It’s my pleasure to inform you that Scott Johnson, who has served as interim dean of University College for the last year, has been named the permanent dean.

Scott has been with University College since its inception in 2004, serving first as assistant dean for First-Year and Academic Support Programs. He came to Buffalo State in 1994 as a member of the Criminal Justice faculty, and coordinated the African and African American Interdisciplinary Studies Unit for six years. Scott has participated in Buffalo State’s Achieving Success through Leadership Program and the 2008 Millennium Leadership Initiative of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

Scott has been a vital contributor to University College’s success to date, and he will be an energetic and devoted leader for the program in the years to come. Please join me in congratulating Scott on his new role.

To accommodate electrical upgrades for the campus’s main computer system, the northbound lane of Academic Drive will be closed on Wednesday, June 10. Some parking will be obstructed on either side of Academic Drive, and the sidewalk from Academic Drive to Rockwell Road will be closed. Flagmen will be on hand, however, to maintain traffic in both directions.

Questions about this critical maintenance project can be directed to Robert Yankelunas at (716) 863-7377.

Please refer to www.buffalostate.edu/construction for the latest information about current and upcoming construction.

Continuing electrical work in the data center will affect network connectivity between the hours of 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 10. During this time, you can expect brief periods (less than 5 minutes) in which network services (Web sites, e-mail, Angel, Degree Navigator, Banner, file shares, etc.) are unavailable.

If you have any questions, please contact the Computing Help Desk at 878-4357.

Dear Buffalo State College Community,

I wanted to provide you with an update on the presidential search process. The search committee has selected Academic Search Inc. to serve as its search firm over the coming months. Academic Search—specifically, consultant Dr. Jessica Kozloff—will help the search committee identify and reach out to candidates for the presidency of Buffalo State College.

Academic Search has successfully led presidential searches for many other colleges and universities, including many other state colleges of similar size, mission, and character as Buffalo State. The firm is exclusively dedicated to searches for academic institutions and we have full confidence in their ability to find and attract the best candidates. We look forward to working with Jessica and her colleagues in the months ahead. 

On September 10 and 11, Dr. Kozloff will visit our campus to learn more about Buffalo State and our collective desires and expectations for the next president. Dr. Sharon Cramer is leading our subcommittee to help organize this visit. Once details have been finalized, we will be back in touch with you via e-mail.

Read the complete message.

To improve parking conditions for employees this summer, Lot B-1, adjacent to the Burchfield Penney Art Center, will be made available for faculty and staff use for the duration of the Rockwell Road reconstruction project. From now through the completion of work on Rockwell Road (Saturday, August 15), staff permits will be valid at the meters in Lot B-1.

There are, however, a handful of dates when this lot has been reserved for daylong museum events. On these dates, the lot entrance will clearly be marked “Reserved” and will not be available for staff use.

Lot B-1 will not be available for staff use:
Thursday, June 11
Monday, June 15
Wednesday, June 17
Thursday, June 18
Monday, June 22
Thursday, June 25
Wednesday, July 22

On Monday, August 17, Lot B-1 will revert to a metered visitor lot. We hope the temporary availability of Lot B-1 will be helpful as we undergo campus improvements.

Questions about this project can be e-mailed to VPFM@buffalostate.edu. Please refer to www.buffalostate.edu/construction for the latest information about current and upcoming construction.

Dear Colleagues,

I am delighted to write you this morning on my first official day as chancellor of the State University of New York. Today and the days ahead will be filled with excitement—for me and hopefully for you as well—as we join together to make SUNY the best it can be and a model not only for the nation but for the world.

My eagerness to get started comes with tremendous optimism and also with a great sense of humility. During my career in public higher education as a faculty member, administrator, and campus leader, I have been a SUNY watcher, fan, and admirer. But I am new to New York and to the SUNY system and hope all of you will share your insights, ideas, guidance, and feedback.

I will spend much of the next few months listening and learning as I tour all 64 campuses between now and Labor Day to meet with colleagues, constituencies, and friends in all the communities that SUNY calls home. Rest assured this will be no passive exercise; it is a time of action as we lay the groundwork for a strategic plan that positions SUNY for the era to come.

Public higher education is endowed with a special mission founded on three building blocks—excellence, access, and value. Our mission leads us to great research, great teaching, and great contributions to New York’s economy and quality of life.

