At the February 10, 2023, meeting of the Buffalo State Senate, the Academic Plan Committee presented its General Education 2023 (GE23) resolution for adoption. The Senate voted in favor of adopting the following resolution as a formal recommendation to the president:

Academic Plan Committee General Education 2023 (GE23) Motion

WHEREAS, a May 2017 Senate resolution recommended to the president that Buffalo State adopt the following Institutional Learning Outcomes:

• Cultural fluency,
• Urban engagement,
• Scholarship and creative activity,
• Ethical reasoning; and

WHEREAS, that same May 2017 resolution requested that the implementation of those Institutional Learning Outcomes be delayed until such time as the Buffalo State General Education requirements could be revised; and

WHEREAS, choice among general education requirements is necessary to facilitate delivery of the Buffalo State Institutional Learning Outcomes of Urban Engagement, Cultural Fluency, or Ethical Reasoning; and

WHEREAS, choice among general education requirements will allow sufficient flexibility for Institutional Learning Outcomes to be delivered in a coherent fashion; and

WHEREAS, choice among general education requirements will greater flexibility for a diverse student body seeking ever-greater value from their degrees; and

WHEREAS, the SUNY requirements allow both for multiple courses to come from some categories, and for general education requirements to be satisfied without taking a course from every category, they support this flexibility,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Buffalo State’s new general education program consist of the following requirements:

Each student must complete a minimum of 33 credit hours of courses approved as GE23 courses. Those 33 credit hours must be distributed as follows:

1. Two courses of at least 3 credits each from the Communication category (e.g., CWP 101 and 102) (SUNY Requires at least one course)

2. One course of at least 3 credits from the Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning category (SUNY requirement)

3. One course of at least 3 credits from the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice category (SUNY requirement)

4. One course of at least 3 credits from the Natural Sciences and Scientific Reasoning category (SUNY Requirement)

5. Three courses of at least 3 credits each (9 total) from three different categories of the following (SUNY requirement):

• Humanities

• The Arts

• U.S. History and Civic Engagement

• Social Sciences

• World History and Global Awareness

• World Languages

6. Nine additional credits from any combination of courses appearing in one or more general education categories

7. The SUNY required “core competencies” of Critical Thinking and Reasoning and Information Literacy are to be infused in every academic major

To ensure sufficient breadth across general education, the following restrictions will apply:

I. A course may satisfy two distinct general education categories, provided it delivers all the outcomes required in each.

II. For courses satisfying more than one general education category, the student will choose which general education requirement that course will satisfy (i.e., the student may choose which box the course checks in Degree Works).

III. No more than two courses with the student’s major (primary major) prefix may be counted toward general education requirements.

IV. Other than the restrictions above, courses taken within the general education program may be used to satisfy major (secondary major), minor, or certificate requirements.

The structure above allows for the curation of general education course bundles designed to provide students with a uniquely Buffalo State experience that is high impact and inherently interdisciplinary. These bundles should emphasize one or more Buffalo State Institutional Learning Outcomes, complement specific majors, serve as pathways to minors or certificates, or otherwise meet student needs and interests.

Departments and interdisciplinary units are strongly encouraged to identify and recommend one or more curated bundles for their majors by fall 2024.

Students entering Buffalo State in fall 2024 or later shall be advised and strongly encouraged to adopt and pursue a curated bundle as a coherent, relevant, and efficient means of satisfying general education requirements.

The Academic Plan Committee will continue to review and evaluate the Buffalo State Institutional Learning Outcomes and GE23 requirements and encourage collaboration among faculty in the pursuit of rich and meaningful general education experience for all our students.

I hereby accept the recommendation of the Buffalo State Senate and charge the provost with responsibility for overseeing the implementation of these changes and for communicating the changes to the campus community.

Our Buffalo State Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) campus evaluation visit will take place March 12–15. We will host nine MSCHE peer reviewers from various colleges and universities located in the northeastern United States. The Institutional Effectiveness and Planning website provides details, such as the names of the MSCHE team members, a link to our completed self-study, and other information relevant to the visit.

Buffalo State has submitted a draft itinerary to the MSCHE team that includes open-forum sessions for students, faculty, and staff. Your participation in our accreditation process is important, so I encourage you to RSVP for one of the in-person sessions listed below.

