The Daily Bulletin will take a holiday break from Monday, June 29, to Friday, July 3. The deadline for submissions for the July 6 issue is 3:00 p.m. Friday, June 26. During the break, users may submit items for Tuesday, July 7, and beyond. Thank you.

The Buffalo CarShare fleet of 19 vehicles, including three on Buffalo State’s campus, has been removed from operation because of the organization’s inability to renew its insurance policy. Buffalo CarShare holds open the possibility of resuming services for Buffalo and Buffalo State while it continues to work toward enacting state legislative changes that would make insurance coverage available once again. Buffalo CarShare apologizes for the disruption in service and thanks the Buffalo State community for its interest and support.

More information is available on the Buffalo CarShare website.

The Richardson Center Corporation will begin work on a new road and utility construction project today, June 15, as part of its development of the historic Richardson Olmsted Complex adjoining campus. Workers will construct a new road that will be accessed via a new intersection on Rockwell Road directly south of the entrance to Cleveland Circle.

Some trees and parking spaces along Rockwell Road will be lost in the construction, and there will be temporary lane closures on the south portion of Rockwell Road. One eastbound and one westbound lane of traffic will be maintained at all times.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as the Richardson Olmsted Complex undergoes restoration. Should you have questions regarding this project, please contact Steve Shaffer, Buffalo State’s manager of design and construction, 878-6034.

The last day to expend state-appropriated funds for fiscal year 2014–2015 is June 30, 2015. To expedite the payment process, all payment requests must be submitted to the Accounts Payable and Travel Services Office as soon as possible and no later than July 31. This includes employee and travel reimbursements and payments to vendors. Goldenrod receiving reports and invoices for outstanding purchase orders must be forwarded to our office, Cleveland Hall 414, as soon as the goods or services are satisfactorily received.

If you have any questions, please call our office at 878-4117.

The Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) will begin its annual campuswide fire alarm system inspection today, June 15. This inspection, required by the New York State Fire Safety Code, will examine and test all fire safety devices tied in to each building’s fire alarm system. The inspection is expected to last seven weeks.

The fire alarm and each individual fire safety device will be tested in every building. In some cases testing will require access to office and work spaces. Great Lakes Building Systems (the inspection company) and EH&S will strive to cause as little disruption as possible.

At the conclusion of each building’s inspection, the building’s fire alarm will be tested. Unlike a fire drill, occupants are not required to leave the building during this test. A technician will inform building occupants of the impending test before the alarm is pulled. Individuals can choose to stay or evacuate. Please be advised that if the fire alarm in your building is ringing and you have not been informed of a test by someone from EH&S or Great Lakes Building Systems, please treat the alarm as real and evacuate immediately. 

Thank you for your cooperation in this important fire and life safety matter.

The following walk-in sessions for faculty members, chairs, and secretaries who need help using Doolli to submit faculty annual reports will be held this week in Butler Library 314:

• Tuesday, June 23, 10:00 a.m.–noon 
• Tuesday, June 23, 2:00–4:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, June 24, 10:00 a.m.–noon

A walk-in session for faculty members, chairs, and secretaries who need help using Doolli to submit faculty annual reports will be held today, Thursday, June 18, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in Butler Library 314.

Walk-in sessions for faculty members, chairs, and secretaries who need help using Doolli to submit faculty annual reports will be held in Butler Library 314 on the following dates:

• Wednesday, June 17, 10:00 a.m.–noon
• Thursday, June 18, 2:00–4:00 p.m.

The Transforming Lives campaign will conclude on June 30, but it’s not too late for your gift to have an impact on Buffalo State and our students. Visit our website today to give a gift that will continue to transform lives. Watch the video to see all that has been done…because of you!

For more information, please contact Mary Dwyer, associate vice president for development, 878-3141.

The Professional Development Center will publish a four-part series on proper e-mail etiquette techniques over the next few weeks. Part 1 appears below. It is important to remain professional in college communications both to appear competent and because e-mail is not a secure medium and can easily be intercepted. When employees understand e-mail etiquette, they are less likely to put the college at risk. Here are five rules to consider:*

1. Don't Write in ALL CAPITALS
   Writing in capitals can convey shouting in a message, and nobody likes to be yelled at. Consider other ways to get your message across while conveying its importance. Using all capitals can be annoying and can trigger an unintended response.
2. Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) Recipients or Use a Mail Merge
   When sending e-mail to multiple recipients, people sometimes place all addresses in the To: field. If the recipient list is large, this forces readers to scroll through a long list of e-mail addresses before they can read the message. On a smartphone, this can be extra irritating. In addition, all recipients may not want their e-mail addresses published for everyone to see. You can avoid both these issues by using the BCC: field instead, or using a program like Outlook to run a mail merge that sends a unique message to each person on your list (E-mail Mail Merge using Outlook).
3. Do Not Use E-mail to Discuss Confidential Information
   E-mail messages are easy to copy, print, and forward. Do not use e-mail to convey confidential information. Even if the e-mail isn’t forwarded on to someone else, management can easily intercept inappropriate e-mail. Moreover, campus e-mail is governed by the Buffalo State Policy on the Use of Electronic Resources (PDF) and should be reserved for the "efficient exchange of information and the completion of assigned responsibilities consistent with the mission of the college."
4. Take Care with Abbreviations and Emoticons
   Save abbreviations like LOL (laugh out loud) or IDK (I don’t know) for text messages among friends. Some readers may not understand abbreviations. And while emoticons are fun, they are not professional and may be misinterpreted. As with abbreviations, readers may not know what emoticons mean. Spell out all words in your professional communication and write what you mean.
5. Don't Request Delivery or Read Receipts
   This will often annoy recipients before they even read your message. Besides, it usually does not work; recipients can block that function or their software might not support it. If you want to know whether an e-mail was received, ask the recipient to let you know directly.

* Excerpted and adapted from Andrew Dunlop, vice president of web services for DynaSis Integrated Systems.