As of July 1, Buffalo State had not yet received the call letter from SUNY to prepare the university’s financial plan for 2011-2012. Initial allocations for state-appropriated accounts are established in this process and loaded into the SUNY Management Reporting Tool (SMRT) Application. We will advise you when this process has reached the point whereby July 1, 2011 departmental budget allocations can be viewed via the SMRT application.

In the interim, primary managers of State Purpose Fund accounts may view initial allocations for their departmental accounts via the 2011-2012 Budget Development Process files.

Please contact the Budget Office (budgetoffice@buffalostate.edu or ext. 4312) if you have any questions.

Augustina Droze, a visiting mural artist from Los Angeles, will give a presentation of her work and discuss the wall mural project under way next to McKinley High School, 1500 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo. This event will be hosted by Philip Ogle, professor and chair of the Fine Arts Department, and Kathy Shiroki, curator of museum learning and community engagement at the Burchfield Penney Art Center. Ogle is currently teaching a public art/mural painting class whose students are assisting Droze with the mural.

Droze's presentation will be held on Wednesday, July 13, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the conference room at the Burchfield Penney Art Center. All are welcome to attend. For further information, please contact the Fine Arts Department at ext. 6014.

Do you want to quit smoking? Get help from NY Smoke-Free! This program is sponsored by the Employees Assistance Program.

1. Wash your hands and forearms thoroughly before preparing or serving food. Use warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds.

2. Meats must be cooked to the proper temperature to assure safety. Germs such as E. coli and salmonella can still be present in undercooked meats.

3. While the juice color will usually change from red to gray when the meat is fully cooked, it is not a reliable test to assure it is safe to eat.

New York State Employee Assistance Program
Practical help from people you trust

Beginning today, a portion of Rees Street between the Student Apartment Complex and Campus West will be closed to accommodate the construction of a pedestrian crosswalk in that area. This closure is expected to last about two weeks. For more information about this and other construction projects, please visit www.buffalostate.edu/construction. Questions about this undertaking may be emailed to VPFM@buffalostate.edu.

The Tuition Benefits Program provides educational benefits to help employees obtain a college degree, qualify for a promotion, update job skills, start a new career, or prepare for future state workforce needs. Eligible CSEA-represented New York State executive branch employees can apply for only ONE tuition benefit.  Applications must be received by August 12, 2011. Funding is limited and benefits will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Not all applicants will receive a benefit. Any course taken must begin between April 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011 or the employee must be actively participating in the course sometime between these dates.  Applications will be accepted by mail (NYS & CSEA Partnership for Education and Training, Corporate Plaza East-Suite 502, 240 Washington Ave. Extension, Albany, NY 12203), or by fax at (518) 486-1989 or (518) 473-0056.  Educational advisement services are available to CSEA-represented NYS employees by calling (518) 486-7814 or (800) 253-4332.

Faculty, staff, or students who are interested in participating in an experiment about consumer behavior are asked to contact Dan Gaygen, assistant professor in the Business Department, by e-mail or by phone at (716) 878-5326. The experiment is a simple computer task that takes a half hour or less. You must be at least 18 years old. Those who participate will earn either $5.00 or $10.00 depending on the experiment. 

The NASA space shuttle program will embark on its final mission on Friday, July 8, with the launch of flight STS-135. Because of the historic nature of this event—which marks the end of a 30-year era in space travel—the Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium will be showing the launch under its 24-foot dome starting at 10:45 a.m. (Liftoff of the space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled for 11:26 a.m.) Visitors will also be able to view an actual shuttle heat shield tile on loan from NASA. This viewing is open to Buffalo State faculty, staff, students, and the public, so reservations are strongly recommended by e-mailing your name and number of seats to planetarium@buffalostate.edu. If needed, an overflow viewing location will also be set up, so please visit www.fergusonplanetarium.net for updated information.

The deadline to submit applications for the SUNY B-140W Tuition Assistance Program for Summer 2011 sessions is Monday, August 1, 2011. Staff members may apply for tuition assistance after six months of service; faculty members may apply after one semester of service. The following employees are eligible:

• Full-time Buffalo State faculty and professional or classified employees.
• Part-time and/or temporary Buffalo State faculty and professional or classified employees who are employed at least half time (faculty must teach at least two courses in the semester).
• Full-time Research Foundation employees provided they work on the Buffalo State campus.

Program funds may be used for courses at SUNY campuses only. Eligible employees may apply for a 50 percent waiver of SUNY tuition for up to two courses per semester, to a maximum of 15 credit hours per academic year. Tuition assistance is limited to regular in-state undergraduate or graduate tuition rates. The level of support may be adjusted when necessary if funding is not adequate to cover applications received. Contact Human Resources, ext. 4821, or visit the Human Resources web site for applications and program guidelines.
 

The Annual PSC Corn Fest 2011 is scheduled for Wednesday, July 13, from noon to 2:00 p.m. in the Perry Quad. We have planned an exciting event for you!!! This year’s Corn Fest will feature a silent auction with gifts such as a one-hour flying lesson, a one-year membership to the fitness center, free oil changes, dinner certificates, and more!

New this year is the beer and wine tent for $3.00 per ticket, and a 50/50 Raffle! More importantly, this year’s Corn Fest is open to all, including your significant other/spouse and any invited guest over the age of 21. We encourage you to purchase your tickets NOW for $5.00 before the event. At the gate, tickets will be $8.00.

To purchase your tickets, please contact any of the following individuals: Christina Cali (SW420), Stephanie Kindzia (Moot 230), Peg Banak (Butler 315-C), Tricia Jones (SW100), Megan Keogh (GC214), Rachel Link (GC305), Josie Adamo (SW530), Renee Conners (Moot110), Tracy Johnson (SW610), or Jude Jayatilleke (SW620).

For questions, please contact Dr. Tracy P. Johnson at ext. 4226 or Jude Jayatilleke at  ext. 6028, the committee co-chairs this year. Remember, purchase your tickets now and bring your ID and cash for beer and wine.