From the Chair of the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee 

At-Large Senator Gliset Morales has resigned from the College Senate. 

According to the Bylaws of the College Faculty, the replacement of an at-large senator is "of the kind used to elect the senator." Since the vacancy is an "academic only" at-large senator, the Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee will hold a special election to fill the remainder of the term, through May 2027. 

Eligible members of the full-time faculty who are not currently serving on the Senate and who did not serve on the Senate in 2023-2024 may nominate themselves to serve the remainder of this term by sending an email expressing interest to the College Senate between 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, November 27, and 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 3. 

Elections for this position will run from 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 4, to 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, December 10.

Campaigning 
The College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee strongly discourages using college email services for campaigning. Please limit campaigning to the candidate statement posted on the election ballot.

For further information about this position, please email Kristen Mruk, special assistant to the provost and senate. We look forward to your participation in this vital process of campus-shared governance. 

The Chemistry Department is hosting a graduate student seminar on Thursday, December 5, during Bengal Pause (12:15 pm to 1:30 pm) in SAMC 173. Our speaker will be Kaitlyn Ignaszak, a graduate student in the forensic science master's program. Coffee and donuts will be served.

Seminar Abstract

An increase in consumption of wild mushrooms has led to an interest in the study of mushroom toxins. Among these toxins are four of notability; gyromitrin, orellanine, phallotoxin, and amatoxin. This seminar will introduce each of these four toxins, including their chemical structure, a proposed mechanism of toxicity, symptoms of poisoning, and analytical techniques for identification. Mushroom poisonings often have long latent periods between symptoms that are common to other disorders, such as gastrointestinal issues or flu like symptoms. However, progression of these poisonings can lead to comas, organ failure, and even death. Advancements are being made for accurate and timely identification of toxic mushroom species to be used for possible treatment and prevention of organ failure. Although the mechanism of toxicity for these toxins is still being studied and not completely understood, that has not stopped analytical techniques from being created and modified to produce ideal results for identification purposes. Two techniques that have proven to be effective in accurately identifying these toxins are liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The GC-MS technique utilizes supersonic molecular beams as a way to decrease fragmentation otherwise seen with traditional electron ionization techniques. This provides better and more reliable identification.

The Buffalo State Literacy Center is offering free tutoring from February to May 2025 for students in grades 1-12. Sessions are held on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays in Bacon 227 beginning at 5:00 pm. Please contact Keli Garas-York at garasyka@buffalostate.edu for more information.

The annual Option Transfer Period the time to choose the health insurance option you want for 2025 is November 29 through December 31, 2024. The New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) offers employees the choice of the Empire Plan or a NYSHIP-approved health maintenance organization (HMO) serving the area where they live or work.

The Health Insurance Choices for 2025 booklet explains the available NYSHIP options if you are considering changing your health insurance option for 2025 or wish to review your current option. You can find the "Choices" booklet and other option transfer publications on the NYSHIP Online website. Login under "New York State Active Employees", select your group and plan when prompted, then select Health Benefits and Option Transfer, and choose Rates and Health Plan Choices for the most up-to-date option transfer information.

There is also a 2025 Online NYSHIP Option Transfer Home Page with helpful information and tools.

A limited number of "Choices" booklets will also be available in the Benefits Office. Please call if you wish to receive a paper copy. Rate information will be sent directly to enrollees' homes. Information is also available on the Buffalo State Benefits website.

Copies of the Summary of Benefits and Coverage for the individual health plans can be obtained by calling 877.769.7447, or by visiting the Employee Benefits Division website to print or view a copy yourself.

If you have coverage under another employer-sponsored health insurance program, you may be eligible to opt out of NYSHIP coverage in exchange for an incentive payment. If you are interested in participating in the Opt-Out Program for 2025, please contact the Employee Benefits Office. It is no longer necessary to re-enroll in the Opt-Out Program each year. No action is required for current Opt-Out enrollees who are still eligible and wish to remain in the program for 2025.

Except under limited circumstances, you cannot change options outside the annual Option Transfer Period, which ends on December 31, 2024.

Other changes permitted during the Option Transfer Period without a qualifying event:

• Change from family to individual coverage
• Voluntarily cancel your coverage
• Change your tax-election option (pre-tax to after-tax or after-tax to pre-tax)

To change your health insurance option during the Option Transfer Period, please return the completed and signed Health Insurance Transaction Form (PDF, 78 KB) to the Employee Benefits Office (Cleveland Hall 403) by end of business (5 pm) Tuesday, December 31. All paperwork must be dated between November 29 and December 31, the Option Transfer Period. You may also change your option online using MyNYSHIP. All changes will be effective Thursday, January 4, 2024.

No action is required if you wish to keep your current health insurance option.

If you have questions, please contact the Benefits Office, 878-4821.

"The SEFA Campaign makes it convenient to donate to so many worthy organizations.  I choose to give to FeedMore WNY because they provide basic necessities to our community. My spouse worked for FeedMore (back when they were the Foodbank of WNY), and I have always been impressed with the dedication of all of the staff. Now, as I get to know their staff through their community-engagement work with Buffalo State, I am even more impressed with their commitment. 

