In June, the SUNY Board of Trustees temporarily suspended SAT/ACT standardized testing requirements for the 2021–2022 academic year:

"SUNY campuses will temporarily suspend SAT/ACT standardized testing requirements for rising high school seniors intending to enroll at a SUNY bachelor’s-degree-granting campus for the 2021–2022 academic year. Today's action is a temporary change of admission eligibility requirements applying to the spring 2021, fall 2021, and spring 2022 cycles only. For those prospective applicants who have already taken or will take the SAT/ACT and wish to submit scores, SUNY campuses will include those official scores as part of their review."

Because of the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, testing dates have been canceled and moved several times since last spring. Per SUNY, Buffalo State College is test optional for the upcoming year. This applies to admission as well as to merit scholarships and Muriel A. Howard Honors Program review. This is a SUNY-wide initiative for all four-year campuses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and students' limited options for taking standardized tests. Please adjust any websites, publications, and PowerPoint presentations accordingly. 

First-year scholarship information can be found on the Financial Aid website.

As students leave campus to complete the semester from home and many faculty and staff continue to work from alternative locations, Buffalo State College has an excellent opportunity to save on energy costs and thereby assist with budget challenges.

Each year, to minimize energy use, the college resets the temperatures and run times of the HVAC equipment during break periods. We ask for the help of the campus community in identifying all campus spaces that will be in regular use between November 26, 2020, and January 11, 2021. 

This will allow us to reset the temperatures in the remaining, unused spaces to unoccupied modes: temperatures will be set to 55 degrees and ventilation will operate only sufficient to maintain these lower temperatures. 

If you are scheduled to work on campus between November 26 and January 11, please send an e-mail to vpfm@buffalostate.edu by Wednesday, November 25, to let us know your building name and room number(s) and the specific dates and times when the space will be in use. (Please consider consolidating functions and combining spaces where possible to minimize the number of spaces occupied during this time.)

Should you need to visit campus briefly while temperatures in your building are lowered, please dress accordingly. In the event that you should need to return to your workspace for a longer period (more than four hours), please call the Facilities Office at 878-6111 at least 48 hours in advance to request that HVAC systems be returned to operation. With COVID-19 restrictions in place, it is necessary to provide ventilation in occupied spaces to ensure the safest work environments.    

Thank you for your contributions to minimizing energy costs during this time of financial concern. If you have any questions about these energy-saving measures. please send an e-mail to vpfm@buffalostate.edu.

As students leave campus to complete the semester from home and many faculty and staff continue to work from alternative locations, Buffalo State College has an excellent opportunity to save on energy costs and thereby assist with budget challenges.

Each year, to minimize energy use, the college resets the temperatures and run times of the HVAC equipment during break periods. We ask for the help of the campus community in identifying all campus spaces that will be in regular use between November 26, 2020, and January 11, 2021. 

This will allow us to reset the temperatures in the remaining, unused spaces to unoccupied modes: temperatures will be set to 55 degrees and ventilation will operate only sufficient to maintain these lower temperatures. 

If you are scheduled to work on campus between November 26 and January 11, please send an e-mail to vpfm@buffalostate.edu by Wednesday, November 25, to let us know your building name and room number(s) and the specific dates and times when the space will be in use. (Please consider consolidating functions and combining spaces where possible to minimize the number of spaces occupied during this time.)

Should you need to visit campus briefly while temperatures in your building are lowered, please dress accordingly. In the event that you should need to return to your workspace for a longer period (more than four hours) please call the Facilities Office at 878-6111 at least 48 hours in advance to request that HVAC systems be returned to operation. With COVID-19 restrictions in place, it is necessary to provide ventilation in occupied spaces to ensure the safest work environments.    

Thank you for your contributions to minimizing energy costs during this time of financial concern. If you have any questions about these energy-saving measures. please send an e-mail to vpfm@buffalostate.edu.

I am pleased to announce that SUNY has scholarships available for the upcoming 12-week workshop "Grants and Proposals: If You Write It, They Will Fund!"

If you are interested in the course, I encourage you to apply for a scholarship. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, December 15.

The course is offered online and asynchronous in Blackboard. Those who complete the class learn how to improve their chances of getting funded through fund sourcing, proper planning, organization, concise writing, collaboration, and proposal submission.

The next course runs from January 5 to March 29, 2021.

More information on how to apply and on the course itself is available on the SUNY website.

