I am pleased to announce that the following faculty and staff members will serve on the 2019–2020 Honorary Degree Committee:

Chair: Kimberly A. Kline, Chair and Professor, Higher Education Administration

Cynthia Conides, Associate Professor, History and Social Studies Education
Joy Guarino, Associate Professor, Theater
Jevon Hunter, Woods-Beals Endowed Chair in Urban Education, School of Education
Mary Jo Jagord, Director, Alumni Engagement Office
Lawrence Maheady, Distinguished Professor & Hank Mann Endowed Chair, Exceptional Education,
Lorena Mathien, Associate Professor, Business
Gary Pettibone, Professor, Biology
Celestine Simmons, Secretary 1, Muriel A. Howard Honors Program

Crystal J. Rodriguez, chief of staff in the President’s Office, will provide staff support to the committee.

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 the names of suggested nominees for SUNY honorary doctorates, along with a brief rationale, to Crystal J. Rodriguez, Cleveland Hall 517, by Wednesday, September 25.

Please join me and our Buffalo State students and colleagues as we participate in Bengals Dare to Care Day on Saturday, September 21, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Bengals Dare to Care Day is a morning of service in the community, where we show our Bengal colors and demonstrate our commitment to the community. As SUNY’s urban-engaged institution, Buffalo State highlights its civic mission in many important ways, and Bengals Dare to Care Day is one more way to exemplify how Buffalo State fulfills its goal of community collaborations that benefit student learning and community priorities.

Bengals Dare to Care Day projects are identified in partnership with community organizations across the city of Buffalo, and transportation and lunch are provided—all you have to do is register! There’s something for everyone, including some behind-the-scenes work and plenty of leadership opportunities. A complete list of projects and registration information can be found on the Civic and Community Engagement website.

You are invited to participate and be part of the Buffalo State tradition. See you at Bengals Dare to Care Day!

I am proud to introduce a new multimedia project we are calling “Faculty Engaged.”

As SUNY’s urban-engaged campus and an anchor institution for our wonderful city, Buffalo State College is committed to serving the community and creating unique opportunities for our students to connect to our region and enrich their educational and personal development. 

That commitment to service and engagement is fostered by our exceptional faculty...

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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 3.

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, suny.buffalostate.edu, or direct instructions from University Police. For more information on Buffalo State’s comprehensive emergency response plan, please visit the UPD website.

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 members who have registered with the service will be sent a test message.

Students, faculty, and staff members are strongly encouraged to enroll in Buff State Alert, or modify their preferences, by visiting the Buff State Alert website and logging in with their Buffalo State username and password. Those who do not have a Buffalo State username or password but want to receive text messages from Buff State Alert can sign up by texting the phrase “buffalostate” to 79516.

As required under the Higher Education Opportunity Act, this message shall serve as official notification to the campus community regarding illegal file sharing and copyright infringement.

Do you use your campus computer to share music, movies, or software over the web? Did you know that you may be violating federal copyright law?

Copyright infringement carries both civil and criminal penalties. In general, anyone found liable for civil copyright infringement may be ordered to pay either actual damages or "statutory" damages affixed at not less than $750 and not more than $30,000 per work infringed. For "willful" infringement, a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed. A court can, in its discretion, also assess costs and attorneys' fees. Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense. For more information, please see the U.S. Copyright Office website, especially its FAQs.

Although there are legitimate uses for file sharing and peer-to-peer technologies, please be aware that the campus Policy on the Use of Electronic Resources (PDF, 155 KB) prohibits the use of the network for copyright infringement or software piracy. When you log in to a machine on the campus network or connect to the campus wireless, you are responsible for the use of your computer and your connection. Please see the Information Technology website for guidelines regarding the use of the campus secure wireless network.

If we receive a complaint identifying your computer as sharing copyrighted materials, we’ll meet with you to help you remove the offending materials and software. Repeat complaints will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Clear violations of the Electronic Resources policy that are not promptly remedied may result in termination of network access for the person(s) at fault and referral for disciplinary actions as appropriate.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) websites have information about their current activities and some background on why they are working to prevent the theft of creative content. Please see the IT website for more information on peer-to-peer file sharing and copyright infringement.

There are legal alternatives. Several legal sources of online content can be found on the Educause website.

Please know that we are here to assist you. We hope you have a productive semester.

Members of the campus community are invited to submit nominations for the President’s Caring Bengal Award by 5:00 p.m. Friday, October 4. 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.

Please contact Jonathan Hulbert, director of leadership and organizational development, with questions about the President’s Caring Bengal Award.

I am pleased to announce the following administrative liaisons and presidential appointees to the College Senate for the 2019–2020 academic year:

Committee Chair: Joseph Marren, Professor of Communication; Chair of the College Senate
Academic Plan: James Mayrose, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Budget and Staff Allocations: Laura Barnum, Vice President for Finance and Management
Bylaws and Elections: William Benfanti, Associate Vice President for Government Relations and Alumni Engagement
Curriculum: Amitra Wall, Associate Provost; Ex Officio: Nigel Mariner, Registrar
Faculty and Staff Welfare: Jamie Warnes, Manager of Classified Employees and Employee Relations, Human Resource Management
Instruction and Research: Wendy Paterson, Dean of the School of Education
Standards for Students: Philip Badaszewski, Assistant Dean of Residence Life
Student Welfare: Rock Doyle, Assistant Vice President for Wellness
Presidential Appointee: Benjamin Christy, Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities
Presidential Appointee: Rita Zientek, Interim Dean of the School of the Professions

Buffalo State’s annual State Employees Federated Appeal (SEFA)/United Way Campaign begins today, September 26. The college has a long tradition of generously giving to organizations that improve the lives of men, women, and children in Western New York, and I am hopeful that we will again surpass our campus goal.

Pledges may be made electronically or through your department's solicitor. Thanks to all who are leading and participating in the 2019 SEFA/United Way Campaign.

Are you a faculty member who is new to advising at Buffalo State College? Have you already been advising for a few semesters, but are seeking ways that you can be more efficient or effective in your practice?

Please consider attending a "New(ish) Faculty Adviser Lunch and Orientation," co-sponsored by the Academic Commons and the Teaching and Learning Center. Join other faculty members to discuss best practices, strategies for streamlining your advising process, some nuts and bolts for new advisers, and how to make the experience of advising richer for both yourself and your students. 

Please fill out this one-minute survey by Thursday, September 26, to help the organizers best tailor this session to your interests, needs, and availability.

We often talk about telling the Buffalo State story, and like all great stories, ours begins with a compelling narrative. This week, we begin to tell the story of Buffalo State College a new way: through specific chapters of the student experience. Each month during the upcoming academic year, we will focus on a new and unique chapter in the Buffalo State story that, all told, will illustrate the amazing student experience here at the college...

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