Introduction

Buffalo State electronic resources (including such services as e-mail, Internet access, and file and print services) are made available to employees to facilitate the official work of the college. These electronic resources are provided for employees and persons legitimately affiliated with the college for the efficient exchange of information and the completion of assigned responsibilities consistent with the mission of the college.

The use of campus electronic resources by any employee or other person authorized by the college must be consistent with this electronic resources policy and other applicable policies.

Principles of Acceptable Use
Buffalo State users of campus electronic resources are required:

• To respect the privacy of other users: for example, users shall not intentionally seek information on, obtain copies of, or modify files or data belonging to other users unless explicit permission to do so has been obtained.
• To respect the legal protection provided to programs and data by copyright and license.
• To protect data from unauthorized use or disclosure as required by state and federal laws, and SUNY and college regulations.
• To respect the integrity of computing systems: for example, users shall not use or develop programs that harass other users or infiltrate a computer or computing system or damage or alter the software components of a computer or computing system.
• To safeguard their accounts and passwords. Accounts and passwords are normally assigned to single users and are not to be shared with any other person without authorization. Users are expected to report any observations of attempted security violations.

Unacceptable Use
It is not acceptable to use Buffalo State electronic resources:

• For activities unrelated to the college mission.
• For activities unrelated to official assignments or job responsibilities.
• For any illegal purpose.
• To transmit threatening, obscene, or harassing materials or correspondence.
• For unauthorized distribution of NYS data and information.
• To interfere with or disrupt network users, services, or equipment.
• For private purposes such as marketing or business transactions.
• For solicitation for religious or political causes.
• For unauthorized not-for-profit business activities.
• For private advertising of products or services.
• For any activity meant to foster personal gain.

E-mail Privacy and Access
E-mail messages are not personal or private. E-mail system administrators will not routinely monitor individual staff members' e-mail and will take reasonable precautions to protect the privacy of e-mail; however, program managers and technical staff may access an employee's e-mail:

• For a legitimate business purpose (e.g., the need to access information when an employee is absent for an extended period of time).
• To diagnose and resolve technical problems involving system hardware, software, or communications.
• To investigate possible misuse of e-mail when a reasonable suspicion of abuse exists, or in conjunction with an approved investigation.

Staff members are prohibited from accessing another user's e-mail without his or her permission.

E-mail messages sent or received in conjunction with college business may:

• Be releasable to the public under the Freedom of Information Law.
• Require special measures to comply with the Personal Privacy Protection Law.

All e-mail messages including personal communications may be subject to discovery proceedings in legal actions.

Management and Retention of E-mail Communications
Applicable to all e-mail messages and attachments:
Since e-mail is a communication system, messages should not be retained for extended periods of time. If a user needs to retain information in an e-mail message for an extended period, the message should be transferred from the e-mail system to an appropriate electronic or other filing system.

Applicable to records communicated via e-mail:
E-mail created in the normal course of official business and retained as evidence of official policies, actions, decisions, or transactions are records subject to records management requirements under the New York State Arts and Cultural Affairs Law (Article 57-A) and specific program requirements.

The college has developed electronic letterhead to be used for the electronic distribution of official college documents (records). The letterhead is available atwww.buffalostate.edu/collegerelations/x550.xml and should be used in Word or e-mail documents that are to be distributed in electronic format only. Questions regarding electronic letterhead usage should be directed to the College Relations Office: Cleveland Hall 307, ext. 4201, or collrel@buffalostate.edu.

Examples of messages sent by e-mail that typically are records include:

• Policies and directives.
• Correspondence or memoranda related to official business.
• Work schedules and assignments.
• Agendas and minutes of meetings.
• Drafts of documents that are circulated for comment or approval.
• Any document that initiates, authorizes, or completes a business transaction.
• Final reports or recommendations.

Some examples of messages that typically do not constitute records are:

• Personal messages and announcements.
• Copies or extracts of documents distributed for convenience or reference.
• Phone message slips.
• Announcements of social events.

Record Retention
Records communicated using e-mail need to be identified, managed, protected, and retained as long as they are needed to meet operational, legal, audit, research, or other requirements. Records needed to support program functions should be retained, managed, and accessible in existing filing system outside the e-mail system in accordance with the appropriate program unit's standard practices.

