We are excited to welcome all new faculty and staff members to the Buffalo State University community. New Faculty and Staff Orientation will begin with a breakfast on Thursday, August 24, at 8:30 a.m. in Technology Building 358. All new faculty and staff members have been invited and are welcome to attend.

Orientation will focus on informing new employees of the university’s history, our core values, our mission, teaching and scholarship, community involvement opportunities, and campus policies. All new employees are strongly encouraged to attend orientation, and supervisors are strongly encouraged to provide employees with the opportunity to participate.

Please contact Rebecca Eggleston, professional development assistant, if you plan to attend orientation.

Every Buffalo State University employee plays a valuable and critical role in helping us fulfill our mission to serve our students, faculty, and staff in addition to our surrounding community to the best of our ability. Our supervisors have the added responsibility of providing honest, constructive, and specific feedback to their staff members to affirm successful goal accomplishment and to address any performance issues that require attention. I also expect supervisors to provide positive, collegial, and respectful commentary where appropriate to motivate and encourage excellence in performance.  

Performance evaluations, goal setting, and accountability are a primary responsibility of every supervisor, and it is my expectation that they be completed each year for all employees. Supervisors and employees should be aware that fulfilling this important responsibility will be considered in decisions to award discretionary increases when available, promotions, and other personnel actions.

Our campus has performance evaluation systems in place that are intended to clarify job expectations, encourage, and support professional development, provide quality feedback, and foster continuous constructive and communication between the supervisor and the employee on performance throughout the year.  

I am asking all supervisors to use the process and forms available on the Human Resource Management website and to consult with our Human Resource Management staff members if you have any questions on the process or need advice on addressing performance issues.

Thank you!

As our campus moves into a new academic year, it is important that we continue to do our individual parts to keep our community safe. SUNY and the Weigel Health Center have resources to assist our community in being prepared to administer naloxone (Narcan), a medication that can be administered in the event of an opioid overdose or suspected overdose, or to engage in other life-saving measures should the need arise. On our campus, each automated external defibrillator (AED) machine, including those located in residence halls, contains naloxone.

Training on administering this medication and other life-saving measures such as CPR (this training also includes Narcan training) can be accessed through the Weigel Health Center’s Services web page.

This video demonstrating the use of naloxone, provided by SUNY and the New York State Department of Health, is an important campuswide resource to familiarize you with the use and administration of this medication.

Let’s help keep our Bengal community safe and continue to do all that we can to be familiar with various life-saving measures.

Buffalo State University has partnered with FreeWill, an online estate planning platform, to offer members of the university community (including faculty and staff) the ability to write their wills for free.

With a legal will, you can approach the future with peace of mind by having a plan that communicates your wishes, provides for your loved ones, and sustains the causes in which you believe. With FreeWill, it is easier than ever to start your will and make your most important plan for the future. Please take advantage of this valuable resource during National Make-a-Will Month. You can start your will for free on the FreeWill website.

Please contact Scott Burns, associate vice president for development, with questions or for more information.

The Buffalo State Center for Social Justice (PDF, 1.8 MB) and Teaching and Learning Center are launching a yearlong interdisciplinary faculty development cohort focused on integrating social justice into the curriculum. You do not have to have a background in social justice to participate in this cohort. We will spend the fall working as a community of practice. We will explore the larger systems and social structures that define our lived experiences and the ways they create and sustain dynamics of power, privilege, oppression, and opportunity both inside and outside our classrooms. In the spring, we will apply what we’ve learned and collaborate on developing university-wide, area-specific resources for integrating social justice into pedagogy.

We encourage applications from full- and part-time faculty members and teaching staff from across the campus and the disciplines. Because of grant funding secured through SUNY and the Buffalo State Provost’s Office, accepted applicants will receive a stipend, pending completion of work modules.

The cohort will launch in mid-September, and we will meet from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. on four Fridays during the fall semester (dates TBD). In January we will hold a weeklong on-campus retreat from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily (with lunch provided). The spring 2024 schedule will follow a similar pattern, with the dates and times to be determined. We will work together for a final week in late May when we will finish and roll out the resource lists we’ve compiled. The expectation is that participants will commit to the full slate of sessions in 2023–2024 with a completion celebration hosted by me at the end of our May session.

Interested participants are encouraged to complete the online application by Tuesday, September 5.

Please email Ruth Goldman, interim faculty coordinator of the Center for Social Justice, with questions.

I encourage the Buffalo State community to nominate deserving colleagues for SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence and Distinguished Faculty Ranks. Guidelines can be found on the SUNY website. Please visit the Nomination Resources – Celebrations of Excellence section of the Buffalo State website for helpful resources and tips for assembling nomination dossiers.

Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence, Distinguished Faculty Ranks

1. Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching
   Due Date: Friday, September 15, 2023
    
2. SUNY Distinguished Professor, Distinguished Teaching Professor, Distinguished Service Professor, or Distinguished Librarian; Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, Professional Service, Librarianship, Scholarship and Creative Activities, or Faculty Service
   Due Date: Monday, October 16, 2023

Please submit nominations with supporting materials electronically to the provost’s office.

Please note: Nominators should prepare their nomination letters in the format of a Summary Presentation as specified in the SUNY Award guidelines.

Questions may be directed to Carolyn Martino, executive assistant to the provost.

Please join me and our Buffalo State students and colleagues as we participate in Bengals Dare to Care Day on Saturday, September 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Bengals Dare to Care Day is a morning of service in the community, where we show our Bengal colors and demonstrate our commitment to the community. As SUNY’s urban-engaged anchor institution, Buffalo State highlights its civic mission in many important ways, and Bengals Dare to Care Day is one more way to exemplify how Buffalo State fulfills its goal of community collaborations that benefit student learning and community priorities.

Consider incorporating Bengals Dare to Care Day in your classes, and please encourage student organizations and individuals to participate. Bring a friend or family member!

Bengals Dare to Care Day projects are identified in partnership with community organizations across the city of Buffalo, and transportation and lunch are provided—all you have to do is register! There’s something for everyone, including plenty of leadership opportunities. A complete list of projects and registration information can be found on the Civic and Community Engagement website.

You are invited to participate and be part of the Buffalo State tradition. See you at Bengals Dare to Care Day!

Please save the date for Homecoming and Family Weekend 2023, September 25–30. This year’s Homecoming theme is “All Roads Lead Home.” We are all part of the Buffalo State family. Here at Buffalo State University, you not only receive an invaluable education, but you also form friendships, make memories, and find your voice and inspiration. Whether you are students, alumni, faculty, or staff members, Buffalo State University is your home away from home, and homes are full of family.

Join us this Homecoming and Family Weekend as “All Roads Lead Home” to the Homecoming Tailgate and Football Game on September 30, culminating the end of our exciting Homecoming Week. We have a full week of events planned for you leading up to the game and can’t wait to celebrate our home and family.

Below are a few of the activities that will be taking place during the full week of Homecoming activities:

• Chalk the Plaza!
• Benji’s 152 Birthday Celebration
• Office Door Decoration Contest
• Homecoming Bengal Practice Happy Hour at Coyer Field
• Alumni Concert and Reception
• Buffalo State Athletics Midnight Madness
• USG Homecoming Party in the Plaza
• Fireworks Show
• Homecoming Tailgate and Football Game
• Buffalo State Football vs. University of Rochester
• Women’s Soccer vs. SUNY Cortland
• Women’s Volleyball vs. New Paltz
• Bengals and Bagels featuring Planetarium Shows
• Ice Skating in the Ice Arena

More information and a preview of the schedule can be found on the Homecoming and Family Weekend website.

Buffalo State is an inclusive community that values respect for diversity and individual differences. We recognize that individuals’ chosen names may not always correspond with their legal names and that it can be an important aspect of their identity. As such, we support the use of an individual’s chosen name in situations where a legal name is not required.

Buffalo State’s Chosen-Name Policy allows individuals to request that their chosen name be displayed in most Buffalo State systems. Please note, there are instances where a legal name is required, and Buffalo State will not be able to substitute a chosen name in these cases. Also note that at this time, we can only recognize chosen first names; legal last names will still be used.

How to Request a Change to a Chosen Name

• Students: A request can be submitted to the Registrar’s Office using the Name Change Form (PDF, 230 KB).
• Employees: A request can be submitted through the employee Name Change Form on the Human Resource Management website.

In support of Pillar 3 of Buffalo State University’s 2022–2026 Strategic Plan, focused on a shared vision for student success, the division of Student Affairs has developed a support goal to increase the number of campus partners educated in career development frameworks by 2026 in order to help refer and assist students. Career and Professional Education (CAPE) is happy to announce the next round of training sessions to become a Bengal Career Champion! One of the goals of this initiative is to ensure further career education for students by way of increasing career knowledge for staff and faculty across campus.

As a Bengal Career Champion, you’ll become more familiar with career resources to help keep your students on track and focused on their careers, as well as learn tips to have more productive career conversations with your students.

Current Bengal Career Champions tell us that because of the training program, they feel more prepared and more confident in guiding students to future career success, as well as referring students to CAPE. They also recommend this training to colleagues.

If you’d like to become a Bengal Career Champion, our next set of training sessions is scheduled for September 20 and 27 (in-person) and January 16 and 18 (virtual). Attendance at both September or both January sessions is required. To reserve your spot for either set of training sessions, RSVP for the September cohort no later than Friday, September 15, and for the January cohort no later than Friday, January 12. Please contact CAPE with questions. We look forward to your participation!