From the Vice President for Finance and Management
The Payroll and Human Resource Management offices will be closed on Thursday and Friday, December 25 and 26. Employees who are unable to pick up their paycheck or direct deposit advice on December 24 and wish to have it mailed to their home address should submit a request to the Payroll Office by Thursday, December 18. Requests can be made by e-mail or campus mail, Cleveland Hall 408.

Please check the address printed on your current pay stub or direct deposit advice to ensure that Payroll has your correct address, especially if you have moved recently.

Questions regarding the December 24 payday should be directed to the Payroll Office at 878-4124.

From the Vice President for Finance and Management
Health insurance rates for 2009 have been established and are now posted on the Human Resource Management Web site.

Employees who wish to change health insurance plans for the coming year have until Monday, January 5, 2009.Changes in deductions will be reflected in paychecks no sooner than December 24. Because of processing time, most employees who switch plans will see deductions change in January, with adjustments retroactive to the effective coverage date, December 25, 2008.

“Choices,” a summary of health insurance plans, is available online or in Cleveland Hall 410. Employees may wish to review this summary before deciding whether to change or keep insurance carriers for 2009. For questions, option-transfer forms, or to receive the “Choices” brochure, please contact Human Resource Management, 878-4821.

From the Provost
The Middle States Commission on Higher Education took the following action on November 20, 2008, in response to the Periodic Review Report submitted by the college in June 2008:

For SUNY College at Buffalo (Buffalo State College), the commission acted “to accept the Periodic Review Report, to commend the institution on the quality of its Periodic Review process, and to reaffirm accreditation.” Buffalo State’s next self-study and accreditation site visit are scheduled for academic year 2012–2013, and the next Periodic Review Report will be due in 2018.

Appreciation is extended to all involved in preparation of the Periodic Review Report. The effort was led by co-chairs Robert Delprino, Psychology Department, and Stephen Chris, Counseling Center. Kerran Sanger, School of Arts and Humanities, assisted the co-chairs.Thomas Renzi, Academic Skills Center, edited the document for the committee.

Additional members on the committee preparing the college’s report were:

Yves Gachette, Institutional Research Office
Scott Johnson, University College; First-Year and Academic Support Programs
Rosalyn Lindner, Curriculum and Assessment, Academic and Student Affairs Office
Maureen Lindstrom, Information Commons, E. H. Butler Library
Maria Pacheco, Chemistry Department
David Pomerantz, Social Work Department
Kevin Railey, the Graduate School
Deborah Renzi, Social Work Department

Dorcas Colvin provided administrative support to the committee.

From the President
I am pleased to announce that the following individuals will serve on the 2008–2009 Honorary Degree Committee:

Chair, Paul Theobald, Woods-Beals Endowed Chair and professor, Center for Excellence in Urban and Rural Education; Felix Armfield, professor, History and Social Studies Education Department; Marian Deutschman,interim director, College and Community Partnerships Office; Charles Kenyon, associate vice president and dean of students; Kevin Railey, associate provost and dean of the Graduate School. Bonita Durand, executive assistant to the president, President’s Office, andMaryruth Glogowski, associate vice president for library and instructional technology, E. H. Butler Library, will provide staff support to the committee.

The group is charged with identifying candidates for the State University of New York honorary doctorates, SUNY’s highest academic honor, and preparing nomination portfolios. Honorary degrees are awarded to recognize excellence that exemplifies the mission and purpose of the State University of New York in the following fields: public affairs, the sciences, humanities and the arts, scholarship and education, business and philanthropy, and social services.

Honorary degrees also can honor meritorious and outstanding service to the university, the state of New York, the United States, or humanity at large, or people whose lives serve as examples of the university’s aspirations for its students.

Names of suggested nominees for SUNY honorary doctorates should be forwarded to Paul Theobald, c/oMaryruth Glogowski, E. H. Butler Library 134, by Wednesday, February 18.

