The spring 2015 Critique and Evaluation Period (CEP) schedule is now available online.

Our students depend on course book information when registering for their classes, and student registration begins November 5, which is just around the corner. Please visit the Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore website and place your textbook requests for spring 2015 and J-Term now. The Faculty Resources tab in the upper-right corner takes you straight to Faculty Enlight. The direct link is https://www.facultyenlight.com/?storeNbr=337.

Please e-mail textbook manager Ian Klak with questions.

Please join us for the second presentation in our annual Philosophy and Humanities Fall 2014 Faculty Colloquia, "Pragmatic Sexism," presented by John Draeger, director of SoTL and associate professor of philosophy, on Wednesday, October 29, at 2:00 p.m. in Bishop Hall 242.

Abstract
This paper argues that we should be pragmatic about everyday sexism (e.g., lingering looks, catcalls, dirty jokes). While many of the harms associated with these behaviors are imperceptible, the underlying gender practices contribute to a form of moral pollution that is cause for concern. In an effort to transform bad gender habits into better ones, I offer an account of practical virtue in which individuals strive to do their due diligence by becoming aware of their complex circumstances, developing the skills and courage necessary to adapt, and a willingness to offer reasons in ways that others can accept.

Paul Schwiegerling, lecturer of mathematics, will present "Generating Pythagorean Triples and N-tuples" on Friday, October 24, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 113. Tea and cookies will be served at 3:00 p.m. More information is available (PDF) on the Mathematics Department website.

The 24th annual SUNY Conference on Instruction and Technology (CIT 2015), sponsored by the SUNY Faculty Advisory Council on Teaching and Technology (FACT²), will take place May 26–29 on the campus of SUNY Geneseo. All SUNY campuses and state-operated, statutory, and community colleges are invited to submit abstracts to present at the conference. We welcome proposals from outside the SUNY system as well. Proposals are due by Wednesday, December 31.

CIT is SUNY's largest and most prominent event on instructional technology, providing a forum for faculty, instructional support professionals, and policymakers to present, discuss, and explore innovative avenues for integrating technology into the teaching and learning environment.

Guidelines for Presentation Submission
This year’s theme, "Rising to Meet Our Challenges: Preparing for Global Success," is supported by the following tracks:

• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
• 21st-Century Learning Environments
• The Open Educator
• Access, Completion, and Success
• Keeping the Lights On: Infrastructure and Support

Abstract submissions are being accepted at the introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels and in the following formats: presentation, panel, birds of a feather, hands-on demo, ignite, workshop, special interest group, and poster. Please visit the CIT website to view detailed descriptions of tracks and formats.

To submit a proposal, go to the CIT website, click "Submit Your CIT 2015 Abstract" on the right side of the page, and then follow these steps:

1. New users, click on "Create New Account."
2. Enter the required information and click "Next Step."
3. Create a password and click "Finish."
4. Click on the link "CIT Abstract Submission."
5. Complete the submission form.
6. Remember to "save draft" frequently,
7. Click "Submit Application" when complete.

Please join the Biology Department for the seminar "Genomic Insights into Amphibian Evolution and Conservation," presented by Paul Hime, doctoral candidate and National Science Foundation graduate research fellow at the University of Kentucky, on Monday, November 3, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Technology Building 160.

All faculty, staff, and students are welcome.

Seminar Abstract
The genomics revolution is permeating all areas of biology and stands to provide unprecedented insights into some of the most thorny questions about the evolution of life on Earth. In this talk, I will describe my ongoing efforts to leverage several recent advances in genome partitioning and high-throughput sequencing to address questions about amphibian evolution and conservation across multiple phylogenetic scales. I will discuss efforts to develop a suite of conservation genomic resources to understand the reproductive biology and phylogenetic history of the imperiled hellbender salamander, as well as broader-scale initiatives to develop phylogenomic resources across the amphibian tree of life, in order to understand genomic correlates of contemporary species richness across this diverse vertebrate class.

Please join the Biology Department for the seminar "Plant Communities of Abandoned Industrial Land in Erie County: The Postindustrial Ecosystem Syndrome," presented by Dave Spiering of Tifft Nature Preserve on Monday, October 27, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Technology Building 160.

All faculty, staff, and students are welcome.

Seminar Abstract
Abandoned industrial lands can cover large areas where former industrial activity has not been redeveloped and spontaneous vegetation has established. Data on plant community characteristics, as well as soil properties, were collected on postindustrial sites in Erie County to examine plant community composition and look for filters in community assembly and drivers of successional change. These data will be summarized and placed in the context of the limited but growing body of literature on postindustrial ecosystems. Combining field data with published literature, I will present several symptoms of the postindustrial ecosystem syndrome and what these say about drivers of community change and potential restoration of these ecosystems.

The Burchfield Penney Art Center will host a screening of Witch's Night Out, the Canadian animated television Halloween special, on Thursday, October 23, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Auditorium as part of its Ideas Prime fall series.

Witch's Night Out premiered on NBC October 27, 1978. Produced in a Toronto studio, it was the sequel to the 1974 special The Gift of Winter, with vocal talents from Dan Aykroyd and Valri Bromfield. It featured the voices of Fiona Reid as Nicely and Catherine O'Hara as Malicious, with Gilda Radner as the witch. Like the earlier special, Witch's Night Out was produced by John Leach and Jean Rankin for CBC Television. It later aired on the Disney Channel every year from 1983 to the late 1990s. This cartoon film was released on videotape August 5, 1995, by Family Home Entertainment.

The plot involves a witch who accompanies two children named Small and Tender with their babysitter,
Bazooey, to a Halloween party and transforms them into a werewolf, Frankenstein's monster, and a
ghost (previously their Halloween costumes). The witch takes them to the Halloween party in progress
at her house. Other citizens of the town get offended. They try to catch these supernatural and paranormal beings as a mob. The children and Bazooey spend the night as eerie creatures but decide they need to become human beings again.

Ideas Prime is a series of screenings, lectures, and conversations designed to promote the exchange of ideas and understanding of how local and global issues are interrelated. The center will host a wide range of presentations with topics and panelists each Thursday designed to bring people from diverse backgrounds together to lead, build, and foster positive change. Programs are free with gallery admission.

More information is available on the Burchfield Penney website.

The deadline to remove incomplete grades from spring 2014 is Friday, October 31. From the Undergraduate Catalog:

Incomplete Grades
An incomplete grade is converted to a letter grade by the 10th week of the following spring or fall semester. If the work is not completed by that time, the instructor will submit a grade based upon the amount of work completed. If the instructor who granted the incomplete is not able to evaluate the student’s fulfillment of course requirements during the stipulated time period, the chair or program coordinator is responsible for changing the grade. Anyone not completing the course requirements within this time will automatically have a grade of E recorded.

The Hospitality and Tourism Department has been reaccredited by the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration (ACPHA) for a period of seven years (2014–2021). The department prepared a comprehensive self-study report and hosted a visiting site team during the 2013–2014 academic year. The department thanks all the internal and external stakeholders who supported this effort.