The Dr. Katherine S. Conway-Turner Office of Civic and Community Engagement will be holding virtual and  in-person events for our community partners in January.

Our New Community Partner Orientation scheduled for Monday, January 6, at 11:00 a.m. is for new community partners who are interested in working with Buffalo State students, faculty, and staff through volunteerism and community-engaged learning courses.

Our Bi-Annual Community Partner Meetings provide opportunities for community partners to meet staff and faculty to discuss specific projects for the upcoming semester. The in-person meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 8, at 1:00 p.m. at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, and the virtual meeting will take place on Thursday, January 9, at 10:00 a.m. The content of these meetings is identical, but different community partners will be in attendance at each meeting. Once again, the Burchfield Penney team is kindly inviting the campus community and community partners to participate in 30-minute tours before and after the in-person meeting on Wednesday (at 12:00 and 2:45 p.m.).

If you are interested in meeting directly with our community partners to talk about community-engaged research, volunteer opportunities, or community-engaged partnerships for your spring 2025 courses (or later), please visit the community partner section of our website to learn more and sign up for one or more meetings.

Additional information, including the Teams link for virtual attendees, will be sent to registrants closer to each event. You can also email the office or call (716) 878-3919 for more information.

The Managed Print Cost Savings Initiative continues to make progress toward the sustainability goals set by SUNY and Buffalo State. If you have any questions or concerns about the policies driving this initiative or would like to learn more about recommended strategies to reduce printing, we invite you to refer to these Knowledge Base articles: Buffalo State Print Management Services or Strategies to Reduce Printing.

Butler Library's modified hours for December 13, 2024 to January 24, 2025 are now available on the library website. 

The Starbucks in Butler Library will be closed until the spring semester starts.

Please note that renovation work on Butler 208 (Brainstorming Room) and Butler 210 (Campus Meeting Room) will begin during winter break and continue on into the early part of the spring semester. Pardon any disruptions. More specifics forthcoming. 

Feel free to contact Charles Lyons, library director, with comments or questions.

We hope to see you around the library. Have a great holiday!

Faculty and Staff, 

The Academic Plan Committee is currently revisiting Buffalo State University's Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs) as part of our effort to ensure they align with our mission as an urban-engaged, diverse, and inclusive university. The current ILOs, which define the core knowledge, skills, and values we expect all graduates to develop during their academic journey, were last updated in 2017. Now, as we prepare for the future, your voice is essential in shaping the ILOs for Senate review.

What Are Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs)?
ILOs are the overarching goals that encapsulate the essence of Buffalo State academics. They articulate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes our students should possess upon graduation. These outcomes guide curriculum development, co-curricular programming, and institutional assessment.

Why Is This Important?
Our ILOs reflect the aspirations and values of our university community. Updating them ensures that they:

• Align with the evolving needs of students, faculty, and employers.
• Promote equity, inclusion, and social justice.
• Respond to the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing world.

How Can You Contribute?
We've developed a brief survey to gather your feedback on the ILOs. Whether you're a student navigating your academic path, a faculty member guiding learning, or a staff member supporting student success, your insights are invaluable.

The survey will remain open until January 25, 2025, and your feedback will directly inform the Academic Plan Committee's recommendations.

Thank you for contributing to this vital process and helping us shape the future of Buffalo State University.

Let's work together to continue fostering a transformative and inclusive learning environment!

The Academic Plan Committee

New York State Payroll Online (NYSPO) is preparing for paper and electronic delivery of 2024 Form W-2 Statements. To ensure the forms can be delivered to employees timely and according to the preferred method of delivery, please login to the HR Self-Service portal. Click the icon for SUNY HR Self-Service to ensure your current address is on file and make any updates, if needed.

To check or change the delivery method of paper or electronic form, please login to NYSPO to manage your preferences. To do this, login to the HR Self-Service portal and click the icon for NYS Payroll Online. Consent must be made electronically in order to receive the forms electronically. Paper forms will be mailed to the address on file if consent is not given.

Electronic forms can only be sent to employees who are active on state payroll. Employees who are no longer active at the time of distribution will receive a paper form.

Wednesday, January 8, 2025, is the deadline to update your mailing address and W-2 delivery method in HR Self-Service.

