The Chronicle of Higher Education has selected Buffalo State College as one of 2009’s Great Colleges to Work For. The designation is based on anonymous survey responses from roughly 330 Buffalo State administrators, faculty members, and staff members as well as an analysis of demographic data and workplace policies and practices.

About 250 institutions participated in the program, now in its second year. The program is modeled after Fortunemagazine’s popular “Best Companies to Work For” issue; however, top institutions are recognized—but not ranked—in the Chronicle. Specific categories of recognition will be announced online and in the July 10 print issue. When the results are announced, Buffalo State can include the designation and the Chronicle’s logo on its Web site and in recruiting materials.

“I have always thought of Buffalo State College as a great place to learn—and to work,” said President Muriel A. Howard. “I am delighted to see nationwide recognition for our campus and appreciate the thoughtful, candid input provided by our faculty and staff for this valuable program.”

The assessment process was administered by ModernThink LLC, a human resources consulting firm that has conducted similar surveys for more than a dozen state best-workplace programs. The Chronicle and ModernThink worked with a panel of higher-education experts to design the questionnaires, which were administered online in March and April.

Participating institutions fall into one of five classifications by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching: research universities with “very high” research activity; research universities with “high” research activity; doctoral/research universities; master’s colleges and universities; and baccalaureate colleges—arts and sciences.

Each was asked to submit a list of employees randomly selected across three categories: administration, faculty, and professional support staff. The sample size, either 400 or 600, was based on the number of employees in those categories. Buffalo State’s sample size was 600. All were asked to respond to 60 statements using a five-point scale. The questionnaire also asked respondents to rate their satisfaction with 15 benefits; respond to two open-ended questions; and answer 14 demographic questions relating to gender, age, ethnicity, marital status, salary, tenure status, and other job issues.

ModernThink’s survey is based on an assessment tool used in more than 55 best-workplace programs with more than 4,000 organizations.

The School of Arts and Humanities, led by Dean Benjamin Christy, hosted 15 students from Lomonosov Moscow State University on campus and in the Buffalo area for a firsthand look at American music, art, theater, and culture June 5–13.

The tour was part of an ongoing cultural exchange with Moscow State University (MSU) developed by Christy. The collaboration began a year ago with a trip to MSU by Christy and a delegation from Buffalo State that included Bradley Fuster, associate professor and chair of the Music Department, Lin Xia Jiang, professor and then-chair of the Fine Arts Department, and Ted Turkle, director of the Research Foundation at Buffalo State College.

MSU students heard presentations by Paul Ferington, lecturer of music and director of the Buffalo State Philharmonia Orchestra (American history and music); Carlos Jones, assistant professor of theater (American dance); Drew Kahn, chair and professor of theater (American theater); David Landrey, associate professor emeritus of English, and Christy (American history and poetry); and Chuck Mancuso, professor of music (American popular music: jazz).

Students also heard Buffalo State music students and Western New York music professionals in concert, including a student recital, a Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra concert, and the Allen St. Jazz Band at Nietzsche’s.

The Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, the Colored Musicians Club of Buffalo, and a Buffalo Bisons baseball game were also part of the American experience planned by Christy with support from the department and community.

Established in 1755, Lomonosov Moscow State University has 40,000 undergraduate and 7,000 graduate students, including 2,000 international students. It is located in Leninskie Gory, Moscow.

Buffalo State College hosted representatives from Mexico’s Universidad de Quintana Roo earlier this month as the two institutions continue to explore partnership opportunities and strengthen current relationships.

Harald Albrecht, dean of the division of social, economics, and administrative sciences at Quintana Roo, met with faculty members from Buffalo State’s Economics and Finance, Modern and Classical Languages, Business, and Hospitality and Tourism departments and International and Exchange Programs Office on June 5 to discuss the creation of an economic development and tourism travel study course. The first offering of such a course is tentatively planned for January 2011, according to Ted Schmidt, associate professor of economics and finance.

Quintana Roo officials also spent time with representatives from the School of Arts and Humanities, the School of Natural and Social Sciences, the School of the Professions, the Small Business Development Center, and Provost Dennis Ponton.

