From the Chair of the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee
One University Faculty Senate, one alternate University Faculty Senate, and three at-large College Senate positions will become vacant on August 26.

The university faculty senator is a senator within both the College Senate at Buffalo State and the SUNY University Faculty Senate. The alternate attends SUNY University Faculty Senate meetings only in the absence of the university faculty senator. All full-time academic and professional employees (PSC) are eligible to run for these seats.

At-large senators represent the entirety of the college. All full-time faculty and professional employees (PSC) are eligible to seek at-large senator positions provided they meet other eligibility requirements (see below). Please note that two at-large senators will be elected to full three-year terms. The third at-large senator will complete the final two years of a vacated College Senate seat.

A call for nominations and information about candidates’ statements can be found on the College Senate website. The call for nominations for all positions begins on Monday, April 1, and continues through 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 12. Elections for these positions will run from 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 22, to 11:59 p.m. Friday, April 26.

Eligibility: Current College Senate members who are completing two consecutive terms in their respective positions are not eligible for reelection. For additional information on eligibility requirements, please consult the College Senate bylaws.

Campaigning: The College Senate Elections and Bylaws Committee strongly discourages using college e-mail services for campaigning. Please limit campaigning to the candidate statement posted on the College Senate website (available to the college community on Monday, April 15).

Individuals running for a senator position in another election may not also run for at-large senator or university faculty senator positions while the other election is being conducted. If the other election concludes during the period when nominations for at-large or university faculty senators are still being accepted, eligible individuals may self-nominate for either position.

If you are interested in being a candidate, please contact Vince Masci, ext. 5139. We look forward to your participation in the vital process of campus governance.

From the Chair of the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee
One University Faculty Senate, one alternate University Faculty Senate, and three at-large College Senate positions will become vacant on August 26.

The university faculty senator is a senator within both the College Senate at Buffalo State and the SUNY University Faculty Senate. The alternate attends SUNY University Faculty Senate meetings only in the absence of the university faculty senator. All full-time academic and professional employees (PSC) are eligible to run for these seats.

At-large senators represent the entirety of the college. All full-time faculty and professional employees (PSC) are eligible to seek at-large senator positions provided they meet other eligibility requirements (see below). Please note that two at-large senators will be elected to full three-year terms. The third at-large senator will complete the final two years of a vacated College Senate seat.

A call for nominations and information about candidates’ statements can be found on the College Senate website. The call for nominations for all positions begins on Monday, April 1, and continues through 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 12. Elections for these positions will run from 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 22, to 11:59 p.m. Friday, April 26.

Eligibility: Current College Senate members who are completing two consecutive terms in their respective positions are not eligible for reelection. For additional information on eligibility requirements, please consult the College Senate bylaws.

Campaigning: The College Senate Elections and Bylaws Committee strongly discourages using college e-mail services for campaigning. Please limit campaigning to the candidate statement posted on the College Senate website (available to the college community on Monday, April 15).

Individuals running for a senator position in another election may not also run for at-large senator or university faculty senator positions while the other election is being conducted. If the other election concludes during the period when nominations for at-large or university faculty senators are still being accepted, eligible individuals may self-nominate for either position.

If you are interested in being a candidate, please contact Vince Masci, ext. 5139. We look forward to your participation in the vital process of campus governance.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The next meeting of the College Senate will be held at 3:00 p.m. Friday, April 12, in E. H. Butler Library 210. The meeting summary of the March 8 Senate meeting is now posted on the College Senate website.

From the Chair of the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee
One University Faculty Senate, one alternate University Faculty Senate, and three at-large College Senate positions will become vacant on August 26.

The university faculty senator is a senator within both the College Senate at Buffalo State and the SUNY University Faculty Senate. The alternate attends SUNY University Faculty Senate meetings only in the absence of the university faculty senator. All full-time academic and professional employees (PSC) are eligible to run for these seats.

At-large senators represent the entirety of the college. All full-time faculty and professional employees (PSC) are eligible to seek at-large senator positions provided they meet other eligibility requirements (see below). Please note that two at-large senators will be elected to full three-year terms. The third at-large senator will complete the final two years of a vacated College Senate seat.

A call for nominations and information about candidates’ statements can be found on the College Senate website. The call for nominations for all positions begins on Monday, April 1, and continues through 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 12. Elections for these positions will run from 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 22, to 11:59 p.m. Friday, April 26.

Eligibility: Current College Senate members who are completing two consecutive terms in their respective positions are not eligible for reelection. For additional information on eligibility requirements, please consult the College Senate bylaws.

Campaigning: The College Senate Elections and Bylaws Committee strongly discourages using college e-mail services for campaigning. Please limit campaigning to the candidate statement posted on the College Senate website (available to the college community on Monday, April 15).