For questions, please contact the Payroll Office at (716) 878-4124 or via email at payroll@buffalostate.edu.

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the SEFA ambassadors for their dedication to this campaign and tireless efforts in gathering donations from their departments. This year, we were inspired by the voluntary testimonies of so many of our colleagues who brought their personal spirit into the process of giving. That spirit reminds us that the excellence of Buffalo State is grounded in its people. Our extraordinary campus community and retirees increased pledges, accepted rollover contributions, donated prizes, and brought an authenticity to this campaign through their personal stories. Thanks to your collective efforts, we have exceeded last year's total, making this year's campaign an incredible success.   

Those of us who shared personal stories about why they chose to contribute to an agency represented in the 2024 SEFA Campaign are listed below. From our hearts to yours, thank you. If you missed these stories, you may read them here:

• Wendy Paterson, Dean, School of Education
• Maria Garrity, Senior Systems Programmer, Information Technology
• Tricia Herritt, Director, International Student and Scholar Services
• Holly Quicksey, Director of Transfer Advising
• Amitra A. Wall, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
• Natalie Wills, Office Assistant, Teaching and Learning Center
• Alice Villaseñor, Associate Director, Civic and Community Engagement
• Valerie Celenza, Information Technology Exchange Center (ITEC)
• Diane Dillion, Lecturer, Computer Information Systems
• Andrew Binder, Director of Operations, Buffalo State Performing Arts Center

Today, Thursday, December 12, is the last day to donate to the SEFA campaign using the ePledge system or paper form to be able to have a chance to win the end-of-the-campaign prizes.  

We wish everyone a joyful holiday season from the SEFA Committee: Wendy Paterson, Maria Garrity, Susan Rubino, and Allison Winkowski.

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the SEFA ambassadors for their dedication to this campaign and tireless efforts in gathering donations from their departments. This year, we were inspired by the voluntary testimonies of so many of our colleagues who brought their personal spirit into the process of giving. That spirit reminds us that the excellence of Buffalo State is grounded in its people. Our extraordinary campus community and retirees increased pledges, accepted rollover contributions, donated prizes, and brought an authenticity to this campaign through their personal stories. Thanks to your collective efforts, we have exceeded last year's total, making this year's campaign an incredible success.   

Those of us who shared personal stories about why they chose to contribute to an agency represented in the 2024 SEFA Campaign are listed below. From our hearts to yours, thank you. If you missed these stories, you may read them here:

• Wendy Paterson, Dean, School of Education
• Maria Garrity, Sr. Systems Programmer, Information Technology
• Tricia Herritt, Director International Student and Scholar Services
• Holly Quicksey, Director of Transfer Advising
• Amitra A. Wall, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
• Natalie Wills, Office Assistant, Teaching and Learning Center
• Alice Villaseñor, Associate Director, Civic and Community Engagement
• Valerie Celenza, Information Technology Exchange Center (ITEC)
• Diane Dillion, Computer Information Systems, Adjunct Faculty, Computer Information Systems
• Andrew Binder, Director of Operations, Buffalo State Performing Arts Center

We wish everyone a joyful holiday season from the SEFA Committee: Wendy Paterson, Maria Garrity, Susan Rubino, and Allison Winkowski.

From the Chair of the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee 

The election for the recently vacated academic at-large Senate seat concluded Tuesday, December 10. The College Senate extends its congratulations to Barish Ali, associate professor of English, who has been elected to serve for the remainder of the term (present-2027). Thank you to the candidates and the campus community for your participation in this election. 

Taskstream evaluations are due before Winter Break.

All Teacher Education Unit faculty members are reminded that teacher candidates must submit their required program- or unit-wide assessments (including the completion of exit surveys) to Taskstream by the end of the semester.

All items submitted to Taskstream (including master's/capstone projects, Teacher Performance Assessments, etc.) must be evaluated the semester they were submitted. We appreciate the effort to get all Taskstream items evaluated before Winter Break. 

Resources for Taskstream account access or troubleshooting can be found on the TEU/EPP website.

Rince na Tiarna School of Irish Dance presents "Oireachtas Extravanga" this Saturday, December 14, at 1:00 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center. Expect large crowds in and around Rockwell Hall during this time. This event is open to the public and tickets are available for purchase online.