All members of the campus and community are invited to attend a reception to celebrate the unveiling of floor plans for the new science and mathematics complex on Friday, April 18, from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. in the lobby outside Science Building 213.

This event will include detailed floor plans of all phases of the building. Guests will be able to see exact locations of classrooms, offices, labs, and building amenities. Refreshments will be provided in Science Building 250.

R.S.V.P. to Kelly Boos, (716) 878-6434.

Stephen M. Thompson, associate professor of physical education and sport at Central Michigan University and a leading expert on sexual assault, will conduct the seminar “Violence on Campus: Recognize and Refer” on Friday, April 11, from 1:15 to 2:30 p.m. in the Bengal Room in Houston Gym. This program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Justice Violence against Women On Campus (VAWOC) Grant, is part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The VAWOC grant aims to reduce sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking on campus.

The seminar will focus on recognizing signs in students who may be victims of stalking, sexual assault, and relationship violence and how to refer them to campus and community resources.

The event is free, but reservations are required. Space is limited to 60 people. R.S.V.P. to Jackie Hirtreiter, (716) 878-4436, by Friday April 4.

The Philosophy and Humanities Department has announced its fall 2007 colloquia. All sessions will be held during Bengal Pause (12:15 to 1:30 p.m.) in Bacon Hall 220 and are free and open to the public. ContactKimberly Blessing, Ph.D., with questions.

Tuesday, October 23
“Be Nice? I Don't Even Like Him!"
John Draeger, Ph.D., assistant professor of philosophy

Tuesday, November 6
“Two Short Arguments, from Science, on the Non-existence (or Non-involvement) of God”
Jerry Nosich, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, with commentators Gene Yarmolinets and Marinos Maroulis, philosophy majors

Tuesday, November 13
“The Papacy and the Holocaust”
Allen Podet, Ph.D., professor of religious studies

The Buffalo State College Teacher Education Unit will host the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Board of Examiners for a continuing accreditation site visit April 12–16, 2008. NCATE is the major authorized accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for schools, colleges, and departments of education that provide professional preparation for teachers.

Buffalo State College has received continuous accreditation by NCATE since the organization conducted its first review of institutions in 1954. We continue to review and revise our programs to assure that they meet the high standards of our specialty professional organizations: the New York State Education Department and NCATE.

The Teacher Education Unit (TEU) comprises 68 programs across the five schools and University College, and 226 full- and part-time faculty members. Under the leadership of Ronald S. Rochon, dean of the School of Education and associate vice president for teacher education, TEU faculty members have collaborated to prepare for the continuing accreditation review. This effort is spearheaded by Rochon and organized by the accreditation team, including Lori V. Quigley, associate dean of the School of Education and NCATE coordinator; Mary M. Todd, accreditation coordinator; and Heidi E. Eckel, instructional support assistant.

At the beginning of the fall 2007 semester, a unit-wide drive was developed to allow all TEU members to view and share unit information. The accreditation team solicited specific documentation from program faculty in order to provide information representative of the entire unit to NCATE reviewers. In accordance with NCATE requirements, an institutional report and electronic exhibit room were developed, and each faculty member had the opportunity to view and offer feedback on the progress, format, and content.

At the end of January 2008, the TEU arranged a mock visit with two area consultants. The purpose of the mock visit—an optional activity scheduled at the discretion of each institution—is to determine preparedness for the official accreditation visit through interview sessions with all involved constituents. The TEU used this opportunity to showcase its strengths and determine areas for improvement in order to effectively respond to required NCATE prompts.

On February 12, the electronic exhibit room was made available to the NCATE Board of Examiners team. The following day, the NCATE Board of Examiners team chair, Charles Love, dean of the School of Education at the University of South Carolina Upstate, came to Buffalo State for a “previsit” to review accommodations, materials, and the campus’s general preparedness for the on-site visit. Based on Love’s recommendations, the visit plan was finalized and fundamental review materials were printed and sent to the Board of Examiners team members.

