Faculty will enter fall 2007 grades using Banner. The grading window will open at 6:00 a.m. December 10 and close at 8:00 p.m. December 17.

Detailed documentation for entering grades is available on the Web. Personalized walk-in grading assistance is also available during the dates and times listed below:

Monday, December 10
10:00 a.m.–noon
1:00–3:00 p.m.
Butler Library 316

Tuesday, December 11
10:00 a.m.–noon
1:00–3:00 p.m.
Butler Library 318

Wednesday, December 12
9:00–11:00 a.m.
Noon–2:00 p.m.
6:00–8:00 p.m.
Butler Library 318

Thursday, December 13
10:00 a.m.–noon
1:00–3:00 p.m.
Butler Library 318

Friday, December 14
10:00 a.m.–noon
1:00–3:00 p.m.
Butler Library 316

Monday, December 17
10:00 a.m.–noon
1:00–3:00 p.m.
Butler Library 316

For assistance at other times or for additional help, please contact Banner Help by e-mail or by phone at ext. 3434. These resources are staffed Monday though Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Traditions
A recent survey inquired about “traditions” at Buffalo State. A tradition was characterized as a recurring activity much valued by the larger campus community as a signal event in the calendar of each academic year. Traditions typically have a history—at least 10 years—and apply to a large segment of the campus.

Individual departments and programs have annual events to celebrate student accomplishments. Some have annual conferences or speaker series. These become traditions for the individual unit.

Institutionally, the following are examples of traditions that Buffalo State celebrates each spring:

• The president delivers the annual State of the College address in February. The theme of this year’s address was “Achieving Excellence from Within.”
• The 51st annual Honors Convocation is being held today, April 17. This annual event recognizes students who have achieved a certain grade point average after completion of a requisite number of credits at Buffalo State.
• The college’s Student Research and Creativity Celebration showcases student research and creative efforts. Organized by the Undergraduate Research Office, this year’s 10th annual celebration is scheduled for April 25 and 26.
• Celebrating its 41st anniversary at Buffalo State, the Educational Opportunity Program will hold its Honors Convocation May 1. The event recognizes the academic successes of EOP students and acknowledges members of the faculty and staff for their contributions to the students.
• The Research Foundation–sponsored Recognition Reception will be held April 28. The 11th annual event celebrates the success of principal investigators and campus colleagues who have received cumulative awards of over $1 million.
• And, of course, Buffalo State will hold its 136th Commencement on May 10 to award baccalaureate and master’s degrees.

In fall semesters, we participate in the following traditions:

• Academic Convocation is held each September to start the academic year and recognize colleagues who are recipients of Chancellor’s and President’s Awards for Excellence. Academic Convocation is scheduled for September 25, and it will be the 21st in the series.
• In the fall, we will hold the ninth annualFaculty and Staff Research and Creativity Fall Forum. This celebration, even if one year short of 10 years, appears to be well on its way to becoming a campus tradition.

There are new and other existing initiatives of the college that are institutionally focused and may become traditions with additional years. The First-Year Convocation, held in late August, is a likely candidate as we meet annually to welcome our new first-year students and stress the centrality of academics in the college experience. Other possibilities of a campuswide nature are related to recognition of athletes and scholar-athletes, celebrating service learning, and awards for outstanding culminating master’s projects and theses.

Certainly, there are other annual events that affect a significant segment of the campus constituency and fit the tradition framework.

I encourage all of us to participate in as many “traditions” as possible at the program, department, school, and college level in spring 2008 and in each academic year. We should also explore the creation of new events (e.g., speaker series, celebrations—academic and otherwise) that will become much-valued traditions with time.

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

New Program:
M.S. Foreign Language Teaching (K–12)

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.

The State University of New York Board of Trustees approved a 2008–2009 Budget Request on November 27 that is driven by a new funding proposal: the SUNY Compact, which seeks an additional 1,000 full-time faculty over three years.

Under the proposal, tuition at the state-operated campuses would be the same for all in-state undergraduates. This year, for the first time in five years, tuition would increase five percent, or $110 per student, per semester. In-state undergraduate tuition is proposed at $4,570 per year, and out-of-state undergraduate tuition at $11,140.

