The Academic Affairs and Student Affairs Offices are delighted to host this year’s annual First-Year Convocation, Friday, August 22, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. Plans are currently underway for this daylong event. Visit First-Year Convocation 2025 for more information.
 
First-Year Convocation is a Buffalo State tradition that gives our newest students an opportunity to be officially introduced and welcomed into the campus academic community. The goal of the First-Year Convocation is to serve as an integral part of a comprehensive retention, engagement, and persistence framework. 
 
Faculty, librarians, and professional staff are invited to march in this auspicious campus-wide event. Academic regalia is required. Marcher regalia rentals are available through the Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore. Please contact Marybeth Keller, general merchandise manager, or call (716) 878-5509 by Thursday, July 31, to place your rental order for standard shipping charges and guaranteed hood colors. A limited inventory of regalia is available for loan at no charge through the Academic Affairs Office. Contact Cathy Cook, administrative assistant 2, to make your regalia loan request by August 12.
 
Please click Marcher Registration to secure your place to march in the First-Year Convocation 2025. Direct questions to Kimberly Jackson, deputy director of commencement operations and ceremonial events.
 
Thank you for your commitment and service. We look forward to seeing you at the First-Year Convocation!

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Sway Rosario-Calíz as the new associate dean of students at Buffalo State University, effective June 9, 2025. Dr. Sway transitions into this role after serving with distinction as the interim director for student leadership and engagement, where he demonstrated exemplary leadership, strategic vision, and a deep commitment to fostering student belonging and success.

In this expanded role, Dr. Sway will provide oversight for a comprehensive portfolio that includes Student Leadership and Engagement, Orientation, Transfer and Family Programs, and Military and Veterans Services. These areas are critical to the student experience and contribute significantly to our campus-wide priorities around student engagement, retention, and inclusive excellence. Dr. Sway will also support case management and student conduct processes as part of the Dean of Students team.

Dr. Sway brings over a decade of experience in higher education and student affairs, with an impressive background in diversity and inclusion, Title IX coordination, leadership development, residence life and housing, student conduct, and assessment. His work reflects a student-centered, equity-driven approach and a passion for building collaborative, supportive environments where students can thrive from orientation to graduation.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Sway Rosario-Calíz on this well-deserved appointment and in supporting him as he steps into this important leadership role within the Division of Student Affairs.

During the week of July 14, Buffalo State’s University Police Department (UPD) will be moving from Chase Hall to the newly constructed UPD station in Karner Hall on Grant Street.

Official campus maps and signage will be updated to reflect this change. Departments with webpages and literature/posters on campus that list UPD’s location as Chase Hall will need to update their documents accordingly.

Dispatch services will continue to function as usual during the move. The phone number for UPD will remain the same, (716) 878-6333, and emergency services are not anticipated to be interrupted.

Members of the campus community are encouraged to save UPD as a contact in cellular phones, and to sign up for Buff State Alert. Updates will be shared as the move date approaches, including a Buff State Alert message once UPD has relocated.

Your patience is appreciated during this time. Questions about this relocation can be emailed to VPFM@buffalostate.edu.

Buffalo State University is pleased to announce the Performing Arts Center (PAC) is now part of the division of Institutional Advancement and External Relations.

This strategic move will:

• Integrate the work of the PAC more fully into the life of the campus, aligning its programming with institutional priorities and student engagement efforts.
• Amplify Buffalo State’s role in the broader community, increasing the visibility of the PAC as a vital hub of the Elmwood Avenue cultural corridor.

This transition reflects our commitment to strengthening the university’s cultural presence and reinforcing Buffalo State’s identity as a center for creativity, community and connection.

Stay tuned for updates on upcoming performances, partnerships and new opportunities for campus and community collaboration.