The campus community is invited to attend the 2015 Faculty and Staff Recognition Ceremony tomorrow, October 8, at 12:15 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. Please join us as we recognize recipients of President's and Chancellor's Awards for Excellence, welcome new staff members, and celebrate the accomplishments of our colleagues on campus. A light reception will immediately follow the ceremony.

The following employees will be honored. View bios and photos of awardees.

President’s Award for Excellence in Service to the College

• Stephen E. Gareau, professor of computer information systems

President’s Award for Excellence in Academic Advisement

• Kimberly A. Blessing, professor of philosophy and humanities

President’s Award for Excellence as an Undergraduate Research Mentor

• Bridget María Chesterton, associate professor of history and social studies education
• Amy M. McMillan, associate professor of biology

President’s Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creativity

• Carol A. DeNysschen, department chair and associate professor of health, nutrition, and dietetics
• Ruth X. Guo, professor of computer information systems

President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching

• Barish Ali, assistant professor of English
• Lynne M. Scalia, associate professor of business
• Jonathan L. Thornton, professor of art conservation
• Kevin K. Williams, associate professor of earth sciences and science education

SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Classified Service

• Jacalyn Hirtreiter, secretary 1 in the Counseling Center

SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service

• Thomas C. Koller, senior associate director of intercollegiate athletics

SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching

• Charles G. Arbutina, lecturer in computer information systems
• Dorothy R. Wiswall, lecturer emerita in modern and classical languages

SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching

• Michael J. Littman, department chair and associate professor of business
• James Mayrose, dean of the School of the Professions
• Lisa A. Rafferty, department chair and associate professor of exceptional education

I am pleased to announce the following appointments to the 2015–2016 Community Policing Advisory Committee:

Chair: James J. Sobol, Associate Professor, Criminal Justice
Peter M. Carey, Chief of Police, University Police
Jerod T. Dahlgren, Director of Public Relations, College Relations
Patrick H. Freeman, University Police Officer 1, University Police
Michael A. Heflin, Director, Residence Life
Karen A. Clinton Jones, Chief Diversity Officer, Equity and Campus Diversity
Charles B. Kenyon, Associate Vice President and Dean of Students, Student Affairs
Joan L. McCool, Director, Counseling Center
Amy M. McMillan, Associate Professor, Biology
Richard F. Myers, University Police Officer 2, University Police
Amy M. Pedlow, Assistant Chief of Police, University Police
Amy Rosen-Brand, Associate Director, Disability Services
Ronald D. Smith, Professor, Communication
Daniel C. Vélez, Associate Vice President, Student Success
Derek Jorden, President, United Students Government
Kobe Gyau-Boateng, Undergraduate Student Representative
Chibuzo Nweke, Undergraduate Student Representative
Pilar Nelson, Graduate Student Representative
 
The Community Policing Advisory Committee is a standing committee that serves in an advisory role to the president and the vice president for finance and management on the community-oriented policing philosophy and problem-solving initiatives of the Buffalo State campus community in partnership with the University Police Department.

The committee represents the Buffalo State community in creating, evaluating, and implementing a community-oriented policing philosophy designed to create an environment that focuses on crime prevention, problem solving, and education through partnerships among University Police, students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors. The committee is charged with the following:
 

• Review the issues involved in community policing, campus safety, and crime on campus.
• Develop ways to increase student, faculty, and staff input in University Police functions and initiatives.
• Identify ways to enhance positive interactions between the University Police and its constituents.
• Review complaints, trends, and statistics over regular intervals to determine the effectiveness of community policing programs and highlight any issues that need addressing.
• Act as an advocate for University Police to the campus community and administration to support community policing initiatives.
• Coordinate activities and share information with the Campus Safety Forum.
• Provide advice on other police-related issues brought to it by the president or the vice president for finance and management.
• Provide recommendations to the president and the vice president for finance and management on ways to enhance community policing on campus. Recommendations should include performance indicators or assessment strategies to help evaluate the outcomes of the recommendations, as well as an estimate of the financial and human resources needed to implement the recommendations.

