The agenda for the November 16, 2007, meeting of the College Senate is available on the College Senate Web site. All formal materials and an update of actions taken at the October 2007 meeting of the College Senate have been posted. Two items were presented at the October meeting for consideration and action at the November meeting relating to (1) suspension of BSC 301 until 2010; and (2) definition of upper-division courses. Please visit the Senate Web site for additional resources.

Peter M. Carey has been appointed chief of university police for Buffalo State College. Carey has served Buffalo State for 28 years, as an officer from 1980 to 1997, as a lieutenant from 1997 to 2007, and as assistant chief of university police since August 2007. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member with the Criminal Justice Department. Carey, a practicing attorney with an office in Orchard Park, holds a juris doctor from the University at Buffalo Law School and a bachelor of science in criminal justice from Buffalo State College. He has received numerous awards and honors, including SUNY Police Chiefs Association's awards for heroism and for professionalism, the Buffalo State College University Police Chief's Award for Outstanding Service, the Buffalo State College Outstanding Criminal Justice Alumni Award, and the Buffalo State College United Students Government Hall of Fame Award, as well as many letters of commendation.

The Auxiliary Services Grant Allocation Committee (GAC) is requesting proposals from individuals, departments, and student clubs and organizations for funding of programs, speakers, and events to take place during the 2007–2008 academic year.

Application guidelines and materials are available online. The deadline to submit applications under this funding cycle is Wednesday, November 21. Questions about the GAC may be addressed to Daniel Velez, assistant to the vice president for student affairs, Cleveland Hall 519, ext. 5550.

From the President
At its March 14, 2008, meeting, the College Senate voted to approve and forward the following recommendation to the president for consideration, approval, and action:

Motion for the Reduction of the Upper-Division Credits Required for a Buffalo State College Bachelor’s Degree

Whereas the Buffalo State College Senate has approved and the college has implemented a new general education curriculum (i.e., Intellectual Foundations) wherein, due to the limitation of four cognate areas to lower-division courses, undergraduates have 24 fewer credit opportunities within the general education curriculum to complete upper-division credits, and

Whereas no requirement has been made for major departments to increase the number of required upper-division courses so as to offset the limited opportunities to take upper-division courses in the general education curriculum, and

Whereas a reduction to 33 upper-division credits would place Buffalo State College in the middle of both its aspirational peers and its SUNY peers for numbers of hours in this degree requirement, and

Whereas the reduction will also assist students of certain majors to graduate in a timely manner,

Therefore, be it resolved that:

the Senate recommend a reduction of 12 upper-division credits required for graduation, from 45 to 33, effective May 2008.

I accept the recommendation of the College Senate and hereby approve the reduction in the number of upper-division credits required for a Buffalo State College bachelor’s degree from 45 to 33, commencing with applications for graduation for spring 2008. I charge the provost with the responsibility to oversee the implementation of this change in graduation requirements.

The Buffalo State College Alumni Association welcomes nominations from faculty and staff for the 2008 Distinguished Alumnus Award, presented annually at Commencement. This prestigious honor is awarded to alumni who meet the following criteria: (1) significant achievement or recognition in their field or profession; (2) dedication to community service, civic affairs, and volunteerism on a local, state, national, or international level; and (3) demonstrated ongoing support for and loyalty to the college and its mission.

A maximum of three awards may be presented each year (no posthumous awards are given), and all nominations are active for three years, including the initial year of nomination. Recipients must also be able to attend the Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 10, 2008.

This is a wonderful opportunity to recognize an outstanding graduate who has demonstrated significant career and service achievements that have made a difference in our world. The deadline for 2008 Distinguished Alumnus Award nominations is Friday, December 14; however, nominations are accepted year-round. For a nomination form and list of previous recipients, call the Alumni Affairs Office at 878-6001 or visit the Alumni Affairs Web site to submit an application online.

