As chair of the Presidential Search Committee, I am pleased to share that the search process is progressing. The request for proposals (RFP) process has concluded, and the bidding committee has narrowed it down to two firms. We expect to announce the selection of the search firm soon.

Additionally, we expect the Presidential Search website to go live shortly, after the announcement of the search firm. The website will contain information about the search, including timeline, listening sessions, campus surveys, search committee membership, the search ad, and campus profile. The website will provide information and updates regarding the search for the duration of the process.

We all understand the importance and significance of this search. The process will continue to be given the time, attention, and discernment that it deserves. Throughout the process, we will share updates to ensure transparency. Expect updates to be more regular.

Sincerely,

Linda A. Dobmeier, ’71
Chair, Buffalo State Council

I am pleased to announce the members of the search committee for the interim faculty coordinator for the Center for Social Justice.

• Lisa Marie Anselmi, Chair and Associate Professor, Anthropology Department
• John Draeger, Professor of Philosophy; Director, Teaching and Learning Center
• Jason Grinnell, Associate Professor, Philosophy Department
• Yanick Jenkins, Director, Educational Opportunity Program
• Laura Hill Rao, Director, Civic and Community Engagement Office

The application window has closed, and all applications will be reviewed by the committee.

The appointment of an interim faculty coordinator is the first step in the establishment of the Social Justice Center based on recommendations of the Social Justice Subcommittee of the President's Council on Equity and Campus Diversity, articulated in the Buffalo State Center for Social Justice Report (PDF, 1.8 MB).

Ongoing information about the creation of the center will be announced in the coming months. Thank you to the search committee members.

Career and Professional Education (CAPE) will sponsor the annual JCPenney Suit-Up Event on Sunday, February 26, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Walden Galleria. An online event will also run from midnight February 25 through midnight February 27.

During both the in-person and online events, JCPenney will offer up to 50 percent off men’s and women’s career dress apparel, shoes, and accessories to Buffalo State students and alumni. This event is designed primarily to help students prepare for their job and internship interviews and also teach them about professional workplace attire.

Advance student registration is required for the in-person and online shopping experiences. Faculty and staff members interested in attending should complete the faculty and staff registration form by Friday, February 24.

Please contact Kayla James, CAPE career counselor, with questions.

Career and Professional Education (CAPE) will sponsor the annual JCPenney Suit-Up Event on Sunday, February 26, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Walden Galleria. An online event will also run from midnight February 25 through midnight February 27.

During both the in-person and online events, JCPenney will offer up to 50 percent off men’s and women’s career dress apparel, shoes, and accessories to Buffalo State students and alumni. This event is designed primarily to help students prepare for their job and internship interviews and also teach them about professional workplace attire.

Advance student registration is required for the in-person and online shopping experiences. Faculty and staff members interested in attending should complete the faculty and staff registration form by Friday, February 24.

Please contact Kayla James, CAPE career counselor, with questions.

I am pleased to invite the campus community to the annual luncheon honoring our colleagues who are in their 25th year of service to SUNY on Thursday, March 23, at noon in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall. The luncheon will be complimentary for the honoree and one guest. Additional guests may attend at a cost of $32 per person. Reservations will be accepted through Tuesday, March 14.

Employees crossing the 25-year mark this year:

Chima Aharanwa, Lead Programmer, Information Technology Exchange Center
Patrick DeWind, Senior Database Administrator, Information Technology Services
Arlene Eagan, Maintenance Supervisor 1, Facilities
Martin Ederer, Associate Professor, History and Social Studies Education
Jeffrey Hammer, Senior Director, Environmental Health and Safety
Faizan Haq, Lecturer, Communication
Gregory Korvne, Data Manager/Statistician, Institute for Community Health Promotion
Jon Lines, Lecturer, Political Science and Public Administration
James Maloney, Lecturer, Exceptional Education
Betsy Montanez, Cleaner, Custodial Services
Michael Myers, University Police Officer 2, University Police
Neilhall Palmer, Network Support Programmer, Information Technology Services
Debbie Rohm, Administrative Assistant I, Finance and Management
Luann Root, Telecommunications Specialist, Information Technology Services
Thomas Scheira, Lecturer, Social and Psychological Foundations of Education
Allen Shelton, Professor, Sociology
Jeffrey Sick, Information Security Officer, Information Technology Services
Erik Snyder, Director of Administrative Services, Information Technology Exchange Center
Tao Tang, Professor, Geography and Planning
John Thompson, Associate Professor, Computer Information Systems
Michael Tracz, Manager of Web and Application Services, Information Technology Services
Jeffrey Ventura, Senior Associate Director, Intercollegiate Athletics
Amy Visniesky, Project Support Specialist, Upward Bound
Julie Wholf, Administrative Assistant 1, Elementary Education, Literacy, and Education Leadership
Natalie Wills, Office Assistant 1 (Keyboarding), Teaching and Learning Center
Robert Wood, University Police Officer 1, University Police

Please complete and return the guest reservation form (DOCX, 12 KB) or call Melissa Slisz, staff assistant in the President's Office, at (716) 878-4102.

