Buffalo State’s Communication Department has become the only program in the State University of New York to receive national accreditation for teaching communication. The decision came May 2 at a meeting of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, the national body that accredits professional programs in journalism, broadcasting, public relations, advertising, and related fields.

Buffalo State is the only public institution among the six schools in New York State that are accredited. The other schools are Hofstra, Iona, New York University, Syracuse, and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Buffalo State is among 112 colleges and universities nationwide—just 15 percent of all institutions offering instruction in this professional field—holding ACEJMC accreditation.

Department chair Ron Smith explained the significance of the accreditation:

“We see this as validation of what we offer our students: excellent teaching, an engaged and challenged student body, a professional and diverse curriculum, successful alumni, and a program with strong connections to the media community. This is a voluntary process in which we stand before our academic and professional colleagues and ask them to review what we offer students.”

Smith said the department prepared for four years for accreditation by reviewing its 65 courses, instituting scholarships for students, and maintaining a strong record of faculty research and professional involvement.

A review team headed by Dr. Beth Barnes, director of the School of Journalism and Telecommunications at the University of Kentucky, spent four days on campus in October. Their review yielded a summary of the department’s strengths:

• Excellent reputation on campus.
• Students who are engaged and enthusiastic.
• Impressive student commitment to and understanding of diversity and ethics.
• Excellent student relationships with both full-time and part-time faculty.
• Comprehensive student preparation for careers.
• Evidence of strong commitment to service learning in support of the Buffalo community.
• Focused research and service to minorities through the department’s grant-fundedAmerican Indian Policy and Media Initiative.

The review found the department in full compliance with seven ACEJMC standards dealing with mission/governance, diversity/inclusiveness, faculty, scholarship/research, student services, resources/equipment, and professional/public service.

The team also found the department in partial compliance on two standards: a curriculum requirement that a majority of courses be taken outside the department, and an assessment plan that involves alumni and media professionals. Because the review noted that the department has already implemented changes and is nearing full compliance on those two standards, the council granted a two-year status of provisional accreditation prior to its standard six-year reaccreditation decision.

In addition to collegewide accreditation by the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges (Commission on Higher Education), Buffalo State has been moving toward full accreditation of its various programs by national accrediting organizations. ACEJMC is one of 54 such bodies that set standards for education in professional areas ranging from rabbinical study to aviation, music education to nursing, architecture to psychology. The ACEJMC Council consists of representatives of both educational and professional organizations.

Participating educational organizations include the American Academy of Advertising, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication, Black College Communication Association, and Broadcast Education Association.

Participating industry organizations include the American Advertising Federation, American Society of Newspaper Editors, Arthur W. Page Society, Asian American Journalists Association, Associated Press Managing Editors Association, Association for Women in Communication, Inland Press Association, National Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Broadcasters, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Associations, Newspaper Association of America Foundation, Public Relations Society of America, Radio-Television News Directors Association, Society of Professional Journalists, and Southern Newspaper Publishers Association.

Advanced to the President
The following have been approved by the Senate Curriculum Committee and forwarded to the president for review and approval:

New Program:
Postmaster’s Certification Only, Educational Leadership for School District Leader (SDL)

Program Revisions:
M.S.Ed. Childhood and Early Childhood, Including Initial Teaching Certification (6212) 
M.S.Ed. Special Education: Childhood (6341) 
M.S.Ed. Special Education: Adolescence (6342)

New Course:
MUS 222 Recording Technology and Sound Reinforcement

Course Revision:
ENG 190 Introduction to Literary Interpretation

Course Revisions and Intellectual Foundations Designations:
ARTS and DIVERSITY
MUS 206 Foundations of American Popular Music

ARTS and WESTERN CIVILIZATION
THA 318 Theater History: Baroque to Modern

SOCIAL SCIENCE
PSC 103 Great Political Issues

WESTERN CIVILIZATION
PSC 351 History of Political Thought I
PSC 352 History of Political Thought II

College Senate Resolutions
At its May 9, 2008, meeting, the College Senate held an extensive discussion of the college’s budget situation that led to the presentation of three resolutions. All were approved by the Senate and will be posted on theCollege Senate Web site. On Monday, May 12, Resolutions 2 and 3 were sent to Interim SUNY Chancellor Clark and Vice Chancellor of the Board of Trustees O’Connor, in advance of the May 13 meeting of the SUNY Board of Trustees.

Standing Committee Vacancies
The outgoing chairs of College Senate standing committees have identified vacancies on their committees for 2008–2009. Individuals who wish to serve on standing committees of the College Senate will be invited to apply for specific vacancies. Information about these vacancies, and the forms needed for application, will appear in the Daily in the next few weeks, as well as in the June 12, 2008, issue of the Bulletin.

