The Economics and Finance Department will sponsor “Why Occupy Wall Street? A Symposium on Globalization, Unemployment, and International Finance” on Tuesday, November 15, during Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.) in Bulger Communication Center South.

The official U.S. unemployment rate was 9.1 percent in September, while inflation was at 3.9 percent. Globalization has increased the economic integration of national economies over the last 30 years. The current state of the U.S. economy can be characterized as a jobless recovery. The Obama administration is faced with the daunting task of addressing excessively high unemployment in a period with calls for reduction of government debt coming from many sides. In addition, protests have spread throughout the United States and other countries over the increasing evidence of rising income inequality and the perceived culpability of large financial institutions for the housing crisis, the recent recession, the possibility of a second recession, the jobless recovery, and declining expectations. This symposium responds to a number of questions, including the following:

• Why is “Occupy Wall Street” capturing ever-increasing national and international attention?
• What has been the impact of globalization on national economies, particularly on the U.S. labor market?
• How has globalization affected income distribution?
• What is the relationship between recessions and crises in unemployment?
• How has globalization affected debt—personal, national, and international?
• What constraints does globalization place on national unemployment policies?
• What is the future of the American Jobs Act?

Presentations
Susan Davis, Associate Professor of Economics and Finance
“Macro Policy Effectiveness in a Globalized Economy”

Curtis Haynes Jr., Associate Professor of Economics and Finance
“Capital and the Abandoning of the American Working Class”

Victor Kasper, Associate Professor of Economics and Finance
“Are They Just Mean and Greedy? Or Are We Facing a Systemic Crisis of Capitalism?”

Moderator
Ted Byrley, CFA, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Economics and Finance

In step with Governor Cuomo’s official proclamation making the week of November 14–18, 2011, International Education Week in the Empire State, the International Student Affairs Office and the African and African American Studies Interdisciplinary Unit will present and offer stimulating lectures and events during the week.

Throughout the week, individuals will give presentations on many aspects of the world today including academic, historical, political, and financial prospects connecting the past, present, and future. In addition, international students and scholars will be involved in several events where they will interact with their American counterparts in positive educational ways.

The key and award-winning African films Sankofa and Shake Hands with the Devil will be shown on Tuesday, November 15, and Wednesday, November 16, respectively.

For detailed information on the weeklong program, as well as on the African and African American Studies Interdisciplinary Unit and the International Student Affairs Office, please visit the websites below:

www.buffalostate.edu/internationalstudentaffairs/documents/intweek2011.pdf

www.buffalostate.edu/africanamericanstudies

www.buffalostate.edu/internationalstudentaffairs/x511.xml

The Buffalo State College Great Lakes Center invites you to an open house and information session on Wednesday, November 30, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. in Science Building 250. We will present the Great Lakes Center’s annual report for 2010–2011, report our progress on the Great Lakes Center’s graduate programs, and discuss potential projects and ideas for the future at the center.

This discussion will be informal, and presentations will be oral and visual. Refreshments will be served. Faculty, staff, and students are welcome!

Please mark your calendars to join us. Hope to see you there.

In our interest to remain compliant with the Office of the New York State Comptroller and SUNY’s rules and regulations, Buffalo State College requires the use of lodging per diem rates set by the U.S. General Services Administration when using Method 2 travel.

It is imperative to use lodging that is within the per diem rates, and every effort should be made to stay within them. Hotels will often agree to honor the national per diem rates when individuals call and identify themselves as government employees, even when the hotels do not advertise such a rate on the Internet or elsewhere.

Exceptions to the Lodging Per Diem Policy can arise, however. One exception in which the per diem rates do not apply to campus employees is when the lodging is in the same hotel that hosts the conference or event (no written exception is needed in this case; however, documentation that shows proof is required).