Users should:

• Dispose of copies of records in e-mail after they have been filed in a record-keeping system.
• Delete records of transitory or little value that are not normally retained in record-keeping systems as evidence of college activity.

Agency Rights
Pursuant to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (18 USC 2510 et seq.), notice is hereby given that there are NO facilities provided by this system for sending or receiving private or confidential electronic communications.

The college reserves the right to log network use and monitor file server space utilization by users and assumes no responsibility or liability for files lost due to violation of file server space allotments.

The college reserves the right to remove a user account or device from the network.

The college will not be responsible for any damages that result from the use of campus electronic resources. This includes the loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, or service interruptions caused by negligence, errors, or omissions. Use of any information obtained is at the user's risk.

Enforcement and Violations
This policy is intended to be illustrative of the range of acceptable and unacceptable uses of the electronic facilities and is not necessarily exhaustive. Questions about specific uses related to security issues not enumerated in this policy statement and reports of specific unacceptable uses should be directed to the associate vice president for computing and technology services. Other questions about appropriate use should be directed to your supervisor.

The college will review alleged violations of the Policy on the Use of Electronic Resources on a case-by-case basis. Clear violations of the policy that are not promptly remedied may result in termination of network access for the person(s) at fault and referral for disciplinary actions as appropriate.

From College Council Chairman John T. Hoskins
In compliance with the State University of New York “Guidelines for Presidential Reviews and Evaluations at State-Operated Campuses,” which calls for routine five-year formal reviews, Interim Chancellor Clark will be conducting a formal evaluation of President Muriel Howard.

Dr. Stephen Portch, chancellor emeritus of the University System of Georgia and vice chair of the Pappas Consulting Group Inc., has been appointed the external peer evaluator and will conduct the evaluation with Associate Vice Chancellor Aimee Bernstein of the Chancellor’s Office on April 10, 2008. The evaluation team will meet with many invited groups throughout the day, and individuals are encouraged to schedule an appointment to meet with the evaluators to discuss President Howard’s performance. Anyone wishing to meet with the evaluators should call Kelly Philip at (212) 221-4631 to schedule an appointment.

The schedule of events is as follows:

Schedule for President’s Evaluation Campus Visit
April 10, 2008

7:45–8:15 a.m.
Meeting between President Howard and Dr. Portch
Cleveland Hall 517

8:15–8:30 a.m.
Break

8:30–9:15 a.m.
Open Meeting for Faculty
Butler Library 210

9:15–9:30 a.m.
Break

9:30–10:15 a.m.
Meeting with Professional Staff
Butler Library 210

10:15–10:30 a.m.
Break

10:30–11:15 a.m.
Meeting with Faculty Governance
Butler Library 210B

11:15–11:30 a.m.
Break

11:30 a.m.–Noon
Meeting with Union Leadership
Butler Library 210B

Noon–1:15 p.m.
Working Lunch Meeting with Members of the College Council, College Foundation, and Alumni Association
Butler Library 210

1:15–1:30 p.m.
Break

1:30–2:10 p.m.
Meeting with Student Government Representatives
Butler Library 210B

2:10–2:15 p.m.
Break

2:15–3:00 p.m.
Meeting with President’s Cabinet
Butler Library 210B

3:00–3:15 p.m.
Break

3:15–4:00 p.m.
Meeting with Deans
Butler Library 210B

4:00–4:15 p.m.
Break

4:15–5:15 p.m.
Individual Appointments (Individuals may sign up to meet alone with evaluator for 10-minute intervals)
Butler Library 210B

5:15–5:30 p.m.
Break

5:30 p.m.–
Meeting between Dr. Portch and President Howard
Cleveland Hall 517

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 is available on the College Senate Web site.

Preface

This serves as a notice to new employees and a reminder to others of the procedures to follow during snow emergencies and other extraordinary circumstances. Offices and other facilities operated by the state may be closed only by order of the governor; however, the college president or her designee is authorized to cancel classes and recommend that all but essential service* employees not report to work.