New York’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) would cover 100 percent of the tuition increase for eligible students.

State support for the state-operated campuses would increase 8.5 percent; and SUNY would provide $27 million of support through innovation, efficiency, and philanthropy to support its budget request. 

Read the complete news release from the SUNY Office of Public Relations, and view the Board of Trustees 2008–2009 Operating and Capital Budget Presentation online.

Applications are now being accepted in Computing and Technology Services for the following positions:

Desktop Systems Technician, SL2
Programmer Analyst, SL2

Details may be found on the Human Resource Management Web site.

In order to make urgent repairs to the college’s central steam heating system, steam distribution to the campus will be interrupted from 5:00 p.m. Friday, May 16, to 5:00 p.m. Sunday, May 18.

Although campus buildings do not usually require heat at that time of year, the procedure will also interrupt hot-water service. Program functions that specifically require hot water or steam service are being contacted individually and accommodated.

If you have a question or concern, please call Customer Service, (716) 878-6111, at your earliest convenience. Your patience and understanding are appreciated.

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

New Course:
CIS 427 E-commerce Systems and Technologies

Course Revisions:
CRS/EDU/EXE 509 Introduction to the Gifted, Talented, and Creative Learner
CRS/EDU 621 Curriculum Development in Gifted, Talented, and Creative Education
CWP 099 Developmental College Writing
CWP 101 College Writing I
CWP 102 College Writing II

Advanced to the Curriculum Committee
The following have been received in the College Senate Office and will be forwarded to the Senate Curriculum Committee for review and approval:

New Course:
MAT 114 Functions and Modeling. Prerequisite: 3 years’ high school mathematics or equivalent. Describe and explore real-world functions, data, and phenomena through graphic, numeric, symbolic, and verbal representations. Use elementary functions (linear, polynomial, power, and exponential) to investigate and analyze applied problems (supported by the use of appropriate technology).

Course Revisions:
THA 400 Voice and Movement III. Prerequisites: Successful completion of THA 300 Voice and Movement II, THA 326 Acting III. Additional movement and vocal practice integrating previously learned voice, movement, and acting vocabularies. Strengthening of skills and knowledge associated with articulate, precise, and expansive vocal and physical presence. Further application of movement and vocal practice to acting process, acting styles, and character development. Deepening of the physical, intellectual, and emotional investment in voice and movement; further development of skills required to consistently achieve a full, articulate, and compelling vocal and physical presence.

ENG 231 Women in Literature. The images of women in literature as they reflect attitudes about women and their roles. Emphasis on authors and eras varies with instructors.

CRJ 430 Gender and the Administration of Justice.Prerequisites:CRJ 101 and upper-division status. The mutual effects between gender and aspects of criminal justice, including victimization, criminality, law, and the criminal justice process. Includes perspectives on the historical subordination of women, and how law and the criminal justice system can be used to ameliorate that subordination.

CRJ 425 Race, Ethnicity, and the Administration of Justice. Prerequisites: CRJ 101 and upper-division status. The current state of race relations in society and the criminal justice system; the historical experiences of different racial and ethnic groups in the United States and their relation to law and the criminal justice system as victims, offenders, and officials in criminal justice institutions.

Message from University Police
As part of our ongoing campus-safety initiatives, the Buffalo State College Annual Security Report has been updated and is available for download by visiting theUniversity Police Web site or clicking on this link. Any questions about the Annual Security Report can be directed to the chief of university police at (716) 878-6333.

The College Senate will hold its final meeting of the semester on Friday, December 14, at 1:30 p.m. in Classroom Building C122. The agenda for the meeting is posted on the College Senate Web site. Featured under President Howard’s remarks will be a presentation by University at Buffalo President John B. Simpson, who has been invited to campus to discuss how UB 2020 might affect Buffalo State. A panel featuring Betty Cappella, David Carson, John DeNisco, George Hole, and Constance Qualls will pose questions, followed by questions from the senators and from visitors. Please attend. If you are unable to attend, you may forward a question to a senator to be asked on your behalf. The roster of senators is also available on the Senate Web site.