National Retirement Security Month (NRSM) is a federally sponsored initiative celebrated during the month of October that aims to raise public awareness of the importance of saving for retirement, educate participants about the various tax-preferred retirement vehicles, increase personal financial literacy, and engage the people of the United States on the keys to success in achieving and maintaining retirement security throughout their lifetimes.

In honor of NRSM, the NYS Deferred Compensation Plan will host a series of educational webinars for all employees who wish to attend. The NYSDCP, also known as a 457(b) plan, is a supplemental retirement plan whose mission is to help state and local public employees achieve their retirement savings goals and help bridge any potential financial gap in retirement.

Employees may access the webinar schedule and register to attend on the NYSDCP website.

Additional webinars on demand are also available for those who are unable to attend and those who are looking for more information. Additional resources and individual assistance are available from Buffalo State's local account executive, Mark Wallace, (614) 854-4397. Schedule a consultation.

Enroll in NYSDCP.

Expect another packed house at the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall tonight, October 15, when Jeff Tweedy of Wilco performs live at 8:00 p.m. More than 800 people will be in attendance; expect large crowds in and around Rockwell Hall during this time. Tickets are selling fast, but a few may still be available. Please visit the PAC website to check for available tickets and to purchase online. If you are not attending the show, it is recommended that you avoid Rockwell Hall this evening.

Big Big Table will be on campus Tuesday, November 5, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union lobby. Big Big Table Community CafĂ© is a lunchtime restaurant open to everybody! It is focused on serving delicious, nutritious meals while at the same time championing healthful, local food options, addressing food insecurity, reducing food waste, and supporting community.

At a traditional restaurant, guests are asked to exchange money for their meals. At Big Big Table, guests are invited to exchange money, time, or groceries in exchange for their meals. Their pay-as-you-can model strives to promote healthy individuals and communities.

Would you like to help at the cafĂ©? At Big Big Table, volunteers make all the difference! There are lots of ways to help daily, such as sweeping floors, washing dishes, chopping vegetables, or picking up a food donation for the cafĂ©. Volunteers can sign up for one-time opportunities or choose to get involved on a regular weekly or monthly basis.

Please contact the Civic and Community Engagement Office, (716) 878-3919, with questions.

Please see the following information on two upcoming holidays with regard to time and attendance rules and expectations.

Election Day
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Classes will be in session. Offices will be open, and employees will be expected to work. Election Day has been designated as a floating holiday for employees in the CSEA, PEF, UUP, and M/C units. For PBANYS and NYSCOPBA, this is a regular holiday.

Veterans Day
Monday, November 11, 2024
Classes will be in session. Department heads and supervisors should communicate to their classified and professional employees whether they will be required to work on that day.

Department heads and supervisors are encouraged to make every effort to consider requests to have the holiday off for employees who are veterans.

For employees who are required to work, the following state attendance rules will apply:

Classified employees who work on November 11 will be compensated according to their holiday waiver status. Those who have not elected to waive additional money for holiday work will receive holiday pay per their bargaining unit agreements. Employees who waived additional money for holiday work will receive compensatory time off instead of additional holiday pay. Classified employees who wish to inquire about their current holiday waiver status may contact the Payroll Office at (716) 878-4124.

UUP-represented and M/C employees who are eligible to observe holidays and are required to work on November 11 will be granted a compensatory day off. The compensatory day off should be scheduled at a time agreeable to the employee and his or her supervisor within one year of the holiday.

Employees who are not required to work on November 11 do not need to charge leave accruals for that day.

If you have any questions about these holidays, please reference the Human Resource Management website or contact Human Resource Management, (716) 878-4822.

Residence Life recognizes the fantastic work being done on campus to increase student engagement and development and would like to invite our colleagues to consider promoting their events and initiatives in the residence halls. If you are interested in promoting your event or initiative in the residence halls, instructions on how to advertise with us are now available on the Residence Life website.

Those who are interested in advertising opportunities outside of what is outlined on the website are invited to contact Alex Matiash, director of residence life, to discuss their marketing ideas.