From the President
At its November 14, 2008, meeting, the College Senate voted to approve and forward the following motion to the president for review and action:

Motion Regarding Writing Across the Curriculum Criteria in Intellectual Foundations

WHEREAS, it has been determined that there is much confusion and uncertainty regarding the requirements for approval, syllabus construction, and instruction of a Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) course; and

WHEREAS, the recent assessment of the WAC program revealed a campuswide need for re-articulation and dissemination of information about program guidelines, which have been in effect since their implementation in fall 1987,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the existing college guidelines (2007–2009 Undergraduate Catalog pp. 27–28) for the Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Requirement be revised as follows:

Writing Across the Curriculum Requirement
Writing represents a critical component of the educational process, and the integration of writing into all types of courses across the curriculum is widely encouraged. In particular, the college has established a two-course (2- to 6-credit-hour) Writing Across the Curriculum requirement for all students to enhance and reinforce basic writing skills learned in CWP 101 and CWP 102, or their approved equivalents.

Taking two Writing Across the Curriculum (W) courses or their major department’s WAC alternative satisfies this requirement. Some departments have established an alternative method specific to their program whereby their majors may satisfy the Writing Across the Curriculum requirement. Students should consult their major department for requirements. The (W) courses or the departmental alternative requirements must be completed at Buffalo State College and are not transferable from other institutions.

Writing-to-learn techniques shall be utilized in all W courses and in alternative WAC implementation models.

For all (W) courses and for courses taken together in alternative implementation models:

(1) Students must be given both formal and informal writing assignments; (2) students must be given constructive and prompt feedback on their writing and be required to respond to said feedback through rewriting and resubmission of writing assignments; (3) writing shall constitute a significant portion of coursework and evaluation; and (4) successful completion of CWP 102 or its equivalent shall be a prerequisite. Every piece of formal writing submitted as part of the requirement should allow students to demonstrate:

• Clearly stated purpose/main idea/thesis.
• Adequate support/proof/development of main idea.
• Clear and logical organization of information.
• Complete sentences including standard usage of grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
• Correct documentation (interior documentation, references, and/or bibliography) in a format appropriate to the field.
• Evidence of critical thinking.

I hereby accept the recommendation of the College Senate and approve the revisions of the existing college guidelines for the Writing Across the Curriculum requirement. I charge the provost with the responsibility of implementing the revisions in all appropriate college documents and communicating this information to students, faculty, and staff.

From the President
At its November 14, 2008, meeting, the College Senate voted to approve and forward the following motion to the president for review and action:

Motion for Addressing the Number of Credit Hours That Can Be Taken by Undergraduate Students on Academic Probation (below a 2.0 Cumulative GPA); Brought by the Standards for Students Committee, October 2008 

Buffalo State does not have an overall college policy addressing the number of credit hours that students can take while on academic probation (cumulative average below a 2.0). In the 2007–2009 Undergraduate Catalog (p. 24), the following paragraph discusses course load, but does not provide guidance for those on academic probation:

Course Load
The average course load for undergraduates is 15–16 credit hours a semester. Should a matriculated student desire to register for more than 19 hours, the approval of the appropriate academic adviser must be secured. Students in majors should consult with their faculty adviser, and undeclared students not affiliated with EOP, STAR, SSSP, or AIM should consult with the coordinator of the Academic Advisement Office, Twin Rise 100. The student’s academic adviser will review requests for overload.

WHEREAS, there is no mention of course load as related to academic probation;

WHEREAS, taking 16 or more credit hours while on probation can be considered a high course load that will set the student up for failure;

WHEREAS, cases are documented where students have taken as many as 19, 24, and 27 credits in a semester (some with adviser approval) and have not been able to remove themselves from probation;

WHEREAS, capping students’ course load will help build an effective academic strategy for regaining good academic standing, resulting in a positive contribution to the college’s retention rate; and

WHEREAS, capping the number of credit hours taken should be part of the collaborative advising sessions that take place between students and advisers, during which they create an appropriate semester plan that considers program course sequence, satisfactory academic progress, and individual needs,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the following statements be added as a second paragraph under “Course Load” in the undergraduate catalog:

Students on academic probation (below a 2.0 cumulative grade point average) can enroll in a maximum of 15 credit hours. All students should consult with their academic adviser for proper guidance.