Policy and Procedures
The president has delegated the authority to cancel classes and services to the vice president for finance and management. University Police is responsible for monitoring all relevant weather conditions and reporting to the vice president for finance and management.

If the decision to close the college and cancel classes is made before the start of the workday, the vice president for finance and management will inform University Police. If the decision to close is made once classes are in session, the vice president for finance and management will consult with the vice president for academic affairs and notify University Police of the decision. University Police will notify the following broadcast stations in either case:

AM Radio
WBEN-AM 930
WECK-AM 1230
WHLD-AM 1270
WLVL-AM 1340
WJJL-AM 1440
WWKB-AM 1520

FM Radio
WBNY-FM 91.3 (campus)
WBUF-FM 92.9
WBLK-FM 93.7
WJYE-FM 96.1
WGRF-FM 96.9 (97 Rock)
WKSE-FM 98.5
STAR-FM 102.5
WEDG-FM 103.3
WHTT-FM 104.1
WYRK-FM 106.5

Television
WGRZ-TV 2
WIVB-TV 4
WKBW-TV 7

An early decision to close the college and cancel classes will be relayed to the stations listed above by about 6:00 a.m.

In addition, the College Relations Office will send a message via the NY-Alert system to all students, faculty, and staff members who have chosen to participate in this emergency notification system.

For information concerning cancellation of classes, please check the main page of the Buffalo State Web site,www.buffalostate.edu, or call the school closing information number, 878-5000. Please do not call any other number for this information.

Attendance Policy under Emergency Conditions
If classes and services are canceled before the workday begins, employees designated essential service* are required to report. All other employees are excused under emergency conditions but must charge the absence to appropriate leave accruals. Employees who elect to come to work may do so; however, the college cannot guarantee that they will be able to work at their usual locations or perform their normal duties. (See instructions below for employees who choose to report for work under emergency conditions.)

Should the closure occur during the workday, the vice president for finance and management will convey the decision to the other vice presidents, who will ensure that the announcement is communicated throughout their respective areas. Again, essential service* employees are required to remain on the job or report to work as scheduled in this instance. Following official closure, employees may leave their work sites and charge the remainder of their workday to appropriate leave accruals or continue working until their regular departure time.

Absences that result from the cancellation of classes and services must be charged to appropriate leave accruals as described below.

1. Vacation, personal, compensatory, or holiday leave.
2. Sick leave, but only in the event of personal or family illness.
3. Leave without pay. (A written request must be submitted to the Human Resource Management Office no later than the end of the pay period in which the attendance record is due.)

*Essential services are those that must be maintained to ensure the well-being and protection of those who reside on campus, as well as the maintenance and security of college property. The following functions are considered essential services. Employees assigned to these areas are required to report to work under emergency conditions:

• The law enforcement division of University Police.
• Campus Services and Facilities operations (all employees).
• Student health services (designated staff only).
• Residence Life (designated staff only).
• The dean of students.
• Staff responsible for the care and feeding of animals and maintenance of greenhouse facilities.

All employees who are designated essential service will be notified in writing by their department heads.

Directed Absences
Any employee who has reported to work and because of extraordinary circumstances beyond the employee's control (i.e., extremely hazardous conditions or physical plant breakdown) is directed by the college president or her designee to leave work shall not be required to charge this absence to leave accruals. Any such release of employees shall not create any right to equivalent time off to employees who are not directed to leave work. Supervisors, regardless of their good intentions, may not direct such absences.

Instructions for Nonessential Service Employees Who Elect to Report for Work under Emergency Conditions
Note: Parking may be severely restricted during periods of temporary emergency. Employees who report to work under these conditions must park in the Grant Street lot so that other lots may be cleared of snow.

1. Employees must report to University Police, Chase Hall 110, to sign the Attendance Record/Emergency Conditions sheet. Employees also must sign the sheet before leaving campus.
2. Employees report to regular work locations and perform regular duties, even if their supervisor is absent.
3. If the employee's regular work location is not accessible, the employee must report to the director of Campus Services and Facilities, Clinton Center, ext. 6111, or the director of Residence Life, Porter Hall, ext. 3000, for assignment.

From the President
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. William Benfanti to the position of associate vice president for government relations at Buffalo State College.

