It has been brought to our attention that some members of the campus community did not have an opportunity to complete the survey for each provost candidate. In an effort to receive feedback from the maximum number of people regarding each candidate, the surveys for each provost candidate will reopen today, March 11, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. If you haven’t already done so, please provide feedback for each of the three candidates by completing the survey; responses will be anonymous.

Candidate 1: Jim Mayrose
Candidate 2: Alfred Tatum
Candidate 3: Andy Wang

For more information, please visit the Provost Search website. Questions may be directed to me, Timothy W. Gordon, search chair. Thank you for your ongoing support and participation in this important process.

Effective immediately, Instructional Design and Training (IDT) will officially move from Information Technology to Academic Affairs, reporting to the interim provost. This move is being made, in part, to create greater synergies among IDT and Academic Affairs. IDT will also serve as a liaison between the two divisions.

IDT currently provides faculty support for the use of technology in and out of the classroom and assists faculty members with design and development of online, hybrid, and web-enhanced courses and modules. 

It also provides guidance, workshops, and training to support best practices within education to improve the quality of the educational experiences for students and faculty at Buffalo State College.

I am pleased to announce the members of the School of Arts and Sciences task force:

Co-Chairs
Carol A. DeNysschen, Chair and Professor, Health, Nutrition, and Dietetics Department
Mark K. Warford, Chair and Associate Professor, Modern and Classical Languages Department

Faculty and Staff
Atta A. Ceesay, Associate Professor, Political Science Department
Kathleen Fortune, Administrative Assistant 2, School of Natural and Social Sciences
Carolyn S. Fusco, Executive Assistant to the Dean, School of Arts and Humanities
Khaleel M. Gathers, Deputy CIO and Director of Technology, Planning, and Outreach
Jason D. Grinnell, Chair and Associate Professor, Philosophy Department
Laurie A. Kaiser, Assistant Director of Communications, Marketing and Communications Office
Susan E. Maguire, Associate Professor, Anthropology Department
Candace P. Masters, Associate Professor, Art and Design Department
Kathleen M. O'Brien, Chair and Lecturer, Hospitality and Tourism Department
Mary E. Sullivan, Lecturer, Writing Program
Gregory J. Wadsworth, Associate Professor, Biology Department
Robert L. Wood, Professor, Art and Design Department
Awilda Ramos Zagarrigo, Associate Professor, Exceptional Education Department

The task force will be charged with establishing the School of Arts and Sciences, which will include the foundational development of new bylaws for the school. I thank those who are serving on the task force for their work on this important task. More information will be forthcoming.

From the President's Council on Equity and Campus Diversity
Nominations are encouraged for the Dr. Muriel A. Howard Presidential Award for the Promotion of Equity and Campus Diversity. The annual award recognizes faculty and staff members who promote respect for diversity and individual differences through classroom discussions, curricular experiences, out-of-classroom activities, projects, conversations, or special mentorships that go beyond what is usually expected as a part of their regular job expectations or teaching assignments.

We welcome nominations from students, faculty, and staff members so that we might acknowledge members of our community who live the values of respect for diversity and advocacy for social justice.

Award criteria and nomination forms can be found on the Equity and Campus Diversity website. The application deadline is close of business Friday, March 20.

Please contact the Equity and Campus Diversity Office, Cleveland Hall 415, 878-6210, with questions.

In light of the disruptions to the college schedule because of coronavirus concerns, the following academic deadlines have been extended:

• The spring 2020 midterm grading window will remain open in Banner until 9:00 p.m. Monday, April 6.
• The pass/fail application deadline is extended until Monday, April 20.
• The deadline for removal of I grades (Incomplete) from fall 2019 or J-Term 2020 is extended until Monday, April 20.
• The withdrawal from spring 2020 course deadline is extended until Monday, April 20.
• The federal aid SAP (satisfactory academic progress) waiver deadline for spring 2020 is extended until Monday, April 20.

Advisement PINs will be required for undeclared, first-year, and probationary students. We will remove PINS for continuing students in good standing to allow ease of registration but provide messaging about reaching out and using current resources (e.g., Student Outcome Tracker, Roadmaps, Degree Works). Advisers will check for appropriate registration later. This is a temporary change.

Please share these new deadlines with faculty, staff, and students. Thank you.

A malicious website purporting to be a live map of coronavirus COVID-19 global cases, published by Johns Hopkins University, is circulating on the Internet. Once visited, the website infects the user’s device with an information-stealing program that can export a variety of sensitive data without the user's knowledge.

It is likely being spread via infected e-mail attachments (phishing), malicious online advertisements (also phishing), and other social engineering methods. Anyone searching the Internet for a coronavirus map could accidentally click on the link and be taken to this malicious website. Be especially careful while using social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Please remember: don’t automatically click on any link. Some suggestions are to look at the link and determine where it is from. Look for misspellings in the e-mail. Hover your mouse cursor over e-mail addresses to see where they are from. Hover over link addresses to see where they go. Be mindful. Be safe.

Over the last few days, as we’ve made unprecedented changes to course instruction and campus life because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), I have been heartened by your dedication and flexibility. You have counseled concerned students, offered to help colleagues adjust to remote teaching, and stayed calm in the face of this ongoing public health crisis.

I appreciate all you’re doing to prepare for remote instruction and reassure students and parents during this period of great uncertainty.

I know switching to remote instruction and support services in such a short time frame isn’t easy. I know that many of you are also caring for family members and trying to navigate the new normal while preparing coursework. From conversations I’ve had across campus, I also know you’re handling the changes and new duties with understanding and grace. And I am very grateful.

I’m sure there will be challenges after we officially switch to remote instruction on Monday, March 30, and I want to remind you that we’re in this together. As we finish out the spring semester, we will continue to be the kind of institution that always puts students first, collaborates within and among departments, and works for the greater good of the Buffalo State community and beyond.

Thank you for all you do.

Effective immediately, all in-person human subjects research is suspended until further notice. Researchers may continue studies that have been approved for completion online or through phone or mail. Researchers wishing to transition studies from in-person administration to another method of data collection should complete the appropriate procedures for protocol modification. Please see the Sponsored Programs website for details.

As we do our part to respond to this global pandemic, the health, safety, and academic success of our faculty, staff, and students are at the top of my mind. Buffalo State is working to navigate the difficult situation we are facing, and we know that together we can traverse this unprecedented and difficult time. Please listen to my video message.

Employees reporting to work on campus in the coming days may notice strips of colored tape applied to room and office doorknobs. This new, simple safety measure is designed to help members of our cleaning staff quickly identify which rooms must be cleaned. A doorknob without tape will indicate that a room has been used and needs cleaning. A doorknob with tape will indicate that the room remains unused and therefore does not need to be re-cleaned.

As more employees work remotely, fewer rooms are being used. Please help our cleaning staff focus their attention where it is most needed. If you enter a room with a taped doorknob, please remove and discard the tape. This will signify that the room has been used and therefore must be cleaned again. Thank you.