UUP-represented employees who wish to change their health insurance plan for the remainder of 2013 must return the completed option transfer form to Cleveland Hall 410 by the close of business today, August 30.

Please review the new health insurance rates and the negotiated NYSHIP changes carefully before deciding whether to change insurance carriers or remain with your current carrier for health insurance coverage.

No action is required if you wish to keep your current health insurance option.

Note: The annual Option Transfer Period will be held at the end of the calendar year, and you will have the opportunity to review health insurance plan options and rates for 2014.

Please call the Employee Benefits Office at ext. 4821 with questions.

The 14th annual Faculty and Staff Research and Creativity Fall Forum will be held on Thursday, October 31, in the newly renovated Campbell Student Union Social Hall.

The goal of this forum is to develop, encourage, and support Buffalo State faculty and staff research and creativity, and to make collaborative research endeavors and grantsmanship more accessible. This is an excellent opportunity to network with other Buffalo State faculty and staff and to identify common scholarly and creative interests you may have.

All faculty and staff are invited to organize an exhibit to present current research, creative activity, or other scholarship. Individual, departmental, or group exhibits are welcome.

The 2013–2014 academic year has been declared the Year of the Teacher. This theme is an opportunity to celebrate our mission as an institution, while bringing greater public recognition to Buffalo State's wide-ranging educational programs and research. If your submission relates to or supports this theme, please include it in the box on the submission form so that we may highlight it in the program.

Note: A limited number of tables and chairs will be available because of the location change. The Social Hall is a smaller venue, and display space and electrical capacity is less than what we are used to. Display space is limited to one five-foot table or two easels.

To participate, please complete the online form. Titles and abstracts or descriptions are to be submitted electronically by the deadline of Friday, September 27.

When students receive a notification that a waitlisted seat has become available, they must

    1. log in to Banner (SSB) within the 24-hour timeframe;
    2. find the waitlisted class on their schedule (in the Add or Drop Classes worksheet);
    3. select "**Web Registered**" from the drop-down menu;
    4. click the SUBMIT CHANGES button to register for the open seat.

Additional information about waitlisting can be found on the Registrar's Office website.

Today is the last day to enroll in the Health Insurance Opt-Out Program available to UUP-represented employees. This program allows eligible employees who have other employer-sponsored group health insurance to opt out of their NYSHIP coverage in exchange for an incentive payment. The incentive payment is $1,000 for opting out of individual coverage or $3,000 for opting out of family coverage on an annual basis.

UUP employees who are currently enrolled in NYSHIP and wish to participate in the Opt-Out Program for the remainder of 2013 must return the completed Health Insurance Transaction Form and the 2013 Opt-Out Attestation Form to Cleveland Hall 410 by close of business today, August 30.

The complete Opt-out Program description, including eligibility requirements and enrollment forms, is available on the Human Resource Management website.

Please call the Employee Benefits Office at ext. 4821 with questions.

Today is the last day to apply for the 2013 Productivity Enhancement Program (PEP) for UUP-represented employees. The program allows eligible employees to forfeit previously accrued annual leave (vacation) in exchange for a credit toward the employee share of their NYSHIP premium on a biweekly basis.

To enroll in PEP for the remainder of 2013, UUP-represented employees must apply by the close of business today, August 30. Information, including the 2013 PEP Enrollment Form, was issued to all eligible employees from the Employee Benefits Office. The complete UUP PEP description is available on the Human Resource Management website.

Please call the Employee Benefits Office at ext. 4821 with questions.

Flu vaccines will be available today in E. H. Butler Library 210 from 11:00 a.m. through 1:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary. The vaccine will be available in shot or mist form.

The following insurances will be accepted: Blue Cross Blue Shield of WNY, Independent Health, Blue Choice, and Medicare Part B. Participants must show a valid health insurance ID card. (Participation and acceptance of any insurance is not a guarantee of benefits or payment in full. Co-payments or a deductible may apply. Please call your insurance provider's member services with questions regarding coverage.)

Employees without a valid insurance card will be charged $25 for the flu shot or $35 for the flu mist. Empire Plan enrollees may obtain their flu shot from a participating provider's (doctor's) office for their usual co-pay if they wish to do so.

If you are unable to attend today, the next flu shot clinic will be held on campus on Thursday, October 10.

If you have any questions regarding your health insurance coverage, please call Employee Benefits at ext. 4821, or call the member services department of your health insurance provider. The phone number should be on your insurance card.

Flu vaccines will be available on campus tomorrow, Wednesday, September 25, and again on Thursday, October 10, from 11:00 a.m. through 1:00 p.m. in E. H. Butler Library 210. No appointment is necessary.

The vaccine will be available in shot or mist form. The following insurances will be accepted: Blue Cross Blue Shield of WNY, Independent Health, Blue Choice, and Medicare Part B. Participants must show a valid health insurance ID card. (Participation and acceptance of any insurance is not a guarantee of benefits or payment in full. Co-payments or a deductible may apply. Please call your insurance provider's member services with questions regarding coverage.)

Employees without a valid insurance card will be charged $25 for the flu shot or $35 for the flu mist. Empire Plan enrollees may obtain their flu shot from a participating provider's (doctor's) office for their usual co-pay if they wish to do so.

If you have any questions regarding your health insurance coverage, please call Employee Benefits at ext. 4821, or call the member services department of your health insurance provider. The phone number should be on your insurance card.

Flu vaccines will be available on campus Wednesday, September 25, and Thursday, October 10, in E. H. Butler Library 210 from 11:00 a.m. through 1:00 p.m.

No appointment is necessary. The vaccine will be available in shot or mist form.

The following insurance plans will be accepted: Blue Cross Blue Shield of WNY, Independent Health, Blue Choice, and Medicare Part B. Participants must present a valid health insurance ID card. (Participation and acceptance of any insurance is not a guarantee of benefits or payment in full. Co-payments or a deductible may apply. Please call your insurance provider's member services with questions regarding coverage.)

Employees who do not have one of these insurance providers will be charged $25 for the flu shot or $35 for the flu mist. Empire Plan enrollees may obtain their flu shots from a participating provider (doctor's) office for their usual co-pay if they wish to do so.

If you have any questions regarding your health insurance coverage, please call Employee Benefits at ext. 4821, or call the member services department of your insurance company. The phone number should be on your insurance card.

Applications for the Robert J. Elmes Jr. Memorial Scholarship are now available for the fall 2013 semester. All CSEA Local 640 members and their dependent children registered at Buffalo State for at least 3 credit hours for the fall 2013 semester may apply for the $250 scholarship. Applications were mailed out to all CSEA members and must be completed and returned to Mary Codick, secretary 1, in Caudell Hall 101 by Friday, September 13. If you did not receive an application or need a new one, please contact Codick, ext. 6121. Thank you and good luck.

For those faculty members who have made the transition to Blackboard and for those who are anticipating their migration in 2014, there are a number of Blackboard Open Lab dates from which to choose. Please access the training dates and times at http://bscintra.buffalostate.edu/registration.