In addition, Albrecht and members of the Economics and Finance Department met to discuss the formation of an online master’s program in economics.

According to Schmidt, the two institutions are working toward signing a collaborative agreement that would formalize existing relationships and open the door to further partnerships.

An estimated 500 community leaders, government officials, and friends of Buffalo State College will gather for a farewell reception on Friday, June 19, in the Burchfield Penney Art Center to celebrate Buffalo State’s leader for the past 13 years, Muriel A. Howard.

The evening provides an opportunity for guests and Howard to say thank you and good-bye, along with many well wishes as she prepares for a new role in higher education.

On August 1, Howard will leave behind an unprecedented legacy of achievement at Buffalo State when she enters the next chapter of her career—assuming the presidency of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C.

The evening will include a brief program with remarks from individuals representing the Buffalo State College Council and the Buffalo State College Foundation, in addition to the city of Buffalo and the Western New York community.

The Alumni Affairs Office has launched a new online community with the goal of better connecting alumni to Buffalo State. The site has a variety of features that allow users to easily learn what is happening at the college and discover ways to offer support.

The community answers multiple alumni needs, according to Kelly Mazella, staff assistant for alumni affairs. Mazella will manage the community.

“Many alumni have told us they’ve wanted a lifetime Buffalo State e-mail address and an online directory to connect with each other and the college,” she said. “They’re going to see that and a lot more, such as alumni chapter pages, news feeds, event listings, and career development opportunities.”

The online community will allow alumni to create personal profiles, post photos, share accomplishments, and participate in forums and polls to share ideas on topics. It will also link to Buffalo State’s Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, and Twitter social networking sites. The College Relations Office designed the online community and works with outside vendor Harris, who hosts the site.

Alumni will also find it easier to give back to Buffalo State by registering and paying for events online and by donating via the community’s “Giving” section.

“I think there is a symbiotic relationship between friend-raising and fundraising,” Mazella said. “More than anything, we want to get alumni engaged and bring more of them back to campus.”

Mazella hopes alumni will give back in other ways, too. The online community will allow them to sign up as event volunteers or guest lecturers in classes. Alumni will also find volunteer opportunities with the Alumni Association as well as off-campus organizations such as the Asarese-Matters Community Center.

A mentoring program will link alumni to those who are registered for classes at Buffalo State, allowing former students to offer current students advice for career paths.

The community will also help alumni with their own career planning. The Alumni Affairs Office, College Relations Office, and Career Development Center have worked together to establish online functions for job searching, résumé building, and business networking. Alumni will be able to search and apply for local and national jobs, find or become a mentor, and post information about their businesses through a “yellow pages” section.

Mazella is confident the online community will “take off” once alumni begin to join the site. She is not only contacting current alumni but also would like graduating seniors to get connected. She hopes faculty and staff will help spread the word and also consider joining the community.

“Some of the strongest bonds alumni have to Buffalo State are through faculty and staff,” Mazella said. “The online community will let alumni know that there are many ways they and Buffalo State can mutually help other. We also want them to know how much we appreciate their staying connected to us.”

To join, users will need to set up their accounts using unique ID numbers they will receive in the mail or via e-mail. For more information, contact the Alumni Affairs Office: 878-6001 or alumnicommunity@buffalostate.edu.

The Americas have been inhabited for thousands of years, long before Europeans migrated here. The new indigenous studies minor, housed in the Anthropology Department, will provide students with an opportunity to learn more about these ancient peoples.

“Students who take this minor will develop a greater understanding and appreciation for the culture of indigenous people,” said Lisa Marie Anselmi, assistant professor of anthropology and coordinator of the minor. Anselmi is an archaeologist who studies the technology of Native Americans, especially the metalworking technology of the so-called contact period during which Europeans introduced new materials to the Americas. Anselmi teaches several of the anthropology courses that can be taken as part of the minor.

However, the minor is interdisciplinary and draws on courses in several departments, including English, History and Social Studies Education, Geography and Planning, and Modern and Classical Languages, which offerscourses in the Seneca language.

“I’m very excited about Jeanine Bowen, who teaches Seneca,” said Deborah Hovland, associate professor and chair of the Modern and Classical Languages Department. “Her classroom style is very hands-on, and she includes culture acquisition as well as language acquisition.”

