The College Senate always needs faculty and staff representation on its standing committees. Below are the names of committees and brief descriptions of their basic missions. If you wish to serve on a committee for the 2007–2008 academic year, please print this form and return it to the College Senate Office, Cleveland Hall 211.

Academic Plan
Assumes leadership in the intermediate- and long-range planning of the overall academic function of the college. Areas include the mission of the college, master plan, regionalism, enrollment projections, and accreditation.

Budget and Staff Allocation
Gathers, analyzes, and recommends criteria for all data and policies needed to determine budget and staff allocations.

Bylaws and Elections
Conducts necessary elections provided for in the bylaws to ensure proper representation on the College Senate. Recommends changes in the bylaws designed to facilitate the democratic governance of the college.

Curriculum
Receives, reviews, and recommends approval or non-approval of all courses and programs offered by the college, consistent with Senate policies and procedures.

Instruction and Research
Concerns itself with aspects of policy that relate to the improvement of instruction and the development of services and resources necessary to carry out or enhance instruction and research.

Faculty/Staff Welfare
Responsible for matters concerning faculty and staff welfare and well-being.

Standards for Students
Reviews and recommends policies dealing with student admission, readmission, retention, and probation, as well as with graduation standards for undergraduate and graduate students.

Student Welfare
Examines matters and recommends policy concerning aspects of student life.

It is the policy of Buffalo State College that no otherwise qualified person with a disability shall, solely by reason of the disability, be excluded from participation in employment or access to programs of the college. The following statement appears in the Directory of Policy Statements:

• The State University College at Buffalo will not discriminate against any employee, applicant for employment, or student because of physical or mental handicap with regard to any position or program for which that person is qualified. This commitment is applicable in all employment practices including, but not limited to employment upgrading, demotion or transfer, recruitment, layoff or termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, and selection for training. (Policy Number VI:01:03 1985)
• Although the statement pre-dates the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, it does express the college policy with regard to persons with handicapping conditions that can be related to persons with disabilities as in the more recent federal legislation. In carrying out this policy, the college shall make a good faith effort to reasonably accommodate the physical and/or mental limitations of an employee, applicant for employment, or student unless such accommodations would impose undue hardship on the operation of the college.
• The college will not deny an employment opportunity to an individual because the individual has a relationship or association with an individual who has a disability.
• The college will not knowingly participate in a contractual or other arrangement that subjects an applicant for employment, an employee, or a student with a disability to unlawful discrimination.
• The college will not discriminate or retaliate against any individual, whether or not the individual has a disability, as a result of an individual opposing a discriminatory practice, filing a discrimination complaint, or participating in any way in enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Students with need for special services related to disabilities should contact:

Marianne Savino 
Director, Disability Services Office
South Wing 120
878-4500

Faculty and staff with special needs because of a disability should contact Human Resource Management.

Complaints and Grievances Related to Allegations of Discrimination Based on Disabilities
The State University College at Buffalo will follow the SUNY Grievance Procedures for the Review of Allegations of Discrimination to resolve complaints of unlawful discrimination based on disabilities.

Complaints are filed in the Equity and Campus Diversity Office, Cleveland Hall 415, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222. Complaints should be addressed to Dolores E. Battle, Ph.D., senior adviser to the president for equity and campus diversity, who has been designated by the college president to coordinate the ADA compliance efforts.

The college does not discriminate against employees, applicants for employment, or students based on religion or national origin.

Important: Students Unable Because of Religious Belief to Attend Classes on Certain Days

1. No person shall be expelled from or be refused admission as a student to an institution of higher education for the reason that he or she is unable, because of his or her religious beliefs, to register for or attend classes or to participate in any examination, study, or work requirements on a particular day or days.

2. Any student in an institution of higher education who is unable because of his or her religious beliefs to attend classes on a particular day or days shall, because of such absence on the particular day or days, be excused from any examination or any study, or work requirements.

3. It shall be the responsibility of the faculty and of the administrative officials of each institution of higher education to make available to each student who is absent from school because of his or her religious beliefs an equivalent opportunity to register for classes or make up any examination, study, or work requirements that he or she may have missed because of such absence on any particular day or days. No fees of any kind shall be charged by the institution for making available to the said student such equivalent opportunity.