In this role, Mr. Benfanti will serve as the college’s legislative liaison to local, state, and federal government officials. Mr. Benfanti will report to Voldemar Innus, vice president and chief information officer, until the search for the vice president for institutional advancement and development has been completed.

Mr. Benfanti comes to the college with a wealth of experience in all levels of government within both the executive and legislative branches. He holds a master of arts degree in intergovernmental relations from the University of Maryland at College Park. He has also served in the academy as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, Canisius College, and Buffalo State College.

Associate Vice President Benfanti assumed his position October 15. You may contact him at ext. 5557 orbenfanwj@buffalostate.edu. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Benfanti to the Buffalo State College community.

To celebrate 25 years as Buffalo’s Original Alternative, WBNY-FM 91.3, the college’s student-run radio station, is finalizing plans for New Media Weekend: An Interactive Look at Twenty-First-Century Communication.

The three-day event October 25–27 will feature national and local media experts who will explore and discuss the future of media through panels and speaking engagements, as well as a concert by the English Beat. All panels are free and open to Buffalo State students, faculty, staff, and the general public.

Publisher Judith Regan will moderate a panel titled “The Multi-Platform World: Information 24/7” at 3:30 p.m. Friday, October 26, in Bulger Communication Center South. A veteran of print, radio and television, Regan is widely known for publishing celebrity autobiographies such as Private Parts (Howard Stern); Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ’Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big (Jose Canseco); The Way Things Ought to Be(Rush Limbaugh); and Little Girl Lost (Drew Barrymore). She made headlines last year for her role in O. J. Simpson’s controversial book, If I Did It.

“We felt Judith Regan was a perfect fit to lead a discussion on how our culture is affected by the popularity, presence, and proliferation of media 24/7,” said Tina Peel, award-winning on-air personality of 107.7 the Lake (WLKK-FM) and chair of WBNY’s 25th Anniversary Committee. “Her experience of not only presenting the news but being a part of the news should make for an intriguing dialogue.”

Regan’s television experience includes Judith Regan Tonight on Fox News Channel, while she hosts the Judith Regan Show on Sirius Satellite Radio every Wednesday. Joining Regan’s panel will be Ralph Cipolla (consultant, Jacobs Media), Jonathan Cohen (overnight assignment editor, Fox News New York), Kimberly Evering (Web content manager, Northern Virginia Community College; formerly with AOL), Denise Oliver (founder, Oliver Media; formerly senior vice president for programming, Westwood One), and John Rosso (senior vice president, Citadel Interactive Division, in charge of all interactive platforms including those of ABC Radio Networks).

Panel discussions on Saturday, October 27, will cover such topics as media consumer demand, the future of traditional media, and the future of new media. Local media members scheduled to participate include Elena Cala Buscarino (managing editor, Buffalo Rising), Randy Bushover (producer and reporter, WBEN-AM 930), Dave Debo (reporter, WBEN-AM 930), David McKinley (reporter, WROC-TV), Sue O’Neil (program director, WKSE-FM 98.5; on-air personality, WTSS [STAR-FM 102.5]), and Jerry Zremski (Washington bureau chief,Buffalo News; president, National Press Club).

New Media Weekend activities will culminate in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall, as WBNY reprises the English Beat. Considered one of the most popular and influential bands of the British ska movement, the group headlined the first WBNY-sponsored show in April 1983. Tickets for the 8:00 p.m. show, which features local opening act Lazlo Hollyfeld, are $20 and may be purchased at the Rockwell Hall Box Office, by phone at ext. 3005, or online atwww.buffalostate.edu/pac.

WBNY-FM 91.3 has been Buffalo’s Original Alternative for 25 years. WBNY is completely student-run and funded solely by Buffalo State’s student activity fee. The station’s 60-member student staff, all of whom are unpaid, determines programming on a daily basis. A source for local and underground music since its inception, WBNY also airs innovative talk shows; artist interviews; coverage of special on-campus events; and Buffalo State football, basketball, and hockey games.

