The Grant Allocation Committee (GAC) requests proposals from individuals, departments, and student clubs and organizations for funding of programs, speakers, and events to take place during the 2021–2022 academic year.

The deadlines for submitting applications under this funding cycle are Friday, April 30, for fall 2021 program proposals; Friday, September 24, for fall 2021 and spring 2022 program proposals; and Friday, November 12, for spring 2022 program proposals. Applications for funding and complete details of requirements may be found on the Student Affairs website. All proposals must be submitted electronically to marzolam@buffalostate.edu.

Questions about the GAC may be addressed to Amanda Marzolf, administrative assistant 2, 878-4704.

I am pleased to announce that Todd Benzin, educational technology specialist, has received the President's Caring Bengal Award.

Mr. Benzin was nominated for the award by Meghan Pereira, director of instructional design and training; and Katherine Malik-Willard, executive assistant to the CIO and vice president for enrollment, marketing, and communications.

I am so pleased to recognize Mr. Benzin, and I encourage the entire campus community to join me in thanking him for his exceptional effort to make Buffalo State College a great place to live, learn, and work. His award profile can be viewed on the Professional Development website.

I announced the creation and implementation of the President's Caring Bengal Award in December 2017 to recognize supportive colleagues in our Buffalo State community who not only transform the lives of our students but also help create a caring and collegial environment for our faculty, staff, and administrators.

Nominations for the President's Caring Bengal Award will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. Monday, March 1. For more information about the award criteria and recipient selection process, or to submit a nomination, please visit the Professional Development website.

Do your students need software to complete your spring courses? The following quick guide was developed to help you and your students access the software they need.   

• Students who need Microsoft Office (e.g., Word, PowerPoint, Excel) for their personal computers can download it free by following the instructions in the Knowledge Base. Please note: computers that are on loan from Buffalo State College have the Office suite already loaded.  
• If students need specialized software for your courses (e.g., SPSS, Mathematica), please review the Software Directory. Depending on the licensing available to Buffalo State, titles may be available only through certain methods. These may include in-person access at campus computer labs, usage through a remote desktop connection, or individual at-home access. The directory includes a listing of the type of access available and how it may be obtained.   
• If students will be using Adobe Creative Cloud for your courses, please contact your dean’s office to initiate the request process.
• Please note that most software requires either a Windows or Mac computer and will not work on phones or tablets. While all students are encouraged to provide for their own technical needs, the library has a limited supply of laptops to lend to students. Students who need to borrow a laptop for the semester should e-mail Jeffrey Ventura, associate director of athletics, for assistance.

  Questions can directed to the IT Help Desk by completing a General Technology Help ticket or by e-mailing the Help Desk. Additional resources related to remote learning can be found on the Teaching and Learning Center website.

Call for Nominations: President’s Awards, SUNY Chancellor’s Awards, and Distinguished Professorships

I encourage the Buffalo State community to nominate deserving colleagues for Buffalo State President’s Awards, SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence, and Distinguished Professorships. Guidelines can be found on the Academic Affairs website. Please visit the Nomination Resources – Celebrations of Excellence section for helpful resources and tips for assembling nomination dossiers.

President’s Awards for Excellence
President’s Awards for Excellence in Academic Advisement; Advancement of Equity and Campus Diversity; Career Achievement for Faculty; Career Achievement for Professional Staff; Faculty and Staff Mentoring; Graduate Research Mentor; Librarianship; Research, Scholarship, and Creativity; Service to the College; Teaching; or as an Undergraduate Research Mentor:
Due Date: Monday, March 1, 2021 

Please submit nominations with supporting materials electronically to the provost’s office.

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Distinguished Professorships, Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence
1. Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching nominations:
Due Date: Wednesday, September 15, 2021

2. Distinguished Teaching Professor; Distinguished Service Professor; Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, Professional Service, Librarianship, Scholarship and Creative Activities, and Faculty Service nominations:
Due Date: Monday, October 18, 2021

Please submit nominations with supporting materials electronically to the provost’s office.

Please note: For SUNY Chancellor’s Awards, nominators should prepare their nomination letters in the format of a Summary Presentation as specified in the SUNY Award guidelines. A Buffalo State Nomination Checklist Cover Sheet (PDF, 272 KB) should be the first page of all nominations.

Questions may be directed to Carolyn Martino, assistant to the provost.

I am pleased to announce the co-chairs of the newly structured Social Justice Subcommittee of the President's Equity and Campus Diversity Council:

Yanick Jenkins, Director, Educational Opportunity Program
Laura Hill Rao, Director, Civic and Community Engagement Office

Please join me in congratulating them as they begin leading the work in this important area for our campus.