Faculty
Monday, March 13
11:30 a.m.–Noon
Campbell Student Union Social Hall

Staff
Monday, March 13
1:45–2:15
Campbell Student Union Social Hall

I am pleased to announce that Ruth Goldman, associate professor in the Communication Department, has accepted appointment as the interim faculty coordinator for the Center for Social Justice at Buffalo State. Dr. Goldman will assume the role in June 2023 and will focus her work on integrating social justice learning into the curricula across campus. Following curricular goals articulated in the Center for Social Justice Recommendations Report (PDF, 1.8 MB), the interim faculty coordinator will focus on issues of social justice at each academic level and across academic disciplines.

Dr. Goldman is an associate professor of media production and coordinator of the women and gender studies interdisciplinary minor. The 2018 recipient of the Dr. Muriel A. Howard Presidential Award for Equity and Campus Diversity at Buffalo State, Dr. Goldman is an award-winning, internationally exhibited filmmaker, educator, community activist, film programmer, and media scholar who combines these passions whenever possible. Her scholarly and artistic interests include humanitarian storytelling, social justice, media activism, and community media. She co-founded and co-curates Buffalo State’s award-winning film screening and discussion series Beyond Boundaries, currently in its ninth season. Dr. Goldman is a longtime member of the President’s Council on Equity and Campus Diversity and currently serves on the Anti-Racism Subcommittee. She is a founding member of the national movement EDIT Media (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Teaching Media) and a founding member and current co-chair of the University Film and Video Association (UFVA) Diversity and Inclusion Caucus. She is on the steering committee for Birds on the Niagara, a binational winter birding festival promoting the intersections between birds, conservation, and social justice. Dr. Goldman holds a Ph.D. in American studies and an M.F.A. in media study from the University at Buffalo, an M.A. in American studies from the University of New Mexico, and a B.A. in English from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.  

I thank the members of the search committee for facilitating this process.

To expand access and support for student mental health and wellness, the Counseling Center at Weigel Wellness Center has launched a new partnership with BetterMynd, an online therapy platform. This platform provides students with access to free teletherapy sessions with a diverse network of licensed mental health counselors.

Through this partnership, students can schedule telehealth sessions to talk with a mental health counselor from the convenience of a desktop, laptop, or smartphone. Sessions are available during the day, at night, and on the weekends, to provide expanded access to care for students.

In addition to this partnership, Buffalo State’s Counseling Center has been selected to participate in a SUNY grant-funded program to provide a new telehealth psychiatry option for students through the SUNY Student TeleCounseling Network (STCN). Students who may benefit from an evaluation to explore medication options as part of their mental health treatment can now be referred by Counseling Center clinicians to this network.

These expanded services are the result of continued partnership and work with students, United Students Government, and the Student Health Advisory Council (SHAC), which have provided feedback and shared information on how to continue to address this important priority.

There is no cost or insurance required for use of either of these new services.

Students are welcome to email or call the Counseling Center, (716) 878-4436, for more information about BetterMynd or STCN services.

Buffalo State’s annual Day of Giving officially kicks off at noon today. Buffalo State Gives is our biggest online fundraising event of the year, and I am thrilled to see nearly 30 departments and programs across campus participating this time around.

If you haven’t had the chance yet, I recommend that you visit the Buffalo State Gives website and check out the many ways you can help Buffalo State students in their academic, personal, and professional journeys on campus. No matter what you’re most passionate about supporting—research and internship opportunities, scholarships, or hands-on learning experiences across all three schools, as well as emergency assistance and food pantry funding—your gift today makes a real difference for students.

If you’ve already made an early gift, please accept my sincere thanks for your generosity. Rest assured that your donation will be included in the totals for Buffalo State Gives 2023!

And in case you missed the announcement yesterday: Please join us and the rest of the campus community, including local alumni and donors, for a reception celebrating Buffalo State Gives and our participating departments today, March 15, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the LoRusso Alumni and Visitor Center. Enjoy complimentary food and drinks, and learn more about the programs and projects we’re featuring this year. We hope to see you there!

If you have questions about any aspect of Buffalo State Gives, or to learn how your department can participate in 2024, please contact Kate Lockhart, assistant to the vice president for institutional advancement, (716) 878-3077.

