University Police would like to remind faculty and staff to lock their office doors to help deter the theft of personal and college property. Recent reports of attempted larcenies or burglaries on campus have revealed that office doors were either left wide open or unlocked at the time of the attempted theft. UPD suggests that you always close and lock your door whenever you leave your office, even if you are only going down the hall.

In addition, UPD offers these theft prevention tips:

-Keep small valuable items (jewelry, cash, wallets, purses, etc.) out of sight, in a closed or locked drawer or another area, that no one knows about.

-Never leave personal valuables sitting out and take your purse or wallet with you when you exit the office, unless it has been placed in a locked secure area.

-Small electronics such as iPods, mp3 players, cell phones, thumb drives, and laptops are easily taken by thieves and must be secured.

If you see any unusual activity, please contact UPD at 878-6333.

As a reminder, according to Buffalo State policy, students unable to attend classes on certain days because of religious beliefs shall be excused from attendance, examination, study, or work requirements on a particular day or days. It is the responsibility of faculty to make available to each student who is absent because of his or her religious beliefs opportunity to make up work missed on these days.

The policy also prohibits administering evaluative examinations on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Good Friday. (See page 34 of the 2007-2009 Undergraduate Catalog or the Equity and Campus Diversity Office Web site for the full policy.)

For your information, Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset September 29, 2008 and ends at sunset October 1.

Yom Kippur begins at sunset October 8, 2008 and ends at sunset October 9.

Good Friday is April 10, 2009.

In addition, some students have religious obligations and special dietary restrictions during Ramadan which is observed August 31, 2008 through September 29.

Students are encouraged to discuss their needs with faculty in advance so that appropriate accommodations can be made for work or assignments that are missed.

As part of our ongoing campus safety initiatives, the Buffalo State College Annual Security Report has been updated and is available for download by visiting the University Police Web site or by clicking on this link (PDF, 102KB). Any questions regarding the Annual Security Report can be directed to the chief of University Police at (716) 878-6333.

To accommodate the continuing work on the college’s new electrical substation, Tower Dorm Road (the entrance roadway from Iroquois Drive to Lots S-1 and S-2) will be closed Monday and Friday mornings, September 12 and 15. Lots S-1 and S-2 will remain open with access provided via the driveway near the west end of Moore Complex and the Towers.
 
Flagmen will be on hand to facilitate this temporary closure. Your continued understanding is appreciated. For any questions, please contact Campus Services at ext. 6111.

The Burchfield Penney Art Center is holding a special event Friday, September 5, afternoon. To accommodate the many guests who will be coming to campus, the following parking lots will be closed all day Friday: Ketchum (lot B); Rockwell Road from the beginning of Ketchum to the end of Moot (lot A); and the lot behind Rockwell Hall (lot X) to both metered and staff parking. Please be aware of this and plan accordingly. Thank you for accommodating our guests.

As part of continuing work on the college's electrical substation project, Lot S, the 12-space lot at the north end of Upton Hall, will be unavailable for two weeks starting Monday, August 25.

Inquiries can be made to campus services at ext. 6111. Thank you for your understanding as we move forward with this critical campus project.

Tomorrow and Saturday, August 22 and 23, are Move-in Days for residential students. To facilitate the move-in for our students and their families, some parking lots near dorms will be reserved for use by students who are moving into the dorms and will not be available for faculty, staff, and students. The following lots will be used for move-in activity on both days:

Lot A-1 (Rockwell Road, north and south sides) from Cleveland Circle Drive west to the entrance of lots F/ F-1 and G.

Lot D (Academic Drive) except parking spaces designated for persons with disabilities

Lot D-1

University Police officers and Residence Life staff will be available to direct students and their families. Thank you for your cooperation.

Grades were not posted in Banner as planned on Wednesday. The campus will be notified when summer grades have been posted. Check for updates on the Banner System of Record Cutover Web page.

Submitted by: Don F. Erwin, Information Services and Systems

The Banner system of record cutover is still underway and current efforts are focused on making summer grades available to students via Self Service Banner. Grade processing should happen today. Barring any complications, grades should be viewable online on Thursday, August 21. Students will be able to see their summer 2008 grades through a new item on the student Self Service Banner (SSB) menu called Student Records. Grade mailers will no longer be sent to students. Please direct students to Banner to see their summer 2008 grades once grades are posted.

Banner INB will be available to all departments after the grading process has been completed. Banner users will receive a notification when it is available.

Remember that STARS is no longer available.

Look for updates on the Banner System of Record Cutover Web page.

The University Police Department, working with the Buffalo Fire Department, will conduct an Emergency Response Training drill on campus today, August 19. The drill will include a mock fire in Cassety Hall using fog machines to simulate smoke. The fire alarm in Cassety Hall will sound at approximately 11:00 a.m. alerting everyone to evacuate the building for about an hour to accommodate the training. Buildings in close proximity to Cassety Hall—Upton Hall, Bulger Communication Center, and the Campbell Student Union—may be affected. For this training exercise, you may see fire trucks, police action, smoke, and actors portraying victims in the area of Cassety Hall. Do not be alarmed. This is a simulated event.

The goal of this exercise is to train first responders in the event of a fire, shooting, terrorist attack, or other critical incident on campus. We are fortunate to have University Police and other trained support staff on campus, an ongoing partnership with the Buffalo Fire Department, and a continually updated and tested Emergency Response Plan.

During the training drill, the Buffalo State Web site will feature a modified look and contain information pertaining to this emergency exercise.

If you have questions, please call University Police at ext. 6333.