Learn more about the Affordable Care Act and what New York State is doing to help citizens enroll during this informational meeting, "Health Insurance Facts and Snacks," on Thursday, February 12, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 200. Explanations on terms, insurance plans, payment options, and qualifications will preface a question-and-answer session. Snacks will be provided.

Facilitated by Bryan Reilly, M.S.W. intern and health ambassador for coverage and community access services at the University at Buffalo. For more information, please contact Paula Madrigal, wellness and prevention coordinator for Weigel Health Center, ext. 4719.

The Fashion and Textile Technology Department and the Faculty-Student Association will sponsor a maker faire on Friday, February 27, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union. What is the Maker Movement? Part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new, a maker faire is an all-ages gathering of tech enthusiasts, crafters, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, science clubs, authors, artists, students, and commercial exhibitors. All of these “makers” come to a maker faire to show what they have made and share what they have learned. Gretchen Myers from Peg’s Hardware will conduct the Buffalo State workshop. Participants will upcycle a T-shirt and make art from recycled magazines, a small taste of a much larger movement.

Want to be involved? Come to the Fashion and Textile Technology Department in Technology Building 303 to sign up. Hold your spot with $10—normally a $30 value—which will be given back to you at the event. This event is part of the Year of the Innovator.

Father Pat, director of Catholic Campus Ministry at the Newman Center, welcomes all faculty, staff, and students to join him on Ash Wednesday, February 18, for Mass and distribution of ashes at 12:05 p.m. in Campbell Student Union Assembly Halls 1 and 2 or at 6:00 p.m. in the Newman Center Chapel, 1219 Elmwood Avenue.

The nomination deadline for the Phillip Santa Maria Award for Student Leadership in Equity and Campus Diversity has been extended to Wednesday, February 25.

For 25 years, Dr. Phillip Santa Maria served as dean of students at Buffalo State. During his tenure, he was recognized both on campus and throughout the community for his leadership on a variety of diversity and social justice issues. The Phillip Santa Maria Award for Student Leadership in Equity and Campus Diversity was established in his honor and is given annually to recognize students who exemplify Dr. Santa Maria’s commitment to service, social justice, and diversity.

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to nominate student leaders who exemplify Dr. Santa Maria’s commitment to service, social justice, and diversity through promoting respect for diversity and individual differences in their activities, projects, discussions, or their leadership with student organizations and groups for this purpose.

Eligibility:
Undergraduate and graduate students at Buffalo State

Criteria:

1. Recipients must have demonstrated leadership in the promotion of respect for diversity and individual differences through their roles in organizing discussions, curricular experiences, out-of-classroom experiences, or special projects for programming that go beyond that usually expected of a student.
    
2. Recipients must demonstrate leadership in encouraging their peers to embrace diversity and to appreciate the benefits of diversity on campus, in the community, and in their everyday lives.
    
3. Recipients must have created or played a significant leadership role in initiatives or programs that promote access, equity, or social justice in relation to the diversity of thought, diversity of experiences, diversity of values, or other aspects of diversity within the college or the broader community.

Please submit nominations to the Equity and Campus Diversity Office by the extended deadline of February 25 using the online form (PDF) on the Equity and Campus Diversity website. Please contact the Equity and Campus Diversity Office, Cleveland Hall  415, ext. 6210, equity.buffalostate.edu, with questions.

On the second Friday of every month, the Burchfield Penney hosts something great, thanks to the support of M&T Bank. With openings and happy hours, programs, concerts, screenings, and other special events, visitors experience the best of the Burchfield Penney every Second Friday. Gallery admission is free all day (10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.), with special events and programs beginning at 5:30 p.m. 

5:30–7:30 p.m. Opening celebration: Richard Kegler / P22 Type Foundry: Charles E. Burchfield (The Font Project) in the Collection Study Gallery

In 2013, Richard Kegler, co-founder and lead designer of the Buffalo-based P22 Type Foundry, was commissioned by the Burchfield Penney to create the Charles E. Burchfield font to honor the artist. This exhibition celebrates the acquisition of the font in the center’s collection.