The buying power of the Foodbank network is incredible too; the organization is able to use our donations to make a much bigger impact in the community than we could make as individual consumers. FeedMore hosts several fundraisers and donation events throughout the year, and our family loves to participate in these initiatives as well. But the United Way SEFA campaign makes it easy to donate what this agency needs most: a steady flow of cash donations to purchase much-needed supplies for our community."  - Alice Villaseñor, Associate Director, Civic and Community Engagement

We warmly invite you to share your very personal reasons for giving, and we'll feature them in the Daily. Please send your thoughts to campaign co-chairs Wendy Paterson, dean of the School of Education, or Maria C. Garrity, senior systems programmer in Information Technology. To maximize contributions, we've extended the campaign deadline to Thursday, December 12.  This will be the final extension. You can donate through the e-pledge system by clicking "Forgot User ID or Password" to start the process. You can increase your pledge, change your designated agency, or simply roll over your pledge from last year. We also accept checks or cash.  Thank you.

ATTENTION BUFFALO STATE STUDENTS...

You all pay the Mandatory Student Activity Fee, and it is important that you know where your money is going! As our stakeholders, USG cordially invites you to our annual Corporate Meeting on Monday, December 2 at 6pm in Bulger 217.

For the faculty advisors of our recognized student organizations, this event is mandatory for 2-3 members of your organization, but we want to stress that this event is open to all undergraduate students, so please encourage your students to bring some friends and join us for a Fall semester recap and get to know YOUR student government representatives!

Event highlights:

• Merch giveaways
• Free food
• Prizes
• AND MORE!!

With it being a Referendum year, the students in USG are working diligently to keep the undergraduate student body actively involved in their campus community, with the hopes of bettering the overall college experience! We implore you to come out and support all of their hard work and dedication to the student life and engagement here at Buffalo State!

If any student organization members are unable to attend, they must email usgpresident@buffalostate.edu 24 hours in advance!!

Nominations are now being accepted for the Celebration of Community Engagement Awards. These awards recognize students, faculty, staff, and community partners who make a difference through civic and community engagement initiatives throughout the academic year. 

As you are reviewing your students' community-engaged learning projects, consider nominating outstanding students and community partners now, while the details of the project are still on the top of your mind.

Nominations will be accepted through Monday, April 28, 2025.

SUNY Online invites the campus to two lunchtime webinar presentations around relevant topics in higher education. Both webinars require registration but are free for all to attend.

Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) Deep Dive: Understanding, Planning, Documenting, and Ensuring RSI Compliance with OSCQR

Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at 12:00-1:30PM EST

This webinar will provide an overview of the US DoE regulation requiring Regular and Substantive Interaction (RSI) in distance education courses, and address implications for accountability at the campus, course design, and instructional levels. We will illustrate how OSCQR can be leveraged to build awareness about the RSI at institutional, instructional designer, and faculty levels. Planning and documentation templates will be provided to support participants in creating a plan of action for their future RSI work.

Register for RSI & OSCQR 

Inclusive Online Learning Environments: Lessons Learned from the DEI4All Project

Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 12:00-1:00PM EST

This session will provide an overview of the lessons learned and tips and suggestions related to the DEI4All project. Inclusive online teaching practices that have emerged across all the practices will be discussed, as well practices around specific themes including: Building Intentional Connection; Designing and supporting inclusive online engagement; and Cultivating a sense of Belonging. Also included is a demonstration of the free & openly-licensed tool developed by a national cross-institutional collaboration to simultaneously address Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) & online course quality.  

Register for DEI4All

Hope to see you there.

"I choose to give to SEFA/United Way because I have witnessed some of the organizations that benefit from our donations by helping others in many different situations. In these trying times, it is good to know there are services available to help people in need, no matter what the needs may be."

- Natalie Wills, Office Assistant, Teaching and Learning Center.

We warmly invite you to share your very personal reasons for giving, and we'll feature them in the Daily. Please send your thoughts to campaign co-chairs Wendy Paterson, dean of the School of Education, or Maria C. Garrity, senior systems programmer in Information Technology. 

To maximize contributions, we've extended the campaign deadline to Thursday, December 12. This will be the final extension. 

To donate, please go to the e-pledge system and click "Forgot user ID or password" to begin the process, increase your pledge or change your designated agency, or simply roll over your pledge from last year. Cash or checks are also gratefully accepted.

Thank you.

"I give because I want to fulfill the command to love my neighbor as yourself. I have been entrusted with resources, opportunities, and privileges, and I understand that these blessings come with the duty to serve others. I allow Luke 12:48 (to whom much is given, much will be required) to guide my thoughts. The words of sociologist Anna Julia Cooper resonate deeply with me: "The cause of freedom is not the cause of a race or a class, it is the cause of humanity." Cooper's vision reminds me that service is deeply interconnected. My giving is not just about charity; it's about solidarity and care for the collective good of humanity. I embrace Patricia Hill Collins notion of the "ethics of care" within communities, where the survival and thriving of individuals are intricately tied to the well-being of the collective. In her words, "Caring is a fundamental aspect of the way we organize our lives" and I see giving and serving as a powerful way of living out that ethic. By giving, I contribute to a web of care that strengthens the entire community, fostering connection, support, and mutual flourishing.

Ultimately, I give not for recognition or reward, but because it is an act of gratitude and a way to align my life with the principles of faith, hope, and love. Through my giving, I carry forward the work of those who came before me and walk alongside me, and I contribute to building a future where everyone can experience dignity and opportunity."

Amitra A. Wall, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

We warmly invite you to share your very personal reasons for giving, and we'll feature them in the Daily. Please send your thoughts to campaign co-chairs Wendy Paterson, dean of the School of Education, or Maria C. Garrity, senior systems programmer in Information Technology. We are nearing the end of the campaign. To donate, please go to the e-pledge system and click "Forgot user ID or password" to begin the process, increase your pledge or change your designated agency or simply roll over your pledge from last year. Cash and checks are gratefully accepted as well. Thank you.