At the February 15 meeting of the College Senate, the senators discussed a motion brought by the Instruction and Research Committee to reduce the required number of credits of upper-division courses for undergraduates from 45 to 33, effective May 2008. Details of the motion will be available by next week, when the approved minutes of the December 14, 2007, meeting are posted to the Senate Web site. Please consult with your senators in advance of the March 14 meeting, when this motion will be voted on.

Information is also posted about the SUNY-sponsored conference titled "Faculty Professional Development: Advancing Excellence in the SUNY Academy," on Thursday and Friday, March 13 and 14, at the Renaissance Hotel in Syracuse. All faculty and staff are invited to attend. Please contact the center for more information.

The nation collectively grieved for victims of the shooting at Northern Illinois University on February 14. Later that day, in an ongoing effort to maximize safety at Buffalo State, the Student Behavior and Risk Assessment Committee accelerated its launch of the “Care Enough to Call” awareness campaign.

Care Enough to Call encourages the campus to act on any concerns about student behavior and provides contact information for employees to respond appropriately to both emergency and non-emergency situations.

“The [Student Behavior and Risk Assessment] committee has been working on this campaign for some time now, and it’s particularly geared to address any uncertain feelings about safety issues—especially from a non-emergency standpoint,” said Charles Kenyon, dean of students. “We thought the NIU incident necessitated pushing up the planned launch by a week or two. Whenever you feel even the slightest bit uneasy, our message is this: ‘Care enough to call and let someone know. Don’t keep it to yourself.’”

The Care Enough to Call guide encourages contacting University Police at 878-6333 in all emergency situations. For non-emergency mental-health situations—encountering students with issues such as severe anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts—resources include the college Counseling Center at 878-4436 during normal business hours and Crisis Services Inc. at 834-3131 or University Police at 878-6333 at night and on weekends. The Dean of Students Office should be contacted at 878-4618 for non-emergency situations with disruptive student conduct. Finally, for situations where faculty and staff are unsure where to turn, they are asked to contact their department chair, associate dean, or immediate supervisor, or to reach out to the dean of students or University Police.

Additionally, the guide lists types of situations and resolutions, and also includes hours of operation for each service provider.

A second leg of the campaign—outreach to students—will take place later this semester. Kenyon is working with Deborah Silverman’s COM 308 Public Relations Writing service-learning class to develop communication materials for a student audience.

“Care Enough to Call is designed to help the community overcome hesitations,” said Kenyon. “It provides guidance on where to call to avoid delay on acting on one’s uncertainties. Likewise, we want the community to be assured that we’re taking steps to collect information and monitor students who might pose a risk to others.”

The Burchfield-Penney Art Center needs to move plenty of items to its new building this summer. But for Director Ted Pietrzak, transporting artworks and archives is a small factor in preparations.

“Moving things from one building to another is not as worrisome to me as other tasks,” said Pietrzak. “There are other issues like how to best use the exhibition spaces, focusing on educational programs, our retail operations, food services, security, custodial needs, training volunteers, and setting the right policies. These are the things that can keep me awake at night.”

With all this, the Burchfield-Penney must relocate more than 7,500 works of art, 25,000 drawings and sketches by Charles Burchfield, and thousands of archival files. Administrative files, computer equipment, and furniture are among the many items that also need to move from the third floor of Rockwell Hall across Rockwell Road to the new museum.

The Burchfield-Penney staff will delicately but systematically transport works of art and other items. Paintings will be wrapped in special plastic and acid-free paper, while insulated cases and bubble wrap will protect sculptures. A few items that are too wide for certain passageways in Rockwell Hall will need to be moved via alternative routes.

Fortunately, three factors bode well for the upcoming move: First, the new center will be transferred to Buffalo State on or around July 25. The move will occur shortly thereafter, meaning the staff will have warm weather for their work. Second, an elaborate inventory system is in place to ensure that all items are accounted for. Third, plans are already finalized for where to place artwork in the new center.

“This will be much more complex than doing a typical home move,” said Pietrzak, “because we have to outfit the space with new equipment and furnishings at the same time.”

