The New York State Education Department Office of Higher Education (NYSED-OTI) has issued Buffalo State a limited number of e-vouchers (electronic vouchers) to be distributed to students to help defray the cost of the registration fees for the New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE). There are two voucher types: one for the NYSTCE other than the edTPA and another specifically for the edTPA. Students should check their Buffalo State e-mail accounts for more information. Thank you.

If you open a window, please remember to close it. Open windows are the direct cause of freezing and rupturing pipes. The resulting water damage can be extensive and expensive. Again, please close all windows before you leave for the night and especially before you leave for a weekend.

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

Tuesday, October 21
Wednesday, October 29
Monday, November 10
Tuesday, November 25
Wednesday, December 17

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

Gain a greater level of confidence in your retirement portfolio. Visit www.tiaa-cref.org/moc or call (800) 732-8353 Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. to schedule an appointment.

On behalf of the Buffalo State Campus Intercultural Committee, the International Student Affairs Office is delighted to invite all internationally minded faculty, staff, and students to attend our well-known weekly International Social Hour, which allows all international students, scholars, and their friends to meet informally. This special get-together will take place Thursday, October 16, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Assembly Hall 1 of the Campbell Student Union. The guest speaker that day will be Louis D. Guillermo, who will present "Cultural Aspects of the Dominican Republic: Music, Dance, Food, Points of Interest."

Coffee, tea, and other light refreshments will be graciously shared. Looking forward to seeing you on the 16th.

Flu vaccines will be available for faculty and staff members today, October 9, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Butler Library 210.

No appointment is necessary. The vaccine will be available in shot or mist form. The following health insurance plans will be accepted: Blue Cross Blue Shield of WNY, Independent Health, Blue Choice, and Medicare Part B. Employees must present a valid health insurance ID card. Employees without a participating insurance plan will be charged $30 for the flu shot or $40 for the flu mist.

Participation and acceptance of any insurance is not a guarantee of benefits or payment in full. Co-payments or a deductible may apply. Please call your insurance provider's member services department with questions regarding coverage.

Effective October 1, Empire Plan enrollees may receive the flu vaccine without co-payment when administered by a licensed pharmacist at a pharmacy that participates in CVS Caremark’s national vaccine network. Alternatively, Empire Plan enrollees may obtain their flu shot from their doctor’s office (participating provider) for their usual co-pay should they wish to do so.

Please call Employee Benefits at ext. 4821 or the member services department of your insurance company with questions regarding your health insurance coverage. The phone number should be on your insurance card.

Computing Services will update some faculty and staff computers to the latest version of Java (version 7, update 67) on Friday, October 10, starting at 4:00 a.m. We will target all faculty and staff computers that currently have Java installed. Student lab machines and faculty and staff computers that don't currently have Java installed will not receive the update.

If you have trouble getting into Banner INB or WebConnect on Friday morning, follow the steps in these FAQ articles:

• I'm having trouble loading Banner INB. What can I do?
• I'm having trouble loading WebConnect. What can I do?

Please call the Computing Help Desk at ext. 4357 with questions or problems.

As of Monday, October 13, the SMART Board software loaded in classrooms containing SMART Boards will no longer start up immediately upon logging in to the PC. In order to use the touch recognition and pen features of the SMART Boards in these rooms, you must first double-click on the “Smartboard” icon on the desktop after logging in. If you do not use the SMART Board for anything other than a projection screen, you do not need to click on the icon.

SMART Boards located in classrooms with Apple computers are not affected by this update and will continue to function immediately upon log-in.

If you have any questions or problems regarding the SMART Boards in these rooms, if you would like training on how to use them, or if you would like more details, please call Classroom Support at ext. 6670.

For more information on centrally scheduled classrooms featuring interactive whiteboards on campus, please visit the Instructional Resources website.

Empire Plan enrollees and dependents (18 years and older) may receive select preventive vaccines without co-payment when administered by a licensed pharmacist at any pharmacy that participates in CVS Caremark's national vaccine network. 

Preventive vaccines covered:

• Influenza  (flu)
• Herpes zoster (shingles)
• Pneumococcal (pneumonia)
• Meningococcal (meningitis)

Consult with your health-care provider to determine which services are most appropriate for you. 

A list of pharmacies that participate in the vaccination program is available on the Empire Plan website. Be sure to contact your pharmacy to confirm that it participates in the vaccine network and the availability of vaccines(s).

If you have questions, please call the Empire Plan at (877) 769-7447 and select 4 for the Prescription Drug Program.

Note: This benefit does not apply to bargaining units that have not settled their contracts with the state as of September 1, 2014.

Librarian Al Riess is retiring after 34 years of service to Buffalo State. Please join the staff of Butler Library for a reception in his honor on Monday, October 20, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in Butler Library 210. Help us celebrate Al's career and all he has contributed to the Buffalo State community.

Any student, faculty, or staff member interested in the multiple possibilities offered by the Fulbright program is welcome to attend the fall conference of the Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Fulbright Association on Friday, October 24, from noon to 4:00 p.m. at Trocaire College, 360 Choate Avenue in Buffalo.

The guest speaker will be Sampson Lee Blair, Ph.D., an internationally known Fulbrighter from the Department of Sociology at the University at Buffalo.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please call Jean F. Gounard, director of international student affairs and vice president for advocacy of the WNY/NWPA Fulbright Association Chapter, at ext. 5331.