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

Program Revisions:
B.A. Journalism, BA-AH-JBS
B.A. Media Production, BA-AH-MDP

New Course:
MUS 110 Accompanist/Coaching Session

Course Revision:
COM 317 Media Management

From the Vice President for Student Affairs
I am pleased to announce that Amy Rosen-Brand has been appointed interim director of the Disability Services Office while a national search for a new director to replace Marianne Savino is conducted.

Rosen-Brand has served in the Disability Services Office since fall 2004, most recently as senior staff assistant/accommodations specialist. She holds a doctor of law degree from the University at Buffalo (1990) and is licensed to practice in New York State and other jurisdictions. She served as an academic adviser and faculty member at Bryant and Stratton College from 2001 to 2004; as an attorney in private practice focusing on disability law from 1996 to 2002; and as an attorney for the Niagara County Legal Aid Society from 1991 to 1996.

Faculty and staff who wish to refer students for help regarding disability-related issues should call the Disability Services Office at 878-4500 or visit the office in South Wing 120. For more information, contact Charles Kenyon, associate vice president and dean of students, 878-4618.

From the Vice President for Institutional Advancement
The Buffalo State College Foundation Board of Directors is proud to recognize the following outstanding supporters with the 2009 Chair’s Recognition Award:

Dr. James O. Grunebaum and Dr. Penelope A. Prentice, for their outstanding support for scholarships and other philanthropic initiatives at Buffalo State.

Robert J. Lamendola, ’72, for his exemplary commitment to providing scholarships for Buffalo State’s deserving students.

Howard Zemsky, for his outstanding support, volunteer service, and leadership of the 2009 Scholarship Gala.

Award recipients will be recognized this evening during the Buffalo State College Foundation’s annual meeting.

From the Provost

Hsiang A. Liao, Assistant Professor, Communication
Active and Collaborative Learning
This study compares collaborative learning to traditional instruction in an oral communication class. Data collection on speech efficacy, general academic efficacy, career efficacy, listening skills, communication apprehension, speech anxiety, and grades will be used to measure outcomes. The study is also interested in the impact of collaborative learning on students who are members of specific subgroups on campus, such as first-generation college students, underrepresented minority students, or students who experience a high level of speech anxiety.

Reva Fish, Assistant Professor, Educational Foundations
Academic Challenge
This study explores the scope and nature of plagiarism by students at Buffalo State College in order to provide administrators and faculty with information about how past efforts to curb plagiarism are faring (e.g., Academic Misconduct Policy, Turnitin software) and the current extent of the problem. This information will be used to develop a comprehensive program of additional strategies to be considered for addressing plagiarism in the future.

Data collection will take place in four phases, with each phase informing the subsequent phases. That is, data will be collected from faculty before it is collected from students so that the information obtained from faculty can be used to inform the content of the student survey and interview protocol. For both faculty and students, survey data will be collected before interviews are conducted so that interviews can address unexpected or inconsistent survey results as well as provide additional insights into this complex issue.

Victoria Furby, Assistant Professor, Music
Student-Faculty Interactions
This study compares group to individual feedback on performance tasks. Performance will be measured through scores on evaluations administered at the onset and conclusion of the study. In addition, the effect upon behaviors observed during a preparation period will also be measured. Students in the treatment group (those receiving individualized feedback) will be further divided into two comparison groups. Treatment group A will receive individualized written feedback in the form of electronic mail after each sight-singing test. Treatment group B will receive individualized verbal feedback immediately following the completion of their sight-singing test. Feedback will be consistent and follow a standardized comment form utilized for each member of both treatment groups.

Questions that drive this study include:

• Does individualized feedback and instruction result in higher achievement on sight-singing assessments?
• Does individualized feedback and instruction impact individual behavior in a pre-performance practice setting?
• Does immediate individualized verbal feedback differ in effectiveness from individualized written feedback?
•  

Curriculum
One of the most important resources of the academy is the curriculum. Collectively, this includes individual courses, major programs, general education, minors, and certificate programs. Both undergraduate and graduate curricula reflect the expertise and focus of members of the faculty and departments, and the mission of the college.

Approval of new programs and courses, and revision of existing programs and courses, occurs through a well-defined process with involvement of the department, school, and college. Some program actions require review and approval by the State University of New York (SUNY) and by the New York State Education Department (SED).

Historically, approval of new or revised programs by SUNY and SED was a long and tedious process. Recently, steps have been implemented to accelerate the entire curriculum review process. With these process improvements and the widespread campus interest in new and revised programs, a description of procedures for development of new programs and program revisions follows.

Procedures for New Undergraduate Programs

1. Discuss ideas for the new program with the dean.
2. Develop curriculum requirements and new courses, if any, for the new program. Submit these to the College Senate Curriculum Committee. When the program and courses are approved and all is in place, send the completed “program announcement” and cover letter to R. Lindner, associate vice president for curriculum and assessment. Please list R. Lindner as the campus contact so she can monitor the progress of the program.
3. Once the program proposal is received, there is a 30-day waiting period during which other campuses may respond to the proposal announcement.
4. When the 30-day waiting period is over, the program proposal may be submitted.
5. Most new undergraduate programs require an external review by two individuals suggested by the campus and agreed upon by SUNY.
6. There is a time limitation of one year between the submission of the program announcement and the submission of the actual proposal, so it is important that the program be locally approved before it is submitted to SUNY.
7. Upon approval from SUNY, the program proposal is sent on to SED for approval and registration. Upon SED registration, students can be admitted to the new program.
8. All e-documents, along with explanations and procedures, can be found online.

