From the Dean of University College and Associate Vice President for Undergraduate and International Education
I am pleased to announce that Amitra Wall, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology, will join University College as interim assistant dean of intellectual foundations and first-year programs. Wall brings considerable experience to this role, having been involved with both general education and the first-year experience at Buffalo State for many years. She will begin her appointment on January 28.

Robert Summers, Ph.D., will be joining University College as assistant dean of international and exchange programs. Coming to Buffalo State from the University of Alabama, Summers brings a record of scholarship and teaching in second-language acquisition. In addition, he has managed international programs for several years. He will start at Buffalo State on July 1.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The first meeting of the College Senate for the spring 2013 semester will be held at 3:00 p.m. Friday, February 8, in E. H. Butler Library 210.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The first meeting of the College Senate for the spring 2013 semester will be held at 3:00 p.m. Friday, February 8, in E. H. Butler Library 210.

Blackboard Learn will be unavailable on Thursday, December 26, because of a software update. The downtime will begin at 7:00 a.m. and continue as late as 11:59 p.m. The extended time is necessary to ensure that all safety and data integrity measures are taken during this time. 
 
The primary functional updates include

• Financial Aid Reporting: Last day of attendance record for online courses

• Inline Grading: View, provide comments, and grade student-submitted items without leaving the tool page

• Date Management: Adjust all content and tool dates in one location of your course

• Achievements: Designate criteria for issuing rewards to students in the form of both badges and certificates

Please be aware that e~print reports (e.g., SSRSECT, SSRTALY, and SFRSLST) are being updated as scheduled, but the formatting is cutting off the first 2 in the term listing. So, for example, term 01405 is really term 201405 or January Term 2014; term 01430 is really 201430 or fall 2014. Computing and Technology Services is aware of this issue.

Please note the following changes in Buffalo State Dining's hours of operation during winter break:

Monday, December 16–Monday, December 30
Monday–Friday
Spot Coffee: 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
with the addition of Outtakes sandwiches, subs, and salads as well as hot meal options

Saturday–Sunday
All dining locations closed
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Thursday, January 2–Friday, January 3
Spot Coffee: 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
with the addition of Outtakes sandwiches, subs, and salads as well as hot meal options

Monday, January 6–Friday, January 24
Monday–Friday
Train Grill: 8:00–10:00 a.m.
2.mato: 10:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Spot Coffee: 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Saturday–Sunday
All dining locations closed
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Buffalo State Dining will be closed on the following days because of the holidays:

Tuesday and Wednesday, December 24 and 25
Tuesday, December 31
Wednesday, January 1
Monday, January 20
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For more information on Buffalo State Dining, please visit our website.

The Daily Bulletin will take a holiday break from December 24, 2013, to January 1, 2014. During this time, users may submit items for Thursday, January 2, and beyond. Happy holidays from College Relations.

Seven University Police officers from Buffalo State took the Polar Plunge at Woodlawn Beach State Park on December 7. Lieutenant Michael Myers and officers Steven Cahoon, Raven Harvey, Edward Helling, Mark Stetzko, Kevin Sullivan, and Richard Rogers (with his wife, Amanda) participated in the 2013 fundraiser, raising $680 for the Special Olympics.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has directed that flags on state government buildings be flown at half-staff on Thursday, December 19, in honor of New York State Police Trooper David W. Cunniff.

Cunniff, 35, died Tuesday as a result of severe injuries sustained during a traffic accident that occurred Monday night on the New York State Thruway.

“Words cannot describe the depth of our sorrow as we mourn the tragic loss of Trooper Cunniff,” Cuomo said. “He served the people of this state with valor and courage and was taken from us far too soon. On behalf of all New Yorkers, my deepest condolences are with the loved ones of Trooper Cunniff, and we will lower flags on state government buildings this Thursday to honor his memory and service.”

Cunniff is from Duanesburg, New York, and is survived by his wife, Amy, and two sons, 6-year-old Caleb and 4-year-old Zachary. He was a nine-year veteran of the New York State Police. He worked in Troops B and G and was a member of the then-Executive Services Detail at the New York State Capitol. He was assigned to Troop T in February 2009.

Digital images, especially STEM images (including mathematical equations), can present a significant challenge to students with print disabilities. How can content providers and platforms ensure that digital images are truly usable by everyone? We will discuss the emerging ecosystem of tools, standards, and research designed to ensure that online images are accessible to all in this free webinar on Thursday, December 19, at 2:00 p.m. The webinar is presented by Julie Noblitt, community manager at the DIAGRAM Center.

The DIAGRAM Center has been established by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, to make it easier, faster, and more cost effective to create and use accessible images so that students with print disabilities have timely access to the information they need.

Register for the free DIAGRAM Center webinar.

Brought to you by Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI) and the SUNY Center for Professional Development.