The exhibition includes works from the P22 Archive at the Center and various fonts it has developed over the past 20 years. The installation also includes archival objects from the Charles E. Burchfield Archives at the Burchfield Penney that were used in the development and design process. A limited edition specimen book of the type will be available in the Museum Store. Works by the following P22 staff and collaborators who are part of this exhibition include Jimy Chambers, Carima El-Behairy, James Grieshaber, Brian Grunert, Colin Kahn, Alan Kegler, Denis Kegler, Kevin Kegler, Thomas Kegler, KC Kratt, Maria Pabico LaRotunda, David Lyttleton, Rod McKuen, Miranda Roth, Jim Rimmer, Pete Reiling, and Michael Want.

5:30–7:30 p.m. Drop-in Art-Making Workshop in the Studio Classroom: Sweetheart Collages is presented by Buffalo State art education graduate students

5:30–7:30 p.m. Happy Hour with music by Carina and the Six-String Preacher in the reception area

7:00 p.m. Peter Seidelicki and Barbara Cole

Don't miss the opportunity to experience Exalted Nature: The Real and Fantastic World of Charles Burchfield before it closes on February 22, as well as Alexander O. Levy: American Artist, Art Deco Painter and more.

For more information, please visit the Burchfield Penney website.

The Adult Education Department is pleased to host the eighth annual Conference on Equity and Social Justice on Saturday, March 7, in the Campbell Student Union. Registration is now open.

The theme for this year’s conference, “Meaningful Change: Transforming Communities of Practice,” has inspired many thoughtful presentation topics that are certain to be of interest to campus faculty and staff, as well as graduate students in education.

Conference Strands

•     Adult Education in Communities of Practice
•     Critical Race Studies
•     Critical Youth Studies
•     Educational Reform in the 21st Century
•     Urban Education and Community Partnerships
•     "Othering"

Keynote speakers for the conference are Lois Weis, SUNY Distinguished Professor of education leadership and policy at the University at Buffalo, and Wayne Au, associate professor of educational studies at the University of Washington Bothell. In addition, faculty and graduate student presenters will join us from universities in California, Delaware, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Ottawa as well as several colleges and universities in New York, including six SUNY campuses.

Participant costs are $75 for faculty and $25 for students. Visit the ESJ conference website for full details and to register online.

Buffalo State strength and conditioning coach Nate Young will host a strength and conditioning conference on Saturday, February 21, featuring a variety of strength coaches, professors, and trainers from around the state. This event is open to all interested staff, students, and members of the community. For more information, visit the Intercollegiate Athletics website or e-mail Young.

The college community is invited to attend the Open SUNY Campus Kickoff on Friday, February 20, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the first-floor lobby of Bulger Communication Center. Join us to learn more about online learning and how Open SUNY is building on the excellence that remains the cornerstone of the SUNY academic experience. Open SUNY enhances students’ access to higher education, improves completion rates, and prepares students for success while contributing to the economic success of New York State and beyond.

Open SUNY is the new name for the SUNY Learning Network. Two Buffalo State graduate programs, the master of science in adult education and the master of music education, are among those included in the Open SUNY+. The plus (+) in Open SUNY+ brings an additional layer of support for students and faculty, creating unique online learning experiences.

Ten members of the Open SUNY team representing Open SUNY campuses, System Administration, and the Center for Professional Development will be on campus to engage faculty, staff, and students during the following poster sessions:

• Open SUNY Overview
• Marketing and Enrollment
• Faculty Supports
• Student Supports
• Technology and Support Services
• Academic Initiatives

In New York alone, millions of individuals need access to high-quality higher education. Come and find out why 201,799 students were enrolled in Open SUNY online courses during the 2011–2012 academic year and how Buffalo State faculty, staff, and students can benefit from new solutions to improve, extend, and enhance online services and resources for online courses.

The Open SUNY Center for Online Teaching Excellence (COTE) is collecting effective practices to recognize and showcase best practices, strategies, and innovative online teaching and learning activities. Please consider sharing what you know with your COTE community. Submit your effective practice.

Submissions will be included in an Open SUNY COTE repository of effective online practices, and the community will vote on their favorites. Those with the most votes during the voting period will be recognized at the upcoming Open SUNY COTE Summit.

Joseph Flynn, associate professor in the Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology, and Foundations at Northern ?Illinois University, will present "White Fatigue and the Myth of a Post-Racial America" on Tuesday, February 24, during Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.) in Bulger Communication Center East. Flynn's scholarship focuses on critical examinations of race, media and popular culture, and curriculum. 

All are welcome to attend this event, held in honor of Black History Month. This talk is sponsored by the African and African American studies program with assistance from the Faculty-Student Association.