The College Senate Office would like to inform individuals interested in serving on one, or several of the (8) Senate Standing Committees for the 2008-2009 academic year that the Committee Interest Form is available and writable on the College Senate Web site, http://www.buffalostate.edu/collegesenate. You can go to the Committee page and find the link to the form. Any questions, please call the Senate Office at x5139.

Fiscal year 2008-2009 commenced July 1, 2008, for state-appropriated funds. Budgetary allocations for the campus are in transition this month, and are not at 100 percent levels in all categories, while campus financial plans are being reconciled by SUNY System Administration. We anticipate departmental allocations posting at the account level in late July or early August and will advise account managers accordingly. In the meantime, we ask that account managers be judicious in initiating any purchase requisitions that will be charged to this year’s budget.

Faculty may enter their summer 2008 grades using Banner. The grading window will open on Thursday, July 3rd, at 8:00 a.m. and close on Wednesday, July 9th, at 11:59 p.m. In preparation, faculty are encouraged to logon to Banner, and check to be sure that all of their courses are listed under their account. Detailed documentation is available at www.Buffalostate.edu/banner/faculty.xml and click on Final Grades in Banner. Additional assistance is available by calling BANNER SUPPORT at ext. 3434. If you have questions about grading, please call the Registrar's Office at ext. 4811.

The mileage rate has been increased to 58.5 cents a mile for all business miles driven from July 1, 2008, through Dec. 31, 2008. This is an increase of eight (8) cents from the 50.5 cent rate in effect for the first six months of 2008.

Recycle your electronic media (printer cartridges, CD's, DVD's, tapes, batteries, disks, etc.) in the red bins located in all campus departments; Turn off lights when not needed; Save paper by printing double sided or use single sided paper for scrap; Turn off monitors, speakers, and printer when not in use; Recycle all paper in blue bins; Recycle plastic, glass, and metal in green bins; Use fluorescent or compact fluorescent bulbs in desk lamps; Purchase 100 percent recycled paper and recycled printer cartridges; Where there is no air conditioning, open a window instead of using individual air conditioning.

FIT will host a SUNY-wide COCID-FACT conference on Friday, October 17, 2008 entitled, Design Technology: Catalyst for Creativity. This conference seeks to provide faculty across the curriculum the opportunity to learn about new and emerging design-related technologies and to explore innovative pedagogies that foster creativity in the classroom. They will begin accepting proposals, abstracts and registrations on July 15, 2008. http://www3.fitnyc.edu/COCID/

Warren Hoffman will be retiring from Buffalo State College on Friday, July 11, 2008, after 30 years of service in the Financial Aid Office. We'd like to invite members of the campus community to join us at Classics V on Wednesday, July 9, to help him celebrate a well earned and deserved retirement. Download the invitation here: http://www.buffalostate.edu/financialaid/documents/Invitation.pdf

Come visit the Anthropology Department's Archaeological Field School on Grand Island as part of their Public Archaeology Days, Thursday, June 26, and Friday, June 27! From 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., project director Lisa Marie Anselmi and the field school participants will be on hand to tour visitors around the current excavations and to answer questions relating to the history of Native occupations on Grand Island and basic archaeological techniques.

The Buffalo State College Alumni Association seeks nominations for the 2008 Young Alumnus Achievement Award, which will be presented during Homecoming Weekend on September 19, 2008, and the 2009 Distinguished Alumnus Award, which will be presented at Commencement on Saturday, May 16, 2009.

To all faculty and staff members who occupy a locker in HG 134 (men's) and HG 211 (women's): You must have that locker registered with Vicky Arent in person in Sports Arena 232, or via e-mail at arentvl@buffalostate.edu by Tuesday, July 8.