From the Chair of the College Senate
The final meeting of the College Senate for the spring semester will be held at 2:00 p.m. Friday, May 14, in Classroom Building C122. Please note the earlier start time. The Senate caucus begins at 12:30 p.m., just before the Senate meeting, for the election of new officers for 2010–2011.
From the Interim Provost
The 11th annual Faculty and Staff Research and Creativity Fall Forum will be held on Thursday, October 28, in the Houston Gym. The goal of this forum is to develop, encourage, and support Buffalo State College faculty and staff research and creativity, and to make collaborative research endeavors and grantsmanship more accessible. This is an excellent opportunity to network with other Buffalo State faculty and staff and to identify common scholarly and creative interests that you may have.
All faculty and staff are invited to organize an exhibit to present current research, creative activity, or other scholarship. Individual, departmental, or group exhibits are welcome.
To participate, please complete the online form. Titles and abstracts/descriptions are to be submitted electronically by Friday, September 24.
Please visit the Fall Forum Web page on the Research Foundation’s Web site for more information.
From the Interim Provost
Faculty and staff are cordially invited to participate in our 23rd annual Academic Convocation on Thursday, September 16, at 12:15 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. Convocation is an important tradition on our campus; we celebrate learning and excellence in commencing a new academic year and recognize colleagues who are recipients of SUNY and Buffalo State awards.
This year’s convocation address will be given by Immaculée Ilibagiza, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Soon after her release from nearly 100 days in hiding, Ilibagiza secured a job with the United Nations. In 1998, she immigrated to the United States, where she continued her work with the U.N.
In March 2006, she published Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust (Hay House), which quickly became a New York Times bestseller. She has appeared in numerous media outlets, including 60 Minutes, CNN, EWTN, the Al Jazeera Network, the New York Times, USA Today, and Newsday, and was recently featured in Michael Collopy’s Architects of Peace project, which has honored such legendary figures as Mother Teresa, Jimmy Carter, Nelson Mandela, and the Dalai Lama.
Ilibagiza’s horrific but inspiring personal journey was the model for the Buffalo State Theater Department’s production of the Anne Frank Project, produced in 2006 and directed by Drew Kahn, professor and chair of the Theater Department. Her visit to campus will coincide with the Anne Frank Project 2010, and her address to the campus community, which will reflect on what it means to be a citizen of the world, will also help us recognize and celebrate Constitution Day, which falls on September 17.
More information on Ilibagiza can be found atwww.immaculee.com, andwww.theannefrankproject.com.
As in the past, we look forward to your participation in the academic processional. A response form can be found on the Academic Affairs Web site. If you plan to participate, please complete the form and return it to the Academic and Student Affairs Office, Cleveland Hall 519, by Tuesday, August 31. If you need academic attire, rentals are available through the Barnes and Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore.
All respondents will be contacted with directions for the formation of the academic procession. A reception immediately following the convocation is planned. Please contact Carolyn Martino, assistant to the provost, 878-5903, with questions regarding this event.
From the Interim Provost
Critique and Evaluation Period (CEP) for spring 2010 will take place on Monday, May 10; Tuesday, May 11; Wednesday, May 12; and Thursday, May 13. A study day will be held on Friday, May 7.
The purpose of CEP is to provide a single class meeting during which faculty and students have an extended period of uninterrupted time to conduct appropriate end-of-course activities. CEP is designed for classes that meet more than once a week during the semester. Classes (evening or day) that meet only once a week have sufficient time for final evaluation; therefore, they follow their regular schedules (exams to be scheduled duringCEP week and not before).
The following regulations govern CEP:
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:
Program Revisions:
B.A. Political Science (0722), BA-NS-PSC
B.S. Mechanical Engineering Technology (0832), BS-SP-MET
Minor in Art Therapy (1006), ATH
New Courses:
DMP 221 Introduction to Sound Recording and Reinforcement
DMP 350 Electronic Music Composition I
EDU 646 Literacy Leadership
MUS 349 West African Drumming Ensemble
MUS 625 Curriculum and Assessment
MUS 640 Research Methods in Music Education
New Course and Intellectual Foundations Designation:
ARTS
MUS 290 Philharmonia Orchestra
Course Revisions:
DMP 321 Recording Techniques
EDU 535 Teaching Writing B–12
EDU 643 Teaching Strategies for Students with Reading Difficulties
EDU 647 Practicum in Reading
Course Revisions and Intellectual Foundations Designations:
ORAL COMMUNICATION
EDU 404 Practicum in Elementary Teaching for Exceptional Education and Middle School Ext Students
THA 350 Directing I
By Mary A. Durlak
While many American economists are looking east, Ted P. Schmidt, associate professor of economics and finance, has been looking south. “Latin America is a growing economic power,” he said, “and, taken as a group, its countries will be competitive with China and India.”