4. If registration, classes, examinations, or study or work requirements are held on Friday after four o'clock post meridian or on Saturday, similar or makeup classes, examinations, or study or work requirements shall be made available on other days, where it is possible and practical to do so. No special fees shall be charged to the student for these classes, examinations, or study or work requirements held on other days.

5. In effectuating the provisions of the Education Law, it is expected that faculty and the administrative officials will exercise the fullest measure of good faith. No adverse or prejudicial effects shall result to any student for availing himself or herself of the provisions of this section.

6. Any student who is aggrieved by the alleged failure of any faculty or administrative official to comply in good faith with the provisions of this section shall be entitled to maintain an action or proceeding in the supreme court of the county in which such institutions of higher education is located for the enforcement of his or her rights under this section.

7. The term "religious belief" shall mean beliefs associated with any corporation organized and operated exclusively for religious purposes that is not disqualified for tax exemption under Section 501 of the United States Code.

8. At Buffalo State College, we sharpen the mandate of the state and endorse the policy that the administering of evaluative examinations on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, or Good Friday will not be permitted.

Note:

Yom Kippur 2007: Sunset September 21 through sundown September 22

Rosh Hashanah 2007: Sunset September 12 through sundown September 14

Good Friday 2008: March 21

Ramadan: 12:44 p.m. September 12 through 5:01 a.m. October 11

Welcome to the 2007–2008 academic year. We completed orientation for new students and faculty, started classes, and experienced the Labor Day holiday. With the academic year under way, we have countless opportunities to deliver educational experiences, services, and support to our 11,000 students.

It's always difficult to let go of those somewhat less-structured days of summer and resume the routine invariably connected with the fall semester. I hope the summer months were rewarding, refreshing, and rejuvenating for you. The transition to fall is, of course, made easier by the excitement of welcoming new colleagues to Buffalo State and catching up with those we’ve not seen for a number of weeks.

First-Year Convocation, held Friday, August 24, refocused our attention to the priority of academics and the intellectual work our first-time students enter. Many thanks to Dean Janet Ramsey and University College for providing a memorable convocation. A special thanks to members of Buffalo State's intercollegiate athletics teams for the enthusiastic welcome they provided the Class of 2011 and all convocation participants when we departed Rockwell Hall.

We enter the academic year as an institution with many expectations and challenges, and we recognize that a variety of higher education issues will affect Buffalo State. The new emphasis and format of the collegeBulletin will serve as a vehicle for me to communicate on topics reflective of college priorities and accomplishments. In a couple of focused articles each month, updates will be provided on items and issues such as:

• How Buffalo State can respond to the external calls for accountability and demonstration of institutional effectiveness.
• Progress toward the academic plan goal of 100 percent accreditation of eligible academic programs and summary of accreditation reviews in 2007–2008.
• The college's continuing success in sponsored program funding and incentive programs to support research efforts.
• Curriculum as an institutional resource, new program directions, and the role of SUNY and State Education Department in the curricular approval process.
• Outcomes (knowledge, skills, attributes) expected of the Buffalo State graduate.
• Graduation and retention.
• Progress with efforts to increase full-time faculty and appropriately balance the number of adjunct faculty.
• The Periodic Review Report being prepared for submission to Middles States by June 2008.
• Acknowledgement of the accomplishments guided by the college’s 2003–2008 Strategic Plan and plans to prepare the next (2008–2013) five-year plan.

The above are representative of a number of areas where updates and information will be communicated via the Bulletin this academic year. I trust the information will be relevant and useful as we collectively address issues, ensure the success of our students, and advance the overall mission of Buffalo State.

