The Equity and Campus Diversity Office invites you to join us on Buffalo State’s float for the 2024 Buffalo Pride Parade on Sunday, June 2. The parade starts at 10:00 a.m. from Elmwood and Forest avenues and ends at Elmwood Avenue and Allen Street.

If you would like to join us, please complete the online form so that we can plan for our group.

Because of the anticipated student demonstration today, many of our staff members will be helping to make sure the event is safe for our students and our community. With this in mind, I am canceling our planned End-of-Year Celebration for faculty and staff, and we will plan something for the start of the fall semester.

I invite you to join me for an Update to the State of the University address on Thursday, May 23, at noon in Newman Lecture Hall, Bulger Communication Center 215. I will provide a vision for Buffalo State’s future and detail plans to address the structural deficit.

A grab-and-go lunch will be provided. Please respond by Monday, May 20.

The interim dean of the School of Arts and Sciences has forwarded a recommendation to move the environmental science and society undergraduate certificate program to the Geosciences Department. This move will allow the program to be run within a typical department administrative structure and allow interested faculty members an opportunity to provide service to the program through the department’s committees. This change is recommended to become effective July 1, 2024.

I approve the proposal to move the environmental science and society undergraduate certificate program to the Geosciences Department. This move will allow the program to be run within a typical department administrative structure and allow interested faculty members an opportunity to provide service to the program through the department’s committees. This change is effective July 1, 2024, and should be reflected in official documents. The School of Arts and Sciences dean’s office will work with offices across campus to ensure a smooth transition.

I invite you to join me for an Update to the State of the University address on Thursday, May 23, at noon in Newman Lecture Hall, Bulger Communication Center 215. I will provide a vision for Buffalo State’s future and detail plans to address the structural deficit.

A grab-and-go lunch will be provided. Please respond by the close of business today, May 20.

At the April 12, 2024, meeting of the College Senate, the Standards for Students Committee presented a revision to DOPS Policy I:06:02 Change of Major, limiting the number of times students can change their major in a semester:

WHEREAS, currently there are no limitations on a student’s ability to change majors; and

WHEREAS, all students taking courses must register for courses allowed by federal and state financial guidelines; and

WHEREAS, students who change majors frequently within a semester may lose their financial aid eligibility, a risk that could significantly impact their academic journey; and

WHEREAS, students who may want to change majors to undeclared must have approval from the director of academic advisement; and

WHEREAS, the College Senate Student Welfare Committee, the university associate deans, the Registrar's Office, the Financial Aid Office, and the Academic Advisement Center support this change,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Buffalo State University update its current policy to limit undergraduates’ ability to change majors from unlimited to two per semester (summer would be considered one semester).

I hereby accept the recommendation of the College Senate to amend DOPS Policy I:06:02 Change of Major limiting the number of times students can change their major in a semester. I charge the interim provost with overseeing the implementation of this amendment and to communicate it widely to the appropriate offices and individuals. I thank the Standards for Students Committee and its chair for their diligence in bringing forth this recommendation.

At its March 8, 2024, meeting, the College Senate voted to recommend to the interim president the following revision to DOPS Policy I:22:00 to create a non-matriculation policy that includes guidelines for non-matriculated students to ensure a transparent transition for these students.

WHEREAS, a non-matriculated student is enrolled on a semester-by-semester or course-by-course basis and has not been accepted as a matriculated student pursuing a degree, thus making registration for all non-matriculated students on a “space-available” basis; and

WHEREAS, this policy does not apply to students in any of the continuing education programs who are dual-credit, dual-enrollment, or persons completing the CTE certification; and

WHEREAS, all non-matriculated students must meet the same academic standards as matriculated students. Students enrolled at the undergraduate level must maintain a 2.0 (C) average, and students at the graduate level must maintain a 3.0 (B) average to be in good academic standing; and

WHEREAS, all non-matriculated students must follow all university rules, policies, and deadlines as matriculated students; and

WHEREAS, undergraduate matriculated students who are academically dismissed are not eligible to change their status to non-matriculated without waiting one full academic year before enrolling as a non-matriculated student, and graduate students should follow the clemency policy (DOPS I:16:09); and

WHEREAS, undergraduate non-matriculated students may register for a maximum of 11 credit hours per semester; and

WHEREAS, graduate students are advised that a maximum of 6 credit hours taken as a non-matriculated student may be applied toward degree requirements upon approval of the major department; and

WHEREAS, undergraduate non-matriculated students have completed 44 credit hours, a registration PIN will be placed on their accounts until they meet with an academic advisor assigned by enrollment management. The advisor will then indicate the student’s academic pathway in Degree Works; and

WHEREAS, graduate students who complete graduate courses at Buffalo State University with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher may apply to be considered for matriculation into a graduate program,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Buffalo State University create a non-matriculation policy that includes guidelines for non-matriculated students to ensure a transparent transition for these students.

I hereby accept the recommendation of the College Senate and authorize the interim provost to make the changes to DOPS I:22:00 listed above as soon as possible. I also direct the interim provost to communicate these changes to the campus as appropriate. I thank the Standards for Students Committee and its chair for their work in developing this recommendation.

I welcome applications for a 2024–2025 cohort focused on social justice. This interdisciplinary faculty development group, in partnership with the Teaching and Learning Center, will work together to integrate social justice across the Buffalo State curriculum. A background in social justice is not needed to participate in this cohort.

Led by Ruth Goldman, associate professor of communication, the cohort will spend the fall working as a community of practice and exploring 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, the cohort will apply lessons learned and collaborate on developing university-wide, area-specific resources for integrating social justice into pedagogy.

I 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 will meet from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. on four Fridays during the fall semester (dates TBD). In January, a weeklong on-campus retreat will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily (with lunch provided). The spring 2025 schedule will follow a similar pattern, with the dates and times to be determined. The cohort will work together for a final week in late May to revise, complete, and roll out resources. The expectation is that participants will commit to the full slate of sessions in 2024–2025.

Interested participants are encouraged to complete the online application by Wednesday, August 21.

Please email Dr. Goldman with questions.

As announced on Thursday, May 23, we are pleased to offer a one-time, local Buffalo State Voluntary Separation Program to all SUNY Buffalo State full-time, retirement-eligible employees. It is important to note that this Voluntary Separation Program is one part of a larger strategy to align SUNY Buffalo State’s operations, and that the entirety of the plan’s success is contingent on each part working to its fullest possibility.

If you are interested in participating in the Voluntary Separation Program, please follow these steps:

1. Review the details of the Voluntary Separation Program for eligibility guidelines, important dates, lump-sum payout information, and more.
2. Schedule a meeting with Human Resource Management to discuss your specific situation.
3. Submit the Application to Participate form to Human Resource Management no later than 4:00 p.m. Thursday, June 20, 2024.