Schmidt planned to further his research as well as complete and submit four articles for publication during his sabbatical in spring 2009. He met his goal for publications, but the focus of his research changed when Alfredo Castillo Polanco, professor of economics and business at the University of Quintana Roo in Chetumal, Mexico, suggested they establish a joint research program on international financial issues.
Schmidt visited Quintana Roo in April 2009 and, along with initiating the research project, presented “The Public-Private Investment Program: An Assessment of the U.S. Treasury’s Plan to Reduce Banks’ Toxic Assets.”
The two economists met in 2006 when Castillo visited Buffalo State as part of an effort to expand international opportunities between the two institutions. In 2007, Schmidt traveled to Quintana Roo to take part in its third annual Colloquium on Small Business. The first article they coauthored, “Exchange Rate Regimes and the Impact of the Global Crisis on Emerging Economies,” will appear in Heterodox Analyses of Financial Crises and Reform, to be published by Edward Elgar in 2010.
That research sparked an ongoing interest in finding ways to measure and predict the performance of the developing economies in Latin America. “You can’t analyze Latin American economies the same way you study Asia or the EU,” said Schmidt. Many Latin American countries rely on exporting natural resources such as oil or copper, unlike Asian countries that export manufactured goods; and Latin American governments are more likely to either nationalize the resources or to be heavily involved in negotiating their export and sale than are European governments.
Schmidt and Castillo are currently developing a model to examine their ideas, and they have two working papers in progress, including “A Post-Keynesian Theory of Savings” that challenges orthodox economic theories about saving and spending. Schmidt’s work in Mexico also provides him with an opportunity to improve his Spanish, which he began to study in 2007. “I want to be able to understand the everyday general conversation and newspapers in Latin America and someday apply for a Fulbright,” he said. He also agreed to be co-editor of an online journal that Quintana Roo will launch in fall 2010, relating to its annual colloquium on small-business development.
Schmidt finds his role in the colloquium satisfying. “It’s both academic and hands-on,” he said. “Some of the people there are small-business owners who need to understand the global economy to succeed.” He will attend the sixth annual conference in October.
During his sabbatical, Schmidt wrote two articles that were published in Artvoice, an alternative weekly newspaper in Buffalo. “Economists who don’t subscribe to the mainstream economic theories need to get their message across especially after the market collapse and bank failures of 2008,” said Schmidt. He has become an advocate of using the Web, too, and wrote an editorial to that effect in the online publication Heterodox Economics Newsletter, which he co-edits.
He also took part in a Buffalo State campus panel discussion about the global economic crisis that was sponsored by the Economics and Finance Department on campus in April 2009, and helped plan the successful fourth biennial Cross-Border Post-Keynesian Conference, held in October 2009 at the Burchfield Penney Art Center.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Read previous Focus on Sabbatical stories:
Felix Armfield
Lisa Berglund
Betty Cappella
Ann Colley
Daniel Cunningham
Michael De Marco
Rob Delprino
Ellen Friedland
Mark Fulk
Musa Abdul Hakim
Katherine Hartman
David Henry
Susan Leist
Andrew Nicholls
Wendy Paterson
M. Stephen Pendleton
Stephen Phelps
Jean Richardson
John Song
Carol Townsend
Jonathan Thornton
Aimable Twagilimana
Mark Warford
Michael Zborowski
By Jerod Dahlgren
For the second year in a row, Buffalo State College engineering technology students and faculty earned national honors in the Compressed Air and Gas Institute’s (CAGI) Innovation Awards Contest.
Buffalo State took second place in the industry-sponsored, invitation-only design competition, beating out entries from Virginia Tech University and Georgia Institute of Technology.
The CAGI contest challenged students from colleges and universities across the country to create innovative designs for machine tool applications, motion control devices, and consumer products using compressed air as the power source. The projects were judged in three areas: innovation, marketability, and presentation.
Buffalo State’s entry, “Onboard Vehicle Compression Storage System,” utilized a double-acting cylinder to capture and store green energy from a vehicle’s suspension system.
Mechanical engineering technology program students Brad Wargula, Kenny Stafford, Matt Geil, Jason Zaepfel, Sara Ward, and Miles Williamson shared the $1,500 prize. Faculty adviser David Kukulka, professor of technology, received $4,000 on behalf of Buffalo State’s mechanical engineering technology program. The team was sponsored by Cameron Compression Systems and industry mentor Edward Czechowski, ’95, ’97.
By Mary A. Durlak
Students have a brief opportunity for a little rest and relaxation at the end of classes and before the start ofCEP with Relaxation Night on Thursday, May 6, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. “We’ve reserved the entire Student Union that evening to give students a chance to unwind and prepare themselves mentally for finals,” said Tammy Kresge, coordinator for health promotion with the Weigel Health Center.
Kresge’s job is to promote student wellness, and she focuses on three main areas: avoiding alcohol, other drugs, and violence; nutrition and health, including stress relief; and personal and sexual health. “The end of the semester is a very stressful time for students,” she said. “Reducing stress is essential for students to do well on their exams.”
