Welcoming new Bengals is an important part of helping them connect with the campus, faculty and staff members, fellow students, and the community. Though this effort is coordinated through some programs in Student Affairs, it has the greatest impact to positively affect retention rates and student success when we are all involved. In this spirit, Student Leadership and Engagement (SLE) and Residence Life are seeking volunteers for this summer. Please sign up to volunteer for an Orientation session throughout the summer or to help with residential move-in taking place in August.

Please email SLE or Residence Life with questions. We thank you for your assistance with these two large-scale events.

This past Saturday was bittersweet for me as I had the privilege of participating in my last Commencement as president of Buffalo State University.

I was awestruck by the energy and sheer joy I witnessed during our three wonderful Commencement ceremonies. Everyone did a beautiful job of adapting to the new ceremony format, and the Commencement speakers—Deneen Hernandez,  Mildred Otero,  and Raven Baxter—provided inspiring and riveting addresses. Our student presenters were also on fire with their heartfelt and passionate speeches. I couldn’t be prouder.

I have always been impressed with the level of commitment to our students that Buffalo State faculty and staff members demonstrate throughout the academic year. That same commitment was clearly evident on Saturday, and I sincerely appreciate all who volunteered their time to make the ceremonies a success. I also would like to send a special thank-you to the Commencement Committee members for their hard work in making Buffalo State’s 151st Commencement a memorable one. 

And finally, a shout-out to our photography and video teams for documenting the joy of the graduates and their families and the powerful words of our presenters. A highlights gallery is posted on the Marketing and Communications website, and an extensive gallery of photos and videos will be posted later this week. Watch the Daily Bulletin for more to come.

Commencement is not simply a recognition of our graduates. It is also an opportunity for Buffalo State to showcase its established traditions and enhance Bengal Pride throughout our university community. 

Thank you to everyone who made this year’s Commencement one of the highlights of my last year at Buffalo State.

This past Saturday was bittersweet for me as I had the privilege of participating in my last Commencement as president of Buffalo State University.

I was awestruck by the energy and sheer joy I witnessed during our three wonderful Commencement ceremonies. Everyone did a beautiful job of adapting to the new ceremony format, and the Commencement speakers—Deneen Hernandez, Mildred Otero, and Raven Baxter—provided inspiring and riveting addresses. Our student presenters were also on fire with their heartfelt and passionate speeches. I couldn’t be prouder.

I have always been impressed with the level of commitment to our students that Buffalo State faculty and staff members demonstrate throughout the academic year. That same commitment was clearly evident on Saturday, and I sincerely appreciate all who volunteered their time to make the ceremonies a success. I would also like to send a special thank-you to the Commencement Committee members for their hard work in making Buffalo State’s 151st Commencement a memorable one. 

And finally, a shout-out to our photography and video teams for documenting the joy of the graduates and their families and the powerful words of our presenters. A highlights gallery is posted on the Photography Services website, and an extensive gallery of photos and videos will be published later this week. Watch the Daily Bulletin for more to come.

Commencement is not simply a recognition of our graduates. It is also an opportunity for Buffalo State to showcase its established traditions and enhance Bengal Pride throughout our university community. 

Thank you to everyone who made this year’s Commencement one of the highlights of my last year at Buffalo State.

I am pleased to announce that Rebecca Eggleston, staff assistant in the Professional Development Center, has received the President's Caring Bengal Award.

Ms. Eggleston was secretly nominated for the award by Natalie Wills, office assistant in Instructional Design and Distance Learning and the Teaching and Learning Center; Celestine Simmons, administrative assistant in the Muriel A. Howard Honors Program; and Susan Rubino, administrative assistant 2 in the School of Education. Her 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.

We appreciate the attendance at the Bengal Business forum held on May 25. If you were unable to attend or would like to review the information that was shared, below is a summary of what was discussed.

Financial information shared during the Bengal Business forum covered a variety of items. A financial status update was shared for 2022–2023 noting no significant changes from the prior financial update regarding the continuation of the projected structural deficit. An update was shared on the 2023–2024 Strategic Resource Planning Process (SRPP), including key highlights of what we heard and common themes. Investment outcomes were also shared by division, as well as next steps to close out SRPP for this year. The 2023–2024 budget was introduced covering the New York State enacted budget, our upcoming financial capacity, and financial factors that are still unknown at this time. Buffalo State Revenue Offset budgets by division were also provided. All of this information is available on the financial Bengal Business Forum page.