Another exception may exist when the conference or event is not held in a hotel (or the hosting hotel is booked), and no area hotels will honor the lodging per diem rates. If these two situations coincide, please research the rates of at least four area hotels and choose the lowest priced (unless it can be documented that additional costs beyond the hotel rate, such as travel, would cost more in total). Document the hotels you researched and the rates of each, indicate that you identified yourself to the hotels as a government employee requesting a per diem rate, and document any other pertinent information. Submit this documentation along with a written request for an exception to the Lodging Per Diem Policy to your supervisor and the Accounts Payable and Travel Services Office. This request must be approved by a supervisor and Travel Services. Again, the research documentation is crucial in this process, as it must be kept on file for possible audit testing.

If you have any questions concerning this policy or its exceptions, please call the Accounts Payable and Travel Services Office at ext. 4117.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination in education. Most people understand Title IX only in terms of its application to gender equity in athletics; however, Title IX extends protections against discrimination to educational environments. These protections are not just for students. Faculty and staff are covered by the protections of Title IX as well. A more detailed understanding of your protections under Title IX at Buffalo State is available on the Equity and Campus Diversity website: www.buffalostate.edu/equity/x826.xml.

Need to grab a quick bite to eat on the go? Then Outtakes Quick Cuisine is the one-stop shop for you! Outtakes is conveniently located in the Campbell Student Union lobby. Here, you will find crisp fresh salads, delicious deli subs, healthy parfaits and fruit cups, Grandma’s Bakery treats, chips, candy, cold beverages, and much more. Hours of operation are 7:30 a.m.–midnight.

For more information on Outtakes Quick Cuisine or any Buffalo State Dining location, visit www.dineoncampus.com/bsc.

The Buffalo State College student chapter of the Club Managers Association of America announces its first Thanksgiving pie sale. Order apple, pumpkin, cherry, or chocolate. Pies are $12 each or two pies for $20.

Call chapter vice president Dan Cycon at (716) 316-4651 to place your order by Thursday, November 17.

Orders must be picked up on Tuesday, November 22, between 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in Caudell Hall 118.

Every day this week, Buffalo State Dining will be offering a WOW Deal of the Day!

Monday, November 14
Buy any sushi pack from Bluw (located in the Student Union Food Court) and get a free Vietnamese coffee when you use your Dining Dollars or Bengal Bucks.

Tuesday, November 15
Buy any pasta dish from 2.mato (located in the Student Union Food Court) and get a free 20-ounce fountain beverage when you use your Dining Dollars or Bengal Bucks.

Wednesday, November 16
Wear your favorite Buffalo State College gear to Smashed Burger (located in the Student Union Food Court) and get a free side of curly fries with the purchase of a double or triple burger when you use your Dining Dollars or Bengal Bucks.

Thursday, November 17
Buy a dozen wings from the Strip (located in the Student Union Food Court) and get three wings free when you use your Dining Dollars or Bengal Bucks.

Friday, November 18
Buy any Chop’d Creation Salad from Chop'd (located in the Student Union Food Court) and get a free breadstick when you use your Dining Dollars or Bengal Bucks.

Monday–Friday, November 14–18
Buy any Grandma's Bakery item from Tim Hortons (located in the Sports Arena) and get a free small fresh brewed coffee when you use your Dining Dollars or Bengal Bucks.

All WOW Deal purchases must be made with Dining Dollars or Bengal Bucks. WOW Deals are redeemable only on the specified day of promotion. 

To keep up with the latest deals and for information on adding Dining Dollars or Bengal Bucks to your account, visit www.dineoncampus.com/bsc.

January Term 2012 (201205) is a stand-alone term that begins on Tuesday, January 3, and ends on Friday, January 20, 2012. To access the master schedule in Banner or class roster, you will need to select January Term 2012. Additional information on “J-Term” can be found at www.buffalostate.edu/jterm.xml.

Computing and Technology Services will be updating faculty and staff Windows devices on Monday, November 14, at approximately 4:15 a.m. The Chrome browser will be installed on these devices to give faculty and staff an alternative to Internet Explorer (IE) for those sites for which IE is not recommended. If you are assigned a campus-owned Windows laptop, please see http://buffalostate.edu/cts/chromefaq.xml for more information. Please contact the Computing Help Desk, ext. 4357, with questions.