I am pleased to announce that Randall Marinchek, maintenance supervisor 1 in the Facilities Office, has received the President's Caring Bengal Award.

Mr. Marinchek was nominated for the award by Barry Skoney, maintenance manager in the Facilities Office, and Michael Brown, HVAC supervisor in the Facilities Office. His 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.

Nominations for the Caring Bengal Award will be collected again in September. For more information about the award criteria and recipient selection process, or to submit a nomination, please visit the Professional Development website.

Please contact Rebecca Eggleston, staff assistant in the Professional Development Center, with questions about the President’s Caring Bengal Award.

Commencement is the culmination of our efforts at Buffalo State University and represents the best of our institution to our graduating students and their families.

Commencement volunteers are still needed. You are invited to register to support the Class of 2023 as they celebrate Buffalo State’s 151th Commencement on Saturday, May 20, in the Sports Arena. Your participation as a volunteer at one or more ceremonies is extremely meaningful to our graduates and their families. 

Please join us in honoring them by volunteering to serve as an usher, graduate lineup assistant, ticket taker, or greeter or to be of assistance to our guests.

Please visit the Volunteers section of the Commencement website to register and to find additional information.

Thank you!

I am pleased to announce the interim appointment of Nigel Marriner to the role of assistant vice president for retention and student success. Dr. Marriner has been a part of the Bengal community since June 2016, serving as the Buffalo State registrar. Before joining Buffalo State University, he served in several roles within the SUNY system, including associate registrar, assistant administrative director of the honors college, and first-year experience coordinator at the University at Buffalo. In addition, he has worked as a complex director for residence life at SUNY Geneseo and an academic and first-year adviser at Miami University.

In his new role, Dr. Marriner will be responsible for the direct oversight and coordination, success, and efficiency of the university’s retention and student success efforts. He will have direct oversight for the Academic Advising Office and Roar to Success program. In addition, the Registrar’s Office will report to him.

With Dr. Marriner’s expanded role, Cynthia Fasla has agreed to serve as officer in charge in the Registrar’s Office on an interim basis. Ms. Fasla will work closely with Dr. Marriner to provide the campus community with the outstanding service the Bengal community is accustomed to.

Please join me in congratulating and thanking Dr. Marriner and Ms. Fasla for agreeing to serve in these important interim roles.

Construction projects will necessitate the closure of two sections of Lot I-32 beginning Monday, May 22. The southeast portion of Lot I-32 closest to Bacon Hall will be offline for about three months, from May 22 through August 25. This partial closure will accommodate two construction projects at Bacon Hall. Parking in this area will be reduced by roughly 11 spaces, including three accessible spaces, during this period. Six accessible spaces will continue to be available in the lot. Vehicles displaying a handicap accessible permit that cannot find suitable parking in Lot I-32 during this time can use metered locations in Lot I-30 or R-4 without payment. The accessible northeast entrance to Bacon Hall will remain open.

In addition, the north portion of Lot I-32 east of Butler Library will be offline for about 15 months, from May 22, 2023, through August 23, 2024, and will be enclosed with a chain-link fence. This partial closure will accommodate the HVAC upgrade construction project at Butler Library. Parking at the north end of Lot I-32 will be reduced by roughly 32 spaces during this period. Butler Library’s east entrance will remain accessible for the duration of the projects.

Please email Parking Services with questions about this temporary lot closure. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding.

Campus map (PDF, 3.9 MB)

In March 2022, the Smoking Task Force that was convened in 2021 by President Conway-Turner shared a draft policy with the Buffalo State College Senate and United Students Government for feedback. After feedback was received from those bodies, the policy was shared on multiple occasions with the collective bargaining units of the campus. This policy was also reviewed by SUNY Counsel to ensure that it was compliant with SUNY-wide policy. The result of the effort is an updated policy, in effect July 1, 2023, that addresses chewing tobacco, cigarettes (traditional and electronic), vaping, and changes to NYS cannabis law. The policy has been updated (PDF, 210 KB) and can be found in the Administrative Policy Library.

The goal of this revised policy is to continue to support a safe and healthy campus community. Beginning this summer, the clarity that this new policy provides will be shared with students, faculty, and staff through orientations and electronic and physical outreach. As the campus community returns in full for the 2023–2024 academic year, Weigel Health Promotions will be providing programs, mobile outreach, and web resources to support compliance with the policy. 

Compliance with the policy is covered by the Student Code of Conduct and the Administrative Policy Library for faculty and staff members. The University Police Department is unable to issue citations for violations but is available to assist if the situation warrants.

Should you have concerns about behavior that is not in compliance with the policy as it relates to students, a report can be filed online.

Should the concern be related to compliance involving members of the staff or faculty, please contact Human Resource Management at (716) 878-4822.

In March 2022, the Smoking Task Force that was convened in 2021 by President Conway-Turner shared a draft policy with the Buffalo State College Senate and United Students Government for feedback. After feedback was received from those bodies, the policy was shared on multiple occasions with the collective bargaining units of the campus. This policy was also reviewed by SUNY Counsel to ensure that it was compliant with SUNY-wide policy. The result of the effort is an updated policy, in effect July 1, 2023, that addresses chewing tobacco, cigarettes (traditional and electronic), vaping, and changes to NYS cannabis law. The policy has been updated (PDF, 185 KB) and can be found in the Administrative Policy Library.