Students face many time-related stressors at the end of the semester. Most papers and projects are due the last week of class, and exam week has many students pulling all-nighters. “But it’s not just academic stress,” said Kresge. “Students have formed new relationships that are interrupted by the summer break, and that’s a very important issue to them. People who live in the residence halls are moving, leaving behind friends and freedom to return to their parents’ home. And because money is a major issue for many students, landing a summer job is essential if they want to return in the fall.”
Hence Relaxation Night. The Assembly Hall will become the Movin’ and Groovin’ Room, where belly-dancing and kickboxing will be offered. “We’re offering a mocktail tiki bar, music, and a deejay in the Social Hall,” said Kresge. “We’ll have Rock Band competitions in the Game Room.” The Fireside Lounge will become a spa, with chair massages, mini-manicures, and a tea station. A drum circle will also take place.
This semester, Relaxation Night is a collaborative event sponsored by Health Promotions, Student Life, Orientation, the Residence Hall Association, and United Students Government. “Collaborating allows us to pool our resources and provide more activities,” said Kresge, noting that more than 150 students had already confirmed attendance as of April 26.
Kresge believes this face-to-face event provides students with an important alternative to Web-based interactions. “Sometimes I think that social media like Facebook and Twitter make it hard for students to avoid people and situations that have become difficult,” she said. “On May 6, students will have a chance to get together, chill, and celebrate with other people who are sharing the same excitement and challenges.”
Students experience stress all year long, and Kresge uses many other campus resources to help students cope. The Academic Skills Center is a resource for students struggling academically; Financial Aid tries to help students with financial problems; and the Career Development Center is a resource for students who need jobs. For students who are experiencing emotional stress, Kresge recommends they visit the Counseling Center.
From the Chair of the Senate Curriculum Committee
CORRECTION APPENDED
Advanced to the Senate Curriculum Committee
The following have been received in the College Senate Office and forwarded to the Senate Curriculum Committee for review and approval:
New Course:
PAD 735 Management Practices in Public and Nonprofit Sectors. Prerequisite: 6 credits of PAD courses or instructor permission. Public and nonprofit management and organizational theories, policies, and practices. History of public and nonprofit management systems; public and nonprofit organizational structures; distinctions and similarities in mission, values, and cultures. Effective management and leadership in public and nonprofit organizations; the political environment, power, and policy affecting public and nonprofit management; organizational goals and effectiveness; planning, strategy, and decision making in the public and nonprofit sectors.
Course Revision:
AAS 499 Independent Study. Prerequisite: Any AAS required course or instructor permission. A substantial research project in Africana studies.
Course Revision with Intellectual Foundations Designation:
HUMANITIES and DIVERSITY
AAS 100 Introduction to Africana Studies. Critical and systematic study of the historical and contemporary thought and experiences of continental and diasporan African peoples. Overview of the social, political, and economic forces that shaped and continue to affect continental and diasporan African experiences. Contemporary issues affecting Africans, African Americans, and other people of African descent in the world.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Advanced to the Interim President
The following have been approved by the Senate Curriculum Committee and forwarded to the interim president for review and approval:
New Course:
PSC 399 Research Skills
New Course with Intellectual Foundations Designation:
WORLD CIVILIZATIONS
ANT 306 Peoples of Asia
Course Revisions with Intellectual Foundations Designations:
ORAL COMMUNICATION
MED 407 Student Teaching of Mathematics in Junior High/Middle School
NON-WESTERN CIVILIZATIONS
PSC 340 Politics of Developing Countries
Course Revision, Intellectual Foundations Designation, and Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Designation:
ORAL COMMUNICATION
PSC 470W Senior Seminar
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Correction: March 10
The original version of this announcement, published March 4, incorrectly recorded MED 407 and PSC 340 as WAC designations. They are IF designations only.
From the Chair of the Senate Curriculum Committee
The deadline for all course and program proposal submissions is Monday, March 15. Any submission received after that date will not be reviewed until fall 2010.
All technical issues with SharePoint are handled, via Neil Palmer in Computing and Technology Services, at 878-4611. The Senate Office does not handle SharePoint technical problems. If you need to add a person/party to the workflow for your process, please notify Palmer.
When submitting a course on SharePoint, the blue routing form must be signed by the dean/associate dean and delivered to the Senate Office in order for it to be forwarded to the Bulletin editor and to the Curriculum Committee for review. Programs are not submitted via SharePoint. They will continue to be submitted via hard copy to the Senate Office and e-files sent to the Senate Office.
Curriculum course archival folders will be added to SharePoint (by Neil Palmer) for all departments. These folders are strictly for old or current courses, not for newly submitted courses. This will begin the archival process that the Senate Curriculum Committee has brought forth as a resolution to the College Senate, and also will eliminate these documents as TASK items.