To celebrate its remaining days in Rockwell Hall, the Burchfield-Penney Art Center will host RendezBlue, a four-day series of free events from February 28 to March 2 that includes lectures, film screenings, workshops, a panel discussion, a happy hour, and a closing party. The Rockwell Hall location will officially close on March 3.

However, from March 3 until the anticipated October 17 opening of the new center, the Burchfield-Penney will remain active in the community. It will cohost two concerts with Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center in April, conclude an ongoing satellite exhibition at the M&T Bank Fountain Plaza location on May 23, collaborate with CEPA Gallery for an exhibition in June, and work with Squeaky Wheel to host an animation festival in front of Rockwell Hall in July.

Once the new center opens, Pietrzak promises, students, faculty, and staff will be in for a treat.

“The new building will be a remarkable instrument and platform for learning,” he said.

Three “learning labs,” located side by side, will face the campus. One is a collections study area that will include special display cases, computers, projectors, and other advanced equipment for secure viewing of artwork from the collections. Next door will be an art workshop classroom designed to help students learn to effectively teach art. Next to that, the “Useum”—an interactive space where children and adults learn about art through play—will allow students to assemble interactive exhibits for the type of learning that requires movement and engagement.

Directly across the hall will be a 156-seat auditorium, which will include an intimate space with enhanced acoustics for lectures, performances, panel discussions, poetry readings, and various types of presentations. In addition, the building’s second floor will include an art conservation lab, which Pietrzak says will be used in close conjunction with Buffalo State’s Art Conservation Department.

“The new center will be an exceptional functional space and learning lab that will allow generations of students to practically apply theories learned in the classroom,” said Pietrzak. “This museum will support Buffalo State’s goal of achieving national distinctiveness.”

The Student Support Services Program, informally known as SSSP, will hold its annual Student Recognition Ceremony today from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in the Burchfield-Penney Art Center’s North Gallery. This event serves to honor SSSP students for their academic achievements. Program director Florence D. Johnson and her staff are proud to recognize more than 50 participants who are carrying a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

SSSP is a Title IV (TRIO) federally funded project that operates under the umbrella of the Research Foundation and University College and is located in South Wing 210. The program goals are retention, graduation, and good academic standing. The program is designed to provide opportunities for academic achievement, cultural enrichment, and tutorial assistance, as well as to motivate students toward successful completion of their degrees.

The ceremony will be catered by Emerson Commons. The program is proud to celebrate the success and persistence of all the students being recognized.

Attendance at this event is by invitation only. Faculty and staff who received invitations must make reservations to attend. For more information, please call (716) 878-4042.

The Music Department is preparing for a three-day on-site review by accreditation evaluators from the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) March 9–11. The site visit is the second stage in a three-part accreditation-proposal process that began with the department’s self-study and will conclude with a decision from the Commission on Accreditation. A favorable decision would bring the college one step closer to its goal of 100 percent accreditation of eligible programs. This is the department’s first attempt at accreditation.

Formerly housed with theater and dance in a department called Performing Arts, the college’s music programs gained independence in 2004 on the recommendation of a joint committee of evaluators from NASM and the National Association of Schools of Theatre. Since its formation, the Music Department has been continually aligning itself with the standards of excellence set forth by NASM. Brad Fuster, associate professor, was hired as chair in 2005. Facilities, technology, and programs were expanded and upgraded. Curricula for both degree programs—the bachelor of arts in music and the bachelor of music education—were overhauled, with the latter undergoing substantial revisions.

“The self-study process has been illuminating for all involved,” said Fuster. “The standards and procedures by which we operate were all under examination, and have led to some significant discoveries, and more importantly have provided a vehicle to discuss what we do, and how we can better serve students at Buffalo State College.”

NASM standards are stringent. Accreditation reviews focus on institutional integrity and educational quality and improvements. The site visit will include interviews with department administrators, faculty, students, and alumni; the president and provost; the deans of the schools of Education and Arts and Humanities; and representatives from various campus departments. The accreditation team will observe student teachers in the field and confer with their supervising instructors. Instrumental and vocal performances have been arranged for observation and evaluation.

An extremely small percentage of programs receive unconditional accreditation on first attempt. The Commission on Accreditation stresses that it is “not unusual for institutions engaged in full reviews to be asked to clarify issues.” The department should be given time to resolve any outstanding matters, allowing the commission and the college to reach agreement without having to duplicate any part of the process.

