Nominations are open for the Celebration of Community Engagement awards. Buffalo State will honor members of the campus community and our community partners for their efforts in the areas of service learning, civic engagement, and volunteerism that occurred throughout the academic year. Please consider submitting a nomination on behalf of a deserving student, faculty member, course, student organization, or community partner. This is a great opportunity to show sincere appreciation and gratitude to those who are committed to civic responsibility.

Student Awards 
Outstanding Service-Learning Course  |  Outstanding Service-Learning Student  |  Outstanding Student Volunteer  |  Outstanding Community Service by a Student Organization 
 
Community Partner and Faculty Awards 
Outstanding Community Partner  |  Reciprocal Partnership Award  |  Early-Career Faculty Award for Community Engagement  |  Mid-Career Faculty Award for Community Engagement  |  Leadership in Community Engagement

Please submit award nominations through the Civic and Community Engagement website. The nomination deadline is 4:00 p.m. Monday, May 1. For more information, please visit Celebration of Community Engagement website.

The next Bengal Business Forum will be held Thursday, April 27, 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. Please note: this meeting has been rescheduled from April 11.

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 Monday, April 24.

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

Buffalo State is honored to welcome State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. to campus on Thursday, April 6. Dr. King will meet with senior administrators, students, faculty, staff, community partners, and me, as well as tour some of Buffalo State’s signature facilities and programs, such as E. H. Butler Library, the Garman Art Conservation Department, and Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium. Please extend your warmest welcome should you see him passing through.

As the Passover holiday has begun, Jewish students at Buffalo State University can access meals that are kosher in the spirit of a joyous holiday. Listed below are some options available in the Bengal Kitchen:

• Vegan station recipes have been selected to be Passover friendly from April 5 to 13.
• Other stations in the Bengal Kitchen have had recipes adjusted to offer Passover-friendly food options throughout the dining hall. Recipes that had dairy-based sauces will offer those on the side.
• Matzah bread will be available at the deli station.
• From April 10 to 13, matzah ball soup will be available at the soup station, and various other selections will be available in the Friendly Fridge, including gefilte fish.

I want to thank our Residence Life staff members for coordinating this effort with the dining hall. Please e-mail Glenn Bucello, Chartwells resident district manager in the Bengal Kitchen, with inquiries or requests specific to Passover.

The division of Student Affairs is proud to work with campus partners to host events celebrating LGBTQIA+ Pride at Buffalo State University. The Weigel Counseling Center; the Dean of Students, Inclusion and Equity, Student Leadership and Engagement, and Equity and Campus Diversity offices; and the Burchfield Penney Art Center invite our campus community to celebrate by attending the following events.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12

Pride at Work: Tools for an LGBTQIA+ Job Search
Noon
Virtual Presentation 
Learn about job-search resources and about the policies that are in place to support members of the LGBTQIA+ community in their career. Visit BengalConnect for the workshop link and more information.

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THURSDAY, APRIL 13

Bengal LGBTQ+ Ally Mixer
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Campbell Student Union Fireside Lounge
Meet campus allies and learn about campus and community resources.

Out in Faith Panel
4:30 p.m.
Ketchum Hall 200 
A panel discussion on the intersection of LGBTQ+ identities, spirituality, faith, and connecting with faith communities.

Beyond Boundaries Film and Discussion: ‘Changing the Game’ (2019)
7:00 p.m.
Burchfield Penney Art Center Tower Auditorium
Directed by Michael Barnett, the film takes us into the lives of three high school athletes—all at different stages of their athletic seasons, personal lives, and unique paths as transgender teens. Their stories span the U.S., from Sarah, a skier and teen policymaker in New Hampshire; to Andraya, a track star in Connecticut openly transitioning into her authentic self; to Mack Beggs, who made headlines last year when he became the Texas state champion in wrestling.

The screening is free and open to the public and will be followed by a panel discussion featuring coaches, experts on the subject, and local trans athletes.

We are pleased to announce that as part of our planned transition of student email accounts from Google (Gmail) to Outlook, all current students will soon receive a new email account in Microsoft Outlook (Microsoft 365). Students will be able to access these new accounts starting Monday, May 22. This is part of the university’s plan to phase out Gmail accounts by summer 2024. While students will still be able to access their Gmail accounts for a full year after receiving their Outlook accounts, the new Outlook address will become their primary account and should be used for official campus communication.

Some important details about these new accounts:

• New email address | Starting May 22, students will have a new email address in the format of username@buffalostate.edu. All new mail will be delivered to this address.
• Message Forwarding | Starting May 22, messages sent to a student’s old address (username@mail.buffalostate.edu) will be forwarded to their new Outlook address.
• Mailbox Migration | A one-time copy of each student’s mailbox from Gmail to Outlook will occur during summer 2023. This migration will be staggered, so mail in a student's Gmail Inbox may not appear in their Outlook Inbox right away.
• Accessing Outlook email | Students can access their email from a web browser or by using the Outlook mobile or desktop app.
• Sign-in with network credentials | Unlike with Gmail, which requires a separate password, students will sign in to Outlook using their network credentials.
• Retaining Access to Outlook | Students will retain access to their Microsoft 365 account for approximately one full year after leaving Buffalo State.