The NCATE Board of Examiners team consists of seven individuals, including education faculty members, practitioners, and administrators from institutions of higher education and P-12 schools. Members are charged with conducting a preliminary review of institution materials prior to their on-site visit. Following an NCATE-approved rubric, the team assesses key areas and notes any perceived areas of weakness to be explored further during their time on campus. Team members use the printed materials provided by the institution under review—as well as the online institutional report and electronic exhibit room—to conduct a previsit review and as a foundation for their visit schedule.

During their campus visit, the team interviews campus administrators, unit faculty members, teacher education candidates and alumni, and P–12 school partners. In addition, they will evaluate written program materials and create a report based on the team review of all evidence provided.

Before leaving campus, the NCATE Board of Examiners team chair conducts an exit interview with Buffalo State accreditation coordinators to discuss tentative areas for improvement identified by the examiners. The TEU is provided an opportunity to respond in writing to the areas identified.

Buffalo State receives a final report from NCATE within five weeks of the Board of Examiners site visit. The campus then has one month to submit a response to the findings and recommendations within the report. The Unit Accreditation Board will render a decision by October regarding the Buffalo State College TEU's approval for continuing accreditation.

The TEU faculty, staff, candidates, and community partners value continuing accreditation as an opportunity for acknowledgement of excellence. Preparation for a continuing accreditation visit is an ongoing collaborative process allowing the unit to profile faculty accomplishments, candidate performances, and relationships with community schools.

Although the NCATE accreditation review provides a scheduled and formal opportunity for feedback and recognition of teacher education preparation programs, Buffalo State continues to seek distinction of programs and quality education for every candidate on an ongoing basis—before, during, and after the NCATE visit. Partners at all levels have worked continuously to design and deliver quality educational programs and are effectively preparing future and continuing educators to significantly and positively influence the lives of all children.

The Houghton Chapter, Buffalo’s branch of the New York State Archaeological Association, holds free monthly meetings every third Wednesday (exception noted below) at 7:00 p.m. in the Buffalo Museum of Science. Anyone with an interest in archaeology is welcome to attend. The Houghton Chapter is dedicated to the study and dissemination of knowledge about our region’s archaeological resources. Houghton Chapter members include both professional and avocational archaeologists, and both undergraduate and graduate students.

Four Buffalo State faculty members have been instrumental in planning this lecture series: Elizabeth Peña, director and professor in the Art Conservation Department; Kathy Leacock, lecturer in the History and Social Studies Education Department; Lisa Anselmi, assistant professor in the Anthropology Department; and Susan Maguire, lecturer in the Anthropology Department.

One of the highlights of this year’s schedule is the talk in April by Joseph Zarzynski, executive director of the organization Bateaux Below Inc. Zarzynski will discuss his underwater archaeological project in Lake George,The Land Tortoise and the Sunken Fleet of 1758. This submerged shipwreck, the oldest intact warship in North America, was discovered in 1990 using side-scan sonar. Zarzynski will describe his ongoing research and the preservation and protection of this important underwater archaeological site.

Buffalo State College faculty, staff, and students are welcome to attend any or all of the Houghton Chapter presentations. For more information on this series, please contact Elizabeth Peña atpenaes@buffalostate.edu

2007–2008 Lecture Schedule

October 17, 2007
Champlain and Cartier and All That French Stuff…
Dr. Mima Kapches, Senior Curator and Deputy Head of the Department of World Cultures, Royal Ontario Museum

Note: Kapches will also present “Reflections on an Archaeological Career” from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the Peterson Room, Classroom Building C214.

November 14, 2007 (please note, this is secondWednesday in November)
The Creation of a Propertied Landscape: Settlement and Land Division in Viking Age Iceland
Dr. Douglas Bolender, Research Associate, Institute for European and Mediterranean Archaeology, University at Buffalo

December 19, 2007
Buttons and Pipes: How Personal Items Reflect Male Gender Identity at West Point Military Academy During the First Half of the Nineteenth Century
Dr. Rebecca Emans, Project Director, Panamerican Consultants Inc.

