The NYS Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) Dependent Eligibility Verification Project has begun. If you had NYSHIP FAMILY coverage as of February 1, 2009, you should have received information sent to your home this spring by the NYS Department of Civil Service (Employee Benefits Division) and Budco Health Services Solution to verify eligibility of all dependents on your plan as of February 1, 2009.

It is very important that you immediately read all materials you received and follow the instructions by the stated deadlines. Failure to document eligibility of all dependents  in a timely manner may result in loss of the dependent(s) coverage and you may be responsible for repaying all claims paid under NYSHIP.

This is an independent audit being conducted by Budco Health Services Solution on behalf of the NYS Department of Civil Service. The Employee Benefits Office is unable to participate in this audit. All questions concerning this project and the materials sent must be directed Budco at 1-888-358-2196. For more information about the project, please visit http://www.cs.state.ny.us/nyshipeligibilityproject/overview.cfm

Buffalo State hosted representatives from three top higher education marketing firms in March (via the RFP process) who presented their proposals to assist the college in developing its brand platform strategy. Through participation and attendance over six sessions, more than 100 faculty, staff, and students contributed feedback and evaluated the proposals.

Stamats Inc. in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been selected as Buffalo State’s education consultant, and Beatrice Szalas will serve as the college’s point person. Tim Walsh, associate vice president for college relations, is leading the project for the college.

Cognizant of the tight time frame before students, faculty, and staff leave for the summer, College Relations has arranged for Stamats’ team members to come to campus on May 6 and 7 for a project planning meeting and campus visit. Over the two days, Stamats will conduct interviews and group discussions with students, faculty, administration, alumni, donors, and community leaders. A project planning meeting with Buffalo State’s brand development team will also be held to discuss vision, mission, core values, and strategic direction and determine how they will influence and inform the brand strategy.

Key campus stakeholders and constituent groups of students, administrators, faculty, and staff will be invited to engage via small groups to discuss Buffalo State College, providing insight into the heart of who are we, what we stand for, and what we promise and deliver to students. It is our turn to tell the Buffalo State story, with the end goal of establishing strong brand position statements and strategies for future campuswide endeavors.

The following open forums will be held in E. H. Butler Library 210:

For All Faculty and Staff Members
Wednesday, May 6
2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 7
9:00 to 10:00 a.m.

For All Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Wednesday, May 6
3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 7
10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

For more information, contact Tim Walsh, ext. 4201.

Buffalo State College has embarked on an ambitious roster of capital projects that will result in nearly $350 million of new projects and improvements to campus by 2014.

During this exciting period of upgrades and development to our campus, please visit www.buffalostate.edu/construction for all construction updates, advisories, and information.  Additionally, visitors to the page will find a capital project photo gallery and summer parking map. Starting Monday, May 18, please direct visitors to this map as construction will begin to impact existing parking lots.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared a public health emergency on Sunday as a precautionary response to a potential outbreak of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus, or swine flu. While President Obama said the declaration is “not a cause for alarm,” Buffalo State College is monitoring the situation and will maintain regular contact with local and regional departments of public health. It is important to note that there have been no documented cases of swine flu on campus or in Western New York.

Additional information on swine flu is available on the CDC Web site.

The New York State Department of Health has set up a Web site and toll-free number, (800) 808-1987, for New York State residents who have questions or concerns. The campus community may also call the Weigel Health Center at (716) 878-6711 for further assistance.

The following are general guidelines for staying healthy from the CDC:

–Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
–Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also effective.
–Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, the most direct route for the spread of germs.
–Try to avoid close contact with sick people. Influenza is thought to spread mainly from person to person through the coughing or sneezing of infected people.
–If you get sick, stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Students who become seriously ill should go to the Weigel Health Center, and faculty and staff should see their physicians.

International travelers are advised to consult CDC Travel Notices for updated recommendations.

Buffalo State College regularly tests and reviews its extensive Emergency Response Plan, including exercises regarding public health emergencies.

Jill A. Powell, senior assistant to the vice president for finance and management, will serve as the records access officer for Buffalo State College. She will be responsible for responding on behalf of the college to all requests made under the Freedom of Information law. Ms. Powell can be reached at ext. 4311 or via e-mail at powellja@buffalostate.edu.

