Buffalo State College is proud to announce the 2019 Networking in Higher Education Conference, “Defining 21st Century Activism Through Education,” held in collaboration with the University at Buffalo, on Friday, June 21, at the Millennium Hotel Buffalo, 2040 Walden Avenue in Cheektowaga.

I will moderate the plenary session of the conference, “Racism Fatigue in America,” which will feature Steve Peraza, assistant professor of history at Buffalo State, as a panelist. Additionally, Jonathan Hulbert, director of leadership and organizational development in the Professional Development Center, will present an afternoon workshop. This year’s keynote speaker will be Jasmine Rand, the attorney for the Trayvon Martin family. Ms. Rand is not only a professor, national legal analyst, international legal consultant, lecturer, columnist, and civil rights leader; she is also the founding attorney of Rand Law LLC, a Miami-based civil litigation firm.

Conference registration is now open and can be found on the UB website. Please direct questions to associate professor of English Lorna Pérez, Buffalo State’s co-chair for this event.

I cordially invite you to join me for a reception celebrating Joan L. McCool, director of the Counseling Center, on the occasion of her retirement from Buffalo State College on Friday, June 14, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Fireside Lounge.

Dr. McCool has served Buffalo State for more than 38 years. Please stop by to thank her for her tremendous dedication to Buffalo State and its students and to wish her well. RSVP before Friday, June 7, to 878-4704 or marzolkl@buffalostate.edu.

Buffalo State is fully committed to ensuring that its website is accurate and accessible to all, including those with disabilities. The Marketing and Communications Office is currently working to increase accessibility and usability of the college's websites to meet or exceed the mandatory requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991, and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA.

One of the ways Buffalo State is ensuring website compliance is through Siteimprove, a service that ensures that the college's websites meet best practices and accessibility guidelines. Siteimprove is a tool that provides information on analytics, quality assurance, and accessibility.

Each area with a web presence on campus is responsible for ensuring that its content and images are compliant with the standards outlined within WCAG 2.0 Level AA. If an accessibility issue is found on a Buffalo State department or office site, the Marketing and Communications Office will provide a detailed Siteimprove accessibility audit report.

As part of our Drupal user training, Marketing and Communications staff members cover common accessibility checkpoints. Trainings are held frequently, and follow-up or refresher trainings are encouraged.

Because of the college's legal need to maintain accessibility compliance, immediate action by those maintaining college sites is required. If you have received a Siteimprove accessibility audit and need assistance or guidance, the Marketing and Communications web team is always available.

Registration is open for the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Teaching and Learning Certificate Program.

Designed and delivered by SUNY faculty and staff with expertise in diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education, the program has been designed to help faculty members and others involved in teaching and learning in higher education develop new mindsets and strategies for more inclusive and equitable practices in classrooms and other learning environments. The certificate provides evidence that participants have attained a basic set of essential skills and knowledge needed for teaching a diverse student population.

The first two courses, “Critically Reflecting on Diversity and Teaching in SUNY” and “Meeting Students Where They Are,” begin August 27. The other four courses take place in fall 2019 and spring 2020. Each course is offered twice during this time. If you are interested in the certificate, you must take the “Critically Reflecting” course and two of the other five courses. If you are not interested in the certificate, you may take any of the courses as stand-alone courses. The courses are not sequential; you may take them in any order you like. All courses take place online in Blackboard and are asynchronous, so you do not need to log in at a specific time. Each course lasts six weeks and requires anywhere from two to four hours a week to complete.

A discount is available if you register for three courses at the same time. SUNY CPD membership points may be used to pay for this program.

Please contact Chris Price with questions.

I am pleased to announce that Dianne McCarthy, associate professor of elementary education, literacy, and educational leadership, has received the President's Professional Development Award. She will attend the National Council of Teachers in Mathematics Conference, which will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, October 2–4. At the conference, Dr. McCarthy will gain a better understanding of issues of equity in mathematics, which will support her goal to develop a course for education majors that focuses on increasing girls’ competence and confidence throughout STEM classes. Her professional development award profile can be viewed on the Professional Development Center website.

The President’s Professional Development Award supports professional development opportunities that enrich the experiences of all employees on campus by promoting opportunities that allow employees to build on their expertise, identify best practices, and network with others.

Nominations for the President’s Professional Development Award will reopen in September and will be posted in the Daily Bulletin. For more information about the award criteria and the award recipient selection process, please visit the Professional Development website.

