The New York State ACE Women’s Network annual conference, “Building an Authentic Bridge to Community,” featuring keynote speaker Maren Showkeir, will be held April 5 and 6 at the Otesaga Resort Hotel in Cooperstown, New York.

ACE’s board of directors and presidential sponsor Margaret Drugovich, president of Hartwick College, have designed this year’s conference, which speaks to all women in higher education. The conference will address how to honor the diversity of conversations to create the most purposeful, meaningful, and effective difference for our future.

Ms. Showkeir has 25 years of experience in writing, managing, and teaching and has worked with many organizations to increase business results by establishing authentic conversations and creating cultures of accountability.

This year, the New York State ACE Women’s Network Board invites all institutional representatives to attend a pre-conference workshop on Thursday, April 5, at 1:30 p.m., for the opportunity to sign up for 15-minute sessions throughout the afternoon with a president for advice, feedback, and networking.

Please register by Sunday, March 25, to get the early bird rate.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Jacquelyn Malcolm as Buffalo State’s new chief information officer and vice president for enrollment, marketing, and communications. Dr. Malcolm, who will officially join the Buffalo State community on July 1, 2018, currently serves as associate vice president and chief marketing officer at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. 

Dr. Malcolm brings nearly 20 years of distinctive higher education experience to Buffalo State, including leadership roles in marketing and communications, as well as extensive experience supporting enrollment management and technology efforts at multiple institutions. I believe her dynamic, collaborative, and strategic leadership style and varied work experiences will be a wonderful match for the important divisions of RITE, Enrollment Management, and College Relations. We look forward to welcoming Dr. Malcolm to the Buffalo State family this summer. 

I invite you to read more about Dr. Malcolm’s background in the biography below. 

I would like to thank the members of the search committee and the search chair, Bradley Fuster, associate vice president for institutional effectiveness, for their efforts and service to Buffalo State.

Lastly, please join me in thanking James Mayrose for his strategic and steady leadership of the division during his time as the interim chief information officer and vice president. Dr. Mayrose has fostered many new collaborations and efficiencies that will benefit the division and college for years to come. 

About Jacquelyn Malcolm
As the associate vice president and chief marketing officer at the Catholic University of America since 2016, Dr. Malcolm has overseen the university’s internal and external marketing and communications efforts, leading an 18-person team within the division of enrollment management and marketing. She was responsible for managing Catholic University’s first-ever strategic advertising campaign, while also guiding her team’s efforts in research-based integrated marketing campaigns in print, electronic, multimedia, online, and social media environments to reach target audiences. 

Prior to her tenure at Catholic University, Dr. Malcom was the executive director of marketing and communications at Delaware State University, where she also worked as the executive director of integrated marketing from October 2005 to December 2008. 

Before returning to Delaware State in 2015, Dr. Malcolm worked at the University of the District of Columbia for seven years (2008–2015), where she served as executive director of interactive media and portal administrator, executive director of alumni relations, and assistant vice president for marketing, communications, and alumni relations. 

Prior to joining the University of the District of Columbia, Dr. Malcolm worked at the University of Delaware as assistant director of alumni relations (2004) and at the George Washington University as associate director of law school alumni relations (1999–2003). 

She earned a B.S. in business administration from Drexel University in 1997 and an M.S. in project management from the George Washington University in 1998. She completed her Ed.D. in educational leadership from Delaware State University in 2017.

A year ago, the Buffalo State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) partnered with athletes from across the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) in conjunction with the One Love Foundation to increase awareness of domestic and relationship violence issues through the "10 Million Yards for Yeardley" event. This year, Buffalo State and the SUNYAC are expanding their efforts to help put an end to relationship abuse.

Every student-athlete at Buffalo State is participating in the Escalation Workshop created by the One Love Foundation during the spring semester. Student-athletes view a 40-minute film that follows a college-age couple through the very sweet beginnings of their relationship and shows how unhealthy behaviors can escalate into abuse. After watching the film, workshop participants dive into a discussion—led by trained facilitators who are members of the Bengals’ coaching staff—about the early warning signs of relationship abuse and what they can do if they witness or experience these warning signs.

