Buffalo State’s exterior signage replacement project is now under way. All exterior campus signs will be replaced, and many new signs will be added (over 200 in total) during summer 2014. Contractors are working throughout the campus, pouring foundations and installing signs for campus entrances, roads, buildings, parking lots, and vehicular and pedestrian wayfinding.

For more information about campus capital projects, please visit the Buffalo State construction website. Questions about this project can be directed to vpfm@buffalostate.edu.

Thank you for your patience as progress is made on this important initiative.

Buffalo State Dining will have dining locations open for the summer. Today, Spot Coffee will be open for breakfast and lunch from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and Argo Tea will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

For lunch at Spot, enjoy a beef or chicken burrito, Cajun-style rice and beans, refried beans, salsa fresca, classic guacamole, shredded lettuce, garden salad, and chef's soup of the day. Get one entrée, two sides, and a fountain beverage for only $8.79.

Faculty and staff members, save 10 percent on every purchase when you use your Bengal Bucks. For information on how to sign up for a Bengal Bucks account or for a full list of summer hours of operation, please visit our website.

University Police and the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Team will conduct a citizens' response to active shooter training from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Friday, June 27, in Classroom Building B119. The training will teach members of the campus community how to prepare for and safeguard themselves during an active shooting scenario. Lieutenant Dan Harris of University Police has received extensive active shooter training and will facilitate this presentation. All members of the campus community are encouraged to attend.

Buffalo State will participate in the Taste of Diversity, Buffalo’s annual festival dedicated to celebrating food and arts from around the world, on Saturday, June 28, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Visit the heart of Buffalo’s West Side on Grant Street between Lafayette Avenue and Auburn Avenue and enjoy global dishes from many countries, including Peru, India, Mexico, and Ethiopia. Entertainment offers something for everyone, including salsa, African dance, jazz, East Indian music, and belly dancing. Don’t miss this opportunity to get to know Buffalo State’s West Side neighborhood and our global neighbors. Please visit our website and like us on Facebook. If you are interested in volunteering for the event, please e-mail the Community Academic Center.

University Police and the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services will conduct active shooter training exercises June 23–26 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Cassety Hall.

For this active shooter simulation, you may see police action, hear the firing of simulated rounds, and observe actors portraying perpetrators and victims near Cassety Hall. Do not be alarmed. This is a simulated event.
The goal of this exercise is to train university and local police in the event of a shooting incident on campus. Buffalo State is fortunate to have University Police and other trained support staff on campus, an ongoing partnership with local police agencies, and a continually updated and tested Emergency Response Plan.

If you have questions, please call University Police at ext. 6333.

Buffalo State will host a Community Meet and Greet event on Saturday, August 30, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
on the south lawn of the Richardson Complex (Forest Avenue near Buffalo State).

The event is designed to provide Buffalo State students, faculty, staff, and community members who live in or are strongly involved with the surrounding neighborhood (Elmwood, Forest, Grant, and Potomac) the opportunity to meet one another in a safe and positive environment. The event provides an opportunity to better connect our campus and students with the city of Buffalo, its residents, and fellow neighbors and will feature carnival-like games, activities, food, music, and prizes. There will be fun and entertainment for all ages, including families with small children.

Last year, more than 200 people participated in this event. Community members look forward to meeting students who commit so much time to doing great things on campus and in the community. We encourage students to wear their jerseys or letters that represent school, team, or organization spirit and pride. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to enjoy themselves and meet those who live in the neighborhood.

If your office or students would like to be involved or make a donation, please visit our web page for more information. Photos are also available on the website. Thank you to everyone who has been assisting with the Buffalo State Community Meet and Greet.

Please contact Paula A. Madrigal, coordinator of health education programs, Weigel Health Center, with questions.

Because of Friday's weather forecast, the discount cookout that usually takes place in the Student Union Quad will be held in the Campbell Student Union Resident Dining Hall from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This lunch will replace the normally featured hot entrée selection at Spot Coffee in the Campbell Student Union Food Court.

Select one entrée, two sides, and a fountain beverage from the cookout menu for only $5. The menu includes hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, teriyaki chicken, grilled corn on the cob, pasta salad, grilled vegetable salad, and Southwestern cole slaw.

Purchase your lunch ticket at Spot Coffee and redeem it for food in the Resident Dining Hall. Credit, cash, Bengal Bucks, and Dining Dollars are accepted. Faculty and staff members, save 10 percent on your purchase when you use your Bengal Bucks.

For information on how to add Bengal Bucks to your account or for more information on Buffalo State Dining, please visit our website: www.dineoncampus.com/bsc.

This year's International PDS trips to Chile and Zambia are under way, and Buffalo State faculty and staff members are invited to follow the experiences of our faculty and students.

Under the direction of Pixita del Prado Hill, associate professor of elementary education and reading, and Angela Patti, assistant professor of exceptional education, students Amber Calmes, Danielle Jarosz, and Samantha Parente are just a few days into their Chile experience. Follow their trip at http://chilepdsatbsedu.wordpress.com.

Hibajene Shandomo, associate professor of elementary education and reading, is leading students Charmaine Amey, Phylicia Brown, Jenna Murphy, Molly Pidgeon, and Sydney Silver on the Zambia trip. Already more than a week into their experience, they've had much to report in their blogs. Read them at https://zambiapdsatbsedu.wordpress.com.

Please feel free to support our faculty and students by posting your comments and well wishes on either or both sites. They are much appreciated!

Please remember that the June Citibank payment cycle covers the period from June 7 to July 6, 2014, and will encompass transactions for parts of two fiscal years. Transactions on the Procurement Card are reported as pending expenses on the day that charges are incurred; therefore, if charges are placed on the P-Card between July 1 and July 6, they will show as pending expenses in July. Once the transactions are certified by the P-Card holder, the charges will be moved from pending expenses to actual expenses in July 2014. (Some vendors may not process the credit card transaction on the date of purchase.)

Card holders may elect to use the P-Card for transactions as stated above or avoid using the P-Card for purchases after June 30 to keep fiscal-year transactions discrete. Thank you.

Please remember that the June Citibank payment cycle covers the period from June 7 to July 6, 2014, and will encompass transactions for parts of two fiscal years. Transactions on the Procurement Card are reported as pending expenses on the day that charges are incurred; therefore, if charges are placed on the P-Card between July 1 and July 6, they will show as pending expenses in July. Once the transactions are certified by the P-Card holder, the charges will be moved from pending expenses to actual expenses in July 2014. (Some vendors may not process the credit card transaction on the date of purchase.)

Card holders may elect to use the P-Card for transactions as stated above or avoid using the P-Card for purchases after June 30 to keep fiscal-year transactions discrete. Thank you.