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

New Course:
FTT 414 Virtual Fashion

Course Revisions:
ENG 418 The British Novel, 1800–1900
ENG 441 The Romantic Movement in American Literature
ENG 451 Studies in Fiction

Course Revision and Intellectual Foundations Designation:
HUMANITIES
ENG 230 Comparative Literature

From the Interim President
At its March 12, 2010, meeting, the College Senate voted to forward the following recommendation to the interim president regarding the Graduate Thesis/Project Continuation Credit Policy:

Graduate Thesis/Project Continuation Credit Policy
Discussed and modified by the Senate Instruction and Research Committee, Autumn 2009

Whereas, numerous departments and the Graduate School have experienced problems with students not completing their capstone assignments (theses and projects) in a timely manner; and

Whereas, implementing a continuation credit policy may improve time-to-graduation rates for graduate students as evidenced by at least one other SUNY institution (i.e., Brockport); and

Whereas, students who are using campus resources (e.g., library resources, technology, faculty guidance) to complete their academic work should be paying the tuition and/or fees associated with the provision of such resources; and

Whereas, current registration policies do not reflect faculty time and effort in monitoring ongoing graduate work,

Therefore, be it resolved that Buffalo State College should adopt the following Graduate Thesis/Project Policy to take effect in fall 2010:

• Graduate students who have 24 or more earned hours and who have received an N grade for at least 1 capstone requirement credit will be required to enroll in 721 Thesis/Project Continuation (non-credit-bearing). Students must receive instructor permission to enroll in this course and will be able to continue to enroll in it for four semesters or until the thesis or project has been completed and the N grade has been changed. Graduate students can enroll for this course at no cost for up to two yearsimmediately after the semester in which the capstone course received an N. If students do not enroll in this course, they will be deactivated from matriculated status and will have to reapply to the college to continue their studies.
• Once a student has (a) earned 24 or more graduate hours, (b) registered for at least 1 graduate capstone requirement credit and received an N grade, and (c) enrolled in 721 Thesis/Project Continuation for two years, the student must register for 722 Thesis/Project Extended—non-credit-bearing but billable for 1 credit at existing graduate tuition rates, until the thesis or project has been completed and the N grade has been changed.

Be it also resolved that Buffalo State College will examine and implement measures to compensate the expertise and effort that faculty bring to the supervision of graduate capstone requirements (where such compensation is not currently allocated), as this represents the highest level of instruction offered at Buffalo State College.

Implementation issues: A new course number will be created to denote that a student has not completed his/her capstone requirement but has registered for the continuing credit hour. A new non-credit-bearing grade will be created denoting that the student is no longer registered at Buffalo State College, and has not completed his/her capstone requirement (e.g., N/I). The student would be required to reapply and register for the 1-hour thesis/project continuation course until the capstone requirement has been completed.

I hereby approve the Graduate Thesis/Project Continuation Credit Policy as outlined in the above resolution and charge the interim provost with the responsibility of overseeing the implementation of this policy effective with the fall 2010 semester. The interim provost is also charged with the responsibility of communicating this policy widely throughout the institution and in all appropriate documentation.

Dolores Battle, senior adviser to the president for equity and campus diversity and former president of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), and Constance Dean Qualls, professor and chair of the Speech-Language Pathology Department at Buffalo State, visited China last year with an ASHA delegation in an educational exchange as part of People to People International's Ambassador Program. Their story appeared in the August issue of the ASHA Leader Online.

The Erie County Industrial Development Agency has approved an incentive package for Pierce-Arrow Development LLC to convert the former Pierce-Arrow plant on Great Arrow Drive into a mixed-used project that would include off-campus housing for Buffalo State students.

• (Business First, September 10, 2007)

The Events Management Office is facing a new challenge this semester: shrinking space. A large number of incoming students means more classes—and more classrooms—while major renovation projects and the loss of two large meeting areas have caused spatial contraction campuswide.

Events Management maintains the inventory of campus space available for event, meeting, and function use after the Registrar's Office allocates rooms for credit-bearing classes. According to Tom Coates, director of Events Management, his office is facing increased difficulty because of the renovation projects in Cassety Hall and the Campbell Student Union.

Many student organizations moved from Cassety—which is being converted to a residence hall—to the Student Union, which is itself undergoing renovation. Loss of the Margaret Grant Lounge and the Twin Rise conference room have compounded the crunch, especially at peak times.

"More meetings and events are being scheduled during the Tuesday-Thursday Bengal Pause period, as well as during evenings and weekends," said Coates. "Spaces that were once readily available are occupied more consistently; therefore, the need to be flexible and creative with event planning is needed."

