The Admissions Office will host the first of two Fall Open Houses for prospective students and their families on Saturday, September 20, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, beginning in the Sports Arena. Refreshments will be served. Visitors will tour the campus, meet with faculty and student support services, discuss financial aid options, and explore career opportunities. More information is available on the Undergraduate AdmissionsWeb site.

The second Fall Open House will be held November 8.

For longtime Buffalo State faculty, seeing the e-mail subject line “Get Your Textbook Orders in Now” might seem reminiscent of a parent’s nagging. But the staff at the Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore has good reason to prod: they’re trying to save faculty and students money—and unnecessary headaches.

According to Lynn Puma and Kathryn Hanaka, the bookstore’s manager and assistant manager, faculty have been better about textbook-order deadlines in recent years—particularly with ordering via the store’s online database. But textbook orders continue to be a challenge. At the end of June, only 56 percent of orders were in for the fall 2008 semester. (N.B.: The preferred deadline for spring 2009 textbook orders is October 15. The bookstore has sent reminder e-mails and fliers to departments.)

“It gets really tricky for everyone when orders come in at the last minute,” Puma said. “Besides the logjam it creates on campus, the publishers are busy with all the other colleges trying to order books, too.”

But for those who place orders early, the benefits are many. First, faculty members can get what they need.

“New book reps can sometimes give confusing information, leading professors to purchase more expensive bundled packages that students don’t want,” Puma said. But the bookstore staff can work with vendors to secure only the necessary books or even portions of books at a much lower cost—if the orders are in early.

Second, early orders give bookstore staff time to secure more lower-cost used books through student buy-backs and used-book wholesalers. Demand for used books is high.

Third, early orders result in added convenience for students. Hanaka said some like to shop early to find the lowest prices, while others simply like to buy books early to get a head start on course material. Puma said more students are turning to the Web for ordering, and the bookstore processed a record 2,500 online orders last academic year—possible only because more faculty members got their orders in on time.

The bookstore encourages faculty to place textbook orders online, but is happy to also take orders via phone (878-5509) or fax (878-3063).

“Our online system shows the history of past orders,” Puma said. “Faculty members can make updates with the push of a button.”

Hanaka also recommends that faculty members visit the Faculty Center Network for help in choosing the right textbooks for courses. More details and a link to the network are available through the bookstore’s online site.

“The Faculty Center Network is helpful because it shows professors the books that other classes across the U.S. are using and also compares book prices,” Hanaka said.

Faculty members also must notify the bookstore to hold books by midterm-exam time; otherwise, the bookstore returns unsold books to publishers.

Hanaka said the Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore is, first and foremost, a “community bookstore.” She enjoys seeing the many regulars who come to Java-U for a cup of coffee or to use the computer stations. But, she said, faculty and staff members enjoy many other perks:

• A 10 percent discount on select items at the campus bookstore and at the Barnes & Noble store at 1565 Niagara Falls Boulevard (through a discount card obtained on campus).
• Discounted regalia purchases and cap-and-gown rentals.
• Custom-made Buffalo State items (beyond what is on display in the store).
• Additional discounts for using purchase orders.

Puma said faculty members also enjoy the faculty authors section in the back of the store, near Java-U, as well as book signings and readings.

“Whenever you have a new book out, call us,” Puma said. “We’ll get the book in our system.”

In addition, the bookstore can work with departments to custom order books in conjunction with conferences or speakers who visit campus—and even plan to sell the books at the event if given adequate notice.

Hanaka said the bookstore’s staff and faculty members ultimately have the same goal: doing what’s best for students. It’s the driving force behind her belief that Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State is a community bookstore.

“Let’s work together to serve our students,” she said.

The Graduate School will host its annual September open house from 10:00 a.m. to noon Saturday, September 13, in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall. Registeronline or contact the Graduate School, 878-5601.

Later this month, the Financial Aid Office will inform eligible students of a new federal student aid program called the Teacher Education Assistance to College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant, which offers $4,000 per academic year to aspiring teachers who agree to teach in high-need areas.

The TEACH Grant was recently approved by Congress through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007. Recipients must complete four years of full-time service in high-need elementary or secondary schools that serve low-income families. Service must be completed within eight years of graduation. If a student breaks the contract, the award is converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan with retroactive interest from the original date of disbursement, with a six-month grace period prior to repayment.