The Board of Trustees of the Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College announced Friday that Dennis Kois will be stepping down as executive director effective March 5. Mr. Kois has accepted the position of executive director of the Yerkes Future Foundation in Wisconsin. Scott Propeack, deputy director of the BPAC, will serve as interim director following Kois’s departure.

The Buffalo State community would like to thank Mr. Kois for his leadership over the past two years at the Burchfield Penney. We wish him well in his new opportunity as he returns to his family in Wisconsin.

Read the full announcement from the Burchfield Penney.

The Spring 2021 Virtual Open House series will be held in the same format as our Fall 2020 Virtual Open House series. Because of the ongoing impacts of COVID-19, Undergraduate Admissions will not hold an in-person synchronous Open House this spring. Instead, we will hold individual virtual department presentations with our faculty and staff members. Please view this sample presentation to get an idea of what the virtual presentations will look like.

Please note:

• These virtual department presentations will be hosted through Slate, and training will follow for faculty and staff members who are participating.
  Video instructions
  PDF instructions (530 KB)
• The Slate platform is user friendly and similar to Zoom. Faculty and staff members will also receive video instructions in the confirmation e-mail upon completion of the online RSVP form. Through the Slate platform, faculty members can present their presentation to prospective students. Students will be able to ask questions via live chat functionality. Student video will not be enabled for these events. Faculty video will not be enabled unless requested.
• Department presentations will be held on different days and times selected by faculty and staff members. All individual presentations will collectively account for our Spring Virtual Open House.
• As a part of this registration, faculty and staff members can choose one or two dates for their department presentation. Presentations will take place at 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. every day in March and April, and faculty members can choose one day each month.
• The presentation can be the same if faculty and staff members select two dates. Selecting two dates will allow us to promote to a larger audience as we continue to collect new student information.
• Faculty and staff members will be asked to upload the presentation as a part of the online RSVP form.
• A confirmation e-mail will follow with additional information after completion of the form.
• The presentations will be recorded and posted on the Admissions Virtual Visit page.
• The Admissions Office will be responsible for creation of all events, the promotion of events, and the entire communication plan. Faculty and staff members will simply be tasked with creating a presentation for prospective students and conducting the presentation.

Sample Department Presentation

Faculty and Staff RSVP Form for Open House

Questions about the program can be directed to Thomas Karanas, assistant director of admissions, by phone at 878-4408 or by e-mail.

We thank you for your support as we continue our prospective student and family recruitment activities in a virtual environment.

In accordance with the new print policy implemented by SUNY System Administration, Buffalo State College has established the Print Resource Use Policy (PDF, 84 KB). This policy outlines appropriate and acceptable uses of print resources to advance campus objectives including cost reduction, elimination of waste, standardization of the printer fleet, optimization, and security.

The policy outlines Buffalo State’s specific goals to be achieved by the end of 2021:

• Achieve a total cost per copy (TCC) of $.01.
• Have 100 percent of print devices secure and on a campus network.
• Eliminate all locally attached desktop printers.

The policy requires all offices across campus to immediately comply with the following:

• All network printers must be set for duplex printing (double-sided) and default to monochrome (vs. color).
• Local desktop printers (non-networked) may no longer be purchased for individual or office use.
• Local desktop printers already in existence will no longer be supported (i.e, repaired, moved, etc.).

    ¤ Once an existing local desktop printer is no longer working, it will be removed.
    ¤ Requests to remove a printer may be made through an IT Services Equipment Surrender ticket.

• Local desktop printers may not be transferred from one person or office to another.
• Any printing equipment that is outside of Buffalo State College printer standards will not be supported.
• All printers will be purchased only after a consultation with Information Technology.

    ¤ When an IT Services Hardware Request ticket is used to request a printer, a consultation is triggered.

Definitions of terms may be found in the policy document (PDF, 84 KB).

As part of New York State's "Enough Is Enough" legislation, all Buffalo State College employees and students will receive the SUNY Sexual Violence Prevention (SVP) Campus Climate Survey via e-mail February 19–March 21. Education Law Article 129-B mandates that the survey be administered to students “no less than every other year,” and the associated SUNY Board of Trustees resolution requires a similar survey of SUNY employees.

We need your feedback as we continue to fulfill our Title IX responsibilities. When you receive the SVP survey, please complete it promptly. All responses will remain anonymous and confidential. Thank you for your participation.

Vice President Barnum and I invite the campus community to attend a virtual presentation on Tuesday, February 23, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m., during which EAB representatives will provide a brief overview of the EAB partnership and highlight the areas in which the firm has worked with Buffalo State College over the last year.

EAB is a best practices firm that uses research, technology, and consulting to address challenges within the education industry. Members of the Buffalo State community have access to EAB resources through the college’s global research membership. 

The session will highlight available resources and best practices, and provide information about how EAB has been working with other regional public institutions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

All members of the Buffalo State community are welcome to attend. Please register to receive the Zoom meeting information.