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

New Courses:
HTR 318 Cultural Tourism
HTR 385 Private Club Management

Course Revisions and Intellectual Foundations Designations:
CRJ 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice (Social Science)
HIS 311 American Immigration and Ethnicity (Diversity)

From the President
At its October 19, 2007, meeting, the College Senate unanimously voted to forward to the president for approval the following recommendations to establish two additional President’s Awards:

• The President’s Award for Career Achievement for Faculty
• The President’s Award for Career Achievement for Professional Staff

The President’s Award for Career Achievement for Faculty will be presented only as deemed appropriate. Usually a maximum of one award will be given in any year. This award will be presented to an individual who has demonstrated exemplary achievement over his or her career in each area of responsibility. For most faculty members, this would include teaching, scholarship, and service.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
Evaluation of nominees will be based on documentation supporting exemplary achievement by nominees in each of their areas of responsibility. Individuals nominated must have been faculty members at Buffalo State College for a minimum of 15 years following permanent appointment prior to nomination.

NOMINATION AND SELECTION PROCESS
Individuals must be nominated by a colleague or department. A six-member selection committee will evaluate applications and make recommendations to the provost. The committee will be selected by the provost and consist of one member from each of the four schools and two members from peer institutions. Nominators will submit to the committee:

1. A nomination form.
2. A letter of nomination briefly describing why this individual’s record is appropriate for this award.
3. Supporting documentation detailing the specific achievements that qualify this individual for a career award for teaching, scholarship, and service. Documentation must include examples that reflect continuing contributions in each of their areas of responsibility.
4. A minimum of five letters of support that together address each of the areas being considered.
5. An additional letter of support/evaluative statement from the nominee’s department chair.
6. The nominee’s current vita.

The President’s Award for Career Achievement for Professional Staff will be presented only as deemed appropriate. Usually a maximum of one award will be given in any year. This award will be presented to an individual who has demonstrated exemplary achievement over his or her career in each area of responsibility. For most professional staff, this would include scholarship, service, and teaching if appropriate.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
Evaluation of nominees will be based on documentation supporting exemplary achievement by the nominees in each of their areas of responsibility. Individuals nominated must have been a professional staff member at Buffalo State College for a minimum of 15 years following permanent appointment prior to nomination.

NOMINATION AND SELECTION PROCESS
Individuals must be nominated by a colleague or department. A six-member selection committee will evaluate applications and make recommendations to the provost. The committee will be selected by the provost and consist of four members from the professional staff and two members from peer institutions.

Nominators will submit to the committee:

1. A nomination form.
2. A letter of nomination briefly describing why this individual’s record is appropriate for this award.
3. Supporting documentation detailing the specific achievements that qualify this individual for a career award for scholarship, service, and teaching if appropriate. Documentation must include examples that reflect continuing contributions in each of their areas of responsibility.
4. A minimum of five letters of support that together address each of the areas being considered.
5. An additional letter of support/evaluative statement from the nominee’s supervisor.
6. The nominee’s current vita.

I hereby approved the recommendations of the Senate to establish the President’s Award for Career Achievement for Faculty and the President’s Award for Career Achievement for Professional Staff. I charge the provost with responsibility for oversight and implementation of the selection process for these two awards.

The next meeting of the Buffalo State College Council will be held at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 27, in Cleveland Hall 518. The agenda may be found online.

From the President
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Susanne P. Bair, P.E.D., as vice president for institutional advancement and development and executive director of the Buffalo State College Foundation. Vice President Bair will lead and manage the development and advancement efforts of the college consistent with our strategic priorities. She will have direct oversight responsibilities for the offices of Institutional Advancement and Development, Alumni Relations, College Relations, and Government Relations.

Dr. Bair received her doctorate in physical education from Indiana University in 1991, having majored in athletic administration with a higher education minor. She earned both a master of science and a bachelor of science in physical education from Indiana State University.