Some important details about Gmail accounts:

Following the closure of Google accounts by summer 2024, faculty members in the School of Education who use Google Classroom will be able to request Google accounts for themselves and their classes by submitting a ticket. Google accounts will be accessible only for the duration of the term requested.

The following links explain how to transfer contacts, calendar events, and Google Drive contents. Please share these links with students as needed.

• Transfer Contacts to Outlook | Step-by-step guide explaining how to import Gmail contacts to Outlook
• Transfer Calendar to Outlook | Step-by-step guide explaining how to import Gmail calendar to Outlook
• Transfer Google Drive | Step-by-step guide explaining how to transfer Google Drive to personal Google account

To learn more about this project, please visit the Microsoft 365 Project Information and Frequently Asked Questions pages. Students in need of assistance can open a Technology Help ticket or email the Help Desk.

Our Buffalo State University Financial Sustainability Plan: 2022–2026 has been updated to indicate the progress completed to date. You can find the status on the Financial Sustainability website.

I begin by thanking the members of the Buffalo State University community for the work that has been completed to date and the continued focus on the work ahead.

You will see that progress has been made in a number of the seven priority areas, yet much work is left to be done. The enrollment and advancement updates will not be available until early fall, after freeze file and end of fiscal year, respectively. I will be able to provide an advocacy update once the state has concluded the budget and SUNY has confirmed the impact to SUNY campuses.

I would like to share some of the budgetary changes that will be implemented beginning May 1, 2023, within the area of workforce planning (Priority 7). This has been the area that has received the most questions, and thus I will highlight major changes here.

As you know, we are experiencing a significant shortfall within the budget, and we must reduce expenses across campus. The salaries of our employees account for 80 percent of the budget of the institution, and although we have seen savings in a number of areas related to OTPS and other campus reductions this year, the workforce is where we must capture significant savings. The divisional heads have been engaged in workforce planning for several years, and this year they have continued to drill into their divisions to search for potential savings. Vice presidents and their teams have reviewed data related to their units, explored the rates of attrition and retirements among employees, reviewed the staffing levels of peer and benchmark campuses, examined trends within each area, held discussions within divisional areas, and carefully used data to guide and inform their decisions.

I have advised divisional heads that they must forward a plan to me by the end of the spring semester, meeting the following requirements:

1. Reduce campuswide salaries by a total of $4 million for the 2022–2023 fiscal year through reduction of vacant lines created by attrition and retirement.
2. Review any positions that are currently in an active search mode and potentially close any searches that are
   a. not funded from a new source of revenue;
   b. not critical to the health and safety of the institution;
   c. not essential for compliance with state, federal, or SUNY Trustee requirements;
   d. not related to enrollment stabilization or enrollment growth; or
   e. not related to accreditation requirements.
3. Require that any newly vacated lines be held open for 12 months to increase the one-time savings available to campus to help close anticipated yearly budgetary gaps.

The degree of success in Priorities 1–6 of the Buffalo State Financial Sustainability Plan will determine the level of future reductions. If few new financial resources become available through enrollment growth, advocacy, partnerships, and shared services, it will be necessary to continue to reduce the budget by a similar amount each year over the next three years or until the gap is closed.

I would like to express my deep appreciation to the workforce planning group that provided the data to ground our deliberations and decisions. I would like to express my gratitude to all community members who are approaching our current budgetary challenges with a collaborative spirit and a willingness to bring our creative energy to the tasks that lie ahead. And I thank the Buffalo State Senate Budget and Staff Allocations Committee for its deliberations related to workforce planning and its support of our work moving forward.

I also thank the Spending Constraints Oversight Committee for its significant reviews of spending, as it has helped us heighten our awareness of campus spending and the many necessary costs to run a university. This committee will be disbanded effective April 18.

In solidarity,
Kate Conway-Turner

Buffalo State University will hold its 151st Commencement celebration on Saturday, May 20, in the Sports Arena. Degree candidates will be honored at three ceremonies:

• 9:00 a.m. (School of the Professions)
• 1:00 p.m. (School of Education; Individualized and Multidisciplinary Studies)
• 5:00 p.m. (School of Arts and Sciences)

The following speakers will deliver this year’s Commencement addresses:

SCHOOL OF THE PROFESSIONS

Deneen Hernandez, ’88
Forensic Examiner, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Deneen Hernandez is an enrolled member of the Seneca Nation of Indians from the Cattaraugus Reservation in Western New York and possesses roughly 30 years of varied law enforcement experience. She is a recently retired forensic examiner for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Laboratory Division in the Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit in Quantico, Virginia. She was detailed to the Tattoo and Graffiti (TAG) program. Dr. Hernandez also serves as an adjunct professor in undergraduate criminal justice and forensics studies and graduate public policy studies, and as a national trainer and board member for the National Partnership for Careers in Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security. She is a member of the FBI’s American Indian Alaskan Native Advisory Committee and the Lab Division’s Diversity and Inclusion Network of Champions. Dr. Hernandez holds a B.A. in political science from the State University of New York at Fredonia and an M.A. in criminal justice from Buffalo State and is ABD in public service leadership from Capella University.

