This week’s FACTS article features information to assist with grading and address the impact to students’ continued financial aid eligibility as mandated by the following federal regulations: (a) Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and (b) Return of Title IV (R2T4) Funds.

The Financial Aid Office (FAO) reviews students’ grades approximately one week after the grading window closes each semester (fall, spring, and summer; J-Term excluded) to determine future aid eligibility. Additionally, the FAO verifies that students retained eligibility for the federal financial aid already received for the semester. This review includes students who failed to earn at least one passing grade in the semester.

Below are facts to consider when submitting grades:

• Students who never attended class should be assigned a grade of EV rather than E. A last date of attendance (LDA) is not necessary for the EV grade designation. 
• Last Date of Attendance (LDA): Non-passing grades that require an LDA include E, F, U, N, and I. The LDA is defined as the student’s last date of attendance at an academically related activity. 
• Impact of non-passing status grades of I, N, W, and X: For the purpose of determining financial aid eligibility, these statuses negatively affect a student’s SAP PACE rate, as they are viewed as attempted but not completed. As such, these grades require the entry of an LDA.
• Late grade submissions: Faculty members who are unable to submit grades for the entire class roster should notify the FAO so that students’ aid eligibility can be reevaluated after the grades are updated in Banner.

For more information and ways you can assist students with grading, please refer to the Grading Guide.

Additional resources:

• Federal SAP Guide
• Academic Advising

If you have questions regarding this article, please contact us at finaid@buffalostate.edu or ext. 4902. All questions and answers will be posted in the “You Asked for It” section of the FAO website. Click on the “Faculty and Staff” link (bottom left).

The Student Life Office is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s Faculty and Staff Appreciation Awards. Each year the students involved as leaders in Student Success (Orientation, Residence Life, Student Life, and the Child Care Center) recognize the Buffalo State faculty and staff members who have had a positive impact on them. Students are asked to consider those whose efforts have made a lasting impression, who have provided dynamic classroom instruction, and who have made a difference in the lives of students.

Fifty-two names were submitted, and certificates of appreciation were presented at a reception on April 22. The following recipients were recognized:

Marilyn Asquith, English
Steven Barker, Electrical Engineering
Holly Bewlay, Music
Daniel Blum, History and Social Studies Education
Bruce Bryski, Communication
Savonne Crews, Residence Life
Jill D'Angelo, Criminal Justice
Leslie Day, Elementary Education and Reading
Jean DiPirro, Psychology
Brian Dubenion, Residence Life
Martin Ederer, History and Social Studies Education
Ann Emo, Theater
Kathleen Falconer, Mathematics
Chaitali Ghosh, Mathematics
Joseph Golombek, History and Social Studies Education
Jason Grinnell, Philosophy
Theresa Harris-Tigg, English
Dwight Hennessey, Psychology
Eric Jackson, Residence Life
Carlos Jones, Theater
Karen Clinton Jones, Equity and Campus Diversity
Victor Kasper, Economics and Finance
Pamela Kloc, Communication
Jim Kolarich, Engineering Technology
Tom Koller, Communication
Joelle Leclaire, Economics and Finance
Camilo Maldonado, Speech-Language Pathology
Mary Jane Masiulionis, Theater
James Mayrose, Engineering Technology
Carmen McCallum, Higher Education Administration
Shaun McLaughlin, Theater
Tamara McMillan, Student Life
Anthony Neal, Political Science
Susan Niescier, Engineering Technology
William Ortega, Educational Opportunity Program
Seth Oyer, Communication
Maria Pacheco, Chemistry
Shantell Reid, Fashion and Textile Technology
Scott Roberts, Health and Wellness
Jude Sabato, Earth Sciences and Science Education
Ted Schmidt, Economics and Finance
Pamela Schuetze-Pizarro, Psychology
Allen Shelton, Sociology
Latia Sinclair, Residence Life
Ron Stewart, Sociology
Kianna Thomas, Residence Life
Carol Townsend, Design
Kim Truesdell, Elementary Education and Reading
Kevin Williams, Earth Sciences and Science Education
Amy Wilson, Higher Education Administration
Diane Woolverton, English
Jo Yudess, Creative Studies

Congratulations to all.

Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore will host a book signing by senior EOP counselor Neil O'Donnell on Tuesday, May 6, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. O'Donnell will sign copies of his books Hope in a Bottle and Calling Wren. Refreshments will be served.

Faculty and staff members are encouraged to submit entries to the Orange Crush Homecoming and Family Weekend 2014 theme contest. The winning entry will receive a $50 gift card from Wegmans and lunch for six at the Pearl Street Grill. It's fun and a great way to participate in one of Buffalo State's time-honored traditions, held this year from Tuesday, September 16, to Sunday, September 21.

