From the Vice President for Finance and Management
Representatives from Community Blue, Independent Health, and the Empire Plan will be on campus from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Thursday, December 3, in E. H. Butler Library 210 to answer questions about health insurance plans and anticipated changes in coverage for 2010.

Staff members from the Employee Benefits Office also will be present to assist employees in making changes to health insurance coverage. Attendees may have their cholesterol and blood pressure checked; learn about the benefits of massage therapy; learn how to maximize dental- and vision-care benefits from representatives of the CSEA and UUP Benefit Trust Funds; get ideas on how to balance work, home, and life from NYS Balance; consult with Fitness Center staff on how to be healthier, stronger, or trimmer; and obtain information about the Employee Assistance Program and meet EAP coordinators. Call Human Resource Management at 878-4821 with questions.

From the Interim Provost
The Graduate Advisory Council announces a call for nominations for awards for Outstanding Master’s Thesis and Outstanding Master’s Project. The purpose of these awards is to recognize outstanding student research and applied scholarship. Up to three thesis awards and three project awards will be made.

Applications will be accepted for students who have graduated (or will graduate) in December 2008, May 2009, August 2009, or December 2009. Nominations may be made by students’ thesis or project advisers, or students may self-nominate. Additional reviews are required from the department chair and one external evaluator. Guidelines and forms are available on theGraduate School Web site. 

The deadline for submission of nominations and evaluation forms to the Graduate School, Cleveland Hall 204, is Friday, January 29, 2010. Please direct questions to Paul Theobald, interim dean of the Graduate School, 878-5609.

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

New Course and Intellectual Foundations Designation:
ORAL COMMUNICATION
GEG 461 Issues in Southeast Asia Environment and Development

Course Revisions and Intellectual Foundations Designations:
WORLD CIVILIZATIONS
HIS 306 Africa to 1800 (formerly HIS 306 History of Africa to 1919)
HIS 337 Africa since 1800 (formerly HIS 211 History of Africa since 1919)

The State University of New York Board of Trustees has approved the appointment of Ann C. Colley, professor of English, to the rank of SUNY Distinguished Professor.Distinguished professorships and librarian professorshipsconstitute the highest rank bestowed on SUNY instructional faculty.

“It is wonderful to see SUNY honoring a teacher and scholar whose brilliance is surpassed only by her profound dedication to her work,” said Interim President Dennis K. Ponton. “Ann Colley is truly a distinguished professor, and I am delighted that she is being officially recognized as such. This distinction is a great honor for Professor Colley and for Buffalo State.”

Colley is a leading scholar of the Victorian period and the author of five groundbreaking and highly acclaimed books published by academic presses in the United States and England. One of her books was nominated for three awards. Chapters, articles, and editorships have also been part of her scholarly profile, as well as serving as chair of the Modern Language Association’s Executive Committee for the Victorian Period.

Because of her stature in the field of Victorian studies, Colley was invited to write the 2007–2008 review of nineteenth-century studies for the prestigious Studies in English Literature, a scholarly endeavor encompassing more than 250 books. She is continually requested for keynote speaking engagements at conferences and has delivered many papers at academic gatherings in the United States and abroad. She was a Senior Fulbright Scholar in Poland and the Ukraine. In addition to being a respected and engaged scholar, she is known for her encouragement of junior faculty.

“Dr. Colley is legendary in her chosen area of study, as well as in her classroom and on the Buffalo State campus,” said Arts and Humanities Dean Benjamin J. Christy. “Because of her knowledge and passion for the subject, Dr. Colley leaves a lasting impression on all those who enter her classroom or even have a chance encounter. Suddenly, the Victorian period is alive and relevant.”

The Distinguished Professorship is conferred upon individuals at SUNY’s state-operated campuses who have achieved national or international prominence and a distinguished reputation within the individual’s chosen field. This distinction is attained through significant contributions to the research literature or through artistic performance or achievement in the fine and performing arts. The candidates’ work must be of such character that the individuals’ presence will elevate the standards of scholarship of colleagues both within and beyond the individual’s academic field. It must also be of such quality that students and scholars on other SUNY campuses could and do benefit by lectures and seminars, or other appropriate presentations the faculty members might bring to them. Appointment constitutes a promotion to the SUNY’s highest academic rank and is conferred solely by the SUNY Board of Trustees. The expectation is that individuals so appointed will be accorded such support as is appropriate to the individual’s academic endeavor, consistent with the resources of the campus, including a salary above the mean salary for full professors.

“Dr. Colley’s academic, research, and teaching accomplishments manifest the promise of higher education,” said Interim Provost Kevin Railey. “We congratulate her and all SUNY distinguished professors for their achievements and contributions.”

By Tony Astran

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.

By Jerod Dahlgren

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.

By Mary A. Durlak

The college’s new research vessel was christened the RVJohn J. Freidhoff on Tuesday in memory of Capt. John J. Freidhoff, who lost his life in a tragic diving accident in 2007. Freidhoff—known affectionately as Captain John—served as the college’s field station manager and boat captain from 1994 until his death.

He was also a lieutenant commander with the United States Coast Guard Reserve, which took the lead in the naming ceremony.

As more than a hundred guests looked on, chief boatswain’s mate Ralph Kring of the Coast Guard introduced Cmdr. Sean O’Brien, who spoke of Freidhoff as a man who made things happen. “This vessel,” he said, “will remind us of John, and give us the chance to tell others who he was, what he did, and why this ship is named after him.”