Lori Quigley, associate dean of the School of Education and a member of the Seneca Nation, is very excited about the new minor. “I’m so pleased that we are offering this program here,” she said. “It’s not only a great opportunity for our students; it’s also a great recruitment tool for Native American students, who are looking for colleges that offer programs in indigenous studies.”

After looking at such programs at other colleges, Quigley believes that the Buffalo State minor is cutting-edge because it gives students the option of studying the Seneca language and draws from different disciplines. “We hope to include more departments in the future,” she said.

When the 21-credit-hour program begins in fall 2009, students can choose four required courses from a list of five options. Students also must complete an internship or independent project or study. “This requirement will enable each student to integrate the minor with his or her own area of interest,” said Anselmi.

Students can also choose two courses from a list of nine that includes studies in arctic geography from an Inuit perspective, Aztec and Mayan history, archaeology, and art and culture from an anthropological perspective.

Anselmi teaches two courses that study, respectively, indigenous peoples of western North America and of eastern North America. “We study the cultures using ethnohistory,” said Anselmi. “We draw on information from archaeology, on historical documents from the records of both the First Nations and the Europeans, and on oral traditions.”

The program is not solely historical. Students will also explore cultural, legal, and political issues that continue to affect indigenous people today.

The unforgettable academic year for the SUNY China 150students comes to a close today as a contingent of faculty accompanies the students to SUNY Farmingdale, where participants from all SUNY campuses will reunite. The group will then travel to New York on Saturday for a special farewell ceremony with Chinese Consul General Peng Keyu before departing for Beijing.

Scott Johnson, interim dean of University College, is one of the faculty members traveling across the state with the students. He said the collaboration across departments throughout the academic year was exceptional.

“The students touched so many places on campus,” Johnson said. “It’s remarkable how quickly we organized efforts for their arrival with such a short amount of time. It was a total effort to create a diverse, fun, and academically rigorous experience for the students.”

The Payroll Office worked with students to explain and help fill out required federal forms to receive scholarship benefits on campus. Counseling Center staff were ready to assist the students whenever needed, such as during times of initial culture shock and homesickness. And the International Student Affairs Office worked diligently to assign each student to a nearby host family.

Jean Gounard, director of international student affairs, was so impressed by the success of SUNY China 150 that he organized a campus committee earlier this semester to focus on attracting and retaining international student scholars. “I hope all international students in the future can have a similar experience,” he said. “The committee has been meeting with departments across campus and is writing a report on how to serve all international students in a proper way.”

Gounard and Johnson also worked with others to organize three mentor programs comprising students in the residence halls, Chinese student peers, and faculty. Each of the 17 students had a unique faculty mentor, and many close relationships were formed.

“The mentors made sure the students were succeeding academically, becoming socially acclimated, and gaining insight into the American education system,” Johnson said.

Mentor Michael Lazich, associate professor of history and social studies education, recalled his experiences with his student, Deng Xia, as positive and insightful.

“I had many occasions to chat with Deng and her Chinese friends about a whole range of issues relating to life in America,” he said. During the last class, she and two other students in his Modern History of China course answered questions about their lives in China and their experience as Chinese college students. “The American students clearly relished the opportunity to hear them talk,” Lazich said.

The 17 students also joined other international students in ENG 461 Young-Adult Literature for the English Conversation Partners Program, spearheaded by Gounard and Barbara Bontempo, professor of English. The class not only helped international students hone their English skills but also allowed them to share ideas, personal stories, and cultural folklore with students studying English language arts.

Recognizing that the students were unprepared for Buffalo’s climate, mentor Stephen Gareau, assistant professor of computer information systems, and Father Patrick Zengierski, director of the Newman Center, helped organized a winter clothing drive. Generous donations yielded dozens of boots, gloves, winter coats, and assorted clothing.

Mentor Ruth Guo, assistant professor of computer information systems, organized a celebration for Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) in January. According to Gareau, Guo taught the Chinese students how to cook dumplings, which are considered a comfort food in China.