All undergraduate and graduate students in eligible majors with a minimum grade point average of 3.25 may apply. Unlike most federal aid, students are not required to demonstrate need in order to quality, but they are still required to complete the annual FAFSA form. Students pursuing a second bachelor’s degree or postbaccalaureate teacher certification, however, are not eligible for the TEACH Grant.

High-need fields identified by the government include bilingual education and English language acquisition, foreign languages, mathematics, reading specialization, science, special education, and other teacher-shortage areas identified by state.

Kent McGowan, director of financial aid, said his office sent a letter to Buffalo State students in July to introduce the TEACH Grant and will soon notify eligible students of their option to apply. The first TEACH grants will be awarded to eligible students during the 2008–2009 school year.

“This is a great opportunity for aid to students who know they’d like to teach in low-income schools,” McGowan said. “Our government is offering an incentive for future teachers to provide help where it’s needed the most.”

Faculty and staff are encouraged to share information about the new grant program with education majors. More information about the TEACH Grant is available on the Federal Student Aid Web site.

Judith Basinski, associate vice president for computing and technology services, remembers a time when there were no personal computers on campus. But with nearly 4,000 machines that she manages with the help of more than 60 staff members, those days are now a distant memory.

Computing and Technology Services (CTS) is composed of five divisions, yet all staff members work together fluidly on projects. Nevertheless, each area has distinct responsibilities.

Academic Computing and Technical Services negotiates and secures product license contracts on machines throughout campus. The staff members also manage computer repairs and installations, monitor inventory, and synchronize computers with other equipment. In addition, they run most of CTS’s training sessions for faculty, staff, and students.

Administrative Computing provides programming and database support for all enterprise information systems, such as the student information and Human Resource Management systems. Their primary focus for the past two years has been to implement Banner to replace STARS as the student information system.

Web Technologies provides programming support for Web-based applications, developing database-driven Web pages and supporting other technologies such as video streaming. Staff members often collaborate with the College Relations Office Web team to offer database support for programs and campus Web pages.

Networking and Operational Services is what Basinski calls the “heart of operations” for CTS. Staff members manage Buffalo State’s data network and telecom structure, including all phone lines and switchboard operations. Three shifts of workers continuously monitor Buffalo State’s networks, process production jobs, and run backups of campus data.

Systems Administration installs, configures, and maintains security updates on more than 100 servers located in the campus data center. The data center is shared with the SUNY Information Technology Exchange Center (ITEC). ITEC is housed in Twin Rise but supports a number of SUNY institutions to create cost-sharing across campuses.

CTS is always busy. The staff installed 411 new machines on campus over the summer. And on July 3, while most of the campus was preparing for the Independence Day holiday, CTS members worked well into the evening hours to isolate and eradicate malicious code that threatened the campus network.

Basinski said her staff is busiest at the beginning of each semester, particularly when faculty members need software installed for classes. In addition, she said that faculty and staff typically call on CTS for help with passwords, computer programs, and e-mail.

Many faculty and staff members take advantage of CTS’s training sessions to learn how to navigate programs. Melissa Miszkiewicz, director of academic computing, said that although a number of classes are available, some training topics are better suited to a one-on-one format. Training topics include Banner, Remote Desktop, Office, Ingeniux, Garage Band, and iMovie.

CTS staff recently upgraded all campus computers to Office 2007, and they continue to play a key role inBanner migration. They also run the Computing Help Desk in E. H. Butler Library.

The support desk is symbolic of CTS’s drive to be more visible on campus as well as its core belief that communication is key to success. CTS staff members communicate using Microsoft Sharepoint, which helps the team prioritize projects and allocate assignments. The site also allows members to keep open journals of their work experiences, helping everyone improve performance.

“Beyond technical knowledge, our frontline staff members have to be good communicators who like people and work well with those of all skill levels,” Miszkiewicz said.

Basinski and Miszkiewicz would like more faculty and staff members to think of CTS before undertaking projects involving computers. “We can help you consider support you didn’t know you needed,” Miszkiewicz said.

