As our region continues to move through New York State’s re-opening phases, we have remained in close consultation with SUNY System Administration, Governor Cuomo’s New York Forward Reopening Advisory Board, and the Western New York Regional Control Room regarding our plans for the fall 2020 semester.

Today, I am excited to announce that Buffalo State College is planning to safely restart on-campus operations this fall with a mix of in-person, hybrid, and online courses.

While final guidance for the fall semester will come from the governor and SUNY, we intend to prioritize on-campus instruction for courses, labs, studios, and practicums where in-person interactions and hands-on experiences are critical to student learning. Core and signature experience courses will also be targeted and prioritized for in-person instruction, while other classes may be offered in a true hybrid format—that is, with lectures offered online and supplemental in-person instruction in smaller groups. Many classes that can be effectively delivered 100 percent online will remain remote to help reduce density on campus. Course schedules will be finalized and posted to Banner in late July.

We are also planning for residence hall operations to resume this fall, albeit with reduced occupancy. Single rooms will be provided to students upon request at no additional cost to the standard double rate. More information about housing assignments and a phased move-in plan will be shared in July. Dining services will be adjusted to maximize social distancing with expanded takeout, pickup, and meal delivery options under consideration. Student support services, extracurricular events, and recreational activities will be offered in a mix of virtual and in-person formats. Intercollegiate Athletics is also preparing for the return of student-athletes and working with the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) on new divisional alignments for competition this fall.

Our academic calendar will undergo changes this fall. While classes will begin as scheduled on Monday, August 31, we will conclude in-person instruction before the Thanksgiving holiday and finish the final three weeks of the fall semester (including final exams) exclusively online. To accommodate these changes, Fall Recess will be canceled.

While this semester most certainly will look much different from any semester before it, we are committed to preserving the vibrant, diverse, and engaged campus experience for which Buffalo State is known.

Throughout the fall semester and until further notice, all members of the campus community will be required to wear face coverings or masks when adequate physical distancing is not feasible. New York State has become the nation’s leader in reducing the infection rate of COVID-19. For that progress to continue as we return to campus this fall, we must recognize that preserving our health and safety will be a collective effort. Compliance with the face covering requirement and physical distancing will maximize safety for all. Masks will be provided to every student, faculty, and staff member upon their return to campus. In accordance with guidance established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the New York State Department of Health, testing and tracing protocols will also be in place for students, faculty, and staff members. CDC and state guidelines will also inform our cleaning of campus spaces, building ventilation, protective barriers, and foot traffic patterns.

Members of Buffalo State’s Incident Management Team, Human Resource Management, and Environmental Health and Safety are finalizing divisional Return to Work protocols as we plan for a phased return to campus for our employees ahead of the fall semester. In the meantime, alternative work arrangements remain in effect. Buffalo State employees following alternative work arrangements should continue to do so and await further guidance from their supervisors.

In July, if New York State continues on its successful path of reducing the spread of COVID-19, we expect to receive final approval from SUNY System Administration, in consultation with the Governor’s Office, to restart operations this fall as outlined above. In the coming weeks, I will be in regular contact as our planning for the fall semester continues. As always, I thank you for your continued patience as we navigate this uncharted space.

Be well and roar on!

The Career Development Center is excited to announce that the Online Resource for Career Advancement (ORCA), the CDC’s online job and internship posting system, will launch a new platform on July 1. To provide enhanced and more accessible services to students, faculty, and employers, we have contracted with a new vendor. Launching the improved platform with a new vendor seemed like a perfect time to rebrand the system to more closely align with the Buffalo State mascot. We proudly introduce BengalLink, where students and alumni can continue to search for full-time, part-time, internship, federal work-study, and volunteer opportunities. Faculty and staff members are welcome to register and use the system to refer students to opportunities. Registration information will follow after the launch. BengalLink is supported by the Tech Fee. For additional information on BengalLink, please contact Phillip Auman, interim assistant director of the CDC, or e-mail askcdc@buffalostate.edu.

