What an amazing week of opening activities that occurred all around campus! I really had my skates on last week, moving between the many events to welcome new members of our campus community as they became part of our Buffalo State family...

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I will address the Buffalo State College community at my annual Opening Year Address on Tuesday, September 11, at 12:15 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. During my remarks, I will present highlights from the previous academic year and set the direction for the campus moving forward as we continue to advance excellence, engagement, and social responsibility as SUNY’s urban-engaged campus. All members of the campus community are encouraged to attend and to join me in a reception following the presentation to greet our new faculty and staff members.

I will address the Buffalo State College community at my annual Opening Year Address today, September 11, at 12:15 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. During my remarks, I will present highlights from the previous academic year and set the direction for the campus moving forward as we continue to advance excellence, engagement, and social responsibility as SUNY’s urban-engaged campus. All members of the campus community are encouraged to attend and to join me in a reception following the presentation to greet our new faculty and staff members.

The Professional Development Center is accepting nominations for its first cohort of Buffalo State managers for the Manager LEAPP Program: Leading, Empowering, and Accelerating Professionals’ Performance. The LEAPP Program is for any manager at Buffalo State College who is interested in improving his or her self-awareness as a manager, improving communication with employees, effectively delivering employee feedback, and managing employee performance. This program will specifically help individuals improve how they manage employees at a SUNY institution and navigate labor relations policies and procedures.

Any Buffalo State manager can be nominated or self-nominate to participate in this program by completing the online nomination form. Nominations will be accepted until Friday, September 14. The 12 nominees selected to participate in the LEAPP Program must have approval from their respective supervisors and vice presidents.

Managers in the LEAPP Program will complete two assessments to build self-awareness as a manager, complete six workshops, and be supported by a community invested in their ongoing manager development. As a result of the LEAPP Program, managers will

• increase their self-awareness of communication, decision-making, and management style preferences to identify strengths and areas for development as a manager;
• enhance skills in communicating with employees, delivering feedback to employees, and managing employee performance within the boundaries of labor relations policies and procedures;
• understand the complexities of labor relations in SUNY from multiple stakeholder perspectives and how to effectively navigate different situations;
• create and implement a personal management development plan; and
• engage in a community of managers who will work together to support each other in resolving challenges.

For more information about the Manager LEAPP Program, participant expectations, and the course schedule, please visit the Professional Development website. Please contact Jonathan Hulbert, director of leadership and organizational development, with questions.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Jean Strait as the associate vice president for educational pipeline initiatives. Dr. Strait joined Buffalo State on August 1, coming from her previous position at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Dr. Strait has a concurrent appointment as a professor in the Elementary Education, Literacy, and Educational Leadership Department. Please join me in welcoming her to Buffalo State.

The Equity and Campus Diversity Office is pleased to announce that Michael Heflin will join the office as director of equity and campus diversity effective September 1. In this role, Mr. Heflin will serve as a key member of the leadership team assisting with providing strategic direction for equity and diversity initiatives supported by the office that are designed to positively influence the campus climate. Mr. Heflin has been employed with the college since 2007, serving as associate director, and most recently as director, for the Residential Experience Office. He has a long-standing career in higher education, having served in a variety of leadership roles at the University of Maryland College Park and the University at Buffalo. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Heflin in his new role.

The Equity and Campus Diversity Office invites you to take part in its fall 2018 semester programs. Please see our calendar of events (PDF, 1 MB) for information.

This week continued the tradition of bringing organizations on campus for a part-time job bazaar called the “Part-Time Job Luau.” If you were crossing the Plaza (Student Union Quad) on August 30, you saw rows of tables displaying part-time job opportunities and paid internships for students. This year marked the 17th annual Luau and it was the largest yet...

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Members of the campus community are invited to submit nominations for the President’s Caring Bengal Award by 5:00 p.m. Monday, October 1. Please visit the award website for more information about the award criteria and recipient selection process, and to submit a nomination.
 
Award Description
Each of us knows a faculty member, staff member, or administrator who transforms the work and personal lives of their colleagues by supporting them with compassion, care, respect, and collegiality. These caring colleagues in our community can be found at every level of our institution and although they create positive work experiences for each person they encounter, their contribution to our community sometimes goes unnoticed. To recognize these supportive colleagues in our community, each month faculty, staff, and administrators across all ranks, unions, and titles can be nominated by a colleague or student to receive the Caring Bengal Award.

The Faculty and Staff Recognition Committee, which includes faculty and staff representation from UUP, CSEA, the College Senate, and the Professional Staff Caucus, will review award nominations and select the award recipient each month. Each month, award recipients will be announced by me in the Daily Bulletin, will receive a gift, and will be invited along with their supervisor to a lunch with me at the end of the semester.

Our Previous Winners:

March 2018: Julie Wholf
April 2018: Maria Garrity
May 2018: Barrett Gordon

Please contact Rebecca Catalano, staff assistant in the Professional Development Center, with questions about the President’s Caring Bengal Award.

Members of the campus community:
 
Dr. Jill Singer has announced that she will be stepping down from her position as director of undergraduate research at the end of the fall 2018 semester. Dr. Singer’s tireless efforts on behalf of our students have resulted in a program that stands as a national model of excellence, and one that we will continue to support.

We will conduct an internal search for the next director with the intent of naming the new leadership in time to work with Dr. Singer this semester. If you are interested in this position, please send me a current curriculum vitae and a one- to two-page letter of interest by Friday, September 21. A search committee with representatives from each of the schools will review applicants and make recommendations by early October.