CTS reminds faculty and staff of the following:

• Do not keep private data on mobile devices such as laptops or flash drives. Use network drives to store information.
• Store work on network drives, which are routinely backed up. Files on a local drive or desktop are at risk for loss.
• Log off your machine each night but do not shut it down. CTS is able to make network and software updates to workstations as long as they are powered up. But if your computer is turned off, updates may “clog” your machine on the next startup.
• Don’t panic if you see “cs-username” the next time you sign on to your computer. It simply indicates that a CTS staff member logged in to make a needed update.

Miszkiewicz also reminds faculty and staff that the Guide to Campus Technology offers additional support, and that CTS works with UB Micro to provide discounts for computer equipment.

“I’m really proud of the (CTS) staff,” she said. “They go to great lengths to adapt quickly to new technology, save money for the college, and help others.”

The campus community is invited to attend a tribute offered by Buffalo State students to remember those touched by the tragedy of September 11, 2001, today at 5:30 p.m. at the Newman Center Chapel, 1219 Elmwood Avenue (one block south of Rockwell Road, at the corner of Penhurst Place). Please call 882-1080 for more information.

As concern for safety on college campuses across the country continues to grow, Buffalo State’s Emergency Communication Task Force has completed a major overhaul of its Emergency Communication Plan and continues to seek new ways to keep students, faculty, and staff informed in the event of a crisis.

“We utilized a communication plan before Virginia Tech that was based on common sense,” said Pete Carey, chief of university police. “Although we were ahead of the game at the time in terms of emergency planning, we are in a much better place now thanks to the work of the Communication Task Force.”

The Emergency Communication Plan, which was distributed to members of the senior administration over the summer, now clearly lays out internal communication flow and policies during a crisis, policies and templates for internal and external messages, and step-by-step guides for communication tools.

Communication Flow and Policies
The offices of Finance and Management and College Relations manage emergency notification in the event of a crisis, which is defined as any incident where the physical or mental health and safety of any campus constituent is, or could be, at risk.

Because each crisis or emergency requires a unique communication response, the Emergency Communication Plan provides guiding policies and procedures for the coordination of internal and external communication in the event of a crisis—including natural disasters, a large-scale act of violence or terrorism, fire, death on campus, physical or sexual assault, environmental disaster, or utility failure.

The general communication flow and distribution are as follows:

• Vice President for Finance and Management’s Office, working with University Police, determines that a crisis or emergency exists and the level of threat
• President’s Office and appropriate departments (Provost, Student Affairs, Institutional Advancement) are informed and involved as needed
• College Relations, working with Finance and Management, develops and implements communication strategy, including message points, delivery vehicles, coordination with internal and external constituencies, and timing

“The goal during any crisis or emergency is to provide quick, accurate, sensitive, and responsible communication that safeguards our students, faculty, and staff,” said Stanley Kardonsky, vice president for finance and management.

NY-Alert
While communication systems such as campuswide e-mail, the Web site, posters, faculty and staff voice mail, and residence hall word-of-mouth were already in place prior to the formation of the task force, instant communication via cell phone was an emerging technology not yet formalized.

Last fall, the college signed up for a new emergency notification system—NY-Alert. Administered by the New York State Emergency Management Office (SEMO), NY-Alert is a voluntary system that delivers text messages, automated phone messages, e-mails, and faxes to participants when there is an immediate or severe threat to the physical health and safety of campus constituents. The system is also designed to inform the campus community of campus closings due to weather or major utility failures.

Less than a year after the launch of NY-Alert, the Buffalo State student opt-in rate via BANNER has climbed well above the national average, to 65 percent. According to a recent story by the Associated Press, student-participation rates at colleges and universities with similar programs range from 25 to 40 percent.

While student opt-in rates continue to rise, the number of faculty and staff enrolling in the system has remained steady. Carey encourages faculty and staff to sign up as soon as possible and emphasizes that personal information provided during registration is not public and will never be sold or used for any other purpose.

“Not only is signing up important for your own personal safety, but as a professor or staff member, you have a responsibility of communicating with students in an emergency as well,” said Carey.

College Relations will conduct a campuswide test of NY-Alert at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 21. At this time, all students, faculty, and staff who have signed up will receive the test message through their selected communication devices.