January 16, 2008
The McKendry Site: Past and Current Excavations
Kate Whalen, Graduate Student, Department of Anthropology, University at Buffalo

February 20, 2008
Recent Excavations at the Blackmar-Eaton Site: ANineteenth-Century Rural Residence in the Town of Concord, Erie County, New York
Dr. Ryan Austin, Project Director, Archaeological Survey, University at Buffalo

March 19, 2008
An Introduction to the New York State Historic Preservation Office
Dr. Nancy Herter, Historic Preservation Program Specialist, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation

April 16, 2008
The Land Tortoise and the Sunken Fleet of 1758
Joseph Zarzynski, Underwater Archaeologist and Executive Director, Bateaux Below Inc.

May 21, 2008
Update on Archaeology at Old Fort Niagara
Dr. Susan Maguire, Lecturer, Anthropology Department, and Dr. Elizabeth Peña, Director and Professor, Art Conservation Department, Buffalo State College

Issues Relevant to Graduate Faculty and Graduate Students
Since October 2007, the Ad Hoc Committee on Graduate Issues has worked to formulate responses to the issues relevant to graduate faculty and graduate students. Please review the motion posted on the College Senate Web.

Service-Learning Designation for Transcripts
At the March 2008 meeting, a motion from the Instruction and Research Committee was introduced and discussed to create a service-learning designation for transcripts for sections of courses that included a service-learning component. The motion can be reviewed on the Senate Web site.

Academic Calendars
Academic calendars for 2008–2012 will be voted on at the College Senate meeting in April. The proposed calendars and relevant resolution can be found on the Senate Web site.

As members of the Council for Northeast Historical Archaeology, Elizabeth Peña, director of the Art Conservation Department, and Susan Maguire, Anthropology Department lecturer, will host more than 150 archaeologists from throughout the Northeast and Canada for the council’s 2007 conference October 26–28. The event kicks off with a reception in Buffalo State’s Rockwell Hall and includes three days of tours, workshops, and presentations, several of which feature historic Western New York sites with art conservation and archaeological work accomplished by Buffalo State faculty and students. Peña and Maguire are conference and program co-chairs and are supported by a Buffalo State College team that includes Kathy Leacock, lecturer in the History and Social Studies Education Department; Lisa Anselmi, assistant professor of anthropology; and Meredeth Lavelle, senior staff assistant in the Art Conservation Department.

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 Senate Web site. Elections will begin on Monday, April 7, and continue through Friday, April 18. 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 upcoming elections. The electronic voting booth is also accessible through the College Senate Web site.

One day remains for nominations for the College Senate. These nominations close at the end of the day on Friday, April 4. Faculty members, faculty librarians, and professional and support staff whose total service in the College Senate would not exceed six consecutive years by the end of this term (September 2008–August 2011) are eligible to run for office. Nominees are asked to provide a short statement about their interest in serving as an at-large or University Faculty senator and post their statements on the Senate electronic voting site. Details are provided on the Senate Web site.

Individuals running for a senator position in another election may not also run for at-large senator or University Faculty senator while the other election is being conducted. If the other election concludes during the period when nominations for at-large or University Faculty senator are still being accepted, eligible individuals may self-nominate for either position. If you are interested in being a candidate or 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.

The next meeting of the College Senate will be held at 3:00 p.m. Friday, October 19, in E. H. Butler Library 210. All members of the campus community are invited to attend. The agenda for the meeting will appear in the October 18 issue of the Bulletin and will be posted on theCollege Senate Web site on October 11.

Faculty and staff are asked to share the following information with their students:

Applications are now available for the 21 scholarship opportunities offered through the Buffalo State Alumni Association. Scholarships range from $150 to $1,000. To apply, students must submit a completed application form, an essay, and two reference forms to the Alumni Affairs Office, Cleveland Hall 305, by 5:00 p.m. Friday April 18. Applications are available on the Web site, in the Alumni Affairs Office, or by phone at (716) 878-6001.