The Commencement Committee extends its gratitude to the Buffalo State faculty and staff members who have already registered to march or usher for one or more ceremonies at the 140th Commencement on Saturday, May 12. Dedicating just a few hours of your day will make all the difference in our presenting a welcoming celebration for the Class of 2012 and their guests.

Additional marchers and ushers are needed. If you have not yet registered, please go to www.buffalostate.edu/commencement/x548.xml to register to march or access www.buffalostate.edu/commencement/x547.xml to register to usher. Here you will also find lists of registered marchers and ushers, which will be updated throughout the week.

The deadline for online registration is Friday, April 27.

Unneeded property should not be left in the hallway or on the loading dock. When property is no longer needed, please send an original surplus form to Business Services. This form must be signed by the department chair or director, or the form will be returned. When the completed form is received, a work order will be placed for the removal of the property.

Do you need office furniture? Call our office at ext. 6835 to schedule an appointment to look at what we have in the warehouse.

Thank you.

Please join us for a book signing with Bruce Fisher, visiting professor and director of the Center for Economic and Policy Studies, on Tuesday, April 24, from noon to 1:00 p.m. in the Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore. Fisher will highlight his new book, Border Land: Essays from the US-Canadian Divide. Hope to see you there!

Please join us today, April 20, as John D. Draeger, associate professor of philosophy and humanities, presents "Respect for Humanity, the Battle against Bigotry, and the Cost of Moral Mistakes" from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 320. The talk is open to faculty, graduate students, and interested undergraduates. It concludes the spring 2012 Conversations in and out of the Disciplines lecture series.

Up to 75 percent of household waste is derived from organic matter and can be composted. Want to learn how? Join us for Composting 101 today, April 20, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. in E. H. Butler Library 208. You can also enter to win one of 10 compost units.

This event is hosted by EVERGREEN and NYPIRG, with funding provided by the Faculty-Student Association.

The deadline for "Early Bird" printing of large-format posters for the 14th annual Research and Creativity Celebration is Friday, April 20. A 30-by-40-inch poster is $15 for students presenting in the Research and Creativity Celebration. There are a number of templates available to make designing a professional poster easy. Visit the Undergraduate Research website and click the "Early Bird" link in the upper-right corner.

The complete schedule and program for the celebration is also available on the Undergraduate Research website (pdf format; use the link in the upper-right corner).

This year's event includes more than 375 presentations, performances, and art exhibitions featuring the work of more than 500 undergraduate and graduate students. Encourage your students to attend the celebration and see what great things their talented classmates are doing!

Heat up the grill. It's barbecue time with Buffalo State Dining's Smoking Aces BBQ! For lunch today enjoy our delicious barbecue chicken, pulled pork sandwich, barbecue tofu, maple glazed sweet potatoes, and creamy coleslaw. Smoking Aces BBQ will take place in Residential Dining, located in the Campbell Student Union, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Enter with a meal swipe or lunch door rate of $8.39.

For more information on Buffalo State Dining, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or visit our website.

The SUNY Learning Network has announced that it will delay any migrations to Blackboard until at least spring 2013. Given this announcement, we will need to reevaluate our timeline for migrating our learning management system (LMS). This timeline will be determined with SLN and, until we have more information, we will continue to use ANGEL as our campus LMS. There are no Blackboard pilots planned at this time.

We will engage our campus community in discussions about our LMS. We will make the opportunities to be involved in those discussions known through various channels, such as the Daily Bulletin, the ANGEL Advisory Group, the ANGEL Faculty Resource Library, the ISAS Advisory Council, the ISAS board, and the Distance Learning/Online Learning Committee.

In the meantime, we will continue to use ANGEL as our LMS.

Wine Club: Uncorking the Possibilities returns to Buffalo State in May with an event at Campus House on Thursday, May 17, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Campus House originally served as home to three Buffalo State presidents. Renovated in 2002, Campus House now serves as a teaching laboratory for Buffalo State hospitality and tourism students, as well as a social club for the Buffalo State community.

Josh Blumberg, general manager at Campus House, has created an "Old Europa" inspired menu for this event.

First Course (Italy):
White truffle risotto with wild mushrooms
Wine: Colle Manora "Mimosa" Sauvignon Blanc; Piedmont, Italy

Second Course (France):
Pistachio-crusted lamb chops
Wine: Walden Cotes du Roussillon; Languedoc-Roussillon, France

Third Course (Spain):
Wine-poached pears with ice cream
Wine: TBD

Guests will enjoy a mix-and-mingle reception before the formal seated dinner. Guests will be seated at tables of six to 14 people.

Cost: $35 per person. Make your reservation today for this unique on-campus experience! Limited seating available.

Register now.

Applications are now being accepted for the 29th annual Bengal Club Golf Classic, benefiting Buffalo State's 400 student-athletes and their programs. This year's event is Monday, July 9, at the beautiful Brierwood Country Club. The fun-filled day begins with registration at 9:30 a.m. Golfers are encouraged to warm up on the club's spacious range and take advantage of free lessons from two area professionals. Before golfing, enjoy lunch courtesy of BW's Barbecue on the beautiful terrace overlooking the course. Golf with cart starts at 12:30 p.m., followed by a cocktail hour, a steak and chicken dinner, an auction, and awards. To register, donate an auction item, or become a sponsor, visit www.buffalostateathletics.com and click the Bengal Club Golf Classic banner at the top of the page. Or contact senior associate athletics director Tom Koller, ext. 6514.