“Spring Festival is the most important traditional festival in China,” Guo said. “I knew the students would miss home at that time, so a few faculty members and I decided to spend some time with them in their residence hall.”

The students enjoyed other fun activities throughout the year such as a conference in Boston during Thanksgiving break, a week of relaxation in Florida during winter break, and skiing at Kissing Bridge.

Gounard also spearheaded the Richard LeCastre Memorial Reentry Program to prepare students for their return to China. According to Gounard, the program, named for an acquaintance who was dedicated to helping international students, has been successful in helping other international students re-acclimate. Twenty-seven of the SUNY China 150 students, representing eight SUNY campuses, convened March 14 at Buffalo State for lunch and a series of presentations and discussions with Buffalo State faculty and staff about reverse cultural shock.

The Buffalo State community extends a special thanks to the 17 faculty mentors: Angelo Conorozzo, lecturer of educational foundations; Jiu Feng, lead programmer and analyst for ITEC; Gareau; Virginia Grabiner, chair and associate professor of sociology; Guo; Lin Xia Jiang, professor of fine arts; Lazich; William Lin, chair and associate professor of computer information systems; Jill Norvilitis, associate professor of psychology; Wendy Paterson, chair and professor of elementary education and reading; Elaine Polvinen, professor of technology; John Song, professor of criminal justice; Tao Tang, associate professor of geography and planning; Ted Turkle, director of the Research Foundation of SUNY at Buffalo State College; Ralph Wahlstrom, chair and associate professor of English; Zhang Jie, professor of sociology and director of the Center for China Studies; and Shiwei Zhang, assistant manager of networking and communications for Computer and Technology Services.

The community also extends a heartfelt thanks and best wishes for success to the 17 students who will forever be part of the Buffalo State family: Ling Chen, Xia Deng, Yanlin Deng, Ping Liang, Yuchan Shu, Chang Su, Xuerui Sun, Ziwei Tan, Longpan Wang, Jun Wei, Li Xie, Hongbin Yang, Xin Yin, Yue Yuan, Xintao Zeng, Lin Zheng, and Xue Zhong.

A presentation at the April 28, 2009, College Council meeting by three of the SUNY China 150 students about their experiences at Buffalo State is available online as apodcast and video.

The college’s $350 million capital construction rosterstarts Monday, May 18, when work on several significant projects commences. There will inevitably be some disruptions—parking and walkway reconfigurations, noise, and dust—as mentioned by Stanley Kardonsky, vice president for finance and management, during the2009 State of the College address.

“The investment we are making in the college’s future is significant, but with progress will come some growing pains,” Kardonsky said. “Please know that we are working with our contractors to minimize the impact on the campus community. We will be making every effort to keep you informed.”

Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to visit theconstruction Web site for updates and advisories, including an updated Parking Impact Map reflecting affected areas of campus, and project profiles. Projects set to begin this summer include:

Electrical substation replacement
Project cost: $9.5 million
Construction start: In progress
Construction finish: January 2010

Student Union Quad rehabilitation
Project cost: $8.2 million
Construction start: May 2009
Construction finish: November 2010

Rockwell Road reconstruction
Project cost: $700,000
Construction start: May 2009
Construction finish: September 2009

Roof replacements
Project cost: $500,000
Construction start: May 2009
Construction finish: September 2009

Science and mathematics complex
Project cost: $110 million
Construction start: June 2009
Construction finish: 2014

New student housing
Project cost: $48 million
Construction start: Summer 2009
Construction finish: January 2011

Questions about campus construction can be e-mailed toVPFM@buffalostate.edu.

Parking and Transportation Committee
The college has formed a new Parking and Transportation Committee, an advisory group charged with addressing the current and future transportation and parking needs of the campus.

Committee members are Fajri Ansari (Intercollegiate Athletics), Maria Ceprano (Elementary Education and Reading), Daniel Christmann (University Police), Elizabeth Desimone (student), Kathleen Grosskopf (Financial Aid, CSEA representative), Terry Harding (Campus Services), Lisa Krieger (Finance and Management), Christian Ozolins (Intercollegiate Athletics), Matthew Reitmeier (student), James Shea (Technology Department), Richard Stempniak (Technology Department, UUP representative), and Daniel Vélez (Academic and Student Affairs).