If your name is not listed above and you have achieved 25 years of service in SUNY this year, please contact Melissa Slisz or Laurie Graziano, administrative assistant 2, in the President’s Office.

I am pleased to invite the campus community to the annual luncheon honoring our colleagues who are in their 25th year of service to SUNY on Thursday, March 23, at noon in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall. The luncheon will be complimentary for the honoree and one guest. Additional guests may attend at a cost of $32 per person. Reservations will be accepted through Tuesday, March 14.

Employees crossing the 25-year mark this year:

Chima Aharanwa, Lead Programmer, Information Technology Exchange Center
Patrick DeWind, Senior Database Administrator, Information Technology Services
Arlene Eagan, Maintenance Supervisor 1, Facilities
Martin Ederer, Associate Professor, History and Social Studies Education
Jeffrey Hammer, Senior Director, Environmental Health and Safety
Faizan Haq, Lecturer, Communication
Gregory Korvne, Data Manager/Statistician, Institute for Community Health Promotion
Jon Lines, Lecturer, Political Science and Public Administration
James Maloney, Lecturer, Exceptional Education
Betsy Montanez, Cleaner, Custodial Services
Michael Myers, University Police Officer 2, University Police
Neilhall Palmer, Network Support Programmer, Information Technology Services
Debbie Rohm, Administrative Assistant I, Finance and Management
Luann Root, Telecommunications Specialist, Information Technology Services
Thomas Scheira, Lecturer, Social and Psychological Foundations of Education
Allen Shelton, Professor, Sociology
Jeffrey Sick, Information Security Officer, Information Technology Services
Erik Snyder, Director of Administrative Services, Information Technology Exchange Center
Tao Tang, Professor, Geography and Planning
John Thompson, Associate Professor, Computer Information Systems
Michael Tracz, Manager of Web and Application Services, Information Technology Services
Jeffrey Ventura, Senior Associate Director, Intercollegiate Athletics
Amy Visniesky, Project Support Specialist, Upward Bound
Julie Wholf, Administrative Assistant 1, Elementary Education, Literacy, and Education Leadership
Natalie Wills, Office Assistant 1 (Keyboarding), Teaching and Learning Center
Robert Wood, University Police Officer 1, University Police

Please complete and return the guest reservation form (DOCX, 12 KB) or call Melissa Slisz, staff assistant in the President's Office, at (716) 878-4102.

If your name is not listed above and you have achieved 25 years of service in SUNY this year, please contact Melissa Slisz or Laurie Graziano, administrative assistant 2, in the President’s Office.

As we learn more about the tragic story of Tyre Nichols, the young Black man who died following an encounter with police in Memphis, Tennessee, I understand that many of you are angry, confused, and overcome with sadness.

Please know that I, too, feel all of these emotions...

Please follow my blog at http://kateconwayturner.tumblr.com.

Please join us today, January 31, as we celebrate our new formal designation as Buffalo State University at 12:30 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall. Enjoy light refreshments and a spectacular balloon drop. The institution formally changed its name from Buffalo State College to Buffalo State University earlier this month, following new guidelines from New York State. Join us this afternoon to officially usher in the new name!

Please join the Equity and Campus Diversity Office in celebrating the history and contributions of Black Americans and the African diaspora during Black History Month at Buffalo State University. Join us for the following events, and please visit the Equity and Campus Diversity website regularly for updates.

Thursday, February 9

• Jessica Wilson, New York Times best-selling author and registered dietitian, will host a lecture and book-signing event at 4:00 p.m. in the LoRusso Alumni and Visitor Center. The conversation will center on the impacts of racism and misogyny on our beliefs about food, health, wellness, and body narratives. This event is free and open to the public. Reservations are strongly encouraged.
• Beyond Boundaries Film and Discussion Series: Free Renty: Lanier v. Harvard (2021) 7:00 p.m., Burchfield Penney Art Center's Tower Auditorium. The story of Tamara Lanier, an African American woman determined to force Harvard University to cede possession of daguerreotypes of her great-great-great-grandfather, an enslaved man named Renty. Commissioned in 1850 by a Harvard professor to “prove” the superiority of the White race, the images remain emblematic of America’s failure to acknowledge the cruelty of slavery, the racist science that supported it, and the white supremacy that continues to infect our society today.

