Colin Phoenix from Fidelity Investments will be on campus for individual consultations with Buffalo State faculty and staff members on the following days:

• Thursday, May 21: Cleveland Hall 416
• Wednesday, June 10: Butler Library 210B
• Wednesday, July 8: Butler Library 210B

Sessions are by appointment only, between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. To schedule an appointment, please register online or call (800) 642-7131.

The dance program in the Theater Department will present its annual spring concert, "Blue Prints ~ Dance and Architecture," April 29 through May 1. Members of the dance faculty have created works inspired by the world of architecture. Performances run April 29–May 1 at 8:00 p.m. and May 2 at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m. in Upton Hall's Warren Enters Theatre.

Francis Webster, professor of chemistry at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, will present "Attract and Kill: A New Era for Insect Pheromones" at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30, in Science Building 272. An abstract of his talk appears below.

The Chemistry-Physics Seminar Series is supported by the Faculty-Student Association at Buffalo State.

Abstract
Insect pheromones and other semiochemicals were naturally envisioned as environmentally friendly agents for controlling pest insects. The original “magic bullet” theory of control proved untenable. However, great progress has been made in the use of insect pheromones in many products, and these products are either successful or show great promise in controlling pest insects. My research interests include the isolation and identification of insect pheromones, the practical synthesis of insect pheromones with emphasis on needed stereochemistry, and the use of pheromones in control products. My talk will touch on all three areas but with an emphasis on controlling insects using attract and kill products.

The Anne Frank Project is pairing its Teacher Training Intensive with its social justice conference AFP 2015: Identity, Inclusion, and the World. Get certified in AFP's story-building model and bring drama-based education into your lessons and workshops.

Dates and Times
Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Friday, September 18, from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

Attend AFP 2015 on September 16 and 17.

More information
AFP Teacher Training website
Teacher Training registration
Testimonials

Please contact Drew Kahn, professor of theater and director of AFP, with questions.

Please join the Great Lakes Center for the seminar "Trends in Benthic Macroinvertebrates throughout the Lake Huron System," presented by Thomas F. Nalepa, research scientist with the University of Michigan's Graham Sustainability Institute and scientist emeritus with NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, on Thursday, April 30, at 12:15 p.m. in Classroom Building B118.

Students, staff, and faculty members are welcome.

The following Blackboard training sessions and workshops will be held in May. Please register online. All sessions will be held in Bulger Communication Center 104.

Blackboard Learn 9.1: Introduction
This workshop is designed for instructors new to Blackboard Learn 9.1 or anyone who would like a refresher course. We will address the basics of navigation, course tools, and procedures necessary to create new content items. By the end of this workshop, learners will be able to navigate the new LMS, upload files, create content items, add text, add multimedia, and organize content in meaningful ways.

Wednesday, May 6; 10:00 a.m.–noon

Tuesday, May 12; noon–2:00 p.m.

Tuesday, May 19; 10:00 a.m.–noon

Blackboard Learn 9.1: Assessments
This workshop focuses on the available assessment tools in the latest version of Blackboard Learn. By the end of this workshop, learners will be able to create, configure, and deploy individual and group assignments, auto-graded tests, discussions, and Turnitin Direct Assignments. Collecting student submissions to manage grades and feedback for each student and the use of rubrics to simplify the grading process will also be covered.

Thursday, May 7; 10:00 a.m.–noon

Wednesday, May 13; noon–2:00 p.m.

Wednesday, May 20; 10:00 a.m.–noon
 

Blackboard Learn 9.1: Grade Center
The Grade Center in Blackboard Learn is more than just a way to record students' grades. It is a dynamic and interactive tool, allowing you to collect student submissions, record data, calculate grades, and monitor student progress. 

This workshop focuses on the skills necessary to use the Grade Center to manage students' grades for assignments, tests, discussion posts, etc. You can also create grade columns for any activities or requirements you want to grade, such as special projects, participation, or attendance. The Grade Center can be individualized to fit your needs. 

Friday, May 8; 10:00 a.m.–noon

Thursday, May 14; noon–2:00 p.m.

Thursday May 21; 10:00 a.m.–noon
 

Blackboard Learn 9.1: Open Lab
This lab is an open forum devoted to answering questions and solving problems that faculty may have about navigating Blackboard Learn 9.1. Bring your course-specific questions and have them answered here.