Other Tools
During the Emergency Response Training drill last month in Cassety Hall, the College Relations Web team tested the college’s emergency Web page. In the event of an emergency, the standard home page will be exchanged with a streamlined site that provides brief, time-stamped news entries and safety instructions. With few graphics and no database pulls, the simplified page reduces stress to the server in the event of a sudden spike in Web traffic. This ensures that the site stays up and that critical information can be updated.

The college also has planned for extreme server disruptions, such as those experienced during the October 2006 storm, by partnering with Alfred State College for emergency server space.

The task force continues to investigate options for visible and audible alarms. According to Carey, a steam whistle that would be heard throughout campus is scheduled for installation later this semester. Visible message displays and voice enunciators via an upgraded fire alarm system are also being investigated by the task force.

Meet the newest members of the Buffalo State faculty from your computer desktop. New faculty photos and brief biographical sketches are posted on the Gallery Web site. Please contact College Relations to update your information.

Already saddled with the woes of a troubled economy, today’s students seem to be hit from all sides. Moody’s Investor Services reports that the economic outlook for higher education is down, and recent troubles in the student loan industry have not subsided. Always an important funding source, scholarships become even more crucial in tough economic times.

Buffalo State awarded more than $1 million in scholarships to incoming and returning students during the 2007–2008 academic year. Of the 661 newly awarded and continuing scholarships, about $440,000 came from the operating budget, while the remainder came from private donations.

Some scholarships, like the President’s, Provost’s, and new Dean’s Scholarship, are awarded based on academic merit. Students must apply for the rest, and committees select recipients. In either case, the Financial Aid Office notifies students of their eligibility for awards.

There are dozens of scholarships offered directly through Buffalo State. Some are for particular academic departments; some have specific guidelines as dictated by charitable donors. Others are made possible by the generosity of faculty and staff. Monday’s annual Golf and Tennis Scholarship Classic will support the All College Honors Program, and the Faculty and Staff Appealsupports general scholarships such as Bridge the Gap, the scholarship fund for junior and senior students with financial need.

Kent McGowan, director of financial aid, knows that some scholarships reward academic performance. But he said some are designed to serve a greater purpose: recruiting and retaining students.

“There are limits to the aid that’s available. Our students need money to attend college,” McGowan said. “When more scholarships are available, we can provide greater access for those wishing to attend Buffalo State and potentially boost our academic profile by attracting higher-caliber students.”

The Financial Aid Office has a section of its Web site devoted to scholarships. It is updated frequently with information about external scholarships, which are categorized by type and deadline date. Patricia Ghee, scholarship coordinator, also is available to help students with applications and essays.

McGowan encourages faculty and staff members to direct students to the scholarship Web site to check for updates each month.

“Someone’s going to get the scholarship money,” said McGowan. “It ought to be our students.”

Though enrollment numbers are not yet finalized, the incoming Class of 2012 appears to be one of the largest in Buffalo State history. Roughly 1,600 first-year students are registered, representing a 10 percent increase from last year. The total also exceeds this year’s target of 1,470.

“We’re seeing trends continue from last year,” said Mark Petrie, associate vice president for enrollment management. “The academic profile is again strong, and more students are coming from outside the Western New York area.”

Another continuing trend, however, poses a dilemma for the college. More students are choosing to live on campus rather than off during their junior and senior years, and more first-year students want to live on campus as well. The Residence Life Office reports that the college experienced a 14 percent increase in demand for campus housing this semester. But Buffalo State currently does not have space to accommodate demand.

Despite the opening of Cassety Hall last spring, which provided another 150 beds, 190 transfer and returning students are living at the Adam’s Mark Hotel downtown this semester. And although many rooms on campus have been converted to accommodate three occupants, Residence Life predicts that as many as 150 students could still be at the hotel for the start of the spring 2009 semester.

Other statistics continue to be on par with last year, too. More than 250 freshmen and transfers joined theEducational Opportunity Program, and some 85 students signed up for one of four learning communities. The All College Honors Program welcomed another 47 students (41 freshmen) this semester.

Total enrollment is projected to be up from last year by more than 200 students. The college has already registered more than 9,200 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students this fall; total enrollment is expected to surpass 11,150.

Final enrollment numbers will be available after the freeze-file date in mid-October. The Bulletin will continue to provide updates throughout the year.