2008–2009 Senate Officers and Standing Committee Chairs
For the past 10 years, the College Senate has used a caucus, formally announced to all senators whose terms are continuing, as well as to incoming senators, to identify the slate of College Senate officers and chairs of standing committees. The chair of the Academic Plan Committee will be determined by electronic election by the members of the 2008–2009 Senate within the next few weeks; the chair of the Student Welfare Committee (a student) will be determined at the start of the 2008–2009 academic year. The following slate was approved by acclamation at the May 9, 2008, College Senate meeting:

Senate Chair: Sharon Cramer
Senate Vice Chair: Betty Cappella
Budget and Staff Allocations: Scott Goodman
Bylaws and Elections: William Raffel
Curriculum: Nancy Chicola
Faculty and Staff Welfare: Deborah Jones
Instruction and Research: Andrew Nichols
Standards for Students: Elizabeth Stevens
Student Welfare: Chair: TBD; Vice Chair: Anthony Hotchkiss

Election Results
Election results for some units of the College Senate have not yet been received. Below is a list of elected senators to date; when all senators have been identified, a notice will appear in the Daily with a link to the updated 2008–2009 College Senate roster.

Elisa Bergslien, reelected, from the School of Natural and Social Sciences, for a three-year term.
David Carson, reelected, as a University Faculty Senator, for a three-year term.
Nancy Chicola, reelected, from the School of Education, for a three-year term.
Sharon Cramer, reelected, as an at-large senator, for a two-year term.
Steven Gareau, elected, from the School of the Professions, for a one-year term.
Keith Fulcher, elected, from the professional staff, for a three-year term.
Anthony Hotchkiss, elected, from the School of the Professions, for a three-year term.
Heather Maldonado, reelected, as an at-large senator, for a three-year term.
Joseph Marren, elected, as an at-large senator, for a two-year term.
Diane McFarland, reelected, from the School of the Professions, for a three-year term.
Andrew Nicholls, elected, from the School of Natural and Social Sciences, for a three-year term.
Ruby Pulliam, elected, as an at-large senator, for a three year term.
Keith Schmidli, reelected, from the School of Education, for a three-year term.
Elizabeth Stevens, reelected, from the professional staff, for a three-year term.

Requisitions for supplies, materials, services, and equipment from fiscal year 2007–2008 funds must be received in the Purchasing Office by the close of business on the following dates:

$20,000 or more (contract):
Monday, June 2

Less than $20,000:
Friday, June 13

Purchase requisitions for computer equipment and equipment replacement requirements, as well as purchases through OfficeMax for office supplies, also must adhere to these deadlines.

Important note: It is the responsibility of departments to ensure that all requisitions for fiscal year 2007–2008 are received in the Purchasing Office by the above deadlines. Late requisitions will not be processed. Requests received through campus mail after the deadlines will be returned.

Call Terri Locher in the Purchasing Office at (716) 878-4113 with questions.

From the Vice President and CIO
I am pleased to announce the following promotions in Computing and Technology Services:

Thomas Killian has been promoted to director of networking and operational services. Killian joined Computing and Technology Services (CTS) in 1998 to manage networking and communications. He has demonstrated effective leadership and technical expertise in coordinating the technology requirements for campus construction and renovation projects, and he is leading the project to upgrade the campus network and expand wireless coverage.

In addition to his networking and telecommunications responsibilities, Killian will also direct the activities of central operations and operational services and assume responsibility for the campus data center.

Khaleel Gathers has been promoted to assistant director for Web technologies. Gathers has been a member of the CTS staff since 1994. He was responsible for the creation of a Web development team within CTS, and has taken a significant leadership role in support of campus Web-based technologies.

Gathers will coordinate technical services for the campus Web site and intranet, and direct a team that provides support for campus Web development and video streaming projects. He will also provide guidance and consultation to faculty and staff interested in using the Web and other emerging technologies.

Please join me in welcoming them to their new roles.

The Burchfield-Penney Art Center and Buffalo State College are pleased to announce the appointment of three new members to the museum staff.

Becky Powell has accepted appointment as director of development for the museum. Powell is responsible for all fundraising activities including membership, corporate and private support, foundation relations, and special events.

Powell comes to the Burchfield-Penney after seven years as director of development and general counsel for the Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, where her responsibilities included developing, overseeing, and implementing strategies for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of unrestricted and restricted gifts to the annual fund, the endowment fund, and for capital projects. Before joining the SPCA, Powell raised funds for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the World Monuments Fund, and the Museum of Modern Art. She earned a bachelor of arts in art history from Georgia State University and a juris doctor from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Kathy Gaye Shiroki joins the museum as curator of museum learning and community engagement. Shiroki will maintain and enhance the relationship of the Burchfield-Penney and the college’s academic programs by providing learning opportunities for students through the museum’s wealth of educational resources.