Founded in 1924, NASM is the national accrediting agency for music and music-related disciplines. The association currently has more than 600 accredited institutional members.

This policy describes the assignment, use, and management of desk and cellular telephones by employees of Buffalo State College.

Policy
Desk and cellular telephones are to be used for official business-related activities only. Personal use should be limited to emergency calls. Payment for reimbursement of personal desk or cellular telephone calls should be forwarded to the Accounting Office.

Cellular Telephones
Cellular telephones may be assigned only to employees whose duties and responsibilities require immediate or remote communications capabilities. The assignment of cellular telephones must be approved by the vice president for finance and management, who will review assignments annually to ensure compliance with this policy.

Each employee assigned a cellular telephone shall be primarily responsible for its security and maintenance and must immediately report any theft, loss, damage, or vandalism of the unit.

New York State law prohibits the use of handheld cellular phones while driving.

The Buffalo State College School of Arts and Humanitieshas inaugurated a presenters series, “Innovations in Creative Expression” (ICE), featuring distinguished regional, national, and international presenters.

The series is designed to inspire students and complement the innovation and diversity of expression indigenous to the school’s 11 departments: Art Conservation, Art Education, Communication, Design, English, Fine Arts, Interior Design, Modern and Classical Languages, Music, Philosophy and Humanities, and Theater.

“Supporting the school’s overarching goal of gaining recognition for leadership in creative expression, the topics addressed by ICE presenters reflect the variety and uniqueness of our departments and disciplines through lectures, workshops, and performances,” said Dean Benjamin C. Christy. “We are delighted to share their creative talents and perspectives with our students and the community.”

With a focus on cutting-edge modes of communication, ICE presenters include theater directors, choreographers, visual artists, designers, musical performers, authors, poets, teachers, researchers, philosophers, and media professionals. The presentations are free and open to the community.

Schedule of Speakers and Events

Tom Muir
Birth of Containment: Ceremony, Ornament, and the Vessels of Tom Muir
Friday, February 22, 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Bulger Communication Center East
Renowned metalsmith and jewelry maker discusses the inspiration and techniques behind his award-winning work covering 25 years.

Chuck Regier
Exhibit Design: Artifact, Materials, and Process
Tuesday, March 4, 12:15–1:40 p.m.
Upton Hall 211
Curator of exhibits for the acclaimed Kauffman Museum discusses the elements and process for creating compelling heritage exhibits that engage and inspire. The lecture is sponsored by Contract Pharmaceuticals Limited in conjunction with the communication design area of the Design Department at Buffalo State.

Frank Zuccari (’75)
Connoisseurship and Conservation
Friday, March 7, 10:30 a.m.–noon
Rockwell Hall 208
Executive director of the Department of Conservation at the Art Institute of Chicago discusses sensitive vs. mechanical conservation and the importance of understanding how artists work and manipulate materials.

Richard Aerni
Throwing Large: How to Work in Sections
Friday, March 7, noon–1:00 p.m.
Upton Hall 128
Nationally acclaimed ceramic artist gives a slide lecture on his work, his single firing technique, and the wood ash glazes for which he is recognized.

John Sanchez
Media Portrayal of Native Americans
Thursday, March 13, Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.)
Bulger Communication Center South
Based on extensive research covering 10 years of news reports, American Indian communications expert, author, and educator discusses how American Indians are portrayed in the media.

Robert E. Wood
A Philosophical Approach to Aesthetics
Thursday, March 13, Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.)
Science Building 272
Educator and author of four books, Wood discusses how philosophers throughout history have described and interpreted the aesthetic experience.

André De Shields
Hair/The Age of Aquarius
Tuesday, March 18, Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.)
Warren Enters Theatre
Two-time Tony Award nominee discusses the transformation of consciousness implicit in the definition of the Age of Aquarius, an era for peace makers, and how that element is germane to the longevity of Hair and its relevance to the current generation of college students.

Lorraine Pflaumer
Designing Integrative Art Units for Education
Tuesday, April 1, 10:00–11:00 a.m. and 2:15–3:15 p.m.
Upton Hall 410

Thursday, April 3, and Saturday, April 5, 6:30 p.m.
Upton Hall 410
Integrative arts specialist speaks on the topic of designing integrative art units for education.