The Honorary Degree Committee is charged with identifying candidates for the State University of New York honorary doctorate, SUNY’s highest academic honor, and preparing nomination portfolios. Honorary degrees are awarded to recognize excellence that exemplifies the mission and purpose of the State University of New York in the following fields: public affairs, the sciences, humanities and the arts, scholarship and education, business and philanthropy, and social services.

Honorary degrees also can honor meritorious or outstanding service to the university, the state of New York, the United States, or humanity at large, or people whose lives serve as examples of the university’s aspirations for its students.

Please forward names of suggested nominees for SUNY honorary doctorates to Maryruth Glogowski, Cleveland Hall 511, or any other committee member (see below) by Monday, October 26.

2015–2016 Honorary Degree Committee
Co-Chair: Ann Colley, Distinguished Professor, English
Co-Chair: Maryruth Glogowski, Associate Vice President, Information Services and Systems
Bill Benfanti, Associate Vice President for Government Relations
John Cabra, Associate Professor, Center for Studies in Creativity
Krista Vince Garland, Assistant Professor, Exceptional Education
Camille Holmgren, Associate Professor, Geography and Planning
Charles Kenyon, Associate Vice President; Dean of Students
Lawrence Maheady, Horace Mann Endowed Chair, Exceptional Education
Daniel Potts, Associate Professor, Biology
Judith Walsh, Professor, Art Conservation
Nancy Weekly, Head of Collections, Burchfield Penney Art Center
Amy Wilson, Assistant Professor, Higher Education Administration
Sergio Ossorio, Graduate Intern, President’s Office

Bonita R. Durand, Chief of Staff, President’s Office, will provide staff support to the committee.

I cordially invite all members of the campus community to celebrate the dedication of the Horace Mann Quad (formerly Rockwell Quad) on Tuesday, October 20, from noon to 1:30 p.m. A reception will immediately follow the ceremony in the Savage Theater and Communication Building. Parking is available in Lot R-4 (PDF), accessible from Rockwell Road.

The favor of a reply is requested by Wednesday, October 14. Please call 878-5115.

The Buffalo State College Committee on Undergraduate Retention provides recommendations that will increase the persistence, retention, and graduation rates of undergraduate students.

The committee's charge is as follows:

• Review, gather, and interpret information from other institutions or external programs that can illuminate these concerns.
• Investigate and review best practices that currently exist on the Buffalo State campus.
• Review current Buffalo State information and available quantitative data related to this issue.
• Gather new information or survey portions of the campus community to provide insight into this issue.
• Develop recommendations that are relevant to all or selected portions of the campus student community.
• Make recommendations on short-term and long-term goals related to higher persistence, retention, and graduation rates.
• Submit proposals that address retention needs to the President's Cabinet.
• Report at the end of each semester (orally and in writing) on the state of undergraduate persistence, retention, and graduation rates and the impact of current or new programs to address these issues.
• Advise the cabinet on the continuation, development, or elimination of programs that affect persistence, retention, and graduation rates.

Committee Membership
Co-Chair: Mark Severson, Dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences
Co-Chair: Daniel Vélez, Associate Vice President for Student Success
Daniel Blum, Lecturer of History and Social Studies Education
Lynn Boorady, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Fashion and Textile Technology
Jerry Boyes, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Head Football Coach
Connie Cooke, Director of Financial Aid
Leslie Day, Lecturer of Elementary Education and Reading
Brian Dubenion, Assistant Director of Residence Life for Student Success
Dwight Hennessy, Associate Professor of Psychology
Yanick Jenkins, Director of the Educational Opportunity Program
James Mayrose, Dean of the School of the Professions
Lisa Rafferty, Associate Professor of Exceptional Education
Deborah Silverman, Associate Professor of Communication
Ralph Wahlstrom, Professor of English
Susan Wright, Director of Student Accounts

Ex Officio: Hal Payne, Vice President for Student Affairs
Ex Officio: Melanie Perreault, Provost

I cordially invite all members of the campus community to celebrate the unveiling of the new Buffalo State College presidential portraits on Monday, October 19, at 4:00 p.m. in the Rockwell Hall lobby. A reception will immediately follow the ceremony.

