The Career Development Center is proud to host Job Fair 2015 on Tuesday, April 7, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall. This event is open to students of all majors and levels as well as alumni. Employers from local, regional, and national organizations will be in attendance to recruit students for full-time jobs and internships.

Employers are registering now. Be sure to check the CDC website for an updated list of employers who will be attending. Students can prepare for the job fair at the "TARGET Your Professional Self: Student to Professional Transformation Event" on Thursday, April 2, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Butler Library 210. This event will help students make a good first impression with employers and stand out among the competition.

An electrical shutdown affecting the Classroom Building and Weigel Health Center will take place Wednesday, January 14, from 10:00 p.m. to approximately 4:00 a.m. Building occupants are asked to shut down computers and peripherals before the interruption. This planned service disruption will complete the Weigel switchgear replacement project.

Questions about this interruption may be e-mailed to vpfm@buffalostate.edu.

We are pleased to announce SUNY Administration’s new Human Resources Self-Service Module, which allows employees to view their legal names, demographics, and education information and to update their home addresses, phone numbers, and emergency contacts in the SUNY HR system.

The SUNY HR system is the foundation for the university-wide position, personnel, payroll, and budgeting systems, and it interfaces with the Office of the State Comptroller's payroll system. Faculty members and professionals currently access the system for time and attendance, and all employees may view their paychecks online.

We have created a user guide (PDF) to assist employees in accessing and using the Self-Service Module.

Please note: If an update is needed in a "view only" field (legal name, demographics, education information), employees must complete the form highlighted in the system and return it, along with any required supporting documentation noted on the form, to Human Resource Management. Home address and legal name changes may also be requested by completing the paper form available at http://hr.buffalostate.edu/forms. 

Non-state employees will continue to use the paper or online Directory Add/Update Form available at http://hr.buffalostate.edu/forms.

With the development of the Self-Service Module, Human Resource Management will no longer mail an annual demographic datasheet to employees. Employees are encouraged to use the Self-Service Module whenever their legal name, home address, phone numbers, emergency contacts, education, or demographic information changes.

Please contact Human Resource Management by phone at ext. 4822 or by e-mail at kawalel@buffalostate.edu with questions.

Employees who are enrolled in the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) may select a different health plan for the 2015 plan year during the annual Option Transfer Period, which ends Friday, January 16.

The 2015 "Choices" booklet (PDF), a comparison of the insurance plans and 2015 health insurance rates, is available on the Human Resource Management website or in the Benefits Office, Cleveland Hall 410. All changes will have an effective date of January 1, 2015, which will result in retroactive adjustments to your paycheck.

Option Transfer Period change requests must be received by the Human Resource Management Benefits Office, Cleveland Hall 410, by Friday afternoon. For additional information, please call ext. 4821.

The deadline to submit 2015 Health Insurance Opt-Out enrollment forms is Friday, January 16. NYSHIP will continue to offer the Opt-Out Program in 2015 to CSEA, NYSCOPBA, PEF, PBANYS, UUP, and M/C employees. This program allows eligible employees who have other employer-sponsored group health insurance to opt out of their NYSHIP coverage in exchange for an incentive payment. The incentive payment is $1,000 for opting out of individual coverage or $3,000 for opting out of family coverage on an annual basis.

If you are enrolled in NYSHIP and wish to participate in the Opt-Out Program for 2015, you must complete and return the NYS Health Insurance Transaction Form (PDF) and the 2015 Opt-Out Attestation Form (PDF) to Cleveland Hall 410 as soon as possible.

If you currently participate in the Opt-Out Program, you must re-enroll for 2015. If you do not make the election for 2015, your enrollment in the Opt-Out Program has ended, and the incentive payment credited to your paycheck will stop. You must elect the Opt-Out Program each year.

The complete Opt-Out Program description, including eligibility requirements and enrollment forms, is available on the Human Resource Management website.

Please call the Employee Benefits Office at ext. 4821 with questions or for additional information.

The Research and Creativity Council Incentive Program will accept applications for funds to promote faculty creativity and research until the close of business Tuesday, January 20. Please submit applications to the Sponsored Programs Pre-Award and Contract Services Office in Bishop Hall 24. Three council members will be appointed to review all applications received by the above deadline.

