Recordi di Siena Due (art show) will be held in Czurles-Nelson Gallery in Upton Hall today, March 31, at 5:30 p.m. Wine and cheese will be served.

Blackboard Collaborate is web-conferencing software that provides the functionality to support a twenty-first-century teaching and learning environment. Collaborate can assist with delivering highly engaging and effective synchronous classroom activities, meetings, office hours, professional development, blended learning, and student support services.

If you would like to learn more about Collaborate, please register to join Meghan Pereira and Todd Benzin in Bulger Communication Center 120 for a demonstration on one of the following dates:

Friday, April 4, at 10:00 a.m.
Tuesday April 8, at 12:15 p.m.
Monday, April 14, at 2:00 p.m.

Note: This is not a training on how to use Blackboard Collaborate but a demonstration of the product. Training sessions will begin in May.

The deadline to remove Incomplete (I) grades from fall 2013 is Friday, April 4.

“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.”

Professors Ann Colley and Kimberly Blessing will share their experiences and expertise with associate professors (new and old) who are considering applying for promotion to full professor within the next several years during this faculty development workshop on Tuesday, April 22, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in E. H. Butler Library 181B. The group will examine DOPS policies as well as the ways that individuals, schools, and departments interpret Buffalo State and SUNY guidelines. Faculty members are encouraged to bring questions and ideas that can be shared with the group.

Advance registration for this session is required; please register through the CyberQuad Workshop Registration System.

Buffalo State student elections will be held Monday, March 31, through Thursday, April 3, in the Campbell Student Union lobby. Undergraduate and graduate students must show a valid Buffalo State ID card or driver’s license to vote. Polls are open Monday through Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Election results will be posted online on Thursday, April 3, by 9:00 p.m.

The annual Western New York Hospitality Ambassador Awards ceremony will be held on Wednesday, April 23, at 5:30 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center's Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Auditorium, followed by a reception at Campus House.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the event. Ambassador Awards recognize professionals for their work in the community and the Hospitality Department's student scholarship recipients.

This year's award recipients:

• Susan McCartney, Ph.D., director of the Small Business Development Center, SUNY Buffalo State
• Mark A. Mistriner, ’95, C.E.C., A.A.C., professor and chair of the Business and Hospitality Division, Niagara Falls Culinary Institute, Niagara County Community College
• Sue Sims, ’13, sous chef, Wegmans Food Markets Inc.

Hospitality students will display their culinary talents and world class service at a reception featuring international cuisine paired with wine. The cost of the event is $40 per person.

Make your reservation today at campushouse@buffalostate.edu or call Krista Constantino, guest services manager, at ext. 3300.

Weigel Health Promotions will provide educational workshops about the tobacco-free policy on Monday, March 31; Wednesday, April 23; and Wednesday, May 7, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Caudell Hall 116 (feel free to bring your lunch). This workshop and training is offered to all students, faculty, and staff members who would like more information about the tobacco-free policy and how to approach and educate others.

Please RSVP, indicating which workshop you would like to attend (workshops will be canceled if there are no registrants).

Those who complete the training will learn how to talk about the policy, its history, and its purpose. After completing the training, attendees will have the knowledge and skills to approach others (including those in violation of the policy, should they so choose) and have a respectful and appropriate conversation with them about the policy. Any student, staff, or faculty member may sign up for this training.

Trainings are about 90 minutes long and are held monthly. The following training sessions are scheduled:

March
Monday, March 31
Noon–1:30 p.m.
Caudell Hall 116

April
Wednesday, April 23
Noon–1:30 p.m.
Caudell Hall 116

May
Wednesday, May 7
Noon–1:30 p.m.
Caudell Hall 116

June, July, August
No workshops or trainings available

September 
Wednesday, September 10
Noon–1:30 p.m.
Location: TBA

To request this training for a class or group, please complete and submit this form: Tobacco-Free Workshop.

Certificates will be provided upon completion of the training for anyone who would like to sign up as an ambassador of the tobacco-free policy.

Tobacco-free ambassadors will help promote the tobacco-free policy by taking an active role in informing people that a tobacco-free policy is in effect. A large majority of Buffalo State students and employees support a tobacco-free environment, so we are inviting volunteers to be trained in effective ways to speak up when they see tobacco being used. To volunteer, please fill out this online form. If you have questions, please call the Health Promotions Office at ext. 4719.

All those who complete the training, especially ambassadors, are encouraged to return to future trainings to discuss their experiences when addressing this topic with others and to provide advice and insight to new ambassadors and others. The first 15 minutes of each session will be reserved for conversation and updates, so you will not need to stay for the whole workshop each time. Your experience and input is critical to making this as effective as possible.

Please note: The policy is not up for discussion or debate in these trainings. This is an educational opportunity where information, skills, and resources will be reviewed and questions answered. If you have any questions, please contact Paula A. Madrigal.

The SUNY Buffalo State Faculty and Staff Appeal is officially under way. The newly established Campus House Support Fund has been authorized for the purpose of renovation and maintenance of the Campus House facility. Faculty and staff members may consider giving to the fund as part of the appeal by choosing a biweekly amount (payroll deduction) or an annual amount. Friends, alumni, or emeriti of Buffalo State may also make a contribution at any time.

Please contact Claire Collier, ext. 5206, with questions.

The Professional Staff Caucus will hold its Spring Student Scholarship Fundraiser on Friday, April 4, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Campus House. Tickets can be purchased online for $30, which includes appetizers and two alcoholic beverages. The fundraiser will feature theme baskets, gift certificates, and a 50/50 raffle. The first student PSC scholarship will be awarded in fall 2014. Faculty and staff members are encouraged to donate to Buffalo State College Foundation account 311154 to support the Professional Staff Caucus Scholarship Fund. Please join us at Campus House to network, relax, and enjoy fellowship with one another.

The Counseling Center requests your participation in our upcoming Celebration of Life (COL) memorial event on Friday, April 11, from noon to 1:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center. 

The COL program, held annually since 2001, remains one of our most significant traditions. The focus is to remember students, faculty, staff, and alumni who have passed away during the last academic year. This spiritual, nondenominational program provides a forum for the Buffalo State community to grieve communally and to remember and celebrate those lives that have touched them. The hour-long program includes songs, poems, and a reading of the names of our departed Buffalo State family members.