The SUNY Faculty Advisory Council on Teaching and Technology (FACT²) is pleased to announce that abstracts are now being accepted for the SUNY Conference on Instruction and Technology (CIT). The theme is "Objects in the Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear: Reflection, Innovation, and Learning." CIT 2014 will be hosted by Cornell University May 27–30.

The CIT 2014 conference program will focus on connection strategies to move higher education forward. Higher education is under way with remarkable innovation and transformation; CIT provides faculty, administrators, instructional designers, librarians, professionals, and vendors with an opportunity to examine our practices and explore change in response to our learning environments.

Abstracts may be submitted online until the deadline, Wednesday, January 15.

SUNY Center for Professional Development points may be used for funding to cover the conference fee (which includes all meals) as well as on-campus housing during the conference. Contact Melaine Kenyon, ext. 6679, with questions.

Would you like to recommend specific jobs and internships to your students and alumni? The Career Development Center’s Online Resource for Career Advancement (ORCA) is the perfect resource for you. Please watch your e-mail on Monday, November 18, for a special welcome message with instructions on how to access ORCA.

Eric Krieg, associate professor and chair of the Sociology Department, will present "Dairy Conglomeration: Developing a Model for International Comparative Analysis" as the last seminar of the fall 2013 semester on Friday, November 22, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. in the Campus House boardroom. RSVP to schmidtp@buffalostate.edu.

A lecture and discussion, My Appreciation of Watercolor: A Personal View with Tullis Johnson – Don't Think about the Medium, will be held Friday, November 15, from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center. Free for Buffalo State faculty, staff, and students.

In an interview from 1959, Charles Burchfield told John D. Morse, "I couldn’t possibly tell anybody how to paint in watercolor.... I told them: 'Don't think about the medium. What you're trying to say is much more important than what you're saying it with.'" This presentation will focus on Burchfield's unique use of the watercolor medium. Unfinished works that reveal his technique and other works that might be called multimedia will be examined and discussed.

Questions: e-mail Kathy Gaye Shiroki or call ext. 3549.

Letters from Interim President Cohen notifying UUP employees that they will receive a discretionary award were mailed on Wednesday, November 13. UUP employees who did not receive an award letter are reminded that they may appeal the decision by Wednesday, November 20, as follows:

Appeal Process

• Any eligible faculty or professional staff member who is not notified by the interim president of an award by the designated date should assume that his or her name is not on the preliminary list. Employees not scheduled for an award and employees dissatisfied with the amount of their award may file an appeal with the Appeals Board. Reminder: self-nominations are not required to be eligible to appeal.
   
• The Appeals Board includes the interim president, provost, vice presidents, CIO, deans, and other administrative staff members selected by the interim president. The board will consider written appeals of no more than 600 words. The board meets in closed session and testimony or personal appeals will be by invitation only.
   
• Written appeals, addressed to the interim president, must be delivered to the President’s Office by 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 20. Copies (not originals) of the appeal must also be provided to the associate vice president for human resource management (secretary to the Appeals Board) and to the appropriate vice president, dean, director, and department chair.
   
• Appeal candidates will be notified of the outcome of the appeal by Monday, November 25.
   
• Discretionary awards will be reflected in the paychecks dated December 18, 2013.

The Buffalo State student chapter of the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) is sponsoring a food drive to benefit the City Mission. Barrels have been placed at Campus House (entryway), Caudell Hall (near the dean's office) and E. H. Butler Library (lobby).

The drive begins today, November 14, and ends Friday, November 22. Please stop by one of the locations and place your donation in the barrel. Students of CMAA will be working with representatives of City Mission to deliver the food items on the last day of the drive, in time for the busy Thanksgiving holiday.

If you wish to make a cash donation in lieu of nonperishable food items, please e-mail Kathleen O'Brien. Thank you for your support.

Tennessee Williams's The Night of the Iguana continues this week in Warren Enters Theatre in Upton Hall. The play takes place in Mexico in 1940 at a dilapidated seaside resort, where a group of desperate characters find themselves at "the end of their rope." This dark comedy is produced by Casting Hall Productions and the Buffalo State Theater Department and is directed by Donn Youngstrom. Performances will be held at 8:00 p.m. November 14–16 with a 2:00 p.m. matinee on November 16. Tickets are $6 for students and $10 for faculty and staff and are available at the Rockwell Hall and the Student Union box offices, ext. 3005.

The Course Input Form and Course Schedule Change Notice form are now "fillable" PDFs.

Buffalo State Dining is excited to announce that Choc-o-late, the new dining venue located in the Technology Building, will open Monday, November 18. Choc-o-late features a variety of hot chocolates, gourmet coffee blends, a bagel bar with a selection of flavored cream cheeses, and fresh-made Spanish pastries. Also available is an upscale deli line including homemade paninis, sandwiches, and wraps. Buffalo State Dining invites you to stop in to taste some of the new products now available.

Choc-o-late Hours of Operation
Monday–Friday: 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Saturday–Sunday: Closed

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

The Burchfield Penney docents will hold a book sale on Saturday and Sunday, November 16 and 17, to benefit the docent library. We are seeking donations of books from docents, staff, and friends of the Burchfield Penney Art Center.

We are looking for books of all sorts, but we gratefully decline the following: periodicals and magazines, encyclopedias, and books for "Dummies." We have had great success in selling art books, and most of them seem to stay in the docent family. So make some room on your shelves for new ones as well.

Books can be dropped off during gallery hours until Thursday, November 14. Please e-mail Joseph Lonzi or call ext. 3215 if you are uncertain about your donation, or if we can assist in collecting your books.