From the Chair of the Inauguration Committee
The Inauguration Committee invites you to march in the academic procession at the inauguration ceremony of Dr. Katherine S. Conway-Turner on Tuesday, October 21, at 12:15 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. We will assemble for the procession beginning at 10:45 a.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center. Additional reporting information will be provided to all registrants.

If you wish to order academic regalia for this event, the deadline for ordering with guaranteed hood colors and standard charges is Friday, September 26. You may call Marybeth Keller, general merchandise manager in the Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore, at ext. 5509 to place your order.

Please register to join the academic procession no later than Wednesday, October 8. Because of the complexity of organizing the procession, we will be unable to accommodate registrants after October 8.

We look forward to your participation in welcoming Dr. Conway-Turner as the ninth president of Buffalo State. For additional information on the ceremony and related events, please visit the inauguration website.

Sincerely,
Susanne P. Bair
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Chair of the Inauguration Committee

From the Chief Diversity Officer
As we begin the new semester, it is important to remember that the Buffalo State policy on religious observances prohibits administering evaluative examinations on the following religious holidays:

• Rosh Hashanah (sundown Wednesday, September 24, to sundown Friday, September 26, 2014)
• Yom Kippur (sundown Friday, October 3, to sundown Saturday, October 4, 2014)
• Good Friday (April 3, 2015)

For additional information on the Buffalo State policy on class attendance on religious holidays, please visit the Equity and Campus Diversity website.

From the Chair of the College Senate
At the September 12 College Senate meeting, graduate student senator Ashley Lanning was elected by ballot to serve as chair of the Student Welfare Committee for the 2014–2015 academic year. She will serve with faculty vice chair Jill D’Angelo, associate professor of criminal justice. Undergraduate student senator Terron Grant was chosen to serve on the Agenda Committee. Congratulations to both of our new student senators on their representative roles on the College Senate.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The next meeting of the College Senate will be held at 3:00 p.m. Friday, October 10, in Butler Library 210. The complete schedule of Senate meetings for the 2014–2015 academic year is available on the College Senate website. Please e-mail Vince Masci, clerk 1 in the College Senate Office, with questions.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The first College Senate meeting of the fall 2014 semester will be held at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow, September 12, in Butler Library 210. The complete schedule of Senate meetings for the 2014–2015 academic year is available on the College Senate website. The agenda for tomorrow’s meeting (PDF) is also posted on the Senate’s website. College Senate meetings are held every second Friday of the month except in January, during winter recess. Please e-mail Vince Masci, clerk 1 in the College Senate Office, with questions.

From the Chair of the College Senate
New Senator Orientation for all new incoming senators, both faculty and student, will be held today, September 11, during Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.) in Cleveland Hall 418. It is recommended that new senators attend to become familiar with Robert’s Rules, general protocol, rules on how Senate meetings are conducted, and what is expected of serving senators. The first College Senate meeting of the fall 2014 semester will be held at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow, September 12, in Butler Library 210.

From the Associate Vice President for Assessment and Curriculum
On behalf of the Assessment Advisory Board, I am pleased to announce that the Exceptional Education Department has been awarded the Outstanding Assessment Award for 2013–2014. The department will receive $4,000 in recognition of its assessment efforts and resultant curricular changes. The department's submission, "Department Award for Outstanding Assessment Application" (PDF), can be found on the assessment website and serves as a model of best practices in assessment. Congratulations to Shannon Budin, Kevin Miller, and their Exceptional Education Department colleagues for their excellent efforts in reforming curriculum through assessment.

From the NCATE Coordinator
The Teacher Education Unit at Buffalo State is scheduled for an accreditation review by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) March 15–17, 2015. Federal regulations require that accrediting agencies allow for public comment on the qualifications of institutions or programs under consideration for first accreditation or continuing accreditation. 

Both NCATE and Buffalo State recognize graduates, parents, schools, and community organizations have valuable perspectives on the quality of the programs that prepare teachers and other school personnel. We invite interested parties to submit written testimony on the Buffalo State’s Teacher Education Unit to:

Board of Examiners
NCATE
1140 19th Street NW, Suite 400
Washington, D.C. 20036
Or by e-mail to callforcomments@ncate.org

Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered at Buffalo State and should specify the respondent’s relationship, if any, to the institution (e.g., graduate, current or former faculty member, employer of graduates). Copies of all correspondence received will be sent to Buffalo State for comment prior to the review. No anonymous testimony will be considered.

Letters of comment should be received no later than December 15, 2014.

From the Diversity Program Coordinator
The Equity and Campus Diversity Office presents the September 2014 newsletter. Please follow the link and share with the Bengal community the news that our office is happy to share with you.

Spotlights include:

• The Beyond Boundaries/Dare to Be Diverse Film Series
• Diversity Dialogue Programs
• Student Ambassador Program
• ECD Staff Introduction
• Photos
• Event Calendar
• Diverse Faculty/Staff Interview
• SHOUT OUT! to the   . . .AFP 2014: Change through Stories, September 8–10. Please follow the link to find out more about this exciting opportunity.

Please call the Equity and Campus Diversity Office at ext. 6210, e-mail us at eeoequity@buffalostate.edu, visit our website, or stop by Cleveland Hall 415. We'd love to hear from you.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The first College Senate meeting of the fall 2014 semester will be held at 3:00 p.m. Friday, September 12, in Butler Library 210. The complete schedule of Senate meetings for the 2014–2015 academic year is available on the College Senate website. The agenda for the September 12 meeting will be posted soon. College Senate meetings are held every second Friday of the month except in January, during winter recess. Please e-mail Vince Masci, clerk 1 in the College Senate Office, with questions.