To enter your idea, download the rules, regulations, and entry form (PDF) from the Homecoming website. Submit your entry by 4:00 p.m. Monday, April 28. Enter as an individual or as a department, but enter! Contact Tom Koller, senior associate athletics director and Orange Crush committee chair, ext. 6514, with questions or for more information.

Campuses of the State University of New York adhere to schedules for records retention and disposition to ensure that records are retained appropriately and, once their retention periods have lapsed, disposed of routinely. The campus website for records retention and disposition provides links to the schedules, the accompanying SUNY policy, and information about how to comply.

All campus offices and departments should document their records destruction activities during the 2013–2014 academic year using the certificate of records destruction and forward the completed certificate to the campus records management officer, Cleveland Hall 508, or via e-mail to Jill Powell, by Tuesday, July 15, 2014.

Once a certificate of records destruction has been submitted, Business Services staff members will be available to help offices dispose of large quantities of records.

If you are new to the records retention and disposition process, or if you would like a refresher for 2014, you are invited to attend a one-hour informational session on one of these dates. Both sessions will take place in Cleveland Hall 418:

Thursday, May 22, 10:00 a.m.
Friday, June 6, 2:00 p.m.

Please register by e-mail, indicating the date of the session you plan to attend. You may also send an e-mail to request a presentation on records retention and disposition tailored for your office or department.

Thank you.

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Friday, April 25
3:00–4:00 p.m.
Bacon Hall 217
Presenter: Lori Ann Woods

If you'd like to attend but are unable to do so, we invite you to call the Academic Skills Center at 878-4041 to reserve a free private session.

The Open SUNY team offers webinars on Open SUNY to faculty and staff throughout the SUNY system. These webinars provide overall information about the Open SUNY effort to date and provide opportunities to ask questions, with answers provided during or after the webinar depending on time constraints.

The next webinar will cover the call for program nominations for the next round of Open SUNY+ partners along with a request for information about possible shared courses. This is an opportunity for additional information and will allow for discussion and questions around the nomination process, as SUNY has refined and streamlined the process. Therefore, if a campus previously submitted a proposal, it should be refined to align with the updated criteria and re-submitted.

Agenda
Open SUNY is a systemwide effort to embrace and expand online-enabled education in order to improve education access and help more students complete their degrees and be successful after graduation.  Chancellor Zimpher introduced Open SUNY at her State of the University address on January 14, 2014.

The webinar agenda includes the following:

1. A status report on Open SUNY
2. Information about the Wave II program nomination process
3. Opportunities to ask questions
4. Gathering of input and reflections

Session Participation Information
Monday, April 28, 11:00 a.m.–noon
Click to join

For Assistance

1. Go to the SUNY WebEx website.
2. On the left navigation bar, click “Support.”

After viewing the webinar, please go to the Open SUNY website to nominate a course or program at the associate, baccalaureate, master’s, Ph.D., or certificate level to be powered by Open SUNY+.

The Graduate Student Association is currently holding its election for the 2014–2015 executive board and College Senate seats. All matriculated graduate students are encouraged to read about the nominees and cast their vote through the GSA Blackboard group. Voting will end at 11.59 p.m. Sunday, April 27.

The college community is invited to the Real Fans Bleed Orange Blood Drive, hosted by UNYTS and Intercollegiate Athletics, on Sunday, April 27, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Sports Arena. All donors will receive an orange "Real Fans Bleed Orange" T-shirt; free coffee from Spot Coffee, courtesy of Chartwells; and pizza from Mister Pizza and will be entered in a drawing for a $50 gift card from Wegmans. Appointments are not required but can be made by contacting Tom Koller, senior associate athletics director, ext. 6514.

The Burchfield Penney Art Center will host the watercolor workshop "Paint a Glowing Spring Still Life" with Barbara Fox as part of its International Center for Watercolor on Sunday, April 27, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Fox has achieved a following on the national and international levels as a contemporary painter with a representational style using bold colors and dramatic lighting. Her paintings have been featured in international solo and group exhibitions in museums and galleries. She also works as an illustrator and is a master designer for the United States Mint. So far, 14 of her designs have been minted as coins or medals.

"My paintings begin with a moment of connection with an object or scene," she said. "I see it, it fascinates me, and I want to paint it. Class participants will focus on color, light, and the details we usually don‘t notice in a casual glance. As a result, more than something to look at for a few seconds, your painting will be a compelling scene with a sense of discovery."

To register for the workshop, contact Kathy Gaye Shiroki, ext. 3549, or download the registration form (PDF). Cost: $40 for members; $48 for not-yet members.