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The Governor’s Office of Employee Relations has announced that alternative work arrangements (the state’s telecommuting pilot program) have been extended through October 2, 2020. 

As the statewide reopening proceeds in phases according to industry, and as regional metrics are met and campus and department return-to-work plans are developed and reviewed in compliance with health and safety guidance, Buffalo State employees working remotely should continue to do so and should await word from their supervisors about next steps. 

As the college begins to phase additional employees to work on campus, please remember that your area's department head or supervisor will communicate with you regarding when and how you will return to campus. Your department head or supervisor will provide notification if an updated Temporary Work Location/ Flexible Work Schedule Agreement is necessary. 

Terms of the original, approved agreements will remain in effect as follows.

The employee agrees to, and understands, the following:

• I am responsible for creating a work plan, including hours worked and work performed; and I must submit my signed document to my supervisor or manager.
• I will be available for work-related discussion online or by phone.
• I will need to use my own equipment, supplies, and telephone/Internet connection to perform job duties.
• I must continue to fulfill my professional obligation and must continue to meet the performance expectations of my position.
• If I do not produce a work product and my essential functions are not performed, I will charge my leave accruals in order to be paid.
• In the event of any circumstances that make work from an alternative location impracticable, my supervisor may require me to report to the regular work site OR charge appropriate leave accruals.
• I am subject to the same federal and state laws, policies, and procedures applicable to employees at the regular college work site.
• The college is not liable for injuries to third parties at the alternative work location or liable for damages to the employee’s personal or real property.
• Any approved temporary request is subject to revision, suspension, or revocation based on future guidance by the college or the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations (GOER) and/or SUNY or the Research Foundation of SUNY.
• These protocols will be in place only as current circumstances involving the COVID-19 pandemic warrant.

Should you have concerns that you are unable to continue the terms of the original agreement, please contact your supervisor immediately. Thank you.

I am pleased to announce that Michael Heflin is assuming a new role at Buffalo State College as the assistant dean of inclusion and equity within the Dean of Students Office, effective July 1. Reporting to Dean of Students Sarah Young, Mr. Heflin will serve as the divisional liaison to Equity and Campus Diversity and work with the student body, Human Resource Management, University Police, Intercollegiate Athletics, and Academic Affairs to support campus programming in identity development, social justice, and other inclusion-focused initiatives.

In addition, he will advise Student Leadership and Engagement staff on cultural and identity-based student organizations, fraternities and sororities, and faith-based organizations. He will also oversee the campus’s LGBTQ+ Resource Center.

For the past two years, Mr. Heflin has served as the director of equity and campus diversity and has provided leadership to many student organizations, including the Men of Merit program and the Buffalo State chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He currently serves on the President’s Campus Safety Forum/Community Policing Committee, the President’s Council on Equity and Campus Diversity, and the President’s Council on Undergraduate Retention. 

Mr. Heflin has worked in higher education for 27 years, from Residence Life to the Education Opportunity Program (EOP). Throughout his career at Buffalo State, the University at Buffalo, SUNY Cortland, and the University of Maryland, College Park, he has proved to be a strong advocate for students, administration, faculty, and the local community.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in business and his master of science in student personnel administration from Buffalo State in 1991 and 1993, respectively, and is nearing completion of his doctorate in education leadership and policy at the University at Buffalo.

We look forward to working with Mr. Heflin in his new role.

It is with mixed emotions that I write you today. When I announced in April that we were postponing our May 2020 Commencement ceremonies to a later date, we all hoped the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic would slow enough to permit large gatherings later this summer or in the fall. While New York State has employed well-thought-out and carefully phased strategies to reopen the region, I don’t see a scenario where a large gathering of more than 2,000 graduates and their guests would be feasible or permitted—even if held outdoors—until a vaccine is developed and widely deployed.

