• Identifying local resources for child care, elder care, legal, and financial services
• Wellness programs to promote healthy living, including WellNYS Everyday

Also:

• If you are expecting a child or have recently added to your family through the birth or adoption of a child, request your family packet to learn about several negotiated benefits designed to assist families with balancing work and life.
• Eligible state employees can use pre-tax dollars for public transportation expenses. Visit www.nysride.com to learn more.
• Retirement-planning videos are also available.

If you or a family member is interested in assessment, referral, or resource information about any of these issues, or about any issue or problem not listed, please leave a brief message on the EAP coordinator confidential voice mail line and a coordinator will return your call: 878-6699.

Please visit the EAP website for more resource information.

Blackboard courses from fall 2013 through summer 2015 will be made unavailable to students as of Wednesday, February 3. Faculty members will still have access to courses and content, but students will no longer see the courses on their Blackboard home page. Please encourage students to save any content they may need in the future. Faculty members may choose to keep these courses available to students after February 3 by following the instructions on the Blackboard Help website.

Open SUNY Support Services has begun using the telephone number (844) 673-6786 (1-844-OpenSUNY). The previous phone number will remain active and will continue to reach Open SUNY Support Services until it is determined that this phone number is no longer needed. If this number is listed on websites, syllabi, or any other materials, please begin updating it to the new number.

Do you ever struggle to manage your work and the rest of your life? You are not alone. This course is designed for those leading teams as well as for individuals who want to manage their own careers with flexible options. Men and women all over the world are trying to figure out how to get beyond the impossible work-life "balance" so they can achieve a new level of success in their lives. Join Catalyst experts to explore this topic and emphasize the importance of inclusive leadership in creative flexible and productive work environments on Tuesday, February 23, at 12:15 in Butler Library 181B. Through research and real-world examples from a variety of situations, you will learn strategies for managing workplace flexibility, and you will see how you have the power as an individual, as a team member, and as a manager to make positive change.

Light snacks will be provided. Please register through the CyberQuad Workshop Registration System.

A person shows up at your desk yelling, crying, upset, frustrated, tearful, angry, overwhelmed, pushy, annoyed, demanding, obnoxious, intoxicated, disoriented… What do you do?

This two-hour video on Tuesday, February 9, at 2:00 p.m. in Butler Library 181B will offer information and suggestions for handling difficult situations.

Light snacks will be provided. Please register through the CyberQuad Workshop Registration System.

The Professional Development Center will present the workshop DISCover Your Strengths and Build Better Teams on Monday, February 22, from 10:00 a.m. to noon in Butler Library 181B.

Our ability to work more effectively with others may be as simple as understanding their personalities and what drives them to do the things they do. This workshop will introduce participants to the DISC Personality Profile, a tool to learn not only about yourself but also, more importantly, about others, to minimize interpersonal conflict, and to maximize success. Participants will take the DISC Personality Profile assessment and receive a personalized report approach to use with each of their colleagues.

Light snacks will be provided. Please register through the CyberQuad Workshop Registration System.

Attention, faculty and staff members: Did you know you could save 10 percent on your Bengal Bucks purchases? Be sure to load your Bengal Bucks for the spring semester on your Buffalo State ID card today at the Bengal Card Office in Butler Library.

New sessions have been added to Winterim 2016. Please visit the Winterim course listing or find the Winterim links on the PSC website. You will find sessions specific to campus life, work life, and student concerns; classes covering important life decisions and preparations; nature and knowledge; fun with photos and dance; food and wine; and the post-holiday dish to pass, re-gift, stone soup party.