Please join Dr. Alvin Turner and me at the annual Campus Holiday Party on Friday, December 9, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall.
We also invite you to join us in the giving spirit of the season by making a donation to Milligan's Food Pantry. Thank you.
Many thanks to the Buffalo State community for your generosity and support of the 2022 SEFA/United Way Campaign. I’m pleased to announce that Buffalo State raised over $75,000 in pledges and contributions. Your efforts truly demonstrate our compassion to our neighbors and commitment to this community. I thank the generous donors along with campaign chair Dean Wendy Paterson for her leadership and campaign coordinator Maria Garrity, as well as Susan Rubino and Allison Winkowski, our SEFA committee, and our campus ambassadors for volunteering their time and talent to this project.
I am also pleased to announce the winners of this year’s raffle held at the SEFA celebration luncheon:
Additional raffle items:
Congratulations to our raffle winners, and thank you again to all who helped us with this campaign.
I am pleased to announce that Deborah Jones, admissions adviser for undergraduate admissions, has received the President’s Caring Bengal Award.
Ms. Jones was nominated for the award by Nicholas Insalaco, articulation and transfer adviser for undergraduate admissions, and Caitlin Bauer, assistant director for transfer admissions.
I am so pleased to recognize Ms. Jones, and I encourage the entire campus community to join me in thanking her for her exceptional effort to make Buffalo State a great place to live, learn, and work. Her 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.
D2L Brightspace is now the official campus-supported learning management system (PDF, 107 KB). Each semester, the campus student information system (Banner) will update Brightspace with courses and student enrollments. Instructors are encouraged to use the learning management system for their courses regardless of the instructional modality. There are a variety of upcoming learning opportunities for instructors along with resources for students. Faculty and students can continue to call SUNY Online Support Services for assistance with Brightspace or contact Instructional Design and Distance Learning through the IT portal and one-on-one sessions.
Access to Blackboard Learn will remain in place until April 10 for faculty members to reference course content to assist with migrating their content into Brightspace and for students to retrieve their work and participate in any courses for which they have received an I grade (incomplete). Faculty and students should bookmark or save the Blackboard URL, as it will no longer appear in the campus toolbox.
Special thanks to the Digital Learning Environment Project Team, Instructional Design and Distance Learning, the Teaching and Learning Center, Information Technology, and the pilot faculty and students for their hard work and dedication on implementing the new learning management system as a part of the SUNY Digital Learning Environment.
D2L Brightspace is now the official campus-supported learning management system (PDF, 107 KB). Each semester, the campus student information system (Banner) will update Brightspace with courses and student enrollments. Instructors are encouraged to use the learning management system for their courses regardless of the instructional modality. There are a variety of upcoming learning opportunities for instructors along with resources for students. Faculty and students can continue to call SUNY Online Support Services for assistance with Brightspace or contact Instructional Design and Distance Learning through the IT portal and one-on-one sessions.
Access to Blackboard Learn will remain in place until April 10 for faculty members to reference course content to assist with migrating their content into Brightspace and for students to retrieve their work and participate in any courses for which they have received an I grade (incomplete). Faculty and students should bookmark or save the Blackboard URL, as it will no longer appear in the campus toolbox.
Special thanks to the Digital Learning Environment Project Team, Instructional Design and Distance Learning, the Teaching and Learning Center, Information Technology, and the pilot faculty and students for their hard work and dedication on implementing the new learning management system as a part of the SUNY Digital Learning Environment.
As previously communicated, the SUNY telecommuting policy (PDF, 197 KB) issued on August 2, 2021, is set to expire on December 31, 2022. This policy has been extended through June 30, 2023 (PEF extended through March 31, 2023), with no other changes.
While the SUNY program will continue through June 30, 2023, extensions of telecommuting arrangements for Buffalo State employees are not automatic. Employees must request extensions of their existing plans, or apply for new plans.
All telecommuting arrangements must be reviewed and approved by the employee’s immediate supervisor or manager, the department head or dean, the division leader, and senior campus leadership.
Requesting an Extension of a Telecommuting Plan
Please discuss your request with your supervisor and submit the SUNY Telecommuting Program Application and Work Plan, checking the box labeled “Application for Renewal.” Your plan should be updated at this time to reflect any operational changes.
While your request is being reviewed for approval, your existing plan will remain in effect. The Human Resource Management Office will notify you of the outcome of the review process for an extension.
