Two faculty members from the International Center for Studies in Creativity (ICSC), Cyndi Burnett and John Cabra, have teamed up with Instructional Resources to bring Buffalo State's first ever massive open online course (MOOC) to the world as part of the Year of the Innovator. The topic is Ignite Your Everyday Creativity.

The ICSC believes that creativity is an essential life skill, and according to the over 15,000 registrants representing more than 150 countries, the public agrees. The course will give participants a solid introduction to their creative processes and show how they can develop their creativity in every aspect of their lives. In just six weeks, this course aims to ignite the creativity of thousands of people all over the world.

Sound like something you're interested in? Register today for free. The course begins Monday, February 16.

Please offer your comments about the Orientation and New Student Program. Your feedback will be taken into consideration in planning for next year. Thank you.

Join us for a discussion of Kimberly Tanner's "Promoting Student Metacognition" on Friday, February 6, from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. in the Professional Development Center, Butler Library 181B. Full-time and part-time faculty members are welcome to attend. Coffee, juice, and bagels will be provided. If you plan to attend, please register in advance through the CyberQuad Workshop Registration System. Hope to see you there.

A Graduate School Information Session will be held Wednesday, March 11, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. in Butler Library 210. The Information Session is your opportunity to

• learn about Buffalo State's distinctive graduate programs,
• meet our graduate faculty,
• learn about admissions requirements,
• explore financial aid options,
• learn about the application process,
• talk with graduate students.

The Information Session will highlight the following programs:

• Adult Education, M.S. and Graduate Certificate
• Applied Economics, M.A.
• Art Conservation, M.A. and C.A.S.
• Creative Studies, M.S.
• Creativity and Change Leadership, Graduate Certificate
• Educational Technology, M.S.Ed.
• Forensic Science, M.S.
• Great Lakes Ecosystem Science, M.A. and M.S.
• History, M.A.
• Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration, M.S.
• Human Resource Development, Graduate Certificate
• Multidisciplinary Studies, M.A. and M.S.
• Museum Studies, M.A. and Graduate Certificate
• Professional Applied and Computational Mathematics, M.S.
• Public Administration in Public and Nonprofit Management, M.P.A.
• Public Management, Graduate Certificate
• Science Education, M.S.Ed.

Start your career with a graduate degree from Buffalo State. Register today.

Project Flight and the Governor's Office are pleased to present the Martin Luther King Jr. Literacy Awards on Thursday, February 5. In promoting literacy for the children of New York, Project Flight founded a partnership in 2004 with the governor and his offices to establish the Martin Luther King Literacy Initiative “Leaders Are Readers” program. This program is held in New York City, Albany, and Buffalo, representing the three areas of the state. 2015 is the 11th year that Project Flight, and now its new partner, the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, will celebrate the Martin Luther King Jr. New York State Literacy Initiative.

For 20 years, Project Flight, a not-for-profit literacy organization, has worked to promote literacy throughout Western New York and the world through school and family literacy initiatives. The Buffalo and Erie County Public Library has historically been a purveyor of literacy for all who walk through its doors. This year, Project Flight provided books and learning materials to three schools in need in the Western New York area. Buffalo is ranked third for children in poverty in the country. William L. Hill Jr., assistant commissioner of the New York State Office of Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses and Community Relations, will represent the governor at this year’s event.

The three winners are as follows: Holmes Elementary received the top award, and Frank A. Sedita Academy (School 30) and John T. Waugh Elementary School received honorable mentions. These schools are the selected recipients of this year’s Martin Luther King Literacy Initiative, receiving over 2,000 books and materials. Along with the promise to promote literacy in school and at home, each of the three schools must provide a specific program that promotes Dr. King's vision of equality and justice through literacy as well as develop a relationship between the school and its local library.

Project Flight’s mission is to see every child have a book and read it at grade level. Project Flight sees literacy as a way out of poverty and strives to place every child in a literate environment, whether at home or at school. Since 2004, this program has donated over 126,000 books, worth approximately $951,413, to 23 schools.

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 his commitment to service, social justice, and diversity through promoting respect for diversity and individual differences in their activities, projects, discussions, or 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, and diversity of values of other aspects of diversity within the college or the broader community.

Please submit nominations to the Equity and Campus Diversity Office using the online form (PDF) on the Equity and Campus Diversity website. The deadline for nominations is Wednesday, February 18. Please contact Janet Fehskens, ext. 6210, or e-mail eeoequity@buffalostate.edu with questions.

TIAA-CREF representative Richard Thompson will be on campus for individual consultations with Buffalo State staff and faculty members on the following days:

Tuesday, February 10
Wednesday, February 18
Thursday, March 5
Wednesday, March 18
Wednesday, April 1
Tuesday, April 14
Wednesday, May 6
Thursday, May 21

Sessions are by appointment only; all appointments are in Butler Library 210B between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Gain a greater level of confidence in your retirement portfolio. Visit the TIAA-CREF website or call (800) 732-8353 Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. to schedule an appointment.

The Buffalo State Community Academic Center will host its second Welcoming Our New Neighbors service event on Saturday, February 7, from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. in Butler Library 210. Students and faculty are welcome to join us to learn more about refugee communities in Buffalo, hear firsthand experiences from refugees in our community, collaborate to make Welcome Kits for newcomer youth, and enjoy a free international snack from the West Side Bazaar.

For more information or to register for the event, please contact Zoe Fabian, ext. 3289.

A spring certificate program, Entrepreneurship in the Arts, starts February 12 and runs Thursday evenings for five consecutive weeks from 5:45 to 9:00 p.m. Are you starting or running a creative arts-based business? This is an excellent program for you.

Presented by the School of Arts and Humanities, the Small Business Development Center, and the Continuing and Professional Studies Office, this certificate program covers the basics for starting your own arts enterprise, including music, sculpture, art conservation, graphic design, painting, and jewelry making.

Topics include strategic planning, taxation and legal requirements, finance and insurance, trademark and copyright law, e-commerce, marketing, and a panel session with artists who make their living from their artistic passions.

Buffalo State faculty, staff, students, and alumni can attend at a greatly reduced rate. Registration and payment can be made through the Continuing Professional Studies website (log-in required). 

For more information, please call the SBDC at ext. 4030 or e-mail Susan McCartney, SBDC director.

Please join colleagues and friends as we congratulate and wish farewell to Eileen Merberg, interim director of Student Life, on Thursday, March 12, at 3:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Assembly Hall. Merberg has accepted the position of executive director of Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society for First-Year Students and will leave Buffalo State on Friday, March 13, after 13 years of service. All are invited to attend. RSVP via e-mail by Tuesday, March 3, to Teresa Romalewski, secretary 1 in Student Success.