Buffalo State’s emergency manager, Thomas Galluch, presented on the new Campus Emergency Response Plan. He spoke about the changes and updates to the plan. The presentation also included information about creating campus departmental Continuity of Operations Plans (COOPs) and making sure the campus community is prepared for any emergency. There is now an Emergency Management web page where the new campus Emergency Response Plan is posted.

You are invited to join the Buffalo State University community in marching in the annual Buffalo LGBTQIA Pride Parade on Sunday, June 4. Come out and help us show why we are Buffalo’s university and how we take pride in our value of inclusion. Lineup will be at 8:00 a.m. on the Buffalo State campus. All marchers will receive a special Buffalo State University Pride T-shirt. If you are interested, please email studentaffairs@buffalostate.edu to let us know you would like to attend and receive further details.

University Police Chief Stephen Mayoral has separated his employment from Buffalo State University effective May 26, 2023. We thank the chief for his service and wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Amy Pedlow will continue to serve as interim chief of university police, and Steve Cahoon will continue to serve as interim assistant chief, until further notice.

As I approach my final days as president of Buffalo State University, I am in a reflective mood as I remember the last nine years and the amazing adventures we have been on together. From the first day I stepped onto campus in my formal role as president, I was enthralled with the legacy, possibilities, and promise that create the foundation of this great institution. The story of Buffalo State is one of transforming the lives of students across generations. Today, as a predominantly diverse institution, we continue the tradition of helping students find their path to individual and familial success...

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

As part of its ongoing assessment of workforce planning, internal efficiency, risk management, and internal control, the Finance and Management division has been reviewing its internal structure with the preeminent goal of providing the best possible service to the campus community. I am pleased to announce the following updates.

The Research Foundation for SUNY at Buffalo State, also known as Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA), faces financial constraints just like our other campus funding sources. Upon review, it has been determined that to preserve SPA’s operational business functions such as procurement, accounts payable, human resources, and payroll, these will be merged into our current business departments. This proven model has been successful at several other SUNY comprehensive campuses and university centers.

Additionally, Procurement Services is being restructured to move from Administrative Services to Financial Operations. This will provide beneficial alignment with Accounts Payable and financial oversight as we launch Bengal Buy, our new procure to pay system.

I would like to thank Lisa Krieger for her leadership and guidance while overseeing Procurement, and for her continued involvement with major revenue contracts and legal matters. Procurement Services will now report to our new assistant vice president for finance and budget, Kelly D’Aloisio.

Financial Management will retain accounting and reporting efforts, including Accounts Payable, which will now report to Joseph Ricchiazzi, director of financial management.

Position management processes have been developed and go into effect June 1, 2023, per an announcement from the president to cabinet. Position management requests outside of the annual Strategic Resource Planning Process (SRPP) will be addressed as emerging needs. The emerging needs process will include all forms required by Human Resources for review, verification of the budget for the position request, and review and approval by the president or designee. Related human resources paperwork and tasks related to positions have been internally reviewed for effectiveness and efficiency. In accordance, the functions between Human Resources and the budget have been redefined. We would like to announce the realignment of Lori Mabry, our new director of payroll and position operations.

As part of the ongoing heating plant upgrade project, steam service to most campus buildings will be shut down from 12:01 a.m. Monday, June 5, until roughly noon on Thursday, June 15. Steam service to the LoRusso Alumni and Visitor Center, the Student Apartment Complex, and the Burchfield Penney Art Center will be unaffected.

During this time, affected buildings will have no heat, no steam for cooking or dish washing, and no hot water, including for showering in the Sports Arena, Houston Gymnasium, and residence halls. Staff members affected by the interruption have been notified, and necessary mitigation plans have been put into place.

In buildings with cooling, members of the campus community may experience lower than usual building temperatures, because systems will not be able to reheat the cooling air, and occupants are asked to dress accordingly. Employees who would like to seek an alternative work location should consult with their supervisors first, and supervisors should contact Human Resource Management. Employees are asked to report any sightings of dripping condensate from ceilings to Facilities at (716) 878-6111.

Questions about this project may be addressed to vpfm@buffalostate.edu. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we make these necessary repairs to the steam service.