I hereby accept the recommendation of the College Senate and approve the addition of the statements in the undergraduate catalog under “Course Load.” I charge the provost with the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of these revisions.

From the Chair of the Senate Curriculum Committee
The College Senate Curriculum Committee will hold an open forum on Thursday, December 4, in Classroom Building B118 from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. to address the ramifications of the SUNY Transfer and Articulation Resolution as they relate to transfer students entering Buffalo State College with A.A. or A.S. degrees from SUNY two-year colleges.

From the Vice President for Finance and Management
Effective January 1, 2009, fines for parking violations on campus will increase from $25 for violations of a fire lane or fire hydrant and $15 for all other violations to $35 and $25 respectively. For violations requiring an intracampus tow (from a lot where parking is prohibited from 1:00 to 6:00 a.m. to lots F, M-2, R, or G), the penalty shall be a $50 fine. This fine is in addition to a fine of $25 for violation of parking in a no parking 1:00–6:00 a.m. parking lot. The fine for violation of a parking space designated for persons with disabilities will remain at $50.

Parking fines not paid or appealed within 30 days of receipt of the summons are doubled. Students who have outstanding parking fines are barred from registering for classes or receiving their transcripts. Employees who have outstanding parking fines for more than 90 days will have the fines deducted from their paychecks. Vehicles with outstanding parking fines that are parked on campus are subject to either towing or the placement of an immobilization boot on the vehicle.

From the Vice President for Finance and Management

November 28

• Productivity Enhancement Program (PEP): Eligible CSEA, PEF, UUP, and M/C employees may forfeit three days of vacation or personal leave in exchange for a credit of up to $450 to be applied toward health insurance premiums in 2009.

November 30

• Voluntarily cancel your health insurance.
• Change from family to individual coverage.
• Change your pre-tax status for insurance deductions.

Note: Unless you have a qualifying event, the 10-week waiting period still applies to enroll in health insurance for the first time or to add previously eligible dependents to your coverage.

Call Human Resource Management at 878-4821 to make changes to your health insurance coverage or if you have questions.

From the Provost
Critique and Evaluation Period (CEP) for fall 2008 will take place on Monday, December 8; Tuesday, December 9; Wednesday, December 10; and Thursday, December 11. A study day will be held on Friday, December 5.

The purpose of CEP is to provide a single class meeting during which faculty and students have an extended period of uninterrupted time to conduct appropriate end-of-course activities. CEP is designed for classes that meet more than once a week during the semester. Classes (evening or day) that meet only once a week have sufficient time for final evaluation; therefore, they follow their regular schedules (exams to be scheduled duringCEP week and not before).

The following regulations govern CEP:

• A study day will occur the weekday immediately prior to the start of CEP. Evening classes that meet only once a week will not have a study day.
• All instructors are expected to meet their classes at the scheduled time during CEP and to choose an appropriate activity that reflects the academic goals of the course and the intent of CEP (e.g., an exam, a review, critique of papers, course summation, or individual presentations or demonstrations).
• Instructors should not schedule a final exam prior to CEP. Instructors may not change the date and time of their final class periods during CEP. In case of emergencies, instructors should confer with their appropriate dean and notify University College.
• CEPs will be scheduled for one-hour-and-50-minute periods. Instructors are not to increase or decrease the scheduled CEP time.
• In case of an emergency that would close the school, CEPs scheduled for the time of the closing will be rescheduled on the emergency CEP day only.
• Faculty members must post office hours during which they will be available to meet with students during CEP week.