Buffalo State College has initiated a comprehensive, collegewide self-study process according to the requirements of the college’s regional accrediting body, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). The self-study process is valuable to an institution, allowing it an opportunity to demonstrate that it meets the expectations of the MSCHE and to gain insights that will serve the institution for future years. The process demonstrates our commitment to continuous improvement and will be used to strengthen and sustain our future as an institution of higher education. Through an inclusive process, we will engage in a careful analysis of institutional priorities that will be selected in the interest of identifying mission-related areas of improvement.

The Self-Study Steering Committee will work with groups and individuals across campus throughout the process to gather information, discuss campus work that addresses standards, and share draft materials as the self-study evolves. Doing so will allow us to respond effectively to challenges, identify and adopt innovative practices to more readily achieve our mission, adapt to changes in higher education, and best serve our students and community.

I am pleased to announce that the following faculty and staff members will serve on the Self-Study Steering Committee:

Co-chair: Kimberly A. Kline, Professor, Higher Education Administration
Co-chair: Margaret “Marnie” T. Letzelter, Executive Assistant to the Dean of the Graduate School

Laura J. Barnum, Vice President for Finance and Management
William J. Benfanti, Associate Vice President for Government Relations
Curtis L. Brickhouse, Director of Student Affairs Operations
Janelle A. Brooks, Assistant Dean of Student Conduct and Community Standards
Robert R. Delprino, Assistant Dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences
Brenda Durfee, Senior Staff Assistant, Finance and Management
Shashi M. Gayadeen, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Jonathan D. Hulbert, Director of Leadership and Organizational Development, Professional Development Center
Jevon D. Hunter, Woods-Beals Endowed Chair, School of Education
Eric J. “Luke” Krieg, Interim Associate Vice President, Institutional Effectiveness Office
David P. Loreto, Director of Admissions
Heather D. Maldonado, Assistant Provost for Academic Success
Nigel R. Marriner, Registrar
Jazmene Moseley, Alumna
Kristen E. Mruk, Associate Director of Student Leadership and Engagement
Nancy B. Paschke, Editorial Director, Marketing and Communications Office
Crystal J. Rodriguez-Dabney, Chief of Staff and Chief Diversity Officer, President’s Office
Bhakti Sharma, Associate Professor of Art and Design; Chair of the College Senate
Natalie A. Szymanski, Assistant Professor of English; Director of the College Writing Program
Amitra A. Wall, Associate Provost, Academic Affairs

Self-Study Timeline

• September 29–November 10, 2020
  Self-Study Institute Attendance
   
• November 2020
  Self-Study Steering Committee Appointed
  Self-Study Working Groups Developed and Members Selected
   
• January 2021
  Zoom with VP Liaison
   
• Spring 2021
  Steering Committee Writes Self-Study Design
  Self-Study Preparation Visit
  VP Liaison Accepts Self-Study Design
   
• Spring 2022
  Self-Study Draft Shared with Campus Community
   
• August 2022
  Final Self-Study Report Due
   
• Fall 2022
  Evaluation Team Chair’s Preliminary Visit
   
• Spring 2023
  Evaluation Team Visit
   
• May 2023
  Commission Meeting
   
• June 2023
  Commission Action

I thank those who are serving on the committee for their work on this important task. More information will be forthcoming.

The Social Justice Subcommittee of the President's Equity and Campus Diversity Council has been created to continue the work that groups have already done in this area. In order to ensure structure and to adequately address the concerns, issues, and initiatives in this space, we are casting a campuswide net and asking for volunteers to serve on the committee, as well as to lead it. This subcommittee will meet regularly and will play a key role in future and important developments and projects for the campus in the area of social justice. If you are interested in serving, please e-mail Laurie Graziano, administrative assistant 2 in the Equity and Campus Diversity Office, to submit your name for consideration. Please reach out to me if you have any questions.

With the winding down of in-person instruction this week and the recent designation of Erie County as an orange micro-cluster zone, Buffalo State College will enter a phase of modified operations starting Monday, November 30.

Beginning November 30 and until further notice, only essential college employees will be permitted to work on campus. Those individuals who are required to report to campus for some or all of their work obligation will be subject to Buffalo State’s ongoing COVID-19 surveillance testing plan and must continue to fill out their daily COVID-19 symptom screening questionnaire. All non-essential employees must work remotely starting November 30 and ensure that an updated alternate work arrangement agreement is on file with Human Resource Management.

Access to campus buildings between November 30 and December 18 will mirror the fall semester building access plan. Building entrances with electronic or handicap-accessible access will be the only exterior doors that will be unlocked during documented hours of operation. Generally, electronic and handicap-accessible doors in academic buildings will continue to be unlocked from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Administrative buildings will be unlocked from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

From December 19 to January 10, all exterior doors to campus buildings will remain locked. Essential employees can access work spaces by scanning their Bengal ID cards at electronic-access entrances. Starting Monday, January 11, electronic access doors will again be unlocked during documented hours of operation.