Julia Sabova
Current Works – Hats
Zuzana Gazikova
Inspiration-Quotation-Interpretation Project
Thursday, April 3, Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.)
Bulger Communication Center East
Sobova, head of the Department of Textile and the Fashion Studio at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Bratislava, Slovakia, gives a slide show and lecture featuring students’ and her current fashion artwork. Gazikova, director of the Peter Michal Bohun Gallery in Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia, discusses the international collaborative program with the Buffalo State College fiber design program.

Anna Kaplan
A Shared Aesthetic: Design Principles and Contemporary Art
Tuesday, April 15, Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.)
Bulger Communication Center East 2
Curatorial assistant at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery gives a visual presentation demonstrating the blurred boundaries between cutting-edge contemporary art today and everyday design, including graphics and communication, digital media, architecture and interior design, industrial and product design, and craft processes.

Betsy Reeds
Concerto for Flute and Percussion (performance)
Monday, April 28, 8:00 p.m.
Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall
Second flutist with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra gives a demanding solo performance in this atonal work by composer Andre Jolivet in which the flute provides the melodic element amid drums and metallic sounds. One of six works performed by students in the Buffalo State College Percussion Ensemble.

Buffalo State has joined the ranks of nearly 250 institutions with a chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta, a national first-year honor society.

Nearly 40 students—together with honorary members President Muriel A. Howard; Hal Payne, vice president for student affairs; and Janet Ramsey, associate vice president for undergraduate education and dean of University College—celebrated Buffalo State’s reception into the national charter during an induction ceremony on February 16 in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall. The college is now one of five New York institutions with a chapter.

Scott Johnson, assistant dean of first-year and academic support programs for University College, and Eileen Merberg, retention and leadership specialist for student affairs, advise the chapter.

“The first year of college is so critical to success for academic achievement,” said Merberg. “Alpha Lambda Delta is a way to recognize high academic success early on.”

All first-year students who receive a 3.5 grade point average or higher after their first semester are eligible to join. Johnson and Merberg began working in 2006 to lay the groundwork for the organization and sent notification letters to hundreds of students in spring 2007. The students who responded then took the initiative to elect board members and organize events. Members held a picnic during a spring 2007 study day and made holiday cards for patients at Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo during a pancake breakfast in early December. Upcoming activities include a resume-writing class and a public-speaking workshop.

“Alpha Lambda Delta is an extraordinary opportunity for us to show that there are great rewards for working hard in school,” said sophomore Michael Vaccaro, the chapter’s treasurer. “We were all very excited at this new opportunity—we ran with it and have not looked back since.”

Students inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta are members for life. Founded in 1924, the organization has initiated more than 700,000 students. In recent years, it has provided annual scholarship support, including 35 undergraduate scholarships of $1,000 each and 23 graduate fellowships ranging from $3,000 to $7,500. Other benefits include a yearly national leadership workshop and access to a national job board.

Alpha Lambda Delta is separate from the All College Honors Program but accepts Honors Program students as members.

“Alpha Lambda Delta is not meant to compete with the Honors Program; it’s meant to recognize achievement in a different way,” said Johnson. “It speaks to a constituency that wasn’t spoken to before. Once faculty and staff better understand who we are, I hope they will encourage more students to join. Nearly 300 first-year students had a 3.5 GPA or better last year, which shows that it’s very possible to achieve academic success at Buffalo State.”

From the President
I am pleased to invite the college community to a luncheon honoring faculty and staff who are in their 25th year of service at Buffalo State College on Tuesday, March 11, at noon in the Saturn Club, 977 Delaware Avenue. Reservations will be accepted through Wednesday, March 5.