Therefore, I am sharing with you today our intention to celebrate the Class of 2020 virtually on Saturday, September 26, during Buffalo State Homecoming Weekend.

Although this year’s Homecoming Weekend will be markedly different from previous years, it remains a tradition where alumni across the country band together to support our students and their alma mater. So in the spirit of Bengals supporting Bengals, we will gather together virtually to celebrate the amazing accomplishments of the Class of 2020.

More details about the ceremony, including cap and gown orders, will be shared in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you have ideas on how to make your virtual ceremony the very best it can be, please send a note to the Commencement Committee at commencement@buffalostate.edu.

I look forward to celebrating with you on September 26! Be well and roar on!

Governor Cuomo has issued Executive Order 205, which requires individuals to quarantine for 14 days after traveling for 24 hours or longer to states that have a positive test rate for COVID-19 of higher than 10 per 100,000 residents, or higher than a 10 percent positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average. The Department of Health (DOH) maintains a list of the specific states for which quarantine is required following travel for 24 hours or longer.

Effective immediately, the following rules apply to all state employees who travel to a state designated by the DOH that meets the criteria contained in Executive Order 205: 

1. If an employee commenced travel on or before June 25, 2020, agencies should determine if the employee returning to work can telecommute for the duration of the quarantine pursuant to the Executive Order. If the employee cannot telecommute, the employee shall be covered by any quarantine leave applicable to the employee under any law, rule, regulation, or policy. If no quarantine leave is available, the employee shall charge appropriate leave accruals.   
2. If an employee commenced travel after June 25, 2020, regardless of return date, agencies should determine if the employee returning to work can telecommute for the duration of the quarantine pursuant to the Executive Order. If the employee cannot telecommute, the employee shall be eligible to charge appropriate leave accruals but shall not be permitted access to quarantine leave under any law, rule, regulation, or policy.
3. These rules apply to employee travel to states that are added to the DOH list and posted on the DOH website after June 25, 2020. If a state is added to the list after an employee commences travel, the provisions of rule 1 above shall apply. If a state is added to the list on or before the date the employee commences travel, the provisions of rule 2 above shall apply. 
4. Rules 1-3 do not apply if an employee travels to a designated state as part of his or her employment or at the direction of the employee’s agency. If an agency orders an employee to travel to a designated state for work, the agency should first determine whether the employee can telecommute for the duration of the quarantine pursuant to the Executive Order. If the employee cannot telecommute, the employee shall be placed on quarantine leave at full pay without charge to accruals.  
5. Employees returning from a designated state who cannot telecommute and are deemed essential to an agency’s operations are eligible to return to work pursuant to the Interim Guidance for Public and Private Employees Returning to Work Following COVID-19 Infection or Exposure (PDF, 155 KB), issued by the DOH on May 31.

The list of affected states will be updated frequently and can be found on the Department of Health website. Employees planning to travel should review the travel advisory for the most up-to-date information.

As a reminder, requests for vacation and holiday leave must be requested in advance and approved by the supervisor.

Interim Guidance for Quarantine Restrictions on Travelers Arriving in New York State Following Out-of-State Travel (PDF, 168 KB)

I am pleased to announce that State University of New York Chancellor Kristina Johnson has approved Buffalo State College’s plan to restart operations this fall with a mix of in-person, hybrid, and online courses. We are Ready to Roar again!

Based on guidance from Governor Cuomo and the New York State Department of Health, we submitted our restart plan to SUNY for review on June 23, and it was approved by the chancellor on July 1. I must note that Buffalo State’s plan remains subject to change based on evolving health and safety information, guidance, or direction from the State of New York and the Governor’s Office.

As students prepare to return to residence halls and classrooms, and faculty and staff to classrooms and offices, I would encourage everyone to review Buffalo State’s coronavirus website for up-to-date information, protocols, and guidance. Our restart plan has also been added to the website, including information about our careful strategy to repopulate campus ahead of the fall semester, how we will monitor COVID-19 infections in our community, and efforts to contain and limit exposures, as well as guidelines to follow if it should become necessary to return to remote instruction.

