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
Buffalo State College’s emergency response planning group is closely monitoring reports of human cases ofinfluenza A (H1N1). Classes and activities will go on as scheduled this semester. Interim President Ponton, in consultation with the provost and vice presidents, will make any decisions regarding the cancellation of classes or campus activities should the need arise. Any such decision will be communicated broadly to faculty, staff, and students through e-mail and other communications.

Any decision regarding attendance by faculty and staff will be made based on input from Human Resource Management, SUNY, and the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations.

Recommendations to Faculty and Students
Those with flu-like illnesses are being advised to stay away from classes and limit interactions with other people (except to seek medical care) for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medicines.

Faculty are asked to consider altering policies on missed classes and examinations and late assignments so that students’ academic concerns do not prevent them from staying home when ill or prompt them to return to class or take examinations while still symptomatic and potentially infectious.

Similarly, faculty members are asked to consider revising student absenteeism policies that make it difficult for students to stay home to care for an ill family member.

Faculty members are asked to be flexible about requiring a doctor’s note to confirm illness or recovery. Doctor’s offices may be very busy and may not be able to provide such documentation in a timely way.

Distance learning or Web-based learning may help students maintain their academic work during the recommended period of self-separation.

Students are encouraged to establish a “flu buddy” system in which students pair up to care for each other if one or the other becomes ill. Additionally, staff can make daily contact by e-mail, text messaging, phone calls, or other methods with any students ill with the flu.

More information on the H1N1 virus is available from theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention and these Web sites:

www.ready.gov
www.pandemicflu.gov
www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/index.html
www.acha.org/info_resources/pandemic_flu.cfm
www.buffalostate.edu/erpg/x457.xml
www.buffalostate.edu/weigel/x1935.xml
www.suny.edu/swineflu

Additional information is available from the New York State Department of Health hotline: (800) 808-1987.

From the Vice President for Finance and Management
The deadline to submit applications for the SUNY B-140W Tuition Assistance Program for the fall 2009 semester is Wednesday, September 30. Staff members may apply for tuition assistance after six months of service; faculty members may apply after one semester of service. The following employees are eligible:

• Full-time Buffalo State faculty and professional or classified employees.
• Part-time and/or temporary Buffalo State faculty and professional or classified employees who are employed at least half time (faculty must teach at least two courses in the semester).
• Full-time Research Foundation employees, provided they work on the Buffalo State campus.

Program funds may be used for courses at SUNY campuses only. Eligible employees may apply for a 50 percent waiver of SUNY tuition for up to two courses per semester, to a maximum of 15 credit hours per academic year. Tuition assistance is limited to regular in-state undergraduate or graduate tuition rates. The level of support may be adjusted when necessary if funding is not adequate to cover applications received.

Contact the Human Resource Management Office, Cleveland Hall 410, 878-4821, for applications, program guidelines, or information about other tuition assistance programs.

From the Vice President for Finance and Management
Open enrollment for the 2010 NYS Flex Spending Account is Monday, September 21, through Monday, November 16, 2009. The account offers two benefits, the Health Care Spending Account (HCSAccount) and the Dependent Care Advantage Account (DCAAccount).

The HCSAccount allows employees to set aside from $100 to $4,000 annually in pretax salary to pay for health-care expenses not reimbursed by insurance. Over-the-counter (OTC) drug expenses including allergy remedies, antacids, cold medicines, and pain relievers are also reimbursable.

The DCAAccount allows employees to set aside up to $5,000 annually for child care, elder care, or other dependent care expenses on a pre-tax basis. An employer contribution of up to $800 will be provided for employees in eligible negotiating units who enroll in the DCAAccount. The employer contribution is based on salary and is available to state employees who are M/C or represented by CSEA, PEF, UUP, or NYSCOPBA. Pending the conclusion of negotiations and ratified contracts, the employer contribution may also be available to state employees in other negotiating units.

Participants currently enrolled in the HCSAccount or DCAAccount must reenroll to continue benefits in 2010. Reenrollment instructions will be sent directly from the Fringe Benefits Management Company.

Paperless enrollment is quick, easy, and secure. Apply online or call the Flex Spending Account hotline at (800) 358-7202.

The November 16, 2009, deadline for 2010 enrollment will be strictly enforced. Please be sure to enroll by November 16.

Call the Human Resource Management Office at 878-4821 with questions.

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
Thank you to the entire campus community for your assistance with the recent National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) visit April 12–16. I am especially grateful to all the stakeholders involved in our education programs, especially the Teacher Education Unit and the NCATE Accreditation Team. NCATE accreditation validates the quality of our educational offerings and ensures continued compliance with professional standards. It is critical as Buffalo State College continues to seek distinction for its innovative approaches to pedagogy and teacher education preparation programs, and as we seek 100 percent accreditation of all eligible academic programs at the institution.