The favor of a reply is requested by Thursday, October 15. Please call 878-5115.

I cordially invite all members of the campus community to celebrate the successful completion of our Transforming Lives fundraising campaign on Tuesday, October 27, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall.

The favor of a reply is requested by Tuesday, October 20. Please call 878-5115 or visit giving.buffalostate.edu.

The Emergency Response Planning Group and University Police will conduct a test of the college’s outdoor emergency alert horn at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, October 22.

People who are outdoors during the test will hear a series of three loud 60-second horn blasts emanating from the central heating plant. Please note: the horn is primarily intended to be audible at outdoor locations on campus—not inside buildings.

In a real emergency, the horn would sound for a minimum of five full minutes. If a real emergency alert is signaled, immediately seek shelter and await further instructions communicated via Buff State Alert, e-mail, or www.buffalostate.edu or direct instructions from University Police. For more information on Buffalo State’s comprehensive emergency response plan, please visit http://police.buffalostate.edu/emergency-response-plan. 

Approximately 30 minutes before the test horn sounds, the college will issue a campuswide test of the Buff State Alert emergency communication system. At this time, all students, faculty, and staff who have registered with the service will be sent a test message.

Students, faculty, and staff who wish to enroll in Buff State Alert or modify their preferences may do so by visiting https://buffstatealert.buffalostate.edu and logging in with their Buffalo State user name and password. Those who do not have a Buffalo State user name or password but want to receive text messages from Buff State Alert can sign up by texting the phrase “buffalostate” to 79516.

As Buffalo State engages in the strategic planning process, the administration remains mindful of the opportunities available through online education. To further inform the campus's direction, the previous Online Advisory Committee (OAC) has been reformed as the Committee for Online Strategic Enrollment Planning (COSEP).

Reporting to the provost and the chief information officer, COSEP is chaired by the special assistant to the provost for innovative learning and contains faculty and staff representation from each school, Butler Library, Student Affairs, and Information Services and Systems (ISAS), as well as a dean. Campus stakeholders are encouraged to talk with their COSEP representatives to stay informed on topical issues and to share salient agenda items with COSEP.

COSEP's Charge

• Guide progress toward meeting Buffalo State’s strategic plans for online education.
• Serve as an advisory entity for all facets of online learning including recommendations on policy development; best practices; processes; infrastructure; support and training requirements; and assessment strategies for online learning efficacy.
• Review and coordinate alignment with SUNY-defined initiatives (e.g., Open SUNY).

Committee Representation

Chair: Brad Fuster
Ken Fujiuchi, Butler Library
Erin Alonzo, Student Affairs
Judi Basinski, ISAS
Carol Beckley, School of Arts and Humanities
John Cabra, School of the Professions
Ben Christy, Dean
Melaine Kenyon, ISAS
Heather Maldonado, University College
Andrea Nikischer, School of Education
Maria Pacheco, School of Natural and Social Sciences
Meghan Pereira, ISAS

​Ex Officio: Melanie Perreault, Provost
Ex Officio: David Demers, CIO

As part of our ongoing commitment to providing exemplary customer service, Information Services and Systems seeks your feedback regarding our organizational brand identity.

We are pleased to announce the launch of a brand identity and service satisfaction survey for faculty, staff, and students. The survey consists of 13 questions and will take about five minutes to complete.

Survey responses are completely anonymous, and no identifying information will be collected.

The survey will be open from Monday, October 19, through Friday, November 13. We will send periodic e-mail reminders during this time. Your input and responses will be highly valuable as we seek to align our resources to best meet the needs of the Buffalo State community; please encourage students and your peers to take the survey as well.

Results of the survey will be shared with the community and posted on the CIO website.

The survey link is https://buffalostate.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_bIWifUBWAr1Wp0x.

Anyone interested in completing the survey on paper may obtain a copy at the Butler Library Information Commons area, the Butler Library Reference Desk, or the Disability Services Office.

Completed paper surveys may be dropped off at any of the locations above.

Thank you. Your participation is truly appreciated.

Sincerely,

David Demers
Chief Information Officer