The search committee for dean of University College and associate vice president for undergraduate education invites the campus community to a presentation by Scott Johnson, candidate for the position, today, Monday, April 27, from noon to 1:00 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center South 2. Dr. Johnson has been serving as interim dean of University College since June 2008. All are welcome to attend.

In order to accommodate the ongoing upgrade to campus electrical systems, planned power interruptions will take place in various buildings during the weeks of May 18 and May 25. In general, these shutdowns will begin at 5:00 p.m. and will last for various lengths of time—though no later than 9:00 a.m. the following morning. Building alarm systems are planned to be sustained with generators.

Information about actual dates and buildings affected will be announced in the Daily as soon as it is available. Questions can be directed to Campus Services at ext. 6111. Thank you for your understanding as we move forward with this critical project.

I thought I would include the Q & A I had with the Buffalo News, since most of it did not make it into the paper, as is so often the case:

Q. What happens next? Will an interim president be appointed?

A. We have a strong team at Buffalo State College. You can imagine that after 13 years of stable quality leadership, that would be the case. We are going to move thoughtfully but expeditiously. We expect you can measure in weeks and not months the amount of time it will take us to announce an interim president.

Q. Who would be on the search committee?
A. The college community for us includes students, faculty, staff, administration, foundation board, Alumni Association, and College Council. I expect they would all have at least one representative, and in some cases more than that, on the search committee. Additionally, we will work collaboratively with the SUNY Board of Trustees and, of course, the new chancellor, Nancy Zimpher.

Q. Don’t you technically have to recommend a candidate to SUNY trustees for approval?
A. Yes, my understanding is that the search committee makes recommendations to the College Council, which in turn makes recommendations to the SUNY Board of Trustees. We will all be in regular communication throughout the process, working collaboratively, so I wouldn’t expect any surprises along the chain of command, so to speak.

This letter is getting lengthy, but I believe it’s an important beginning to communications. We need you to be informed and engaged throughout this process. Buffalo State College depends on all of our many vital constituencies for our success and for our future. If we have a collaborative, considered, participatory process without surprises, we will be successful in attracting top talent. The quality of our search process will say a lot about our college and our leadership. Top talent will be able to assess our professionalism and our inclusiveness in short order, and they will be drawn to a professional process.

If you are reading this as a student, I want to say that in my opinion, Buffalo State College, and everyone I have met during my years of involvement here, is focused on the student experience, on the quality of our education, and on the important life experience our college provides. You, the students, are without question the top priority for everyone concerned and involved.

Howard Zemsky
Vice Chairman, Buffalo State College Council

Dear Members of the Buffalo State College Community:

I am delighted to inform you that the State University of New York (SUNY) Board of Trustees has affirmed our recommendation of Provost Dennis K. Ponton as interim president, effective August 1, 2009, when Dr. Howard officially becomes president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).

Additionally, I would like to encourage you to attend the town hall meeting being held by the College Council today, May 13, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. in Warren Enters Theatre. This open forum is a wonderful opportunity for all members of the college community to provide input about the qualities they think are important in a new president.  

As always, thank you for your ongoing support. I hope to see you at the town hall meeting.

Howard Zemsky
Vice Chair, Buffalo State College Council

The Emergency Response Planning Group and University Police will conduct a test of the college’s new emergency alert horn tomorrow, Thursday, April 2, at 1:00 p.m. Most people on campus will hear a series of six very loud 10-second horn blasts over a two-minute period, emanating from the central heating plant.

Thirty minutes before the horn blasts, at 12:30 p.m., the college will issue a campuswide test of the NY-Alert emergency communication system. At this time, all students, faculty, and staff who have registered with the service will receive a test alert via text message, automated phone message, e-mail, or fax.

Assistance from the campus community is critical in evaluating the horn’s effectiveness. After the test, please e-mail ERPG@buffalostate.edu (preferred) or leave voice mail at 878-3700 to report where you were (building and room if indoors; campus location if outdoors) when the horn sounded, and rate the sound on a scale of zero (undetectable) to 5 (deafening).

In a real emergency, the horn will sound three times in full one-minute blasts, separated by 15-second silent intervals. In such an emergency, immediately seek shelter and wait for further instructions communicated via NY-Alert, e-mail, www.buffalostate.edu, or verbal instructions from a university police officer.
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Faculty and staff may register for NY-Alert through the SUNY employee portal. Students can register through BANNER. 

Thank you for your assistance with this critical emergency notification system.