During the visit of the NCATE Board of Examiners, we showcased the strengths of Buffalo State College’s broad range of education programs and received feedback on how we can develop even stronger curricula to enable us to prepare the best possible future educators to positively influence the lives of children. We will receive a report from the Board of Examiners in several weeks that will provide formal assessments of our teacher education programs.

The preparation for the recent NCATE evaluation visit was a comprehensive, collegewide effort involving collaboration among faculty, staff, and community partners. I thank Dr. Ronald Rochon, dean of the School of Education; Dr. Lori Quigley, associate dean of the School of Education; and Dr. Mary Todd, associate professor for the School of Education and accreditation coordinator for Buffalo State’s teacher education programs, for their leadership, as well as all the deans, faculty, and staff in the Teacher Education Unit who assisted with this endeavor.

From the Vice President for Finance and Management
TIAA-CREF representatives will be on campus for individual consultations with Buffalo State faculty and staff members on the following days:

Tuesday, September 22 (Bill Stark)
Thursday, October 22 (Bill Stark)
Tuesday, November 3 (Bill Stark)
Wednesday, November 18 (Richard Thompson)
Wednesday, December 2 (Richard Thompson)
Tuesday, December 8 (Bill Stark)

Sessions are by appointment only; all appointments will be held in Caudell Hall 116 (except September 22: E. H. Butler Library 210B) between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Gain a greater level of confidence in your retirement portfolio. Representatives can help you evaluate your investments and answer your questions about financial matters. Visit tiaa-cref.org/moc or call (800) 732-8353 Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. to schedule an appointment.

From the Vice President for Finance and Management
Seasonal flu shots will be given in the Campbell Student Union Assembly Hall on Thursday, October 1, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Tuesday, October 20, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

The type of vaccine that will be available will protect against seasonal influenza. This is not the novel H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine.

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

Empire Plan enrollees are reminded that they may obtain a flu shot from a participating provider’s (doctor’s) office for their usual copay if they wish to do so.

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

From the Interim President
At its May 8, 2009, meeting, the College Senate voted to forward to the president two proposed changes to Article III of the Bylaws of the College Senate for approval and action:

Current wording in Bylaws of the College Senate, Article III, Section F, Part 5:

Each committee, as specified in Article III, Section A, shall have the following representation, with two exceptions noted at the end of this section. Each committee will follow the stated guidelines in the College Senate Handbook, Section III, Organization and Structure; make every effort to see that all faculties and professional staff (including librarians as either/both) are represented in approximately equal proportions; include at least one student representative (student senators shall be considered); and include an appointed nonvoting administrative liaison appointed in consultation with the appropriate administrative office. At least one member of the committee, other than the committee chair, should be a senator.

These guidelines will pertain with the exception of (a) Faculty/Staff Welfare, which will have no student members (note that even if a faculty or staff member is taking one or more courses, he or she is still eligible to serve on Faculty/Staff Welfare) and (b) Student Welfare, which will have a majority of student members and an associate chair, to be appointed by the chair of Student Welfare. The associate chair shall be a nonstudent senator.

Revised wording to Bylaws of the College Senate,Article III, Section F, Part 5 (reflecting technical edits of published bylaws, but not including changes from the referendum):

Each committee, as specified in Article III, Section A, shall be constituted as follows:

a. Representatives from all campus constituencies shall be selected in approximately equal proportions to their representation on the Senate.

b. An appointed nonvoting administrative liaison shall be selected in consultation with the appropriate administrative office.

c. At least two members of the committee, other than the committee chair, should be senators.

d. The selection process should follow the stated guidelines in the College Senate Handbook, Section III, Organization and Structure, with the exception of two committees:

--- i. Faculty/Staff Welfare will have no student members. (Note that faculty or staff members are still eligible to serve even if enrolled in courses at Buffalo State.)

--- ii. Student Welfare will have a majority of student members and be chaired by a student senator. The chair of Student Welfare shall appoint a nonstudent senator as associate chair.

Proposed new wording to Bylaws of the College Senate, Article III, Section F, Part 5, with referendum results indicated below in boldface, italicized type:

a. Representatives from all campus constituencies shall be selected in approximately equal proportions to their representation on the Senate.

b. An appointed nonvoting administrative liaison shall be selected in consultation with the appropriate administrative office.

c. At least three members of the committee, other than the committee chair, should be senators.

d. The selection process should follow the stated guidelines in the College Senate Handbook, Section III, Organization and Structure, with the exception of two committees:

--- i. Faculty/Staff Welfare will have no student members. (Note that faculty or staff members are still eligible to serve even if enrolled in courses at Buffalo State.)

--- ii. Student Welfare will have a majority of student members and be chaired by a student senator. The Senate shall elect a nonstudent senator as associate chair.