Shiroki came to Buffalo State College in 2007 as a lecturer in the Art Education Department—a position she will continue to hold while working with the Burchfield-Penney. Before joining the Buffalo State faculty, Shiroki spent nearly three years as an art teacher for Buffalo’s Oracle Charter School. From 1994 to 2005, she served as the assistant curator of education at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, establishing educational partnerships and opportunities with Buffalo Public Schools, Buffalo State College, and the Just Buffalo Literary Center. Shiroki’s art education career has also included stops at the Salt Lake City Art Center, in Utah; the Nicolaysen Art Museum and Discovery Center, in Casper, Wyoming; the University of Wyoming; the Washington Arts Council, in Seattle, Washington; and the Montana Arts Council, in Helena, Montana.

Shiroki earned a master of fine arts from the University of California, San Diego, in 1989 and a bachelor of fine arts from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art in 1982.

David M. Tanner joins the Burchfield-Penney as chief operating officer for the museum. In preparation for the Burchfield-Penney’s move to its new facility in the fall, Tanner brings expertise in facility management, finance, and human resources to the organization.

Tanner was associate director of administration at the Indiana University Art Museum in Bloomington, Indiana, where he was responsible for managing all budget and finance functions, human resources, public relations and marketing, and visitor services. His past appointments also include executive director for the Association of Midwest Museums in St. Louis, Missouri; executive director of the Washington County History Society in West Bend, Wisconsin; and executive director of the Peoria Historical Society in Peoria, Illinois.

Tanner earned a bachelor of arts in English, history, and paralegal studies and a master of public administration with a concentration in museum administration from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, in Carbondale, Illinois. In 2007, he received an honorable mention from the American Association of Museums for the case study “Innovation and Teamwork: A Modest Ticketing Project Yields Accurate Attendance Figures,” based on a project undertaken at the IU Art Museum.

From the President
President George W. Bush signed legislation last week to stabilize the $85 billion student loan industry, which has been hard hit by fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis. The new law aims to ensure continued access to federal student loans as the peak summer lending season gets under way.

The legislation makes more grant and loan money available for students and parents, eases terms of repayment for some borrowers, and protects borrowers from being disqualified for student loans if they have had mortgage problems.

The full Reuters article is available online.

James A. Thor has been appointed associate vice president and comptroller at Buffalo State College. Thor has served Buffalo State for 18 years, most recently as director of college and foundation accounting. In addition, he serves on the Buffalo State College Foundation Investment Committee and the Finance and Audit Committee. Thor is also a member of the Burchfield-Penney Art Center Finance Committee and treasurer of the BSCR (Buffalo State College Realty) Corporation.

Prior to joining Buffalo State, Thor gained audit and tax experience at KPMG, an international accountancy and professional services firm. He earned a B.S. in accounting from the Rochester Institute of Technology and is pursuing a graduate tax certificate from the University at Buffalo. Thor, a certified public accountant, is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants.

From the Vice President for Finance and Management
In an effort to provide guidance on laws governing the confidentiality of student records, the Office of University Counsel for the State University of New York has provided this document, titled “Privacy and Safety on Campus: A Legal Framework.”

It is intended to be a first step in familiarizing campus staff with the complex questions raised by the need to ensure safety while respecting privacy. SUNY plans to follow this guidance with training opportunities for employees during the coming year. Meanwhile, offices should review their FERPA and health records policies to ensure that they meet current standards and incorporate the latest understanding of the situations when student records may be shared for the good of the campus community.

Questions about this guidance may be addressed to the Vice President for Finance and Management’s Office at (716) 878-4311.

From the President
I have approved the following curricular items, which have been recommended by the appropriate dean, the College Senate, and the provost:

New Programs:
Minor in GIS (Geographic Information Systems)
Minor in Leadership

Program Revisions:
B.S. French Education (7–12) (0651)
B.S. Spanish Education (7–12) (0656)
Postbaccalaureate Teacher Certification French Education (7–12) (7046)
Postbaccalaureate Teacher Certification Spanish Education (7–12) (7076)

New Courses:
CRS 435 Experiences in Leadership
ENT 420 Professional Experience in Mechanical Engineering Technology

New Course and Intellectual Foundations Designation:
ORAL COMMUNICATION
CRJ/PSC/SOC 485 Moot Court

Course Revisions:
IDE 488 Interior Design Internship
MAT 126 Applied Calculus I
PHY 107 General Physics I
PHY 111 University Physics I

Course Revision and Intellectual Foundations Designation:
DIVERSITY
PSC 225 Women in American Politics