The Graduate School will host a School of the Professions Information Session on Tuesday, April 10, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in Cleveland Hall 416, featuring the following programs:

• Creative Studies (M.S.)
• Creativity and Change Leadership (Graduate Certificate)
• Criminal Justice (M.S.)
• Educational Technology (M.S.Ed.)
• Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration (M.S.)
• Speech-Language Pathology (M.S.Ed)
• Technology Education (M.S.Ed and Postbaccalaureate Teacher Certification)

To register, visit www.buffalostate.edu/graduateschool or contact the Graduate School for more information.

The Career Development Center will sponsor its first Senior Job-Search Day on Thursday, April 19, in Cleveland Hall 306. Seniors can drop by any time between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. for individualized job-search assistance—no appointments necessary. In addition to the entire CDC staff, the human resources team from GEICO will also be on hand to conduct practice interviews and to answer questions about the hiring process that organizations are using to screen candidates.

Please help spread the word to all seniors in your department. If you have any questions or would like fliers for the event, please contact the Career Development Center.

Student elections are being conducted online this year from April 2 to 5. Students must log on to www.bengalconnect.com using their Buffalo State usernames and passwords to cast their votes. Elections end at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, April 5.

Students will elect their USG president, treasurer, administrative vice president for communication, administrative vice president for student life, and a senator as well as representatives for the College Senate, College Council, Auxiliary Services Advisory Committee, and SUNY Student Assembly.

Join an informal discussion of the relationship between bullying, gender, and sexuality on Friday, April 27, from noon to 1:00 p.m. in E. H. Butler Library 181B. We will reflect on the arguments made in C. J. Pascoe's recent campus presentation on bullying and discuss implications for our work at Buffalo State, including potential strategies for reducing bullying at the college. The discussion will be facilitated by Pixita del Prado Hill, associate professor of elementary education and reading. A light lunch will be served.

Register at http://bscintra.buffalostate.edu/registration/classdetails.asp?class=2821.

This discussion is part of the "Final Fridays: Discussions about Gender and Sexuality in Teaching, Research, and Service" series, which is cosponsored by the women and gender studies program and the Faculty Development Office.

Please register online to march or usher for Buffalo State's 140th Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 12. Just a few hours of your time goes a long way toward congratulating the Class of 2012 and warmly welcoming their guests. Thank you!

From the Associate Vice President for Assessment and Curriculum
The spring 2012 assessment newsletter is now available online. For all assessment information—Middle States updates, survey updates, new assessment initiatives, what's new from SUNY, and more—please see "Assessment Matters."

Recipients of the 2012 Buffalo Niagara Hospitality Ambassador Awards will be honored at a "Celebration of the Arts" event on Wednesday, April 18, at 5:30 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center's Tower Auditorium. Ed Healy, vice president of marketing for Visit Buffalo Niagara, Krista Van Wagner, owner of Curly’s Grill and Banquet Center, and Daniel Garvey, food and beverage manager for the Roycroft Inn, will be recognized by the Hospitality and Tourism Department of Buffalo State for their accomplishments in the industry and their community service.

The department’s students will also receive awards, including the Hart Hotel and Pano’s scholarships. Guests will enjoy a dinner reception at Campus House, the college's faculty and staff club, immediately following the awards ceremony while students showcase their skills and talents. The cost of the event is $50 per person. Make your reservation today by calling Campus House at ext. 3300 or e-mailing campushouse@buffalostate.edu.

The spring 2012 “Conversations” lecture series concludes on Friday, 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” in Ketchum Hall 320 at 3:00 p.m. Colleagues, friends, graduate students, and advanced undergraduate students are welcome. We hope to see you there.

*** Please note the date of this event has been changed from April 13 to April 20.

A twenty-first-century learning space is an environment that engages students and enables them to construct their own learning by incorporating flexibility, user-friendly technology, and overall support for active learning. Please join us for "A Conversation on Twenty-First-Century Learning Spaces" on Monday, April 16, in Bacon Hall 117 from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided.

The talk will be led by Abby Spindelman, a graduate of Buffalo State now working for Steelcase Education Solutions. Steelcase Inc. employs a user-centered research process that focuses on observation as the key aspect to understanding behavior in space. The company has used this process to research classrooms, libraries, and other learning spaces and has developed insights that drive innovative applications and products to support the active learning principles.

Higher education is experiencing rapid shifts around student expectations, teaching pedagogy, and a general trend to focus on a more learner-centric environment. At this talk we will engage in an open dialogue around what faculty are experiencing in their classrooms and include application ideas that were developed from the insights.

Spindelman graduated from Buffalo State with a B.F.A. in interior design, and her senior thesis focused on the redesign of a local public library. She is co-chair of the IIDA Mentorship Committee and workshop manager for LMNOP. She is passionate about lifelong learning and giving back to her community. Spindelman joined Steelcase in September 2011 and has been working extensively with the design community in New York City since 2008.

Buffalo State has Steelcase products on campus in Ketchum Hall 100 (node chairs), and for fall 2012, E. H. Butler Library 314 will be transformed into a LearnLab environment.

For more information, see Steelcase education research, 360° magazine, Steelcase education case studies, the Stanford d.School video, and demos on the node chair and the node classroom application.

After a very successful seminar on cross-cultural awareness presented on campus on March 29, the International Student Affairs Office and the International Center for Studies in Creativity are pleased to present another seminar on cross-cultural awareness on Thursday, April 12, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center conference room.

This seminar will present a discussion on the diverse needs of international students and scholars with engaging stories of shared experiences on the Buffalo State campus. French hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be provided.

All interested faculty and staff are encouraged to participate; R.S.V.P. to Jean F. Gounard, director of international student affairs.