New Media Weekend is sponsored by WBNY, the WBNY Alumni Chapter, the Buffalo State College Alumni Association, the Faculty-Student Association, VH1 and VH1.com. For more information, please contact theAlumni Affairs Office, ext. 6001. WBNY’s Alumni Chapter will also be posting regular updates about the weekend’s events on its Web site.

With temperatures reaching into the 70s three weeks into October, it’s hard to ignore the effects of climate change. The Geography and Planning Department will address critical issues related to global warming with a semester-long speaker series on the topic.

“We all love warm temperatures and blue skies, but we need to be aware of why this is happening,” said organizer Stephen Vermette, professor of geography and planning. “More than any other issue, climate change will affect every aspect of one’s life. It is not going to just go away.”

Vermette initiated a campus discussion on global warming last spring, hosting a series of outside lecturers and film presentations, including a screening of Al Gore’sAn Inconvenient Truth. This semester, he wants to showcase Buffalo State’s own expertise on the issue.

Vermette opened the lecture series on September 27 with the presentation “The Growing Evidence for a Changing Climate.” In his lecture, Vermette offered data that detailed a steady climb in temperatures over the last 20 years. “When presented with these telling numbers, even doubters begin to think ‘maybe this is real,’” Vermette said.

Camille Holmgren, assistant professor of geography and planning, continues the series on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center North with the lecture “How Past Climates Are Reconstructed.” On November 7, lecturer Chesley McNeil will discuss “The Unusual and Severe Weather in Our Future” at 3:00 p.m. in Bulger North, and Gordon Fraser, professor and former director of the Great Lakes Center, will close out the series on November 29 with “Global and Local Effects of a Changing Climate” at 12:15 p.m. in Bulger West. Students, faculty, and staff are invited to these free events.

While the future may present huge challenges, Vermette feels that informational activities like these are the first steps toward inspiring change.

“It’s a beginning,” he said. “Whether it is being willing to pay a few extra dollars for access to wind power on your electric bill or voting for an elected official, the better informed you are, the wiser choices you will make.”

Noted scholars and champions of peace will convene in Buffalo for the sixth annual Buffalo State College Conference for Peace, a series of free events and presentations, most of which occur Wednesday, October 24, at the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The theme “Promote Peace, Reduce Poverty” has been selected for 2007 to further expand the concept and impact of nonviolence on all aspects of life. “From the local community to the world stage, peace is the answer to improving our social, political, and economic situations,” said Jean Gounard, director of International Student Affairs. “It is an interlocking thread to be woven into the everyday fabric of our lives.”

Gounard, a Fulbright scholar, and Carmen J. Iannaccone, professor emeritus of exceptional education, founded the Conference for Peace and each year have advanced the concept and participants. “This year, we are especially grateful to the many scholars who are traveling here, student participation, and the support of the Committee for the Study of Understanding Community, Diversity, and Peace,” said Gounard.

On Tuesday, October 23, Eric Monte, actor and screenwriter, will speak on “Issues of Representation: Disenfranchisement and Stereotypes in the Media” at a brown-bag luncheon during Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.) in Bacon Hall 115.

Best known for his screenwriting for Cooley High, All in the Family, The Jeffersons, and Good Times, Monte is also the author of Blueprint for Peace. He will sign copies of his book from 11:00 a.m. to noon in the Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore. Monte’s visit is funded by an Auxiliary Services Grant and is cosponsored by the Student Life Office, the Communication Department, Students for Peace, and the International Student Affairs Office.

Highlights of events on October 24 include:

9:15 a.m.: Opening remarks, Dr. Muriel A. Howard, president of Buffalo State College.

9:50–10:20 a.m.: “Economic Initiatives of the United Nations.” U.N. representative Sergio Vieira will discuss the work of the United Nations on poverty around the world. Vieira has devoted his career to poverty issues in different countries and most recently works in this regard with the U.N. Division for Policy and Development.

10:20–10:55 a.m.: “The Just Third Way: Lifting Barriers to Universal Abundance and Global Peace,” a presentation by Dr. Norman Kurland, president of the Center for Economic and Social Justice. As the legal mind behind the creation of the employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), Kurland has enabled millions of American workers to participate in the national economy through whole or partial ownership in the corporations in which they work.