Individuals running for a senator position in another election may not also run for at-large senator or university faculty senator positions while the other election is being conducted. If the other election concludes during the period when nominations for at-large or university faculty senators are still being accepted, eligible individuals may self-nominate for either position.

If you are interested in being a candidate, please contact Vince Masci, ext. 5139. We look forward to your participation in the vital process of campus governance.

From the Special Adviser to the Provost for Academic Research Initiatives
Now that you understand where to go for pre-award support and post-award financial grant administration from previous articles in the RF communication series, it is time to review the “people” needs of your project. That’s where the Research Foundation Human Resources (RF HR) office on the Buffalo State campus can help. From getting someone hired to celebrating a successful career with retirement, the RF HR office hopes to achieve a “one-stop shopping experience” to make the employment process as simple as possible.

The RF HR office staff will work with you to determine how to recruit, hire, manage, and retain individuals in any of the employment categories as a regular, student (undergraduate and graduate), or summer employee. In addition, the RF HR office also manages a broad range of employment-related functions, which include employee benefits administration, time and attendance reporting, leave administration, payroll management, employee relations, performance management, and retirement planning.

As director of human resources, Sandra Schoelles oversees all HR functions at the Research Foundation on campus, supervising a staff of three full-time employees. In addition to her HR generalist duties, Schoelles works closely with employees and supervisors to manage employee relations matters and the performance management process. She is also responsible for developing and administering the RF Affirmative Action plan.

Stephanie Gruarin is the payroll and hiring specialist and assists with the processes to help get the right person on payroll, including the federal government’s E-Verify program. Whether you are searching for that new employee or getting someone onto the RF payroll, Gruarin can guide you with the paperwork, salary issues, and job-description assistance that go into a successful employment situation. Gruarin manages several different HR management systems including the newly launched Success Factors performance management system. She is also available to discuss student titles, student expenditure categories, employment responsibilities, and all other issues related to student employment.

Chris Goff is the human resources associate supporting new and current employees. She is primarily responsible for administering all RF employee benefits plans, for example, health benefits, spending accounts, time and leave processes (including accrual management), FMLA, short-term disability, workers’ compensation policies, and retirement plans. As the department “information” specialist, Goff can help supervisors and employees with reports related to their benefits, including leave accruals.

Courtney Cox is the RF HR contact for undergraduate staff. He shows them the time-sheet process, when and how they will get paid, the payroll calendar, and any other issues related to paychecks. Cox also handles the fellowship process from an award to the student. He explains the taxation issues related to fellowships to help supervisors and graduate fellows understand the financial issues related to fellowship appointments with the RF.

Sincerely,

Mark W. Severson, Ph.D.
Dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences

From the Chair of the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee
One University Faculty Senate, one alternate University Faculty Senate, and three at-large College Senate positions will become vacant on August 26.

The university faculty senator is a senator within both the College Senate at Buffalo State and the SUNY University Faculty Senate. The alternate attends SUNY University Faculty Senate meetings only in the absence of the university faculty senator. All full-time academic and professional employees (PSC) are eligible to run for these seats.

At-large senators represent the entirety of the college. All full-time faculty and professional employees (PSC) are eligible to seek at-large senator positions provided they meet other eligibility requirements (see below). Please note that two at-large senators will be elected to full three-year terms. The third at-large senator will complete the final two years of a vacated College Senate seat.

A call for nominations and information about candidates’ statements can be found on the College Senate website. The call for nominations for all positions begins on Monday, April 1, and continues through 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 12. Elections for these positions will run from 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 22, to 11:59 p.m. Friday, April 26.

Eligibility: Current College Senate members who are completing two consecutive terms in their respective positions are not eligible for reelection. For additional information on eligibility requirements, please consult the College Senate bylaws.

Campaigning: The College Senate Elections and Bylaws Committee strongly discourages using college e-mail services for campaigning. Please limit campaigning to the candidate statement posted on the College Senate website (available to the college community on Monday, April 15).

Individuals running for a senator position in another election may not also run for at-large senator or university faculty senator positions while the other election is being conducted. If the other election concludes during the period when nominations for at-large or university faculty senators are still being accepted, eligible individuals may self-nominate for either position.

If you are interested in being a candidate, please contact Vince Masci, ext. 5139. We look forward to your participation in the vital process of campus governance.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The next meeting of the College Senate will be held at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow, March 8, in E. H. Butler Library 210. The meeting agenda is available on College Senate home page.

