The Equity and Campus Diversity Office will host the final presentation of the Diversity Dialogue Series, “Race: Are We So Different?” with Ron Stewart, professor of sociology, on Thursday, December 5, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall. Accompanying Stewart in facilitating the discussion will be Ellen Kongphet, graduate student in the applied economics program. Please spread the word and join us for an in-depth discussion, interaction, speakers, and free food!

This dialogue is held in cooperation with the National Coalition Building Institute and the NAACP Club and the Sociology Club of SUNY Buffalo State. The five-part Diversity Dialogues Series was created by Lavere Foster, graduate student, in coordination with various community groups as well as facilitators from our own campus.

For more information, please visit the Equity and Campus Diversity website.

Relax this holiday—we can do all the cooking! With all the hustle and hassle this holiday season, let Buffalo State Catering handle your work party for you. We are proud to present our turkey dinner special starting at $14.99 per person. Sample menu may include carved oven-roasted turkey breast, garlic whipped mashed potatoes, home-style stuffing, candied yams, green bean casserole, and buttered corn.

Minimum of 10 people. Menus can be customized upon request. To place your order, or if you have any questions, please contact our catering manager, Lindsey Syracuse, ext. 4128.

Thanksgiving is approaching fast. Help support the efforts of the Buffalo State community in contributing to the Thanksgiving Day dinner for students. Many students may not have the opportunity to travel home and enjoy the company of close family and friends during this season.

The Thanksgiving Day dinner is celebrating its second year. Last year’s dinner was a success because of the generous contributions of the Buffalo State community. As you prepare for your own Thanksgiving dinner this year, please consider an in-kind donation toward this special meal for students. If you would like to donate nonperishable items that can be used for the Thanksgiving dinner or for the Buffalo State Food Pantry, please contact Kim Jablonski, ext. 5218, to arrange a pickup of your donations. 

Items can also be dropped off at Buffalo State Dining, Campbell Student Union 223. For donations that are homemade or need extra care, please contact Marissa Dinello, ext. 5657. Thank you for your support and for keeping the spirit of giving alive. If you have any questions, please e-mail Muhammed Sumbundu or Ellen Kongphet.

Your donations are greatly appreciated and will contribute to a happy Thanksgiving for our students.

A traditional Native American social to honor Buffalo State alumna Danielle Terrance, sponsored by the Native American Student Organization and Native American Community Services of Erie and Niagara Counties, will be held on Friday, November 22, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall.

This will also be a fundraiser for a scholarship to benefit Native American college students in Danielle Terrance’s name. Terrance was a graduate of Buffalo State's higher education and student affairs administration program and co-creator of the Native American living unit in North Wing residence hall. The event includes dinner and traditional Native American social dancing. For more information, contact Brandon VanEvery or Timothy Ecklund.

Please join us for the fifth and final faculty lecture in our annual Philosophy and Humanities Fall 2013 Faculty Colloquia, "Just Doing: Therapy according to Chuang Tsu," presented by George Hole, SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor, on Monday, November 25, at 2:00 p.m. in Bishop Hall 242. The commentator will be senior Katherine Wieczorek, philosophy and English major.

Looking for a thoughtful gift for a teacher, teacher's aide, secretary, bus driver, crossing guard, or other special caregiver? Memory necklaces will be sold on Thursday, November 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the South Wing lobby. Proceeds from this sale will benefit Alzheimer's research and the Buffalo State Student Scholarship Fund.

Prices
Necklace with pendant: adult size $8; child size $3–$5
Necklace without pendant: $5
Anklet: $3
Gift box: $1
Sheer gift bag 50¢

Thank you for your continued support.

Do you want an easy way to share your video and audio files with your students? Ensemble is the media server solution that allows the Buffalo State community to manage and publish audio and video files in a learning management system such as Blackboard and on other websites.

If you would like to learn more about Ensemble, please join us for an Ensemble Campus Video Solution Demo on Tuesday, November 26, from 10:00 to 10:50 a.m. or Wednesday, December 4, from 2:30 to 3:20 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center 104.

Register for the November 26 workshop.

Register for the December 4 workshop.

A lecture and discussion, My Appreciation of Watercolor: A Personal View – Nancy Weekly: Strictly Burchfieldian, will be held Friday, December 6, from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center. Admission for students, staff, and faculty is free.

In the 20th century, Charles E. Burchfield took watercolor painting to an advanced stage of complexity and realization that has remained completely unique to this day. Foreshadowing Marshall McLuhan, who asserted “The medium is the message,” Burchfield took command of the watercolor medium to expound his ideas about nature, humanity, sound, and the cosmos. He was not without a sense of humor, revealing in an interview: “I am often asked by people, ‘Just what is your style of painting?’ I baffle them by saying, ‘I hope it is strictly Burchfieldian.’”

The Buffalo State Child Care Center is a nonprofit child care center located on the Buffalo State campus.

Funded through parent fees, Buffalo State, SUNY, USG, and the Family Benefits Committee, the center provides quality, affordable child care for the families of students, faculty, and staff of the college, as well as families of other New York State employees and community members.

The philosophy of the child care center is to view each child as a unique individual with unique social, emotional, intellectual, and physical needs. Dedicated staff members provide developmentally appropriate programs that focus on the process of learning and help children enjoy successful experiences in a physical environment that is safe, clean, healthful, and oriented to children. Classrooms are arranged to offer challenging play and learning choices at a range of developmental levels. Learning centers allow children the opportunity to explore, to experience, and most importantly, to succeed.

Teachers at the child care center receive training, professional development, resources, and freedom to create a unique and creativity-building learning experience for children and mutual respect between parents and center staff. 

The center is open Monday through Friday and offers two infant programs (6 weeks to 18 months), a junior toddler program (18 months to 2 years), a senior toddler program (2 to 3 years.), a 3-year-old program, a 4-year-old program, and a summer school–age program for children up to 12 years of age.

Learn more or call ext. 5335 for a tour.

Visit the Year of the Teacher website for links to more campus and area centers, initiatives, events, and news.

Interested in learning about instructional technologies that can be used to help engage students? Then the Tools of Engagement Project (TOEP) On-Demand Discovery Learning Professional Development program is just what you need. You are invited to a welcome session on Tuesday, December 3, at 12:15 p.m. in Technology Building 242.

TOEP is a web-based discovery learning activity designed to help you learn about instructional technologies that are engaging and functional. TOEP provides hands-on experience with online instructional technologies like audio and video creation and editing, creating engaging presentations, using social media in and outside the classroom, and more that you can explore at your own pace.

Complete a series of short discovery exercises designed to help you explore and reflect on innovative and creative uses of online instructional technologies.

TOEP runs through spring 2014 and can be completed in as little as 30 minutes a week. Faculty and staff members selected through peer review will receive funding to be used toward professional development (valued at $300). Other incentives, including iTunes gift cards, will also be awarded.

Visit the TOEP website for more information.