Procedures for Revision of Undergraduate Programs

An existing undergraduate program needs to have SUNY/SED approval for any revision that is considered major. Any of the following conditions constitutes a major revision:

1. There is a change in 15 or more required (non-elective) credits.
2. There is a change in focus (e.g., biological sciences to health professions).
3. There is a change in location (from on-campus to off-campus site).
4. There is a change in format (e.g., day to evening).
5. There is any change to a program leading to New York State teacher certification or licensure.

Revisions of existing programs should first be approved by the College Senate Curriculum Committee. They then require completion of the cover letter and Appendix E of the Handbook for the Submission of Undergraduate Academic Program Proposals, which can be found in theonline document cited above. Upon SUNY approval and notification of SED re-registration of the program, students may be admitted to the revised program. All current students must be allowed to complete their program under the requirements that were in place when they were admitted.

Procedures for New Graduate Programs

1. Discuss ideas for the new graduate program with the academic dean and the dean of the Graduate School.
2. Develop curriculum requirements and new courses, if any, for the new program. Submit these to the College Senate Curriculum Committee. When the program and courses are approved and all is in place, send the completed cover letter and letter of intent to R. Lindner. Please list R. Lindner as the campus contact so she can monitor the progress of the proposal.
3. Once the letter of intent is received by SUNY, there is a 30-day waiting period during which other campuses may respond to the letter of intent.
4. When the 30-day waiting period is over, an external review by two agreed-upon (Buffalo State and SUNY) reviewers will be conducted. After they submit their review, the campus must officially respond.
5. The program proposal, along with the reviewers’ report and campus response, may then be submitted to SUNY for approval.
6. There is a time limitation of one year between submission of the letter of intent and submission of the actual proposal, so it is important that the program be locally approved before it is submitted to SUNY.
7. Upon approval from SUNY, the program proposal is sent on to SED for approval and registration. Upon SED registration, students may enter the new program.
8. All e-documents, along with explanations and procedures, can be found online.

Procedures for Revision of Graduate Programs

The State Education Department requires re-registration of a program in which significant changes are made. These include:

1. A change in 9 or more required (non-elective) credits.
2. A change in focus (addition or deletion of a track/concentration)
3. A change in where the program is offered (on-campus to off-campus site).
4. A change in format (e.g., day to evening).
5. Any change to a program leading to New York State teacher certification or licensure.

Revisions to existing graduate programs should first be approved by the College Senate Curriculum Committee. They then require completion of the cover letter and Appendix E of the Guidelines for the Submission of Graduate Academic Program Proposals, which can be found in the online document cited above.

Upon approval from SUNY, the revision is sent on to SED for approval and re-registration of the program. Upon notification of SED re-registration, students may be admitted to the revised program. All current students must be allowed to complete their programs under the requirements that were in place when they were admitted.

If you have any questions about whether a program is officially registered, you can check by searching the SED’s Inventory of Registered Programs.

Senate Elections April 15–25
Four at-large and one University Faculty Senate position will become vacant on August 25. A call for nominations and information about candidates’ statements can be found on the College Senate Web site. Elections began Tuesday, April 15, and will continue through Friday,April 25. All individuals who received a recent letter regarding nominations for the College Senate elections are on a voting list of one of the units recognized by the College Senate and are eligible to vote in the elections. The electronic voting booth is accessible through the College Senate Web site.

If you have questions about your voting status, please contact Vince Masci, (716) 878-5139. We look forward to your participation in the vital process of campus governance.

Participate in the Forum: Number of Credits for Students on Probation
The Standards for Students Committee of the College Senate has set up an electronic forum for discussion of the number of credits students on probation should be eligible to take. Please view it and share your thoughts.

From the Provost
Gary Jones resigned from his appointment as dean of the School of the Professions effective June 9, 2009. Jones was the founding dean of the school, which was established in 2005. His leadership in the formation, organization, and advancement of the school is greatly appreciated.

Rita Zientek, associate dean, will serve as officer-in-charge until an interim dean is appointed.

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 (noncontract)
Thursday, May 1

$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 Provost

It’s my pleasure to inform you that Scott Johnson, who has served as interim dean of University College for the last year, has been named dean.

Johnson has been with University College since its inception in 2004, first serving as assistant dean for First-Year and Academic Support Programs. He came to Buffalo State in 1994 as a member of the Criminal Justice faculty, and coordinated the African and African American Interdisciplinary Studies Unit for six years. Johnson has participated in Buffalo State’s Achieving Success through Leadership Program and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ 2008 Millennium Leadership Initiative.

Johnson has been a vital contributor to University College’s success to date, and he will be an energetic and devoted leader for the program in the years to come. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Johnson on his new role.

The Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) Office is accepting public comments on the campus Storm Water Management Program Annual Report to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. This report, which addresses campus storm water pollution prevention measures for the reporting year ending March 9, 2008, and directions for submitting comments, can be found on the EH&S Web site. A paper copy of this report is also available for viewing during business hours at the Campus Services reception office, located in the Clinton Center.