From the Coordinator of Community Engagement
In the SUNY Strategic Plan, community engagement is identified as one of five Core Values. “SUNY and the Vibrant Community” is one of Chancellor Zimpher’s Six Big Ideas, where the “Citizen SUNY” section talks about the goal of positioning SUNY as “a national model for higher education citizenship.” Much of what Chancellor Zimpher is proposing we are already doing at Buffalo State—taking service learning and volunteerism to scale; collaborating with community representatives to identify pressing problems and create solutions; and ensuring long-term commitment by building our involvement into courses and degree programs. Buffalo State is ahead of the game and has the potential, I believe, to be a systemwide model. 

From the beginning of his tenure, President Podolefsky has made clear his support for a more fully engaged campus. The Deans Council and Provost Ponton have established the position of coordinator of community engagement, making a very important statement of the administrative commitment to community engagement. They offered the title to me, which I have accepted with humility, pride, and enthusiasm. I hope to be able to contribute to Buffalo State’s maturing as an engaged campus. We have a very firm foundation on which to build.

Buffalo State has a rich history and culture of engagement that dates back to its early days as a normal school. Our urban location has contributed to a growing commitment to applied scholarship and active, experiential pedagogies. While many area colleges and universities pride themselves as “think tanks,” places where knowledge is generated, Buffalo State has a reputation for taking the additional step of transforming that knowledge into practice. Many in the surrounding community have come to think of Buffalo State as an “action tank” for the city and region.

The foundation of community engagement at Buffalo State is anchored in the extremely varied and extensive work that faculty, staff, and students carry out in cooperation with community partners—from the Great Lakes Center to the Professional Development Schools Consortium, from service-learning courses across campus to the art conservation program, from the Center for Health and Social Research to the Small Business Development Center, to mention just a few; my apologies to the many, many others not listed here. Our ties to the community are robust and complex; they represent a key component of what is distinctive about Buffalo State.

The Volunteer and Service-Learning Center has developed a high-quality service-learning program that involves many courses and hundreds of students each semester in the life of the community. Service-learning is woven into the pedagogical fabric of the college as a core component of active learning. It complements the many vibrant internship programs across campus. A strong core of faculty and staff members, dedicated to working closely with Buffalo State’s many community partners, has developed around these programs.

In my estimation, these factors, when taken together, constitute a “perfect storm” in terms of Buffalo State’s taking a critical step forward in institutionalizing community engagement. A large and growing group of faculty and staff members have stepped up to contribute their time and energy to this project.

I hope to use this space in the Daily Bulletin to regularly communicate to the campus community about our progress. If you would like to become involved in Buffalo State’s community engagement initiatives or simply want to learn more, please contact me. Together we can make a vibrant community for all.

Sincerely,

Gary Welborn, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Sociology

From the Chair of the College Senate
The next meeting of the College Senate will be held at 3:00 p.m. Friday, March 8, in E. H. Butler Library 210. The meeting agenda is now posted on College Senate home page.

From the Special Adviser to the Provost for Academic Research Initiatives
This week's Research Foundation communication series focuses on the expertise supporting grants administration at the Research Foundation (RF).

The proposal application has been successfully completed and submitted, and funding has been awarded. Congratulations! So what’s next? Welcome to RF Grants Administration, where we assist you with your post-award project management.

Good post-award management of your award is key to ensuring compliance with all sponsor regulations and requirements as well as RF and campus policies and procedures. Our post-award staff is well-trained and uniquely qualified to achieve these objectives and to guide project personnel through their award life cycle, from establishment to closeout.

Susan Maerz is the manager of Grants Administration. She provides oversight in compliance and management, conducts fiscal analysis and review of sponsored awards, and supervises a staff of four grants associates who bring a broad range of knowledge and experience to the management of sponsored awards.

Jessica Berg and Lisa Gatti are your grant administrators. One of them will assist you in your award setup and management, depending on sponsor type. They will notify you of your award numbers and work closely with you in ensuring that expenditures are appropriate and allowable to your award. They will invoice or provide financial reports, monitor program reports, and work with you and your sponsor whenever a modification is required. Gatti is adept at training you to view your award information in the Oracle business system, and she can schedule a session with you to demonstrate the use of the PI portal.

Maerz, Berg, and Gatti are certified research administrators (CRA), having passed the rigorous requirements for certification through the Research Administrators Certification Council, and have a combined total of more than three decades of project management experience.

Dale Bessinger is your contact for cost sharing, IFRs (Income Fund Reimbursable), and effort reports. It is his job to ensure compliance with salary certifications, and you will likely see him about campus, as he works with faculty to obtain required signatures. 

Lauren Ashcroft is your point of contact for Research Management projects, incentive awards, and cash deposits to your account. She works with campus and RF central office personnel to maintain equipment inventory and insurance records, and she is a great resource to point you in the right direction if you aren’t sure where to take your questions.

Sincerely,

Mark W. Severson, Ph.D.
Dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences