From the Chair of the Senate Curriculum Committee
The following has been received in the College Senate Office and forwarded to the Senate Curriculum Committee for review and approval:

New Course:
PSY 460 Advanced Legal Psychology. Prerequisites: PSY 101 and PSY 375. How behavior in legal contexts is influenced by social psychological, cognitive, and developmental processes. Social and cognitive influences on eyewitness testimony and memory, false confessions, jurors’ decision making and evaluation of trial evidence, social influence among jury members, children’s participation in the legal system, and discrimination in the legal system.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The next meeting of the College Senate will be held at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow, October 16, in Classroom Building C122. The agenda for the meeting can be found on theCollege Senate’s Web site.

From the Vice President for Student Affairs
Applications and nominations are requested for students to be considered for the following student awards. The deadline for nominations for all awards is Friday, November 13.

Student Leadership Awards

• Mildred Keller Campbell Leadership Award
• Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges
• Phillip Santa Maria Award for Student Leadership in Equity and Campus Diversity

Student Humanitarian Awards

• Luis M. Antonetti Student Humanitarian Award
• Minnie and Joe Engel Student Humanitarian Award
• Phillip Santa Maria Memorial Award

Nomination forms are available online and from the Academic and Student Affairs Office, Cleveland Hall 519; the Student Life Office, Campbell Student Union 400; the Dean of Students, Campbell Student Union 306; United Students Government, Campbell Student Union 402; the Student Union Information Desk, Campbell Student Union lobby; Residence Life, Porter Hall; Career Development Center, Cleveland Hall 306; Weigel Health Center; and the Intercollegiate Athletics Office, Sports Arena. Completed nomination folders must be submitted to the Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Office, Campbell Student Union 306, by the Friday, November 13.

For additional information, call Charles B. Kenyon, associate vice president and dean of students, at 878-4618, or Dolores Battle, co-chair, President’s Council onEquity and Campus Diversity, at 878-6210 for the Phillip Santa Maria Award for Student Leadership in Equity and Campus Diversity.

The Mildred Keller Campbell Leadership Award

The Mildred Keller Campbell Leadership Awardrecognizes a Buffalo State College student whose work has had a positive impact on student life and who has excelled as an extracurricular leader among students on campus. The award is offered annually to an undergraduate student based on the evaluation of the nominee’s leadership credentials in accordance with established criteria. A plaque and award citing the recipient’s distinction is presented at a ceremony held in the spring semester, and the recipient may receive a monetary award, pending availability of funds.

Criteria for Selection:

• Undergraduate student.
• Minimum of 24 credit hours completed at Buffalo State College.
• Minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5.
• Strong record of extracurricular leadership at Buffalo State College, demonstrated through personal development, campus organizational leadership, and citizenship and community service.

Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges Award 2009–2010

For nearly seven decades, Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges has assisted in the tradition of furthering the aims of higher education by recognizing and rewarding academic excellence on a national level. Buffalo State is among the 1,900 institutions participating in this national program. As a lifetime benefit, students selected for inclusion in Who’s Who are entitled to use a free reference/placement service when seeking postgraduate employment or fellowships. A certificate citing the recipient’s distinction is presented at a ceremony held in the spring.

Criteria for Selection:

• Undergraduate junior or senior with a minimum of 24 credit hours completed at Buffalo State and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
• Graduate student with a minimum GPA of 3.5.
• Strong record of leadership at Buffalo State, demonstrated through personal development, organizational leadership, citizenship, and community service.

Phillip Santa Maria Award for Student Leadership in Equity and Campus Diversity

For 25 years, Dr. Phillip Santa Maria served as dean of students at Buffalo State College. During his tenure, he was recognized both on campus and throughout the community for his leadership on a variety of diversity and social justice issues. The Phil Santa Maria Award for Student Leadership in Equity and Campus Diversity has been established in his honor and will be given annually to recognize students who exemplify Dr. Santa Maria’s commitment to service, social justice, and diversity.

