The State University of New York (SUNY) provides employees with the opportunity to save for their retirement through the SUNY Voluntary Savings Plan. Participation in the SUNY Voluntary Savings Plan is a great way to build your retirement savings and reduce current taxes.

Eligibility
All employees of SUNY who receive compensation reportable on an IRS Form W-2 are eligible to participate in the plan.

Please take a moment to review the plan materials before enrolling. Once you are enrolled, you can review and change the amount of your contributions as often as once per pay period. The exact date your investment allocations will take effect may vary depending on the policies of the investment provider managing the investment options you chose for plan contributions.

The tax-deferred plans listed below provide a way for you to contribute to a retirement account on a pretax basis through payroll deduction. Your contributions plus earnings are not taxed until you withdraw the funds. Usually this is done during your retirement, when your income may fall within a lower tax bracket.

What Are My Tax-Deferred Savings Options?
There are several plan options and investment providers to choose from through the SUNY Voluntary Savings Plan. The authorized investment providers offer a wide choice of investment options, including stock, bond, and guaranteed funds.

The following plans and investment providers are available:

Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association-College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF)
Contact: Richard Thompson – (716) 862-5905 or (866) 842-2054, ext. 275905
(800) 842-2776, www.tiaa-cref.org/suny

ING Life Insurance and Annuity Company
Contact: Gary Witten – (716) 626-3926
Contact: George Doughtery – (716) 626-3928
(800) 677-4636, www.ingretirementplans.com/custom/suny

MetLife
Contact: John Curvin – (716) 626-0048
Contact: Jason Bird – (734) 320-0453
(800) 662-0916, www.metlife.com/suny

VALIC Retirement
Contact: Jeffrey Otterstein – (716) 908-1517 or (800) 892-5558, ext. 89370
(888) 569-7055, www.valic.com/suny

Fidelity Investments (403(b)(7) Mutual Funds)
Contact: Kenneth Woods – (716) 916-8354
(800) 343-0860, www.fidelity.com

NYS Deferred Compensation Plan (457)
Contact: Mark Wallace – (716) 903-7253
(800) 422-8463, www.nysdcp.com

How Much Can I Contribute?
For 2014, you can contribute up to $17,500 per year.
 
If you are age 50 or older anytime in 2014, you can contribute an additional $5,500 to your tax-deferred account, for a maximum of $23,000 ($17,500 + $5,500).
 
If you have worked for SUNY for more than 15 years, you may be eligible to contribute up to an additional $3,000 annually. To do this, you must obtain a calculation from your investment provider indicating that you are eligible to defer the additional amount. Please send the calculation along with a new Salary Reduction Agreement form indicating the annual amount to be contributed to the Payroll Office, Cleveland Hall 408.
 
Each participant has only one limit for all contributions to all 403(b) plans, so if you are also a participant in a 403(b) plan of another employer, your combined contributions to that plan and to the SUNY Tax-Deferred Annuity Plan in 2014 are generally limited to $17,500. If you do participate in more than one 403(b) plan, you are responsible for tracking and reporting the amount of all your contributions to the plans so that the total amount of all your contributions to all plans in which you participate does not exceed the limit. Note also that the sum of all of your contributions, and those of your employers, to all 403(b) plans that you participate in are generally limited to the lesser of $52,000 or 100 percent of your compensation in 2014.
 
State employees are able to maximize contributions to both the SUNY Tax-Deferred Savings Plans 403(b) and the NYS Deferred Compensation 457 Plan concurrently.
 
What Do I Need to Do?
If you are enrolling in a plan for the first time, you must complete the appropriate investment provider enrollment materials in addition to a Salary Reduction Agreement form. Please call Al Galone at ext. 4124 for additional information.
 
If you are currently enrolled and wish to contribute the same biweekly amount in 2014, no action on your part is necessary unless you are currently contributing additional moneys under the age 50 or 15-year rule outlined above. Please check your pay stub to be sure your current biweekly contribution (code 404, 408, or 415) multiplied by 26 pay periods does not exceed the allowable 2014 limit.
 
Please be mindful that if you made a change midyear, you must make sure that your current biweekly amount multiplied by 26 is the correct annual amount you want deferred for 2014.
 
To change the amount you are now contributing, please complete a new Salary Reduction Agreement form and return it to the Payroll Office, Cleveland Hall 408.
 
In order for a deduction change to be effective in the first paycheck of 2014, your new Salary Reduction Agreement form must be submitted to the Payroll Office by Monday, December 16.

For further details, or if you have questions, please call Al Galone at ext. 4124.

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. Items can 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, directly.

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.

For important information about Buffalo State's snow removal strategies, please visit www.buffalostate.edu/campusservices/x592.xml. Thank you.

Local Native American radio talk show host John Kane will speak at Buffalo State today, November 19, during Bengal Pause (12:15 to 1:30 p.m.) in Caudell Hall 216. For more information, please e-mail the president of the Native American Student Organization.

Matthew Tarasek, MRI scientist at GE Global Research, will present his research talk, "Introduction to MR Imaging and Current Research," at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, November 21, in Science Building 272. He is an alumnus of Buffalo State. An abstract of his talk appears below.

Before his presentation, from 11:00 to 11:45 a.m., Tarasek will converse with undergraduate and graduate students at Buffalo State regarding his working experiences at GE as a research scientist. This private conversation will be held in Science and Mathematics Complex 201. This seminar is sponsored by the Auxiliary Services Grant Allocation Committee, the Vice President for Student Affairs Office, and the Faculty-Student Association.

