It is our pleasure to introduce both the Future Forward Committee and the Future Forward Advisory Committee. The Future Forward Committee will synthesize themes that emerge from the campus forums and suggest opportunities that the campus might explore in the next decade or so. With feedback from the Future Forward Advisory Committee, the Future Forward Committee will develop a white paper for our community and the next president of Buffalo State University to consider.

Future Forward Committee
Kari D’Amico, IT Project and Contract Manager, Information Technology Services
Ken Fujiuchi, Head of Information Commons, E. H. Butler Library
Julie Henry, Professor, Elementary Education, Literacy, and Educational Leadership Department
Farhad Mustafa, Major Gift Officer, Institutional Advancement
Natalie Szymanski, Director, Writing Program
Vida Vanchan, Professor, Geography and Planning Department
Amy Wilson, Chair and Associate Professor, Higher Education Administration Department
Shawnté Wilson, Associate Director, Student Leadership and Engagement

Future Forward Advisory Committee
Lisa Marie Anselmi, Chair and Associate Professor, Anthropology Department
Elisa Bergslien, Associate Professor, Earth Sciences Department
Randyll Bowen, Vice President for Enrollment Management
Maria Brickhouse, Coordinator, Academic Center for Excellence, Educational Opportunity Program
Tina Colaizzo-Anas, Associate Professor, Health, Nutrition, and Dietetics Department
James Golden, Assistant Professor, Social Work Department
Abdollah Hajikandi, Assistant Director of Academic Services, Educational Opportunity Program
Yanick Jenkins, Director, Educational Opportunity Program
Drew Kahn, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor, Theater; Director, Anne Frank Project
Thomas Karanas, Senior Assistant Director of Enrollment Management Communications, Admissions Office
Peter Loehr, Associate Professor, Elementary Education, Literacy, and Educational Leadership Department
Kathrine Morales, Administrative Assistant 2, School of the Professions
Faherty Nielsen, Interim Coordinator, Tutoring Services
Kathleen O’Brien, Chair and Lecturer, Hospitality and Tourism Department
Holly Quicksey, Director of Transfer Advising, Student Success and Retention
Leasa Rochester-Mills, Director of Academic Standards, Academic Affairs
Talia Rodriguez, Associate Director, West Side Promise Neighborhood, Civic and Community Engagement
Ramona Santa Maria, Associate Professor, Computer Information Systems Department
Peter Yacobucci, Associate Professor, Political Science and Public Administration Department
Sarah Young, Dean of Students
Xiang-Dong “David” Zhang, Assistant Professor, Biology Department

Sincerely,

Katherine Conway-Turner, Buffalo State President
Kimberly Kline, Buffalo State Senate Chair

A friendly reminder that we would like to hear from you! If you have not done so already, please take a few minutes to complete this important survey and share your thoughts about the priorities, traits, experiences, and practices that you think the next president of Buffalo State University should possess.

Your responses are confidential and will go directly to our search firm, where they will be aggregated and analyzed. Our search firm will present themes, patterns, and trends to the Presidential Search Committee and the Buffalo State Council.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete the survey.

Sincerely,

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

The 2022–2023 fiscal year for SUNY institutions closes Friday, June 30. For this reason, purchase requisitions for supplies, materials, services, office supplies, and equipment from fiscal year 2022–2023 funds must be received in the Procurement Office by the close of business on the following dates:

Furniture orders
Monday, April 24

Software orders
Friday, May 12

Office supply orders
Tuesday, June 13

All other orders requiring a purchase requisition
Friday, May 12

To make ordering at the end of fiscal year effective for everyone, please plan departmental needs as far in advance as possible to ensure that orders for goods and services are placed before the cutoff dates. Submitting requisitions well before the cutoff dates will provide Procurement Services with the necessary time to place orders before the deadlines.

It is the responsibility of departments to ensure that all requisitions for fiscal year 2022–2023 are received in the Procurement Office by 4:00 p.m. on the above deadline dates. Requests received after the deadlines will be held until the start of the next fiscal year.

Active P-Cards may continue to be used throughout the transition period for authorized transactions without interruption.