I accept the recommendation of the College Senate and hereby authorize that the changes to the Bylaws of the College Senate, Article III, Section F, Part 5, be implemented as soon possible.

From the President
At its April 11, 2008, meeting, the College Senate voted to recommend academic calendars for 2008–2012 as presented below for approval by the president:

Motion for Adoption of the Buffalo State College Academic Calendar, 2008–2012
Approved by the College Senate on April 11, 2008

WHEREAS, the Buffalo State College Senate has developed an agreeable arrangement of semester start and end dates that facilitates good pedagogy, student learning, and effective administration of various college functions; and

WHEREAS, an approved calendar for an additional year may facilitate college planning functions; and

WHEREAS, the national (and unionized) holidays for the academic year 2011–2012 do not significantly differ for the holidays in 2008–2011,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate recommend the following academic calendars for 2008–2009 (final), 2009–2010 (final), 2010–2011 (tentative), and 2011–2012 (proposed):

FINAL ACADEMIC CALENDAR
ACADEMIC YEAR 2008–2009

Fall 2008
Classes Begin: Monday, August 25
Labor Day Recess: Monday, September 1
Fall Recess: Monday, October 13
Veterans Day: Tuesday, November 11
Thanksgiving Recess: Wednesday, November 26–Saturday, November 29
Study Day: Friday, December 5
CEP: Monday, December 8–Thursday, December 11
Final Day of Fall Semester: Thursday, December 11
Emergency CEP: Friday, December 12

Spring 2009
Classes Begin: Monday, January 26
Presidents Day Recess: Monday, February 16, and Tuesday, February 17
Spring Recess: Monday, March 23–Saturday, March 28
Study Day: Friday, May 8
CEP: Monday, May 11–Thursday, May 14
Final Day of Spring Semester: May 14
Emergency CEP: Friday, May 15
Commencement: Saturday, May 16

FINAL ACADEMIC CALENDAR
ACADEMIC YEAR 2009–2010

Fall 2009
Classes Begin: Monday, August 31
Labor Day Recess: Monday, September 7
Fall Recess: Monday, October 12
Veterans Day: Wednesday, November 11
Thanksgiving Recess: Wednesday, November 25–Saturday, November 28
Study Day: Friday, December 11
CEP: Monday, December 14–Thursday, December 17
Final Day of Fall Semester: Thursday, December 17
Emergency CEP: Friday, December 18

Spring 2010
Classes Begin: Monday, January 25
Presidents Day Recess: Monday, February 15, and Tuesday, February 16
Spring Recess: Monday, March 29–Saturday, April 3
Study Day: Friday, May 7
CEP: Monday, May 10–Thursday, May 13
Final Day of Spring Semester: Thursday, May 13
Emergency CEP: Friday, May 14
Commencement: Saturday, May 15

TENTATIVE ACADEMIC CALENDAR
ACADEMIC YEAR 2010–2011

Fall 2010
Classes Begin: Monday, August 30
Labor Day Recess: Monday, September 6
Fall Recess: Monday, October 11
Veterans Day: Thursday, November 11
Thanksgiving Recess: Wednesday, November 24–Saturday, November 27
Study Day: Friday, December 10
CEP: Monday, December 13–Thursday, December 16
Final Day of Fall Semester: Thursday, December 16
Emergency CEP: Friday, December 17

Spring 2011
Classes Begin: Monday, January 24
Presidents Day Recess: Monday, February 21, and Tuesday, February 22
Spring Recess: Monday, March 28–Saturday, April 2
Study Day: Friday, May 6
CEP: Monday, May 9–Thursday, May 12
Final Day of Spring Semester: Thursday, May 12
Emergency CEP: Friday, May 13
Commencement: Saturday, May 14 

PROPOSED ACADEMIC CALENDAR
ACADEMIC YEAR 2011–2012
(Spring break revision in bold)

Fall 2011
Classes Begin: Monday, August 29 
Labor Day Recess: Monday, September 5
Fall Recess: Monday, October 10
Veterans Day: Friday, November 11
Thanksgiving Recess: Wednesday, November 23–Saturday, November 26
Study Day: Friday, December 9
CEP: Monday, December 12–Thursday, December 15
Final Day of Fall Semester: Thursday, December 15
Emergency CEP: Friday, December 16

Spring 2012
Classes Begin: Monday, January 23 
Presidents Day Recess: Monday, February 20, and Tuesday, February 21
Spring Recess: Monday, March 26–Saturday, March 31
Study Day: Friday, May 4
CEP: Monday, May 7–Thursday, May 10
Final Day of Spring Semester: Thursday, May 10
Emergency CEP: Friday, May 11
Commencement: Saturday, May 12

I hereby approve the final academic calendars for 2008–2009 and 2009–2010, the tentative academic calendar for 2010–2011, and the proposed academic calendar for 2011–2012 as recommended by the College Senate.