Do you have some thoughts for making Buffalo State a more vibrant institution? Let's get together and discuss some ideas for "process improvements," a phrase coined by Enrollment Management. Come to the Professional Development Center, E. H. Butler Library 181 on Tuesday, February 22, at noon. Bring your lunch and let's speak about "process improvements!" R.S.V.P. to woodruom@buffalostate.edu. Snacks and drinks provided.

The Budget Office is offering the following workshops for the spring semester: Budget Development Process Training for Department Chairpersons and Directors; SMRT Application; and Position Release Form.

Additional information and registration specifics can be found at http://bscintra.buffalostate.edu/registration/default.asp

New managers, or those who want to take a refresher session, may want to sign up. Thank you.

In celebration of Black History Month, the African and African American Studies Interdisciplinary Unit (School of Natural and Social Sciences) invites the Buffalo State community to a lecture by photojournalist Brendon Bannon, Friday, February 25,  noon to 1:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center Auditorium. The event is free and open to the community.

Bannon, founder of Daily Dispatches, has worked in Kenya (where his project is based), South Sudan, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Tanzania, Congo, India, and other countries. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Christian Science Monitor, the Daily Telegraph, the Independent, and other well known papers.

There's still time to register for Community of Science (COS) Scholar Universe training, Thursday, February 24, at 9:30 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. The 90-minute session, conducted by a COS training specialist, will demonstrate how to edit faculty profiles and identify experts for collaboration in support of your research activities. A key part of the training will focus on the Scholar Universe database which houses faculty profiles including  how to view and edit your own. Read more. E-mail rfcommunication@rf.buffalostate.edu to register.

The Philharmonia Pops concert scheduled for Wednesday, March 16, at the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall has been canceled.

During Presidents Week, February 23–25, the Admissions Office will be hosting the 2011 Class Visit Program. This annual program is an invitation-only event for high school seniors that have been accepted to Buffalo State College.

The program involves students sitting in on classes with current Buffalo State students. While students are in class, parents who attend will participate in a Q&A panel discussion involving representatives from Financial Aid, University Police Department, University College, the Career Development Center, and Residence Life.

These activities will culminate in a campus tour. In recent years, greater than 60 percent of students paid a tuition deposit to the college. This year we will host approximately 200 students and parents.

This event is sponsored by the Admissions Office and is supported in part by Barnes & Noble Bookstore at Buffalo State College, Instructional Resources, Sodexo Dining Services, Athletics Department, E. H. Butler Library, Events Management, and academic departments from various disciplines across campus.

For more information, contact Ken Robinson, coordinator, at ext. 5024.

Spring toddler classes are March 5, May 7, and June 4 . Sign up for one, two, or all three classes. Multiple class discounts apply!

Art educator Clare Poth will begin each class by taking toddlers (ages 2-5-ish) and their caregivers into the galleries of the Burchfield Penney Art Center to discover how even the littlest of children can appreciate and be inspired by art. The class will then return to the Studio Classroom for hands-on art experiences. Each session will explore a different exhibition and focus on different mediums and projects. Come dressed to get messy. To register or for information, call 878-3216 or e-mail kellymc@buffalostate.edu.

Cost is $10 (Burchfield Penney members); $14 (not yet members) for child and caregiver.

Download info at http://www.burchfieldpenney.org/?select=programs&data=listings.

Join the Burchfield Penney on Thursday, February 24, at 7:00 p.m. for a performance by three accomplished Buffalo State faculty musicians, Holly Bewlay (soprano), Benjamin Christy (clarinet), and Bryan Boyce (piano), performing works of Brahms and Poulenc (clarinet), Chopin (piano), and Spohr (trio). Bewlay and Boyce are assistant professors with doctorates in performance from the Eastman School of Music. Christy is dean of the School of Arts and Humanities with a performance doctorate from the University of Michigan.

The History and Social Studies Education Department and the Career Development Center (CDC) are hosting a workshop on career options for history majors and minors, Thursday, February 24, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Classroom Building B118. Faculty and CDC staff will discuss careers outside of the classroom, how to market skills learned as a history major/minor, where to look for job ads, and an introduction to the services offered by the CDC. All are welcome.

The Women’s Studies Interdisciplinary Unit at Buffalo State is pleased to announce a research symposium on March 11 showcasing student, faculty, and staff work on gender, sexuality, and women's issues. If you are interested in delivering a paper or multimedia presentation or participating in a roundtable session, please submit the following materials to Beth Hinderliter, assistant professor of art.

1.) A brief (200-500 word) description of your project and its engagement with gender or women's studies issues

2.) A list of people with whom you have worked on this project (i.e., professors, colleagues, research advisers) and/or fellow researchers with whom you would be interested in presenting your work (if relevant)

3.) A resume or short curriculum vitae

Deadline for submissions is Friday, February 25, 2011.

We encourage submissions from all departments, programs, and disciplines: diversity will be a key criterion for compiling our program. The symposium will feature presentations from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will include refreshments.