Friday, May 8; 2:00–3:00 p.m.

Tuesday, May 12; 10:30–11:30 a.m.

Thursday May 21; 2:00–3:00 p.m.

Blackboard Learn 9.1: Retention Center
Blackboard’s Retention Center is an early alert and monitoring system that provides an easy way for you to quickly identify which students in your course are at risk. You can communicate with struggling students and help them take immediate action for improvement. You can also keep track of patterns over time.

This training will focus on using Blackboard's Retention Center, creating Grade Center grading color codes to identify specified criteria, and producing Smart Views. Smart Views are focused views of the Grade Center. Any number of Smart Views can be created based on a variety of criteria, including grading periods, categories, and performance.

Friday, May 15; noon–2:00 p.m.

Friday, May 22; 10:00 a.m.–noon

The Anne Frank Project is accepting proposals for its seventh annual social justice festival, AFP 2015: Identity, Inclusion, and the World, to be held on Wednesday and Thursday, September 16 and 17. AFP supports sessions that provide tools and vocabulary for community building, conflict resolution, and identity exploration. Through workshops, performances, and exhibits, festival participants activate theory into practice.

Please consider this quote to inspire your proposal:
The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to justice, peace, and brotherhood. — Martin Luther King Jr.

Proposals are due Monday, June 1. Submit your proposal online.

For more information, please visit the Anne Frank Project website. An archive of past festivals can also be found on the site. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Please e-mail Eve Everette, AFP assistant director, with questions.

The following Blackboard training sessions and workshops will be held this week. Please register online. All sessions will be held in Bulger Communication Center 104.

Blackboard Learn 9.1: Assessments
This workshop focuses on the available assessment tools in the latest version of Blackboard Learn. By the end of this workshop, learners will be able to create, configure, and deploy individual and group assignments, auto-graded tests, discussions, and Turnitin Direct Assignments. Collecting student submissions to manage grades and feedback for each student and the use of rubrics to simplify the grading process will also be covered.
Tuesday, April 28; 10:00 a.m.–noon

Blackboard Learn 9.1: Enterprise Surveys
Enterprise Surveys is a system tool that provides a way to collect feedback from specified groups of people. Surveys can be sent to any selection of courses or departments, or to the entire institution. Surveys can also be sent to e-mail addresses outside the system. This training will focus on how to create a survey in Blackboard, how to deploy it in the most efficient manner, and how to create a report to analyze the results.
Tuesday, April 28; 1:00–2:00 p.m.
Friday May 1; 10:00–11:00 a.m.

Blackboard Learn 9.1: Grade Center
The Grade Center in Blackboard Learn is more than just a way to record students' grades. It is a dynamic and interactive tool that allows you to collect student submissions, record data, calculate grades, and monitor student progress. This workshop focuses on the skills necessary to use the Grade Center to manage students' grades for assignments, tests, discussion posts, etc. You can also create grade columns for any activities or requirements you want to grade, such as special projects, participation, or attendance. The Grade Center can be individualized to fit your needs.
Wednesday, April 29; 10:00 a.m.–noon

Blackboard Learn 9.1: Retention Center
Blackboard’s Retention Center is an early alert and monitoring system that provides an easy way for you to quickly identify which students in your course are at risk. You can communicate with struggling students and help them take immediate action for improvement. You can also keep track of patterns over time. This training will focus on using Blackboard's Retention Center, creating Grade Center grading color codes to identify specified criteria, and producing Smart Views. Smart Views are focused views of the Grade Center. Any number of Smart Views can be created based on a variety of criteria, including grading periods, categories, and performance.
Thursday, April 30; 10:00 a.m.–noon

A complete schedule of upcoming Blackboard training sessions and workshops is also available. Please register online.

Jeffrey Otterstein from VALIC Financial Advisors will be on campus for individual consultations with Buffalo State faculty and staff members on Tuesday, May 5. Sessions are by appointment only, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. in Butler Library 210B.

To schedule an appointment, please register online.

Faculty, staff, and advisers to academic and service programs, honor societies, and scholarship programs: please advise students on the proper wearing of honors regalia and accessories at Commencement according to the new Policy on Commencement Honors Cords and Accessories. The policy on the Commencement website provides helpful information for students or anyone involved in the planning of programs or organizations that will recognize our highest achieving students as they graduate.