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to submit nominations of student leaders who exemplify his commitment to service, social justice, and diversity through promoting respect for diversity and individual differences in their activities, projects, discussions, or their leadership with student organizations and groups for this purpose.

Eligibility:

Undergraduate and graduate students at Buffalo State College who are in good standing with the college.

Criteria for Selection:

• The recipients must have demonstrated leadership in the promotion of respect for diversity and individual differences through their roles in organizing discussions, curricular experiences, out-of-classroom experiences, or special projects or programming that goes beyond that usually expected of a student.
• Recipients must demonstrate leadershipin encouraging their peers to embrace diversity and to appreciate the benefits of diversity on campus, in the community, and in their everyday lives.
• Recipients must have created or played asignificant leadership role in initiatives or programs that promote access, equity, or social justice in relation to the diversity of thought, diversity of experiences, and diversity of values of other aspects of diversity within the college or the broader community.

The Luis M. Antonetti Student Humanitarian Award

The Luis M. Antonetti Student Humanitarian Awardrecognizes a Buffalo State College undergraduate student who has demonstrated personal character through encouragement of nonviolent beliefs and actions, and volunteer service both on campus and in the community, and who demonstrates an ability to reach out to others with broad cultural acceptance. A plaque and award citing the recipient’s distinction is presented at a ceremony held in the spring, and the recipient may receive a monetary award, pending availability of funds.

Criteria for Selection:

• Undergraduate sophomore, junior, or senior enrolled full time (minimum 12 credit hours) at Buffalo State College during the academic year in which the award is made.
• Evidence of exemplary personal character, altruism, and advocacy for nonviolence.
• Evidence of volunteer service on campus and within the larger community while a student at Buffalo State College.
• Evidence of financial need. Financial need will be considered but will not be the determining factor.

The Minnie and Joe Engel Student Humanitarian Award

The Minnie and Joe Engel Student Humanitarian Awardrecognizes a Buffalo State College undergraduate student who has demonstrated personal character through altruism, volunteer service, and the giving of oneself to the campus and the larger community. The Engel Humanitarian Award recognizes the full measure of a person’s worth, not just as a scholar, but as someone whose efforts on behalf of others define a quality of character that embodies core values that merit recognition. A plaque and award citing the recipient’s distinction is presented at a ceremony held in the spring, and the recipient may receive a monetary award, pending availability of funds.

Criteria for Selection:

• Undergraduate sophomore, junior, or senior enrolled full time (minimum 12 credit hours) at Buffalo State College during the academic year in which the award is made.
• Evidence of exemplary personal character and altruism.
• Evidence of volunteer service on campus and within the larger community while a student at Buffalo State College.

The Phillip Santa Maria Memorial Award

The Phillip Santa Maria Memorial Award recognizes a Buffalo State College undergraduate student who has demonstrated a well-rounded character, exhibiting not only scholastic achievement but also active participation in campus life at Buffalo State College and in the Western New York community, and a desire to improve the world. A plaque and award citing the recipient’s distinction is presented at a ceremony held in the spring, and the recipient may receive a monetary award, pending availability of funds.

Criteria for Selection:

• Undergraduate junior or senior enrolled full time (minimum 12 credit hours) at Buffalo State College during the academic year in which the award is made.
• GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Evidence of high integrity.
• Evidence of volunteer service on campus and within the larger community while a student at Buffalo State College.

From the Vice President for Finance and Management
As a result of recently enacted legislation, unmarried children of NYSHIP enrollees who are under the age of 30 and not eligible for health insurance through their own employer will be eligible to enroll in the same NYSHIP coverage as their parents beginning January 1, 2010. The coverage for these young adult dependents will be “COBRA-like” coverage in that it will be at the full-share individual rate, and each dependent will enroll in his or her own individual policy. Enrollment will be processed directly through the Employee Benefits Division, similar to the existing process for COBRA enrollees. Information regarding this benefit will be sent to all enrollees from the Employee Benefits Division by November 1.