While we should all be proud of the steps New Yorkers have taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our state, we must remain vigilant. Full compliance with face coverings and social distancing will be imperative to a safe semester. Wearing a mask protects not only you; it protects your fellow Bengals. We are in this together. Please do your part to keep your friends, classmates, faculty, and colleagues safe. Wear a mask.

As we inch closer to the fall semester, I must also call attention to the new mandatory 14-day quarantine period for any individuals returning to New York from a growing list of states with high COVID-19 infection rates. The mandatory quarantine period applies to all new and current members of the Buffalo State community, including faculty and staff. If you are planning to travel to any of these states this summer, you must quarantine for 14 days upon return before resuming normal activities and returning to Buffalo State. If you are a resident student who resides in a state on this list, the Residence Life Office will work with you to arrange quarantine housing upon your return to campus. The list of affected states, found on the Department of Health website, is expected to change and will be updated frequently. Please continue to monitor your state’s status.

Thank you for your continued patience and understanding during this difficult time.

Be well and roar on!

It is with mixed emotions that I announce the retirement of our amazing office duo in the Vice President for Student Affairs Office. Kathleen "Kathy" Marzolf and Lisa Noreck have each announced that they are retiring in September 2020. I cannot put into words how grateful I am to have had the chance to work with each of them as a part of my team. Ms. Marzolf and Ms. Noreck have worked tirelessly to support students, the staff in the division of Students Affairs, and me personally. Their collective efforts have made a difference in the work of hundreds of staff members and students over their time at the college.

Kathy Marzolf has worked at Buffalo State for just under 30 years and, in particular, has made her home in Student Affairs. She began her career at Buffalo State in 1992 in the Residence Life Office, left for three years to serve the chair of the business department at SUNY Fredonia, and was recruited to come back home to Buffalo State and Student Affairs VP office in 2001. She also served on her town’s planning board for nine years; she is now looking forward to taking a more active role in her family’s small business. Ms. Marzolf is also the proud parent of two Bengals, Michelle and Amanda, who are both graduates of the college. In her years of service, she has supported numerous searches and coordinated the Grant Allocation Committee and the President’s Medal/Chancellor’s Award selection committee, as well as assisted the vice president in matters related to human resources and budget processes.

Lisa Noreck has worked as a New York State employee for 30 years and in the division of Student Affairs since 2016. She also served the state of New York as a staff member at SUNY Brockport, the Department of Corrections, the office of Real Property Services, and the NYS Veterans Home before becoming a Bengal. At Brockport, she served as vice president of the College Office Support Advisory Council. She has been the face of the division as we have hosted campus visitors, welcomed students to the divisional office, served as a member of the Classified Service Awards committee, and supported senior staff searches and the 150th Celebration committee.

Most significant to me is their friendship and support as my family and I made the transition to Buffalo and the Buffalo State community. I am beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to work with each of them, and like many of you, I will miss the chance to see them as a part of my day. I wish them each the best as they chart their next adventures and take time to enjoy their wonderful families.

Buffalo State College will phase in employees’ return to the workplace in stages and in a coordinated manner. This approach will support the important measures of decreased density and social distancing. Guidance for returning to the workplace has been developed to provide details about this process.

Before workers return, supervisors will develop safety-oriented return-to-work plans for the Buffalo State offices or departments they oversee. Employees must follow campus procedures including viewing an online training. 

Employees who can continue to work effectively using alternative work arrangements may continue to do so, and should await word from their supervisors about when to return to the workplace. 

Your supervisor will notify you if you are required to submit an updated Alternate Work Location/ Flexible Work Schedule Agreement.

Questions about this guidance may be addressed to vpfm@buffalostate.edu. Thank you.