The goal of this revised policy is to continue to support a safe and healthy campus community. Beginning this summer, the clarity that this new policy provides will be shared with students, faculty, and staff through orientations and electronic and physical outreach. As the campus community returns in full for the 2023–2024 academic year, Weigel Health Promotions will be providing programs, mobile outreach, and web resources to support compliance with the policy. 

Compliance with the policy is covered by the Student Code of Conduct and the Administrative Policy Library for faculty and staff members. The University Police Department is unable to issue citations for violations but is available to assist if the situation warrants.

Should you have concerns about behavior that is not in compliance with the policy as it relates to students, a report can be filed online.

Should the concern be related to compliance involving members of the staff or faculty, please contact Human Resource Management at (716) 878-4822.

SUNY announced the end of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate on April 11, 2023. This means that students are no longer required to have the COVID-19 vaccine to attend Buffalo State; however, we encourage students, faculty, and staff to stay current on vaccine boosters.

Other immunization requirements still exist. NYS Public Health Law Section 2165 and NYCRR Title 10, Subpart 66-2, require students born on or after January 1, 1957, who are attending postsecondary institutions and are registered for 6 or more credit hours to demonstrate proof of immunity against measles, mumps, and rubella. Public Health Law Section 2165 provides for medical and religious exemptions to immunization.

NYS Public Health Law Section 2167 requires postsecondary institutions to distribute, on a form provided or approved by the NYS Commissioner of Health, written information about meningococcal meningitis and meningococcal immunization to each student who is enrolled for at least 6 semester hours. This section also requires all such students to certify that they have already received immunization against meningococcal meningitis or that they have received and reviewed the information provided by the institution, understand the risks of meningococcal meningitis and the benefits of immunization, and have decided not to obtain the meningococcal vaccine. This health form is in the admission packet.

If you have any questions about immunizations or requirements, please contact the Weigel Health Center, (716) 878-6711.

A corridor renovation project is scheduled to begin in Cleveland Hall on Monday, May 22. Project components include replacing the existing ceiling with one that accommodates maintenance access and future technology upgrades, replacing lights with energy-efficient LED fixtures and controls, and applying a fresh coat of paint.

Most renovation work will be done during daytime hours Monday through Friday. Building occupants will be given advance notice on the days when minor abatement of hazardous materials occurs on each floor (see schedule below). During these abatement periods, individual floors will be offline and inaccessible. The contractor will take all necessary health and safety precautions to ensure that Cleveland Hall’s normal business operations can continue safely and with minimal disruption. Supervisors will be reviewing the impact of this project with all employees who may be affected.

The east portions of the second (ground) and third floors are not expected to be taken offline, as work in these areas will entail replacing the light fixtures only. Occupants can expect to see contracted workers accessing lights with ladders. The west end of the building on the second and third floors will be closed for about two days (schedule to be determined). This area has existing old ceilings that will be removed, and new ceilings and lights will be installed.

The following schedule is provided for informational purposes. Updates to this schedule will be provided as needed, as work progresses.

• May 22–June 14: Basement Level
  Tuesday–Wednesday, May 23–24: Basement level offline, including the Design and Print Center and building mail room. Cleveland Hall 505 will function as the building’s mail room for these two days. The Design and Print Center will be unable to complete requests during this time, so please plan accordingly. We apologize for the inconvenience.

• TBD: Second and Third Floor West End
  TBD: Second and third floor west end offline.

• June 15–July 11: Fourth Floor
  Friday, June 16, and Monday, June 19 (Juneteenth holiday, offices closed): Fourth floor offline. 

• July 12–August 6: Fifth Floor
  Thursday–Friday, July 13–14: Fifth floor offline.

Again, schedules will be shared, posted, and updated as needed. Your understanding is appreciated as this project is undertaken. Related questions may be directed to vpfm@buffalostate.edu.

The Financial Aid Office is reassessing Federal Work-Study job allocations for the 2023–2024 academic year. Please complete this online survey by Thursday, June 1, so that we may assess your needs and the quality employment experience you have to offer. This is open to continuing positions and offices that would like a new position. Thank you.

As you may be aware, Medaille University will cease operations effective August 31; therefore, Buffalo State has entered into a teach-out agreement with Medaille University to support its students through this difficult time in their educational journeys. The agreement gives Buffalo State the ability to work with Medaille students on a case-by-case basis to help them achieve their educational goals through a transfer credit and financial aid evaluation that will support student success. In doing so, we have created an online resource page for these students to inform their decision on why Buffalo State University is the best place for them to complete their degree. In addition, these students will be eligible for any one of our existing grants and scholarship programs for the fall 2023 entering class. Please join me in welcoming these students with the same care and compassion that we espouse each day as proud members of the Bengal community.

If you have questions or are contacted by any Medaille students directly, please feel free to reach out to the Undergraduate Admissions Office. Their staff members are already working with a number of students to support them during this difficult time.