President Muriel A. Howard said the presence of so many people at the Great Lakes Field Station “fulfilled one of John’s dreams.” She credited him with helping to make the Field Station a community facility. She thanked the Buffalo State College Research Foundation for making it possible to purchase the new research vessel, saying, “To protect the Great Lakes, we must understand them.”

Congressman Brian Higgins said Freidhoff’s legacy will live on in the Congressional Record, into which Higgins will read an account of Freidhoff’s service that states, in part, “[Freidhoff was]…a selfless, hardworking, charitable man…. As this vessel sails, Captain John’s legacy lives.”

Capt. Jeffrey Ogden of the U.S. Coast Guard spoke of the traditions that have been associated with launching new vessels for at least 4,000 years before announcing, “For the good of all those who endeavor to protect the waters of the Great Lakes, I hereby place the research vesselJohn J. Freidhoff in commission.”

Capt. Caleb Basiliko, research fleet manager and ship’s captain, is a former student of Freidhoff’s. He said Freidhoff was good at “seeing what people needed to learn, and teaching it to them.” He presented Freidhoff’s wife and children with a plaque commemorating the commissioning of the John J. Freidhoff, noting that the research vessel is already scheduled to work almost every day of the 2009 season.

The John J. Freidhoff was custom-built as a replacement for the 38-year-old RV Pisces, which experienced catastrophic engine failure in early 2008. Because of repair cost and the Pisces’s age, the Great Lakes Center decided to purchase a new vessel that would not only replace the Pisces but also expand the fleet’s capabilities.

They found it in the $118,000 Workskiff, which was custom-built to the specifications of Basiliko and other members of the Great Lakes Center team. The all-aluminum 27-foot sampling boat has speeds up to 36 knots (about 40 mph), although, said Basiliko, “We will never go that fast.” However, the speed will enable researchers to cover more distance in a day, especially useful when collecting samples over a wide area.

Basiliko said the boat features a stable, versatile platform that will be safe in most weather experienced on Lake Erie. With twin 150-horsepower Honda outboard engines, it can be used safely in the Niagara River’s powerful current. It can be launched in shallow water using readily accessible launches. The walk-through cabin can seat six people, and the vessel features a self-bailing deck and a removable dive door.

The John J. Freidhoff can be hauled via trailer, an important asset because it is often much faster to transport the vessel by land than by water, which results in more time available for on-board research.

The center’s research efforts include monitoring invasive species, assessing how land use affects water quality, tracking lake and watershed carbon and nitrogen dynamics, and documenting the effects of global climate change on Lake Erie and its plant and animal life. This summer, the John J. Freidhoff will be used by Great Lakes Center personnel as well as research scientists, faculty members, and graduate and undergraduate students.

During the commissioning ceremony, Rev. Steven Ridge’s closing remarks included the hope that the vessel would “unlock the wonders of the deep to those who sail it.” The Buffalo State College Great Lakes Center is looking forward to making as much use as possible of theJohn J.

By Tony Astran

The third time will likely be a charm—on an international scale—for the newest edition of Learning to Think Things Through: A Guide to Critical Thinking across the Curriculum, by Gerald Nosich, professor of philosophy and humanities. That’s because publisher Prentice Hall’s decision to offer a third edition is based on demand from universities around the globe. The book has been translated into Arabic, Chinese, and Spanish.

Nosich is regarded as an expert in the study of critical thinking and has studied the discipline since the late 1970s. He regularly presents workshops on critical thinking across campusand around the world.

Nosich hopes all students, through critical thinking, can better appreciate the disciplines they are studying and see their connections to everyday life.

“My intent is to help people think through things instead of using memorization or re-forming existing information,” he said. “It’s easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees. For example, there are lots of facts one needs to learn when taking a course in biology, but the central question of the course to keep in mind is ‘How does life work?’”

The third edition of Learning to Think Things Throughincludes a new section on critical writing. Before writers begin to write, Nosich said, they should think more deeply about where they came up with an idea for a topic.

He also incorporates the SEE-I model for the first time in this edition. Nosich thinks SEE-I—which stands for “state, elaborate, exemplify, illustrate”—is a strong way to truly understand a topic.

A fourth edition of the book is already in the works, Nosich said. He plans to gear it more toward teachers by including a section on how to assess critical thinking. As each edition grows, however, he said it is becoming more difficult to decide which parts to cut.

Nosich wrote Reasons and Arguments in 1982 and published the first edition of Learning to Think Things Through in 2000. He said he has also considered writing a book about intellectual traits—or what he calls “knowing your biases and knowing what you don’t know.”

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Read previous Faculty Author stories from the Bulletin:
Lisa Marie Anselmi
Lisa Forrest
Joëlle Leclaire
Peter Ramos
Allen Shelton

Read previous Faculty Author stories from the Insider:
Felix L. Armfield
Kimberly A. Blessing
William Engelbrecht
Gerard J. Puccio, Mary C. Murdock, and Marie Mance
Thomas C. Renzi
Jean E. Richardson

From the Chair of the Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee
The College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee is holding a referendum on two proposed amendments to the Senate bylaws. Read the revisions and their rationales, and then vote on the amendments.

Voting will continue through 11:59 a.m. Thursday, May 21. If you have any technical problems or would prefer to vote via paper ballot, please contact Vincent Masci, 878-5139. But please try the online system first and see how simple it is!

From the Chair of the College Senate
The final meeting of the College Senate for the spring semester will be held at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow, May 15, in Classroom Building C122. The agenda is available on the Senate Web site. Preceding the meeting will be the Senate caucus at 12:30 p.m. in Classroom Building C122.Caucus information is also available on the Web.