The Buffalo State campus community is invited to attend the university's traditional celebration of Honors Convocation on Friday, April 21, at 3:00 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. We also welcome you to join us for light refreshments following the event. 

In an effort to add to the pomp and circumstance of this traditional event, we will have a procession of marchers wearing academic regalia. We invite faculty and staff members to march in the academic procession. If you will march, please register by Monday, April 3; however, if you are invited to attend by a student, we encourage you to sit with the student as their guest instead of participating in the procession. Academic regalia is encouraged but optional.

Regalia rentals are available through the Buffalo State Bookstore in the Student Union. Please email Marybeth Keller, general merchandise manager, or call (716) 878-5509 by Friday, March 24, to place rental orders. If you are also planning to march in Commencement, you will not be required to return the rented regalia until the Monday after Commencement; however, if you are not participating in Commencement, rented regalia must be returned by Monday, April 24.  

A limited inventory of master’s and doctoral gowns, master’s and doctoral hoods, and caps are available for loan through the Academic Affairs Office. Hoods will not match the marcher's discipline or institution where the degree was earned. For guaranteed colors, marchers should purchase or rent hoods through the bookstore. Please email Carolyn Martino, executive assistant to the provost, by Monday, April 3, to arrange for regalia loan for Honors Convocation. Sizes and hood colors are limited, and requests are filled in the order they are received.

Honors Convocation provides us with a great opportunity to celebrate the academic excellence of our outstanding students. We hope that you will join us.

Would you like to learn more about the grant-writing process? The Research and Creativity Council is sponsoring two workshops focused on increasing understanding of grant writing on Buffalo State’s campus. This two-part series will focus on different components of grant writing. Both workshops will be held during Bengal Pause (12:15–1:30 p.m.) in Bacon Hall 217.

Grant Writing 101: Where to Begin
Thursday, April 6
This workshop will focus on where and how to get started. We will review different approaches to finding grants as well as answer basic questions on how to start the grant-writing process. Jessica Berg, director of pre-award and contract services in the Sponsored Programs Office, will help faculty and staff learn about GrantForward and other grant-finding resources.
Register for the April 6 workshop.

Grant-Writing Tips Panel
Thursday, April 13
This workshop will feature a panel of successful grant writers on campus who will provide their best tips on the grant-writing process as well as answer specific questions that faculty and staff members may have.
Register for the April 13 workshop.

Please contact Gina Game, research compliance manager for sponsored programs, with questions.

As our Middle States Commission on Higher Education campus evaluation visit closes, we invite you to attend a meeting with our evaluation team today, March 15, at 9:30 a.m. in the Campbell Student Union Assembly Hall. The team chair will provide information regarding the results of the visit to all members of the campus  community who would like to attend. This will be a brief meeting without a question-and-answer component.

Update: Because of unforeseen circumstances, the April 11 Bengal Business Forum must be moved to a later date. More information to follow. Thank you for your understanding.

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The next Bengal Business Forum will be held in person on Tuesday, April 11, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center 217. The meeting will cover updates of the university budget as well as campuswide facilities projects.

Buffalo State’s Bengal Business Forum provides an opportunity for members of the campus community to learn about and engage in relevant business and administrative matters at the institution. It is a place for issues updates, information sharing, and in-depth discussion about financial, administrative, and operational topics.   

All members of the campus community are welcome to attend. To reserve your place and to receive the meeting agenda, please register online no later than Friday, April 7.

We look forward to seeing you at the Bengal Business Forum.

The following Future Forward Forums will be held to facilitate discussions regarding future pathways, opportunities, and possibilities for Buffalo State University:

• Tuesday, March 21 (Professional Staff Focused)
  12:15–1:30 p.m.
  Virtual
  The Zoom link will be sent to registered participants before the forum.
• Friday, March 24 (Faculty Focused)
  3:00–4:00 p.m.
  Campbell Student Union Assembly Hall
• Friday, April 7 (Faculty and Staff Focused)
  3:00–4:00 p.m.
  Campbell Student Union Assembly Hall

Please register online for the forum of your choice.

The themes that emerge from the campus forums will suggest opportunities that the campus might explore in the next decade or so.

A facilitator, Morgan Williams-Bryant, will work with seven graduate students from the Higher Education Administration Department to gather feedback during these sessions and will turn the information over to the Future Forward Committee.