Requesting a New Telecommuting Plan
Please discuss your request with your supervisor and submit the SUNY Telecommuting Program Application and Work Plan, checking the box labeled “New Application.”
New telecommuting work arrangements must not commence until they receive final written approval. The Human Resource Management Office will notify you when the arrangement can begin.
Employees approved to participate in the telecommuting program must complete and submit to their supervisors biweekly progress reports describing work completed while telecommuting. The Human Resource Management Office may, at any time, request these reports to ensure compliance with the program.
Please note the following program highlights:
Telecommuting program information for employees and supervisors is available on the Human Resource Management website. Please contact the Human Resource Management Office staff with questions about the program.
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 2022–2023 academic year.
The GAC is accepting additional funding requests for spring 2023 program proposals. Programs must run and payments must be completed by May 31, 2023. 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, executive assistant to the dean of the School of the Professions.
Buffalo State recognizes that student organizations are an important part of the university experience. The learning experiences that are gained from being in a student organization complement Buffalo State’s commitment to the intellectual, personal, and professional growth of its students. Student organizations enhance the co-curricular education of Buffalo State students to empower them to succeed and are charged with providing meaningful, fulfilling, and culturally enriching contributions to the campus community.
Student Leadership and Engagement supports roughly 70 student organizations on campus with over 50 social and academic organizations, 10 Greek-lettered organizations, and 10 honor societies. Our office registers all student organizations annually and oversees the registration process for all new student organizations that wish to be affiliated with the university. We offer numerous services to all student organizations, including the Bengal Stripes Leadership Program, advisement, space reservations, and organizational development.
Does your academic or campus department support a club or organization not listed as a registered student organization? Please contact Student Leadership and Engagement to learn how to register your organization and get connected with students on campus!
Upcoming Club Fairs
Student Leadership and Engagement and United Students Government (USG) will host two club fairs in February: ORGAPALOOZA with Bowling and Escape Rooms on Friday, February 3 at 7:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union, and a Student Organization Fair during Bengal Pause on Tuesday, February 14.
Bengal Connect and the Corq App
Bengal Connect provides students with the opportunity to connect with campus clubs and organizations, learn about programs and events taking place on campus, and learn how to get involved when attending Buffalo State. Faculty, staff, and students can log on using their Buffalo State username and password.
The Corq app allows students, staff, faculty, and the community to find events and student organizations around campus from their mobile devices. It is a great tool to find things to do. You can search by the type of activity you are interested in—the arts, music, athletics, cultural, learning, service, social, spirituality, and more. You can sort events chronologically. You can even find events that offer free food!
Student Leadership and Engagement has created a series of short videos to assist the campus community with how to use the platform.
Buffalo State continues to prepare for its Middle States Commission on Higher Education campus evaluation visit, which will take place March 12–15, and our additional International Graduate Programs for Educators (IGPE) location visits in Colombia and Brazil scheduled for February.
The campus community is invited to review our standards-based self-study draft report and provide comments by Friday, January 20. After review of feedback, Marketing and Communications will assist in creating a “polished” final report that will be available to the campus community. The final self-study report and Verification of Compliance with Accreditation-Relevant Federal Regulations Report (PDF, 124 KB) will then be submitted to Middle States by the late January due date.
The self-study draft report is available online. Please submit comments via this Qualtrics form. Please contact Tiffany Fuzak with technical questions about the survey. Abdi Hajikandi, Kelly Frothingham, and Kim Barron are available for questions about the self-study. Additional details can be found on the Institutional Effectiveness and Planning website.
Buffalo State seeks internal candidates for the position of interim faculty coordinator of the Center for Social Justice. This position is temporary and will report to the provost. The incumbent will serve until the position of director of the Center for Social Justice is in place.
Job Responsibilities
The interim faculty coordinator of the Center for Social Justice (CSJ) will focus on the establishment of the CSJ with a focus on integrating social justice learning into curricula across campus. Following guidelines articulated in the Center for Social Justice Recommendations Report, the interim faculty coordinator will focus on issues of social justice at each academic level and across academic disciplines.
Specifically, the interim coordinator will
Required Qualifications
The successful candidate will be a tenure-track or tenured member of the Buffalo State faculty with a clear vision and proven track record working on social-justice-based initiatives. It is also helpful if the candidate's research includes a focus on social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Qualified candidates are invited to submit a current vita and a cover letter addressing the qualifications. Applications may be submitted by email to mayrosj@buffalostate.edu by Wednesday, January 25.