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Monday, February 13

• Lecture: Black Horror: Telling a New Story, 4:30–5:30 p.m., Upton Hall 230. Learn how filmmakers have "flipped the script" in the Black horror sub-genre. Sponsored by the Honors Program.

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Tuesday, February 14

• Discussion: Historical and Iconic African American Leaders in American History: 12:15 to 1:30 p.m., Campbell Student Union 414. Organized by Michael Heflin, assistant dean for inclusion and equity, and geared toward students.

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Thursday, February 16

• Africana Research Symposium, 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., Campbell Student Union Assembly Hall. Sponsored by the Africana studies program.
• Black History Month Trivia Competition, Bulger Communication Center 214, Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.). Sponsored by the Residence Life Office.

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Wednesday, February 22

• Lecture: Black Horror: Telling a New Story, 7:00–10:00 p.m., Upton Hall 230. Learn how filmmakers have "flipped the script" in the Black horror sub-genre. Sponsored by the Honors Program.

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Friday, February 24

• “Racial Justice and Community Healing through Cultural Heritage Preservation,” 2:00–4:00 p.m. Virtual panel discussion that focuses on grassroots efforts to conserve cultural material created to commemorate and protest violence rooted in racism and social justice. The presentation is free and open to the public. Registration required. Sponsored by the Garman Art Conservation Department.

In the October 2022 meeting of the College Senate, the Budget and Staff Allocations Committee (BSAC) brought forth for a vote a resolution for the campus to engage in additional discussion and planning. The College Senate voted in favor of the resolution presented by the BSAC chair.

WHEREAS, there has been a 40-50 percent decline in enrollment over the past 10 years, which will require enormous, rapid changes over the next few years in all facets of the institution; and

WHEREAS, we must act now if we wish to make long-term, transformative changes; and

WHEREAS, the campus has developed the Financial Stability Plan,¹ a draft Strategic Enrollment Plan, and a 2022–2025 Strategic Plan, but these documents do not offer guidance on how we might move forward together to strategically solve the demographic, workforce, and enrollment problems we face and will continue to face; and

WHEREAS, BSAC has concluded that what is needed is a clear outlook and vision for the future rather than tactical solutions and arbitrary targets; and

WHEREAS, BSAC has also concluded, after analyzing the data and consulting with Enrollment Management, that there are no likely scenarios that will substantially increase the short- or long-term enrollments under our current institutional model;² and

WHEREAS, campus survey instruments, such as the Campus Climate Survey, point to a distinct decline in morale and confidence among faculty and staff; and

WHEREAS, the president called for novel solutions in the June 28, 2022, Financial Stability Plan, stating “we must strategize how to handle the old issues of enrollment challenges while recognizing the varied pressures of our new environment”; and

WHEREAS, Governor Hochul, in her 2022 State of the State Book,³ stated that “The entire SUNY system would benefit from greater individual distinction—and differentiation—of individual institutions in the eyes of prospective applicants”; and

WHEREAS, Buffalo State has a strong foundation of affordable, quality education⁴ and facilitating social mobility⁵ to build on for the future; and

WHEREAS, faculty and staff have valuable knowledge and skills to contribute to efforts toward reimaging and transforming Buffalo State for a stable future.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the college president and chair of the College Senate rapidly develop a mechanism that allows the faculty and staff of Buffalo State to work collaboratively and substantively with our administration to construct a Buffalo State 2030 plan that expresses our collective strategy and vision for the far-reaching and pivotal transformation of the mission, values, public image, program offerings, physical plant, and administrative structure of Buffalo State over the next 5–10 years.

References and Notes

¹ The Financial Stability Plan was announced to the Buffalo State community in the Daily Bulletin on June 28, 2022.

² BSAC Enrollment and Retention Analysis report to the College Senate, February 11, 2022.

^₃ NY 2022 State of the State Book, page 196 (PDF, 20 KB).

⁴ Buffalo State ranks 27th in the Northeast in the “Best Bang for the Buck” Rankings from Washington Monthly:

⁵ Buffalo State ranks 34th overall in the 2021 Social Mobility Index from CollegeNET. Buffalo State is also 34th in the 2023 US News & World Report Social Mobility rankings.

I hereby accept this recommendation and will work with the Senate chair to design and develop a mechanism  for the university community to explore ways to address the current and future challenges affecting the stability of Buffalo State University.