Incentive funds administered by the Research and Creativity Council are intended to promote faculty creativity and research. Their ultimate goal is to generate additional funded programs. One year after receiving an incentive award, recipients are required to submit a full report documenting the use of these funds and to submit a grant proposal to an outside sponsoring agency through the Sponsored Programs Pre-Award and Contract Services Office. Submitting a proposal through the College Foundation does not meet this requirement. Recipients are also obligated to participate in the Faculty and Staff Fall Forum, which takes place in October.

Expenditures considered for support under this program include travel to consult with a funding source, secretarial assistance, student assistance, consultation with grant specialists, preparation of specialized support materials for proposal (e.g., graphs, drawings, resource books), release time, and any other expense that can be justified. Funds cannot be requested for the purchase of computers. Also, it is not the council’s intention to directly pay an individual for writing a proposal.

The Research Incentive Funds application (PDF) is available on the Sponsored Programs website.

Hit the slopes at Kissing Bridge with your family and friends on Saturday, January 31, and take advantage of an exclusive discounted rate for Buffalo State alumni, faculty, staff, and students. Enjoy a day of skiing or snowboarding, and save money on lift tickets and more. Feel free to arrive at Kissing Bridge that day whenever you choose.

Unlimited individual lift tickets are $35 a person, a savings of $27 per ticket, and they’re valid for skiing and snowboarding. Colden Tubing Company will also sell unlimited tubing tickets for $5 each. Save $10 per ticket.

Want to learn how to ski or snowboard? Kissing Bridge will also offer its introductory ski and snowboard package, which includes a one-and-a-half-hour group lesson, a beginner hill lift ticket, and rental equipment. The package price for Buffalo State alumni, faculty, staff, and students is $25, a savings of $45 off the normal retail price.

Ski and snowboard equipment rental is available at an additional cost of $20 per person, which is $10 off the retail price for rental equipment. Optional equipment breakage insurance is $1, and is available at the equipment rental shop in person.

To take advantage of these special rates, visit Kissing Bridge's website, click on “Shop,” and then click “Group Login.” The group name is “BUFF STATE,” and the password is “COLLEGE.” The discounted lift and Colden Tubing Company tickets, lessons, and equipment rental will be listed as items in the online store.

We hope to see you at Kissing Bridge in a few weeks.

Online course development training for faculty members who are developing online courses for summer or fall 2015 will begin in February. For the first time, this training will be offered online. The training will also be offered as a hybrid (blended) learning experience. Hybrid training includes five face-to-face workshops and one-on-one meetings with campus instructional designers.

Workshop titles:

• Designing Backwards and Developing Course Learning Objectives
• Designing Backwards and Creating Authentic Assessments
• Utilizing Universal Design to Organize your Online Course
• Locating and Using Electronic Resources in Your Online Course
• Interacting with Your Online Students

Faculty members who choose to complete the training online will access course resources through Blackboard and work with instructional designers virtually. If you are interested in participating in the online course development training, please e-mail Ginger Bidell, instructional designer.

More information can be found on the Instructional Design web page.

To view the schedule and register for the face-to-face workshops, please visit the CyberQuad Workshop Registration System website.

Applications and nominations are requested for the following student awards. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, February 18. We encourage early nominations to ensure that all deserving students are considered.

Student Leadership Awards:

• Mildred Keller Campbell Leadership Award
• Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges
• Phillip Santa Maria Award for Student Leadership in Equity and Campus Diversity

Student Humanitarian Awards:

• Luis M. Antonetti Student Humanitarian Award
• Minnie and Joe Engel Student Humanitarian Award
• Phillip Santa Maria Memorial Award

Nomination forms are available online. For more information, please contact Charles B. Kenyon, dean of students, ext. 4618.

An edTPA Boot Camp for elementary, early childhood, and elementary extension majors and MIITC teacher candidates will be held Wednesday, January 21, in Butler Library 210. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m.; the session runs until 3:30 p.m. 

Please check Blackboard and e-mail for additional information. Contact Rosemary Arioli, director of EER department student teaching, with questions.