From the Vice President for Finance and Management
THIS CLINIC HAS BEEN CANCELED. VACCINE UNAVAILABLE.

Seasonal flu shots will be given in the Campbell Student Union Assembly Hall on Tuesday, October 20, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

The vaccine being administered protects against seasonal influenza. This is not the H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine 

The following insurances will be accepted: Community Blue, Independent Health, Univera, Blue Choice, and Medicare Part B. Employees must show valid insurance ID cards. Employees without proper insurance coverage will be charged $30 for the flu shot.

Empire Plan enrollees may obtain a flu shot from a participating provider’s (doctor’s) office for their usual co-pay if they wish to do so.

If you have any questions regarding your health insurance coverage, please call Employee Benefits at 878-4821 or the member services division of your insurance company. The phone number should be on your insurance card.

From the Vice President for Finance and Management
The Emergency Response Planning Group and University Police will conduct a test of the college’s Outdoor Emergency Alert Horn at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 20. People who are outdoors during the test will hear a series of three loud one-minute horn blasts emanating from the central heating plant. Please note: the horn is primarily intended to be audible at outdoor locations on campus—not inside buildings.

Approximately one hour before the horn sounds, at 12:30 p.m., the college will issue a campuswide test of the NY-Alert emergency communication system. At this time, all students, faculty, and staff who have registered with the service will be sent a test alert via text message, automated phone message, e-mail, or fax. In a real emergency, the horn will sound for five full minutes. If a real emergency alert is signaled, immediately seek shelter and await further instructions communicated via NY-Alert, e-mail, www.buffalostate.edu, or direct instructions from University Police.

Faculty and staff may register for NY-Alert through theSUNY employee portal. Students can register throughBanner. Thank you for your patience as we test these critical emergency notification systems.

From the Vice President for Finance and Management
Carolyn A. Morris-Hunt has been appointed chief operating officer of the Burchfield Penney Art Center, effective September 15, 2009. Morris-Hunt has served Buffalo State College for 12 years, most recently as assistant vice president for institutional advancement. Morris-Hunt brings knowledge of operations, customer service, and fundraising and experience from banking, higher education, and the area nonprofit sector.

From the Vice President for Finance and Management
Carolyn A. Morris-Hunt has been appointed chief operating officer of the Burchfield Penney Art Center, effective September 15, 2009. Morris-Hunt has served Buffalo State College for 12 years, most recently as assistant vice president for institutional advancement. Morris-Hunt brings knowledge of operations, customer service, and fundraising and experience from banking, higher education, and the area nonprofit sector.

From the Interim Provost
The 10th annual Faculty and Staff Research and Creativity Fall Forum is scheduled for Thursday, October 29, in Houston Gym. The poster session will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with remarks from Dennis K. Ponton, interim president, at 12:30 p.m.

In addition, this year’s forum features a new event, Global Learning Research and Creativity Conversations, in the afternoon in E. H. Butler Library. Concurrent sessions are scheduled for 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. with a keynote address at 4:00 p.m. by H. Stephen Straight, Ph.D., senior adviser for international initiatives at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

Conversation topics are International Students/Study Abroad: How Faculty/Staff Benefit; Making Local Connections to Enhance Global Understandings: Global Service Learning Opportunities; Using Advanced Technology to Support Global/International Research and Creativity; and Finding the Money: Funding Opportunities and Challenges to Support Global/International Research and Creativity Projects.

All are invited to attend both events.

From the Chair of the Senate Curriculum Committee
The following have been approved by the Senate Curriculum Committee and forwarded to the interim president for review and approval:

New Courses:
CHE 628 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
CHE 629 Mass Spectrometry
ECO 407 Political Economy Classics
GEG 585 Interactive and Web-Based Mapping

New Course and Intellectual Foundations Designation:
TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
ANT 400 Ancient Materials

Course Revision and Intellectual Foundations Designation:
ORAL COMMUNICATION
CHE 471 Biochemical Techniques