All Buffalo State student-athletes will have participated in the training before this year’s SUNY-wide "Around the World for Yeardley" event, which the Bengals will complete on April 18. After more than doubling the conference goal last year with nearly 26 million total yards—including a one-day total that exceeded 2 million yards run, walked, or swum by Buffalo State—participants have set this year’s goal as "around the world," aiming to amass 50 million total yards among 21 SUNY institutions. Buffalo State’s goal is to surpass 2.4 million yards. All members of the campus community are invited to join their fellow Bengals in the Sports Arena on Wednesday, April 18, between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to walk or run and contribute to the Buffalo State total. Campus community members can also "donate" their steps by checking in at various tables that will be set up around campus.

The One Love Foundation was created in remembrance of former University of Virginia women's lacrosse player Yeardley Love, who was brutally beaten to death by her former boyfriend, a member of the men's lacrosse team, on May 3, 2010. Yeardley's mother, Sharon Love, developed the One Love Foundation in response to her tragic loss to raise awareness about the consequences of relationship violence. For more information, please visit the One Love Foundation website.

On March 20, I hosted the spring student open forum during Bengal Pause in the Campbell Student Union...

Please follow my blog at http://kateconwayturner.tumblr.com.

The midterm grading window for spring 2018 is open in Banner and will close Monday, April 2, at 9:00 p.m. In addition to entering a midterm grade, please mark how regularly a student has attended a course by entering 0 (never attended), 1 (sporadic, unsatisfactory attendance), or 2 (consistent, satisfactory attendance) in the “Hours Attended” field. Midterm grade submissions for all registered students are a critical piece of our campuswide academic intervention and retention efforts.

The midterm grading window for spring 2018 closes at 9:00 p.m. today, April 2. In addition to entering a midterm grade, please mark how regularly a student has attended a course by entering 0 (never attended), 1 (sporadic, unsatisfactory attendance), or 2 (consistent, satisfactory attendance) in the “Hours Attended” field. Midterm grade submissions for all registered students are a critical piece of our campuswide academic intervention and retention efforts.

Today I had a visit from Peter Yacobucci, associate professor of political science and campus coordinator of the American Democracy Project, and eight Buffalo State students...

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At its March 9, 2018, meeting, the College Senate voted to recommend revisions to DOPS Policy I:04:01: Alternate Methods of Earning College Credit - Course Challenge. The resolution and revised policy language are as follows:

DOPS Revisions: Alternate Methods of Earning College Credit – Course Challenge

WHEREAS, the Buffalo State student population is becoming increasingly diverse, with more adult and returning learners; and

WHEREAS, students may enter Buffalo State with previous life and work experience that has prepared them to demonstrate the stated learning outcomes or objectives of a particular course; and

WHEREAS, the current Course Challenge policy, within the Alternate Methods of Earning College Credit (1:04:01) policy, is limited in scope, speaking only to an examination as the method of course challenge versus a portfolio, performance, or other means; and

WHEREAS, the current Course Challenge policy does not consider graduate students,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Buffalo State amend its DOPS policy on Course Challenge within Alternate Methods of Earning College Credit (1:04:01) as revised in this document to enhance student success toward degree completion (see language in the section “Proposed Revised Policy Course Challenge” below); and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the college catalog and college website be updated to ensure that DOPS language is consistently reflected for these policies.

DOPS Policy Number: I:04:01  Subject: Alternate Methods of Earning College Credit - Course Challenge 

Current Policy
Course Challenge 
Each department determines which courses may be challenged by examination. Matriculated undergraduate students may earn credit hours by challenging the specially designated courses.

The following rules apply:

1. Total challenge credit may not exceed 30 credit hours.

2. A course in which a student is currently enrolled may not be challenged.

3. A course may not be challenged more than once.

4. Credit earned will be recorded as credit (CR) only rather than by grade.

5. No credit will be awarded when the challenged area duplicates an area for which credit has already been awarded.

6. A student must be matriculated to register for a course challenge.

Proposed Revised Policy
Course Challenge
A course challenge may be used to request college credit for a Buffalo State course when the course objectives and student learning outcomes have been previously met. Each department determines whether credit for a successful course challenge may be applied to the major or minor.