Please contact Bonnie Heim, director of non-contract procurement, with questions related to these deadlines or the P-Card program. Please refer to the Procurement Services website for more information.

Buffalo State has been working with SUNY System Administration and fellow SUNY campuses to electronically streamline the procure to pay process via the implementation of Jaggaer, an e-procurement system. This system is intended to create a one-stop marketplace for goods and services. It provides electronic buying options to connect end users with suppliers, commodity contracts, and products based on established procurement and payment policies and procedures.

As part of a phased implementation plan, the units of Facilities and Sponsored Programs Administration are anticipating going live in Jaggaer in early June, with additional campus cohorts being brought on board during the fall semester. The goal is to enroll the entire campus by the end of the 2023–2024 academic year. This approach will ensure a successful implementation and accelerate the speed at which Jaggaer delivers value to the campus.

To date, our SUNY counterparts at Fredonia, Brockport, the University at Buffalo, Stonybrook, and many others are already benefiting from implementation of the Jaggaer system. Some of the benefits include complete workflow visibility, spend compliance using electronic approvals, and document retention efficiencies as well as an enhanced vendor management system using a vast network of suppliers that are digitally accessible.

Implementation of Jaggaer will support the strategic plan for securing a sustainable future for Buffalo State in its mission to develop plans that are fiscally responsible, align with institutional priorities, and follow best practices.

With that, we would like the campus community’s input on personalizing the name of the Jaggaer system. The Jaggaer naming survey will be available through Wednesday, April 12.

More information will be made available in the coming months.

As part of New York State's "Enough Is Enough" legislation, all Buffalo State employees and students will receive the SUNY Sexual Violence Prevention (SVP) Campus Climate Survey via e-mail April 2–24. 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.

As I mentioned in my spring meeting with faculty and staff members, Academic Affairs will engage in emergency preparedness activities to ensure that our community is equipped for a number of potentially hazardous situations that may occur on campus.

Kristen Mruk, special assistant to the provost and senate, and Tom Galluch, Buffalo State’s emergency manager, will schedule meetings this month with Academic Affairs departments to provide basic information on the campus emergency management structure. This will enable us to identify prevention measures that are currently in place and to conduct a hazard and vulnerability assessment to enhance our “all hazard” approach.

It is important that as many faculty and staff members as possible participate to get an accurate accounting of all hazards and vulnerabilities that may affect individuals and departments. This process will inform prevention and mitigation activities for the future, as well as trainings and hands-on experiences that will further prepare the division for potential emergencies. We will be reaching out directly to schedule meetings with your areas.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Please join me in welcoming Brandon Gilliland as the new director of financial aid at Buffalo State University, effective Monday, April 10. Mr. Gilliland has served as director of financial aid at SUNY Fredonia for the past five years. Before that, he served as director of financial aid at SUNY Sullivan and held various financial aid roles at the University at Buffalo and ITT Technical Institute. He has been an active member of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, the SUNY SICAS Financial Aid User Group, and the SUNY Financial Aid Professionals group. In addition, Mr. Gilliland currently serves as an emergency management supervisor, master sergeant for the United States Air Force Reserves in Niagara Falls, New York. He holds an M.S. in student personnel administration from Buffalo State.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Christine Auman for serving as interim director of financial aid since September 2022. She has done an outstanding job, working closely with the Financial Aid team and the rest of the university community to continue to put our students first.

Please join me in welcoming Mr. Gilliland to the Bengal community and in thanking Ms. Auman for her hard work and dedication over the past seven months.

The next meeting of the Buffalo State Council will be held at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, in Cleveland Hall 518.

Agenda

1. Call to Order
2. Action Items
   Approval of the Minutes: February 7, 2023
3. Chair’s Report
4. President’s Report
5. Committee Reports
6. Announcements
7. Executive Session (If Necessary)
8. Adjournment

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 2023–2024 academic year. 

The deadlines for submitting applications under this funding cycle are Friday, April 28, for fall 2023 program proposals; Friday, September 22, for fall 2023 and spring 2024 program proposals; and Friday, November 17, for spring 2024 program proposals. Applications for funding and complete details of requirements may be found on the Student Affairs website. All proposals must be submitted electronically.

Questions about the GAC may be addressed to Student Affairs.

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.