This annual event serves to honor our colleagues for their years of service and dedication to Buffalo State. The 26 employees crossing the 25-year mark this year are:

James P. Astrella, Design
Margaret A. Banak, Computing and Technology Services
Paul J. Baryza, Campus Services
Margaret M. Brin, CDHS
Bruce G. Bryski, Communication
David A. Carson, History and Social Studies Education
George C. Dubois Jr., Central Receiving
Frederick G. Floss, Economics and Finance
Beth R. Graff-Baker, CDHS
Kathleen A. Grosskopf, Financial Aid
Marsha A. Jurkowski, E. H. Butler Library
Deborah K. Kloepfer, College Writing Program
Subodh Kumar, Great Lakes Center
Peter J. LaForce, University Police
Kelly A. McNeight, Technology
Lori A. Moslow, Campus Services
Patricia A. Neeson, Computing and Technology Services
Shirley G. Poremba, Residence Life Office
Lynne M. Scalia, Business
Cheryl A. Schoenhardt, E. H. Butler Library
Marjorie L. Sciolino, CDHS
Suzanne M. Stang, Anthropology
Marie Vitello, Residence Life Office
Barry J. White, CDHS
Virginia E. Wilkins, Campus Services
Ottilie M. Woodruff, Educational Opportunity Program

If you are interested in attending the luncheon, please complete and return the registration form or call Ginny Bolz or Melissa Slisz at (716) 878-4101.

With the volume lowered on their holster radios, dozens of Campus Services staff members listened intently as their director, Terry Harding, addressed them Friday at the Campus Services Employee Recognition Awards ceremony. Five workers were honored this year for outstanding service, but all eyes looked on with pride as Harding proclaimed, “When you honor one of us, you celebrate all of us.”

The more than 120 full-time employees view their roles as providers of customer service rather than cleaners or maintenance workers. They know they are sometimes referred to as “invisible” or “behind the scenes” workers, recognized more often when something goes wrong than right. But given the extensive duties handled by the department, the workers’ low profile is a testament to their proficiency. Harding says fewer requests and complaints from campus infer that the Campus Services staff is doing its job well.

Campus Services personnel maintain Buffalo State’s 45 buildings and 125-acre campus. Their myriadresponsibilities include heating and cooling, carpentry, custodial, electrical, plumbing, masonry, painting, and snow removal. They provide the campus’s mail, moving, and locksmith services; inventory control; and central receiving for all equipment and supplies received through purchase orders.

Campus Services also manages Central Stores, which houses and delivers stationery that bears the college’s name, such as envelopes and letterhead. It includes theCopy Center, the campus’s print shop for faculty and staff. Additionally, Campus Services manages the college’s power plant and maintains the Maud Gordon Holmes Arboretum, which Harding calls a “living classroom” of about 1,700 trees on campus, comprising more than 100 species. He said, unfortunately, many trees are still suffering the devastating effects of the October 2006 snow storm, and he continues to press for additional state funding for restoration.

Harding is quick to point out that his staff members approach their work with the same energy and enthusiasm every day.

“I’m most impressed with people who do the most rudimentary tasks on a cyclical basis and continue to exceed customer expectations,” he said.

Of the more than 120 staff members, about half provide custodial services, and most of those employees work at night along with building maintenance workers. Otherwise, much of the Campus Services staff works during the day.

When Harding became director in 1995, he changed the department’s long-standing name from Physical Plant or Maintenance (in place since 1948) to Campus Services. “I wanted our name to sound more global and focused on customer service,” he said.

Since 2003, Horace “Hank” Mann, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of exceptional education, has funded the Campus Services Employee Recognition Awards to recognize and reward outstanding staff members. Friday marked the sixth annual ceremony, and Mann was present with Albert Howard, husband of President Muriel Howard, delivering a plaque and a $200 check to each of the recipients:

• David Dachauer, Grounds
• Luanne Jarosz, Custodial Services
• Delmar Partridge, Heating and Cooling
• Anthony Pastore Jr., Plumbing
• Theresa Tobin, Custodial Services

“The employees take the awards very seriously,” said Harding. “It’s a real sense of pride for them, and they’re excited each year to see who’s honored. They really love that Dr. Mann does this for them.”

Harding takes the awards seriously, too. During the nearly two-hour ceremony, he interviewed each recipient for about 20 minutes to share life experiences with attendees.

“I’m proud to have the opportunity to serve in the capacities we do,” said Harding. “We want to exceed expectations, not just meet demands. Certainly, if anyone feels any dissatisfaction or concern with regard to any area we tackle, I really encourage them to tell us—rather than wait until something becomes a bigger problem.”

Rest assured: should any maintenance problems occur, “invisible” staff members will be quick to appear.