Liaisons to the committee are Thomas Coates (Events Management), Jerod Dahlgren (College Relations), Stan Medinac (Facilities Planning), Jayme Riter (Parking Services), and Steven Shaffer (Facilities Planning).

Questions or suggestions for the committee may be e-mailed to VPFM@buffalostate.edu.

Hundreds of bowls handcrafted by Western New York students, teachers, and artists will be displayed and sold at the sixth annual Empty Bowls fundraising event from noon to 3:00 p.m. Sunday, May 17, in the Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College.

Guests select an artistic creation that catches their eye and share in a simple meal, included in the price of the bowl, usually less than $10. Keepsake bowls serve as a reminder of all the empty bowls around the world. As in years past, all proceeds benefit the Food Bank of Western New York and Friends of Night People.

“Due to the economic downturn in America, the Food Bank of Western New York has seen an 11 percent increase over last year in need for food from its 360 member agencies in four counties,” said Michael Billoni, director of marketing and public relations for the Food Bank. “Because of the increased reliance on our services, community support is needed now more than ever. The dollars we receive from the Empty Bowls fundraiser helps us to purchase food to feed the hungry in our community.”

Five years ago, the Art Education and Design departments at Buffalo State adopted the program. Art education students, under the direction of John Siskar, associate professor of art education, created Empty Bowls lesson plans and distributed them to teachers throughout Western New York.

This year, more than 35 area schools, 20 local artists, and hundreds of local schoolchildren are enthusiastically participating in the program. Oliver’s Restaurant, Pepsi, and the Emerson School of Hospitality are among the many local restaurants and organizations contributing to Empty Bowls.

The Buffalo Niagara Association of Realtors is the title sponsor for this year’s event. For more information, call the Art Education Department at 878-3787.

John Draeger, assistant professor of philosophy and humanities, will become coordinator of the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning’s (CASTL) Campus Program, effective in August. He replaces Cheryl Albers, associate professor of sociology, who held the position since 2000.

Draeger became a CASTL fellow in 2006—just one year after joining Buffalo State—and will serve a three-year term in his new role. Albers said she is confident that he will provide a smooth transition of leadership.

“It’s time to bring in someone with new ideas and fresh perspectives,” she said. “The change will benefit the institution.”

Draeger said the appointment feels like a natural fit to him. “I’m continually impressed with the quality of work in CASTL,” he said. “It motivates me to get more and more involved with the organization.”

Draeger has accompanied Albers on a number of international CASTL conferences during the past few years and has built a strong network of contacts. Albers said his arts and humanities background will bring an added dimension to the Campus Program, which, she said, is regarded by some as a social science venture.

Draeger wants to build on Buffalo State’s international connections and maintain its leadership role at the international level as the organization transitions away from the Carnegie Foundation. The foundation will no longer fund CASTL as of the 2009–2010 academic year, but has verbally agreed to allow Buffalo State and other select colleges to use the Carnegie name for another two years because of their outstanding work.

Making existing campus work available to more people in more venues is another of Draeger’s goals. “If more faculty see the type of work that’s being produced, they can benefit in the classroom,” he said. “Anything that gets people talking about teaching and student learning is a good thing. But we need to move beyond anecdotal talk around the water cooler. CASTL projects provide empirical data to support why and how certain types of classroom instruction work. When I did research, my own data surprised me.”

“We need to move beyond intuition,” Albers added. “A teaching style that seems like it might make sense doesn’t always lead to desired results. Students may like a particular approach, but is there evidence to show that they learned something?”

Albers will remain involved with CASTL and will use her newfound time to provide direction to a subgroup of sociologists within the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL). The group will promote the usefulness of sociological concepts and theories for understanding classroom interaction and undertake collaborative pedagogic research.

Draeger is eager to begin his new role and looks forward to the challenges ahead. “With CASTL, I learn new techniques and perspectives,” he said. “It’s great for professional development, and I hope to get even more faculty interested in participating.”

Albers and Draeger recently mailed offer letters for the next round of CASTL Fellowships. An announcement is forthcoming.