2:00–2:35 p.m.: “Blueprint for Peace.” Award-winning writer Eric Monte discusses his new book about how we can end war forever, eliminate taxes, and reduce crime. Monte is known for bringing African American family life to television through his writing and creation of popular ’70s sitcoms.

The presentations will be interspersed with panel discussions, student essays on peace, an awards presentation, and community videos. At 1:05 p.m., Charles Mancuso, professor of music, and his colleagues will provide a musical interlude of selections from the Great Depression era.

On Thursday, October 25, a community fair titled “From the Ground Up: Growing Peace through Healthy Economic Communities” will take place from 3:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Asarese Matters Community Center, 50 Reese Street. The fair is free and open to the public. It will include a panel discussion about the successes and challenges in grassroots economic development and also will feature the following breakout sessions:

• Cooperative Economics: Keeping the Dollars in the Community
• Community Wealth: Where Do We Find It?
• Youth, Economics, and Peace
• How Do We Keep Good Businesses in Buffalo?
• The Ideology of Peace: How Peace and Economics Are Linked Together
• Building Capacity and Sustaining Organizations

For more information about the Conference for Peace and related events, call the International Student Affairs Office at ext. 5331, e-mail Jean Gounard, or visit the Committee for the Study of Understanding Community, Diversity, and Peace Web site at www.csucdp.org.

Development of a new five-year strategic plan for Buffalo State College is under way, starting with input from the campus and community, and building on the current plan. A group of 110 individuals—faculty, staff, students, and community leaders—convened at the Adam’s Mark Hotel on October 12 for a five-hour working session. The mission: review where we’ve been, consider the context of the next five years, and generate ideas.

President Muriel A. Howard provided opening remarks and a statement of purpose, while Provost Dennis Ponton reviewed achievements and remaining challenges under the existing plan. Dorcas Colvin, associate vice president for policy and planning, who is spearheading the initiative, provided a detailed presentation about national, regional, and local trends in higher education. TheCollege Planning Council (CPC), appointed by the president, will guide the planning and implementation of the strategic plan.

After the presentations, external consultant John W. Moore, who facilitated development of the current plan, led the group in idea generation for the five strategic directions that will continue to frame the plan:

1. Engage students in rigorous learning experiences, both in and out of the classroom, that heighten their aspirations and transform their lives.
2. Support and expand opportunities for research, scholarship, and creative expression.
3. Position the college as a leading educational, economic, and cultural partner, contributing to the vitality of the region.
4. Develop initiatives to support programs and activities that distinguish the college.
5. Empower leadership at all levels, promote representative and inclusive governance, and provide superior services to the campus community.

Moore, organizing the room into nine teams, assigned each team the task of generating ideas in response to one of nine questions critical to the success of the five strategic directions. Ideas captured on flip charts by facilitators at each table will be developed by task forces appointed in early November.

The new strategic plan will emphasize the first strategic direction, Quality Learning Experiences. “This plan will help us to re-focus our attention on student achievement and success” said Colvin. “By investing in our faculty, staff, and students, we are investing in the future of the college and the region. Ultimately our success will depend on our ability to create and maintain a culture of what George Kuh calls ‘positive restlessness’—a need to never quite be satisfied with our performance.”

Development of the strategic plan is a yearlong process. The CPC plans to share a final draft of the 2008–2013 Strategic Plan with the community in November 2008. For more information and presentations from the October stakeholders’ conference, visitwww.buffalostate.edu/strategicplanning.

To read more about the current strategic plan, please see the September 27 issue of the Bulletin.

The 12th annual Buffalo State College Community Service Day will take place on Saturday, October 20, from 8:30 a.m. to noon as some 300 Buffalo State students provide volunteer service in partnership with community groups and block clubs. This year, students will create new parks on vacant lots on Buffalo’s East Side, refurbish parks that have been created throughout the city, clean up neighborhoods around campus including Grant Street, and continue to work at a small “pocket park” at Broderick Park along the Riverwalk, which provides public access between the northern suburbs and the city of Buffalo along the Niagara River.

Fred Howe, professor of educational foundations, and the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center invite all faculty and staff to join students in cleanup efforts at Broderick Park between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Saturday.