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SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Mildred Otero
Senior Vice President of National Impact, Leadership for Educational Equity
Mildred Otero is senior vice president at Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE), a diverse network of equity-minded leaders at all stages of life and career. LEE is a membership organization currently open to alumni of several national organizations. Ms. Otero is responsible for LEE’s national strategy, designing and developing life-changing civic leadership programs, experiences, and tools serving LEE members across the phases of four leadership pathways. She is also an adjunct for the University of Miami, School of Education.  Before joining LEE, Ms. Otero served as chief education counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, where she managed the Senate majority’s education agenda and its policy development and strategy for children from cradle to career. She has worked in education policy for over 20 years for national leaders that include Hillary Rodham Clinton, Marian Wright Edelman, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Ms. Otero earned a B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany and an M.S.W. from the New York University Silver School of Social Work.

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SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Raven Baxter, ’14, ’16
Molecular Biologist and Educator
Raven Baxter is a renowned molecular biologist and leader in science education. Also known as Dr. Raven the Science Maven, she is credited with progressing perceptions of science by leveraging creative outlets in music, fashion, and comedy. She is president and founder of the Science Haven, a nonprofit organization dedicated to turning STEM dreams into STEM realities by providing academic and socioeconomic capital to underserved communities. Her impact on science extends beyond academia and into corporations, as a partner to Olay's STEM initiatives; into entertainment, with her science content referenced in Saturday Night Live, P-Valley, and on Netflix; and in government, with frequent outreach collaborations with NASA and the White House. Dr. Baxter's enthusiastic commitment to creativity and innovation in science communication has earned her international recognition and numerous accolades, including recent honors on Forbes “30 Under 30,” Fortune’s “40 Under 40,” AfroTech Future 50, and Ebony’s Power 100 lists, and as a Woman of Distinction by the American Association of University Women. Dr. Baxter earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology at Buffalo State, as well as a doctorate in science education from the University at Buffalo.

The Buffalo State University Sustainability Committee is pleased to share the schedule of events established to recognize Earth Day, April 22, and Arbor Day, April 28. The Sustainability Committee, co-chaired by Susan McCartney, director of the Small Business Development Center, and Robert Warren, professor of biology, and co-facilitated by Sarah Reid, campus planner, and Steven Sypniewski, assistant campus planner and arboretum manager, is the coordinating body for sustainable practices at Buffalo State. The committee is charged with identifying strategies for conserving natural resources and coordinating initiatives, projects, and events that support environmentally and socially responsible practices for Buffalo State and its surrounding neighborhood.

An additional cause for celebration is that in recognition of our campus’s commitment to trees and green space, the Buffalo State Maud Gordon Holmes Arboretum has been granted 2022 Tree Campus Higher Education designation from the Arbor Day Foundation. Help us celebrate this honor by attending one or more of the following events that have been planned for the month of April:

Thursday, April 20

• Earth Day and Arbor Day Environmental Information Fair
  Noon–2:00 p.m.
  Campbell Student Union 

Fridays, April 21 and 28

• Campus Bird Watching Tours
  8:00–9:00 a.m.
  Southwest Corner of Rockwell Hall

Friday, April 21

• Farmers Market
  Campbell Student Union Mezzanine
• Earth Day Celebration and Menu
  Campbell Student Union Bengal Kitchen

Tuesday April 25

• Arboretum Tour
  12:15–1:15 p.m.
  West Entrance of Campbell Student Union

Thursday, April 27

• Stop Food Waste Day - Root to Stem Recipes
  Campbell Student Union

Friday, April 28

• Arbor Day Ceremonial Tree Planting
  Noon–1:00 p.m.
  East Side of Bishop Hall
• Arbor Day Speaker
  “Ancient Trees and Old Growth Forests of WNY”
  Presented by Horticulture Instructor David Clark, CNLP
  3:00–4:00 p.m.
  Technology Building 160
  Sponsored by the Friends of the Maud Gordon Holmes Arboretum

For more information about these activities, please visit the Maud Gordon Holmes Arboretum website or contact Steven Sypniewski, campus arborist. We hope you will participate in one or more of these upcoming events!

Campus map (PDF, 3.6 MB)

The next Bengal Business Forum will be held Thursday, April 27, 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. Please note: This meeting has been rescheduled from April 11.

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 Monday, April 24.

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