As previously announced, steam service to part of the campus will be interrupted Monday, October 14, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. During preparation for this steam shutdown, it was discovered that an additional critical repair of an isolation valve is needed; therefore, four buildings in addition to those noted in the original message will experience a steam service interruption on Monday, October 14, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

To minimize inconvenience, this work has been scheduled on Indigenous Peoples Day, a holiday with no classes in session. (Classes are also not in session Tuesday, October 15, because of Fall Recess.)

These additional four buildings will be without hot water service from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday, October 14:

Bengal Hall
Bishop Hall
Campbell Student Union
Neumann Hall

Your understanding is appreciated as these critical repairs are undertaken.

As we approach the end of the fall midterm grade entry period on October 25, Instructional Design and Distance Learning (IDDL) would like to remind faculty members of the various resources that are available to help you keep track of your grades in the Brightspace Grade Book.

• Check the Workshop Registration System for upcoming group sessions.
• Go to the IT portal for Knowledge Base articles dealing with various Brightspace topics, including Brightspace Gradebook Calculation Options.
• Make an individual online appointment through IDDL's Bookings Page in categories like "Brightspace Basics Question," "Brightspace Basics Training," and "Brightspace Grade Book Check-Up" (new!).
• Browse through the Brightspace Tutorials YouTube account for short and helpful videos on grading and other features.

As always, you can also contact the SUNY Online Help Desk for any Brightspace issues you may have.

The Higher Education Administration and Adult Education Department offers multiple distinctive programs that may be of interest to staff and faculty looking to engage in advanced learning, whether that be a flexible degree program or specific skill development. Employees may consider using tuition benefits supported through CSEA and UUP to complete coursework part time. Additional information about all programs may be found online.

Graduate Degree Programs
M.S. in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration (evening classes)
M.S. in Adult Education (online asynchronous)

Graduate Certificate Programs (fully online)
Human Resource Development
Adult Education
Assessment in Higher Education

Microcredential Programs (fully online)
Adult Education
Data Management and Storytelling (use of Tableau)
Grant Writing
Human Resource Development
Instructional Design
Online Teaching
Programmatic Organizational Development
Survey Design and Data Visualization (use of Tableau)
Urban Education
Urban Teacher

Please contact department chair Amy Wilson with questions about any of these programs.

The Western New York Service-Learning Coalition will host the summit "High-Impact Practices with Partners Transform the Community" on Friday, November 1, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m at Niagara University. The free professional development event is sponsored by the Levesque Institute for Civic Engagement with funding from the John R. Oishei Foundation. For more information and to register by October 23, please visit the event page on the WNYSLC website. Faculty, staff, students, community partners, and all community members are invited to attend.

Are you interested in learning how artificial intelligence can enhance your teaching and streamline your work as an educator? Angela Thering, lecturer in the Higher Education Administration and Adult Education Department, will facilitate a special AI-focused book club to explore the transformative potential of AI in education. The first session will meet Tuesday, October 29, during Bengal Pause (12:15-1:30 p.m.) in Bacon Hall 115 or via Microsoft Teams, where we will discuss Artificial Intelligence to Streamline Your Teacher Life: The ChatGPT Guide for Educators by Mary Howard. The book club is open to all Buffalo State faculty and staff members.

This practical guide is designed to help educators use generative AI tools to boost productivity, personalize learning, and improve student outcomes. Whether you're new to AI or looking for ways to incorporate it into your teaching practice, this discussion will offer valuable insights.

Mark your calendars! The next AI book club meeting will be held Thursday, November 14, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m., when we will discuss The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI by Fei-Fei Li

Join your colleagues in person or virtually as we explore innovative ways to enhance teaching and learning at our institution through AI. Don't miss this opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations and expand your professional tool kit.

Please contact Angela Thering with any questions or to request an Outlook invitation.

AI book club October 29 Teams meeting
Meeting ID: 256 973 793 329
Passcode: 52Lz3B