The following rules apply:

1. A student must be matriculated to challenge a course.

2. Department determines challenge method, which may include but is not limited to examination, portfolio, performance, or presentation.

3.  No credit will be awarded when the challenged course duplicates a course for which credit has already been earned (except in the specific case of a repeatable course), a course for which a grade has already been earned, or a course in which a student is currently enrolled.

4. Credit earned will be recorded as credit (CR) only rather than as a grade.

5. A student may not receive more than 30 undergraduate credits or 6 graduate credits through course challenge.

6. The grade grievance policy can be invoked by a student who wishes to appeal an unsuccessful course challenge.

I hereby accept the recommendation of the College Senate to revise the Policy on Course Challenge as outlined above. I charge the provost with the responsibility for overseeing that this change is implemented and communicated appropriately.

I am pleased to inform you that Drew Kahn has been appointed to the rank of Distinguished Service Professor by the State University of New York Board of Trustees. This prestigious honor is reserved for faculty members whose service extends far beyond the campus, recognizing individuals for professional excellence and extraordinary commitment to applying scholarship to the greater good.

I cannot think of anyone who better represents and lives the principles of an engaged faculty member than Professor Kahn. He is an amazing community builder, teacher, and champion of social justice. His work is grounded in the mission of Buffalo State and has deepened the ways we manifest a commitment and dedication to social justice on campus, locally, and globally. His work is institutionalized at Buffalo State, and we and our communities are the better for it.

Professor Kahn will be officially inducted into the SUNY Distinguished Academy at a ceremony in Albany in May. Next fall, we will honor him on campus at our Faculty-Staff Recognition Ceremony. In the meantime, please join me in congratulating him on this wonderful honor.

As I have stated on several occasions and in my message to the campus community on February 2, we are currently facing a projected budgetary shortfall of $7 million. This gap will be addressed over three years, beginning with a $1.4 million reduction for the 2017–2018 academic year. A $2.8 million reduction will follow in both 2018–2019 and 2019–2020.

I am pleased to report that we have met our target for this year. Through careful analysis and thoughtful consideration, we have permanently eliminated $1.4 million in expenses from the budget. This amount includes approximately $1.25 million in salary funds and $150,000 in non-personnel funds. I thank all members of the campus community who have worked diligently with the provost and vice presidents as they have identified and absorbed cuts to arrive at this year’s rebalancing figure.

I also want to acknowledge the continued dedication and work of the Budget Committee Support Group, as well as extend a heartfelt thanks to those who attended and participated in the budget open forum presentations this semester. Your feedback at the forums, as well as through ideas submitted online, will continue to be shared with and reviewed by the support group.

We now must turn to the rebalancing target of $2.8 million for the 2018–2019 academic year. I have directed the members of the President’s Cabinet to have their respective reductions in place by July 1, 2018. At that time, I intend to again communicate with you regarding our success at meeting that target. I know that the cabinet is currently engaging in some difficult discussions as we plan for the next reduction. I have asked the vice presidents to continue communicating directly with their units about projected impacts of the reductions, and I encourage faculty and staff members to reach out to their respective vice presidents with any questions as rebalancing efforts continue. Looking ahead, we recognize that the third-year reduction will be the most difficult to achieve, so discussions are already under way for strategies and approaches to meet that target.

Please know that although we are looking carefully at each and every vacant personnel line for possible savings, we will continue to prioritize hiring that is central to the mission of our campus and necessary to provide an outstanding education for our students. We are also vigorously engaged in enhancing recruitment efforts, elevating student retention, and developing programming that will add to our future success, thus adding streams of resources and increasing enrollment in key areas such as transfer students and the Graduate School. Any additional resources will provide some measure of relief to the current rebalancing efforts.

I continue to be confident that we will weather this budgetary storm, and with innovation and creativity, we will find ways to continue to excel. We will be leaner after this process, but we will not lose our focus on providing an excellent, engaged, and socially responsible education to each and every student who puts his or her trust in a Buffalo State education.

Thank you for all you do to make Buffalo State a special campus. I appreciate your assistance as we rebalance our budget to ensure our future strength and sustainability.