Abstract
The subject of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is large and complex. A full quantum mechanical understanding is needed to describe the complex spin interactions typically analyzed in the NMR experiment (such as dipolar or quadrupolar couplings). Fortunately, if we focus on the basic concepts of proton MR, we can resort to a more simplistic perspective to gain a functional understanding of MR imaging.

Here a conceptual overview of MRI will be presented. Simple nonmathematical models will be used to describe the origins and detection of MR signal, along with NMR relaxation (T1 and T2), the Fourier transform, and how magnetic field gradients are used to provide spatial encoding for MRI. Finally, a brief overview of my recent research in the field of MR temperature mapping, clinical MR-radiofrequency (RF) hyperthermia (HT), and MR tumor characterization will be presented.

Buffalo State Dining is excited to launch an all-new beverage, Coco Cafe coconut water, at Choc-o-late, located in the Technology Building.

Coco Cafe coconut water is made with the finest ingredients and is crafted to keep you hydrated and increase your energy all day long. The coconut water is available in two flavors: café latte and mocha. Each is made up of a blend of all-natural coconut water, reduced-fat milk, and one shot of organic fair trade espresso.

Try a free sample today during Bengal Pause in the Campbell Student Union lobby from noon to 1:30 p.m.

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

Digital signage is a valuable tool designed to engage and inform the campus community with visual messages to students, faculty, staff, and visitors through the broadcast of events and the distribution of other information of interest to the campus such as campus services, public service announcements, and campus events.

Content is intended to augment other means of communication to help promote campus events, registration or other deadlines, and educational opportunities. Digital signage may also be used to highlight student work via video or a PowerPoint presentation.

Buffalo State currently uses a software program called Visix, by Axis TV, for digital signage. If you or your office would like to learn more about how to create content to add to the digital signage monitors on campus, please attend a content creation workshop. This will be a hands-on workshop in a small computer lab. To register, please visit the Workshop Registration System website.

Please contact Melaine Kenyon, ext. 6679, with questions related to this training.

Buffalo State is marking the Great American Smokeout on Thursday, November 21, by educating the campus community about our tobacco-free policy and encouraging smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking by that day. By doing so, smokers will be taking an important step toward a healthier life, one that can lead to reducing cancer risk.

Clean Sweep Contest
Monday, November 18
Time: Immediately upon registering

Students and student groups, register now and start immediately to help clean up our campus and get a chance to win a pizza party. Collect as many cigarette butts and as much tobacco-related paraphernalia (e.g., tobacco boxes, filters, chew cans) as possible (garbage bags and gloves provided by Weigel Health Promotions).

All student groups will bring their cigarette butts and paraphernalia to the photo project from noon to 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 21, to be weighed. The student(s) or student group with the heaviest bag of cigarette butts wins a pizza party.

Register online or print the online form from the Weigel Health Promotions web page and bring it to a staff member at Weigel Health Promotions, located in Porter Hall 14 (basement), to get your bags and gloves.

Tobacco Ambassador Program (TAP)
Ambassadors will do their parts by spreading the word about Buffalo State's tobacco-free policy and provide cessation information to all members of the Buffalo State community. They will provide the information necessary for people in our community to understand the policy and make the right choice, and provide resources to assist them in quitting should they so choose.

Tobacco-Free Tabling, CO Monitor, and USG Wheel
Tuesday, November 19
Time: Bengal Pause
Location: Campbell Student Union
The coordinator from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute Tobacco Cessation Center will measure CO levels in volunteers. See what is still in your lungs after using (or not using) tobacco products. Information sheets and pamphlets will be distributed during tabling. Spin the USG wheel, win prizes, and participate in other activities to learn more about Buffalo State’s tobacco-free policy.

Great American Smokeout
Tobacco-Free Photo Project
Thursday, November 21
Time: Noon–3:00 p.m.
Location: Campbell Student Union Lobby
We invite you to come and have your picture taken in support of the tobacco-free policy. To see past photo projects, check out the Weigel Health Promotions Facebook page. Have fun while showing your support for our tobacco-free community!

Contact: Paula A. Madrigal, ext. 4719, with questions.

The College Writing Program will host a writing across the curriculum book fair for all faculty members on Thursday, November 21, during Bengal Pause in the lobby of E. H. Butler Library. Light refreshments will be served.

Students from all over the world enroll at Buffalo State, and an important part of their orientation is the opportunity to learn firsthand about our cultural patterns, economic and political outlooks, and everyday language skills. These experiences can assist them in class discussions and in their social relations with other students. It also gives them a better understanding of the American culture they will take back with them to their home countries.

The American Host Family Program is designed to give an international student a family with whom he or she can visit, enjoy an occasional meal, celebrate holidays, participate in community sporting and cultural events, and gain insight about our country and culture. The program also gives host families the opportunity to learn about another country’s culture, holidays, and language. (It is important to note that it will be up to the host family and the student to discuss when and how often they will meet.)

International students are often far from home and do not see their families for months or even years. Some students may find the transition from their home country to our country very difficult. Being without their families and friends and adapting to a new culture and a new school can be difficult in many ways. The warm support of an American family can help alleviate their fears and frustrations.

We hope that your family will be interested in participating in this program.

Please contact Pat Schindler, graduate intern in the International Student Affairs Office, ext. 5331, to join the Buffalo State American Host Family Program.