Access and operational hours for the Campbell Student Union, the Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore, and Butler Library can be found online. Please continue to monitor the Campus Updates section of the college’s Coronavirus Information website.

Thank you for your understanding. If you have any questions, please contact us at 878-4311 or vpfm@buffalostate.edu.

Buffalo State students, faculty, and staff members are encouraged to review the college's emergency closings policy (PDF, 147 KB) and sign up for the Buff State Alert system to receive emergency notifications. If you have already signed up for Buff State Alert, please take a few moments to verify or update your contact information.

Because the weather in Western New York can vary greatly within just a few miles, there are times each winter when conditions on campus are favorable for classes to be held as scheduled, but some students, faculty, and staff members may experience difficulty traveling to campus. In those situations, students must communicate with their instructors, faculty with their students, and staff with their supervisors if they cannot travel to campus safely.

Students will not be penalized if they cannot attend face-to-face or hybrid classes in person because of severe weather but are responsible for making up any assignments, quizzes, or exams promptly, in consultation with faculty. Students are responsible for the prompt completion of any alternative assignments. If an absence situation between a student and instructor cannot be resolved, an appeal should proceed sequentially to the department chair, dean, and finally the provost. 

Faculty members who are unable to travel to campus are responsible for making alternative arrangements for their students. If a faculty member must cancel class(es), affected students should be notified via Blackboard and/or direct e-mail as soon as possible.

Staff members who are unable to travel to campus because of adverse weather conditions must communicate their absence to a supervisor and note the absence on their time records. Staff members must charge vacation or personal leave accruals for any weather-related absence.

As you are aware, all Buffalo State College employees planning to report to campus must complete a COVID-19 Daily Screening Questionnaire before coming to campus in order to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus and reduce the potential risk of exposure.  

Beginning Wednesday, December 2, an updated version of the screening questionnaire will be e-mailed to all employees each morning. While the questions will remain the same, the new version will appear different and will feature color-coded dots accompanied by wording to indicate whether or not an employee is cleared to come to campus that day:

• Green (Negative): Proceed to campus. You have answered “no” to the health screening questions.
• Orange (Documented Exposure): Do not proceed to campus. You have answered “yes” to some of the health screening questions, indicating possible exposure.
• Red (Positive): Do not proceed to campus. You have answered “yes” to some of the health screening questions, indicating exposure.

To complete the employee COVID-19 Daily Screening Questionnaire, click the COVID-19 tab at the top of the portal screen.

On days when you plan to report to Buffalo State, please complete the questionnaire before you arrive on campus. On days when you do not plan to report to campus—including on days when you will work remotely—it is not necessary to complete the screening questionnaire.

A printable version (PDF, 105 KB) of the screening form is also available and may be substituted for the online version.

Please note: Research Foundation (RF) employees at Buffalo State should continue to use the RF system for reporting the results of their health screening on days when they plan to report to an on-campus or off-campus work location other than home.

Questions about this important safety measure may be e-mailed to hrcovidresponse@buffalostate.edu. Thank you for your cooperation as we work to provide a safe and healthful environment for the Buffalo State community.

With the winding down of in-person instruction last week and the recent designation of Erie County as an orange micro-cluster zone, Buffalo State College will enter a phase of modified operations starting Monday, November 30.

Beginning November 30 and until further notice, only essential college employees will be permitted to work on campus. Those individuals who are required to report to campus for some or all of their work obligation will be subject to Buffalo State’s ongoing COVID-19 surveillance testing plan and must continue to fill out their daily COVID-19 symptom screening questionnaire. All non-essential employees must work remotely starting November 30 and ensure that an updated alternate work arrangement agreement is on file with Human Resource Management.

Access to campus buildings between November 30 and December 18 will mirror the fall semester building access plan. Building entrances with electronic or handicap-accessible access will be the only exterior doors that will be unlocked during documented hours of operation. Generally, electronic and handicap-accessible doors in academic buildings will continue to be unlocked from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Administrative buildings will be unlocked from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

From December 19 to January 10, all exterior doors to campus buildings will remain locked. Essential employees can access work spaces by scanning their Bengal ID cards at electronic-access entrances. Starting Monday, January 11, electronic access doors will again be unlocked during documented hours of operation.

Access and operational hours for the Campbell Student Union, the Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore, and Butler Library can be found online. Please continue to monitor the Campus Updates section of the college’s Coronavirus Information website.

Thank you for your understanding. If you have any questions, please contact us at 878-4311 or vpfm@buffalostate.edu.