In addition to working with the administration, faculty, and staff, the Student Events division of Events Management coordinates the use of campus facilities for student organizations. The office also offers limited use to community organizations—mostly on weekends and during semester breaks.

Facilities are assigned on the basis of not just availability, but also the type and nature of the event. "Requests are treated equally, and we don't bump anyone once space is booked," said Coates.

Team EMO, as the office refers to itself, maintains good working relationships with venue managers, and works with programming agencies to make sure that they are using rooms the right way, that they are not violating code, and that the proper insurance and licenses are accounted for. While the office mainly handles scheduling and logistics, the office employs a "one-stop shop" approach in order to facilitate parking and service arrangements, as well as pre-event on-site planning for all-college events.

A reservation confirmation is sent for all faculty and staff department use of facilities. Beyond e-confirmations for basic reservations, the office may issue a reservation contract that details all event arrangements. It requires the signature of the event coordinator and his or her department head. In addition, the office issues revocable permits to all nonaffiliated organizations using college facilities.

To reserve a room, faculty and staff should call the office at ext. 6114, send an e-mail, or complete an Event Application form. The Event Application is mandatory for functions lasting four or more hours.

Coates offers the following tips to facilitate a smoother reservation process:

• Book early!
• Do not announce your event or meeting until a space has been assigned for your use.
• Reserve space only for programs that you are sure will take place.
• Cancel any unneeded reservations to increase space availability for others.
• Be open to using general-purpose classrooms versus traditional meeting rooms.
• Reserve rooms that are appropriately sized for the numbers attending.

"Space is really at a premium right now," said Coates, "but we have a good system in place to find suitable sites on campus and assist with event execution. We're here to work with you."

Faculty and staff are encouraged to take full advantage of E. H. Butler Library, one of the campus's richest resources. Browse the library's holdings of more than a half-million books, or enjoy full-text articles from over 27,000 serials and journals on the library's Web site. Make the most of customized research and instruction services, designed to aid faculty and staff in all facets of their scholarly work—research, teaching, and creative expression.

Library Liaisons
Butler Library's liaison program promotes communication between the library and academic departments. Departmental liaisons share customized, current information about library programs, resources, and services and address faculty members' information needs in person, by e-mail, or by phone. Each academic department has a librarian designated as its liaison.

Library Databases
Faculty and staff enjoy free access to LexisNexis Academic and more than 100 other online databases of business and academic journals, newspapers, encyclopedias, image banks, and other research aids. Many databases provide full-text articles and can be accessed from off campus with a Buffalo State user name and password.

Interlibrary Loan
Most books and journal articles not in the library's holdings can be obtained through ILLiad, Butler's interlibrary loan service. Most articles are delivered electronically. A Buffalo State e-mail account is required for interlibrary loan transactions.

Acquisitions
Faculty and staff may recommend books for the library's collection through the book order form. Contact Gail Marinaccio with questions.

Research Assistance
Librarians provide individualized research assistance to faculty and staff. Research appointments generally last about an hour and are available weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with an occasional evening or weekend. Lead time of at least two business days is usually necessary.

Library Instruction
Faculty may bring classes or groups of students to E. H. Butler Library for instruction in conducting library research. Most library instruction sessions occur during regularly scheduled class time in a computerized classroom located in the library.

Faculty and Staff Exhibits
Butler Library invites faculty and staff to submit their publications or creative works for exhibition in the custom display case in the lower lobby. New this year are two small "showcases," which are ideal for such items as jewelry, small sculptures, paintings, ceramics, or books. Complete the online application form or contact Barbara Vaughan, exhibits committee chair, for more information.

New Faculty
The Information Commons at E. H. Butler Library has composed a quick guide to help new faculty locate the resources to serve all their information and technology needs.

Emeriti Faculty
Buffalo State emeriti faculty continue to enjoy full library privileges. Emeriti use their Buffalo State user names and passwords to check out books and search the online databases from off campus. The library also provides anEmeritus Room for the use of emeriti faculty.

Underground Café
Take a break from your work with a cup of gourmet coffee or tea, a fresh pastry, or a sandwich from theUnderground Café, located in the library's upper lobby.