Her professional background includes nearly 14 years in development, most recently as vice president for development at Fletcher Allen Health Care, an academic medical center in Burlington, Vermont. Prior to that role, Dr. Bair held several development and external affairs positions at Indiana University over a 12-year period, serving as vice president of development for the Indiana University Foundation for two years. This position called for partnership-building among academic deans and campus chancellors at several regional campuses. Dr. Bair has successfully led and participated in capital and academic endowment campaigns that generated significant support for endowed faculty chairs and professorships. She also led a strategic planning effort for the Indiana University Foundation and developed quantifiable measurements and greater accountability for major gifts.

Throughout her career, Dr. Bair has been active in university and community service. She developed undergraduate fundraising courses that were accepted into the Indiana University curriculum. She also served as an adjunct faculty member for three years at the Indiana University Center for Philanthropy and taught graduate-level fundraising courses for two additional years at Indiana University. She was a member of the Bloomington Indiana Rotary, the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport, and the Indiana University Purdue University at Fort Wayne Advisory Board.

Dr. Bair has received many awards and honors including the Indiana University Thomas Hart Benton Medallion for distinction in service, the Indiana State University Eleanor St. John Outstanding Alumna Award, and the Indiana State University Outstanding Teaching Award.

Her career shows a steady progression of promotion, advancement, and success in the development arena. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Susanne P. Bair to the Buffalo State College community.

A local television station once began its late-night newscast with the line, “It’s 11 o’clock. Do you know where your children are?” This semester, that time of night often signaled the completion of an hour-long academic seminar for dozens of students—right in their residence halls.

With support from University College, Residence Life sponsored “Seven Steps to Success,” a series of late-night seminars designed to bolster academic skills. Thetenth of 12 seminars takes place tonight at 10:00 p.m. in Neumann Hall, where students will learn about analytical skills and critical thinking.

The sessions are free and open to all students, resident and commuter. This is the first time Buffalo State has tested late-night academic programs in the residence halls, according to Michael Heflin, associate director of residence life.

“Students have responded very well to the seminars,” he said. “On average, we’ve had about 25 students attend each session. The series is a great complement to BSC 101, and gives students an alternative for something to do on Monday and Thursday nights.”

Eileen Merberg, retention and leadership specialist for student affairs, and Alexis Cole, a graduate student and resident director, coordinate the seminars. They devised the series name, “Seven Steps to Success,” to encourage students to attend more than one session.

“We’re trying to create a community of learners where students might look forward to the next topic, and get in the habit of attending them,” said Merberg. “Plus, it is a catchy, alliterative phrase.”

Other session topics have included time management, stress reduction, reading comprehension, motivation, study strategies, advising, test preparation, grammar skills, and study groups. The final two sessions on December 3 and 6 include learning styles and math fundamentals.

“The seminars are practical,” said Heflin. “For example, one recently taught about the importance of advisement and how students can better connect with their advisers. It created awareness of services like Degree Navigator, one of many tools that I think helps students get ahead of the game now instead of waiting until later.”

In addition to reaching out to commuter students, Residence Life offered two seminars at the Adam’s Mark Hotel, where dozens of students remain while Cassety Hall undergoes reconstruction. The December 3 session also will take place at the hotel.

To further encourage student attendance, organizers offered housing lottery points for participation. Some professors offered extra credit for classes. All students who attend a seminar receive a free pedometer, which Merberg says symbolizes “steps taken.” Students who attend seven or more seminars receive a certificate of achievement.

Overall, Heflin thinks the “Seven Steps” series is going over well with students. Residence Life will offer a similar series during the spring semester.

“Hal Payne [vice president for student affairs] and Tim Ecklund [associate vice president for campus life] challenged Residence Life to help bring academics to the residence halls,” said Heflin. “I credit Eileen Merberg with many of the original concepts for the seminars. The series became more of a collaborative effort than I anticipated—we even have professional staff helping with instruction. The most important thing is that, ultimately, we’re reaching students when it’s most convenient for them.”