I see SUNY as a system filled with wonderful opportunities—to grow and strengthen our academic programs and research, to be an economic engine for the whole state, and to be the best possible steward of our noble public mission as the largest comprehensive public higher education system in the world.

Yes, we face challenges. But those are challenges we can meet together by agreeing that each of us has a great contribution to make in moving SUNY forward. That means collaborating, working in partnership, and sharing our best ideas in the knowledge that SUNY belongs to all of us.

I believe strongly in open, honest, two-way communications. I intend to keep you fully informed as our mutual goals and implementation strategies emerge. I hope you will share with me your thoughts on how we’re doing and your ideas for how we can do better.

All of this is part of a SUNY-wide strategic planning process that begins with these conversations and moves into full gear in September. This will be the most comprehensive and inclusive strategic planning process in the State University’s 60-year history. 

This dialogue with the entire SUNY family starts today with a system-wide webcast at 11:00 a.m. Please join us. You can access the webcast by visiting www.suny.edu and clicking Chancellor Webcasts starting at 11:00 a.m. It will also be posted later today at suny.edu and on YouTube.

Again, let me simply say how honored I am to serve as the 12th chancellor of SUNY and how eager I am to get to work with all of you.

Sincerely,
 
Nancy Zimpher
Chancellor
The State University of New York

As preparation for construction of the new Science and Math Building gets under way, crews will begin installing fencing on Monday, June 1. The fence will surround the field west of the Science Building, including Lot S-2. Lot S-2 will be closed until the completion of Phase 1 of the Science and Math Building project in 2012. This closure will be marked with local signage and is indicated on the parking impacts map.

Additional parking will be constructed on the tennis courts adjacent to Lot R (shown on the parking impacts map). Lot R expansion will accommodate an additional 152 vehicles and should be completed by late August.

Questions about this project can be e-mailed to VPFM@buffalostate.edu. Please refer to www.buffalostate.edu/construction for the latest information about current and upcoming construction.

I am honored to be named Interim President of Buffalo State College, effective August 1, 2009. Appreciation is extended to Chancellor Zimpher and the SUNY Board of Trustees for endorsing the recommendation of the Buffalo State College Council. Messages and words of congratulations from members of the Buffalo State community are also much appreciated.

I know the campus is fully aware and appreciative of the actions by the College Council and Vice Chair Howard Zemsky to finalize the interim appointment and prepare for the presidential search. Discussions are in process regarding assignments and appointments to continue the functions of the Provost and the Academic and Student Affairs Office. We expect to announce these decisions in the next few weeks. Every effort will be made to minimize disruptions to offices and initiatives while ensuring that the leadership roles of the Provost continue.

Buffalo State has many exciting programs and initiatives under way and my goal is to continue the progress and momentum resulting from thirteen years of President Muriel A. Howard’s outstanding leadership. We are well positioned to attract outstanding candidates for the eighth president of Buffalo State. I encourage the college community to be active participants in this search.

I thank you all again for your support.

As part of both the Student Union Quad rehabilitation and an upgrade to Cleveland Hall’s infrastructure, Cleveland Hall’s entire south sidewalk and loading dock will be removed starting Tuesday, May 26.

The brick pavers under the Cleveland Hall overpass will also be removed and replaced. Noise from jackhammering and powered equipment operation is expected to last for four days. Please note that the west and south entrances of Cleveland Hall will be off line until mid-August. Pedestrians should use the north or east entrance. This change is marked with local signage, and is also indicated on the parking impacts map.

Questions about this project can be e-mailed to VPFM@buffalostate.edu. Please refer to www.buffalostate.edu/construction for the latest information about current and upcoming construction.

Starting on Tuesday, May 26, work will get under way on the summer-long transformation of eight Bacon Hall classrooms into smart classrooms. To accommodate the asbestos abatement and demolition phase, the southwest entrance to Bacon Hall and a portion of the second floor corridor will be closed for approximately three weeks.

The hallways outside of classrooms 202 through 211 and classrooms 214 and 215 will not be accessible at this time. The women’s restroom on the second floor will be closed; however, the restrooms on the first and third floors will be available for use. The two north building entrances, the southeast entrance, the hallway outside of suite 227, the elevator, and the second floor men’s restroom will remain accessible.

Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. Questions about this project can be emailed to VPFM@buffalostate.edu. Please refer to www.buffalostate.edu/construction for the latest information about current and upcoming construction.