The 15th annual Faculty and Staff Research and Creativity Fall Forum will be held tomorrow, October 30, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Houston Gym. Provost Ponton will offer welcoming remarks at 12:30 p.m. A buffet lunch will be provided for all participants and attendees. Faculty, staff, and students are welcome and encouraged to attend this excellent opportunity to network with Buffalo State faculty and staff members and to identify common scholarly and creative interests.

As in past years, the goal of this forum is to develop, encourage, and support Buffalo State College faculty and staff research and creativity, and to make collaborative research endeavors and grantsmanship more accessible. The 2014–2015 academic year has been declared the Year of the Innovator, hosted by the School of the Professions, recognizing the collaborative spirit and creative mindset that is valued at Buffalo State.

More information about the 2014 Fall Forum is available online.

Note to participants: setup time is 9:00 to 10:45 a.m.

Please join us for "Leveraging the UN," presented by Ralph Cwerman, president and chief executive officer of the Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI), on Thursday, October 30, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Classroom Building B106. HDI is a private non-governmental organization dedicated to enhancing ties between the U.S. Congress and the United Nations, and Cwerman passionately promotes minority representation in social entrepreneurship and international governmental organizations (IGOs). His presentation will focus on internship opportunities, careers, and social entrepreneurship in IGOs. All faculty, students, and staff members are welcome.

This presentation is generously supported by the Equity and Campus Diversity Office and the Political Science Department's international relations program.

University College and the Professional Development Center are focusing faculty development efforts on the teaching of courses with high first-year-student enrollments. A group discussion will be held today, October 30, at 3:00 p.m. in Twin Rise 102. Light refreshments will be provided. Further conversations will be scheduled if there is sufficient interest. Please contact University College, ext. 5906, to let us know if you’d like to participate in this discussion.

University College and the Professional Development Center are focusing faculty development efforts on the teaching of courses with high first-year-student enrollments. We would like to explore the experiences of colleagues through two group discussions. The first session will be held on Wednesday, October 29, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. in Twin Rise 102. The second will be held on Thursday, October 30, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. in Twin Rise 102. Light refreshments will be provided. Further conversations will be scheduled if there is sufficient interest. Please contact University College, ext. 5906, to let us know if you’d like to participate in these discussions.

University Police will sponsor a Rape Aggression Self-Defense Training for women only on November 3, 5, 11, and 13 from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. in Buckham Hall D203. The class is free to all Buffalo State students, faculty, and staff. Participants may register on the UPD website. Advance registration is not required, and participants may attend any training session as their schedules allow. Stop in and gain valuable knowledge and skills that will enhance your ability to keep yourself safe. The R.A.D. system is a simple, effective system of safety awareness and self-defense taught by certified instructors. Please contact University Police Lieutenant Richard Myers, ext. 5650, with questions.

Mark your calendars for the first weekend in November and visit the Burchfield Penney Art Center for a book, artwork, and Museum Store sale on Saturday, November 1, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, November 2, from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. Browse thousands of books donated by our friends and enjoy the opportunity to purchase art from a limited number of works donated to the Burchfield Penney by artist Dean Spong. After you’ve worked up an appetite shopping, stop by the Burchfield Café, where lunch specials will be served all afternoon. More information is available online. Please contact Joseph Lonzi, ext. 3215, with questions.

The Buffalo State Teacher Education Council will hold a faculty workshop titled "Exploring Advocacy in Education and Community Engagement" on Friday, November 14, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Bacon Hall 117. The workshop will feature David Hursh, professor of teaching and curriculum in the University of Rochester's Warner School of Education, who will discuss his research on the educational reform climate in New York State along with his extensive advocacy work with schools and communities. A light lunch will be provided.

RSVP to Allison Winkowski, secretary in the School of Education, ext. 4214.

Please join the Great Lakes Center Graduate Seminar "Habitat Restoration in the Niagara River" presented by Timothy DePriest, Chairman of the Greenway Ecological Standing Committee, NY Department of Environmental Conservation, on Monday, October 27, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Classroom Building CLAS A205.

All faculty, staff, and students are welcome.

Submitted by: Lyubov E. Burlakova
 

In preparation for 2015 J-Term and spring 2015 registration windows, the Financial Aid Office (FAO) has posted some helpful financial aid resources and tools on its website. We encourage you to refer to these resources during advisement sessions with students:

• SUNY Smart Track Financial Literacy Website: As members of SUNY, all students (prospective and current), faculty, and staff may access the SUNY Financial Literacy Website. The website contains online courses, articles, and calculators spanning topics from retirement to credit cards.
• Cost Calculator: Students can estimate their expected semester charges using this web-based calculator. It allows students to easily compare different scenarios, such as living on-campus versus off-campus or attending full-time versus part-time. A simplified version is also available for J-Term.
• Bill Estimator (XLS): Bill Estimator is a Microsoft Excel-based calculator that allows students to estimate their costs and input their expected financial aid to determine their expected out-of-pocket cost or refund.
• Loan Repayment Calculator: Students can estimate their monthly payment based on their annual or aggregate loan debt.
• Work-Study Calculator (XLS): This tool allows students and supervisors to track how many hours have been worked and how many hours students have remaining to work in the semester.
• Announcements: The FAO home page is updated frequently to notify students and parents of processing times and student announcements.
• Faculty and Staff Resources: This is a repository of financial aid guides related to specific functional areas (e.g., academic advising, grading, etc.).
• Campus and External Scholarships: Buffalo State offers a variety of scholarship opportunities for current, newly accepted first-year, and transfer students. Campus scholarship funding is made possible through donations from alumni and friends of the college who value a Buffalo State education.

Additional Resources:

• Financial Aid Reference Guide (PDF)
• Federal SAP Guide (PDF)
• Academic Advising and Financial Aid Eligibility (PDF)
• J-Term Website – provides important information regarding J-Term and aid eligibility during J-Term. (Taking courses in J-Term will not change a student’s ineligible SAP status. Please contact the Financial Aid Office with questions regarding eligibility.) 

If you have questions regarding this article, please contact us at finaid@buffalostate.edu or ext. 4902.

Computing Services plans to roll out Office 2013 in time for the start of the spring 2015 semester. Office 2013 is available now to faculty and staff members who want to install the new suite on their own computers. Three Office 2013 demos are scheduled in November to provide an overview of the changes and features of the new Office. Please register for one of the following sessions:

Tuesday, November 4
11:00 a.m. to noon
Butler Library 318
Register for the November 4 class.

Friday, November 14
1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
Butler Library 318
Register for the November 14 class.

Friday, November 21
11:00 a.m. to noon
Butler Library 318
Register for the November 21 class.

Please contact Paul Reynolds, ext. 3361, with questions.