Butler Library will launch a new library catalog and discovery platform called ALLsearch tomorrow, June 13. The new system will offer a single search interface for finding library materials and managing your library account. New and improved features include the following: 

• New Search Interface – ALLsearch replaces Summon as the search interface that connects you to the print and electronic resources provided by Butler Library. ALLsearch and Summon share many common elements, and those who are comfortable with searching in Summon will be equally comfortable using ALLsearch.
• Enhanced Library Account Management – Library accounts will be simplified and accessed with a single, easy-to-use interface. By signing in, you will be able to view check-outs, submit hold requests, renew materials, and view fines and fees.
• Improvements to Borrowing Services – For most items, faculty loan periods have been extended to 16 weeks, and students will benefit with end-of-semester due dates. If you can't find what you need in Butler Library, you can easily search for and request books from other SUNY libraries using ALLsearch.

Every effort is being made to minimize the impact on your library experience. Thank you for your patience as we work through the process, especially during the immediate days and weeks ahead, when we will be doing intensive cleanup.

Rest assured, we’re here to provide support for you and your students. For more information or to provide feedback, please visit our migration guide. Your feedback is important and welcome.

Please contact Joseph Riggie, associate librarian, with questions.

As we prepare for our annual Affirmative Action Plan, faculty and staff members are encouraged to review their EEO Self-Disclosure Form to confirm that it accurately reflects their identity (i.e., race, ethnicity, veteran status, disability, gender). The form is available on the SUNY System Administration Human Resources Self-Service Module.

Choose Buffalo State from the Campus drop-down menu, and log in using your Buffalo State username and password. Click SUNY HR Self Service, complete the Birth Date Verification field, and click Submit. Select the Demographics tab to verify the EEO Self-Disclosure identifying information. Updates or changes to this information may be submitted using the forms at the bottom of the Demographics page (Personal Information Form, Disability Form, Vets Form).

A user guide (PDF, 363 KB) is available to assist employees in accessing and using the Self-Service Module. Please call Human Resource Management at 878-4822 for further assistance in using the Self-Service Module.

Please call the Equity and Campus Diversity Office at 878-6210 with questions about the EEO Self-Disclosure Form or the college’s EEO data.

The Student Leadership and Engagement Office will host New Student Orientation throughout the summer, as previously announced. On the first day of each First-Year Orientation session (dates listed below), drivers may experience traffic delays on Rockwell Road in front of Neumann Hall as family members drop off students for check-in. In addition, Cleveland Circle will have limited access from 7:30 to 10:00 a.m. as we welcome our new Bengals and their families.

Monday, June 24
Thursday, June 27
Monday, July 1
Monday, July 8
Thursday, July 11
Monday, July 15

Please call the Student Leadership and Engagement Office at 878-4631 with questions or for assistance.

Registration is open for the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Teaching and Learning Certificate Program.

Designed and delivered by SUNY faculty and staff with expertise in diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education, the program has been designed to help faculty members and others involved in teaching and learning in higher education develop new mindsets and strategies for more inclusive and equitable practices in classrooms and other learning environments. The certificate provides evidence that participants have attained a basic set of essential skills and knowledge needed for teaching a diverse student population.

The first two courses, “Critically Reflecting on Diversity and Teaching in SUNY” and “Meeting Students Where They Are,” begin August 27. The other four courses take place in fall 2019 and spring 2020. Each course is offered twice during this time. If you are interested in the certificate, you must take the “Critically Reflecting” course and two of the other five courses. If you are not interested in the certificate, you may take any of the courses as stand-alone courses. The courses are not sequential; you may take them in any order you like. All courses take place online in Blackboard and are asynchronous, so you do not need to log in at a specific time. Each course lasts six weeks and requires anywhere from two to four hours a week to complete.

A discount is available if you register for three courses at the same time. SUNY CPD membership points may be used to pay for this program.

Please contact Chris Price with questions.

The Residence Life Office is pleased to offer college offices and departments the opportunity to temporarily house new faculty and staff members or temporary college guests (e.g., visiting faculty, artists-in-residence) in apartment-style accommodations. Residence Life will work with each office, department, or individual to identify space and handle billing. If you are interested in learning more about this option or have a new faculty or staff member coming on board who is in need of temporary transitional housing, please contact the Residence Life Office, 878-3000.