All employee travel reimbursement is now required to be submitted electronically in Bengal Buy. This change became effective Monday, July 15.

Accounts Payable and Travel Services has created a new Bengal Buy Form for submission of employee travel reimbursement. This new electronic form will replace the current practice of submission of paper travel reconciliation forms and backup, and will provide for the use of electronic approvals and document submission.

This new method of reimbursement will eliminate the need for physical signatures and paper submission via campus mail, and will facilitate faster reimbursement for campus employees.

Please refer to the Bengal Buy Guide for Employee Travel Reimbursement for step-by-step instructions on how to use this new efficiency.

Please contact Accounts Payable, (716) 878-4117, with related questions.

Beginning fall 2024, the Psychology Department will be offering two new programs: B.A. in Applied Psychology (PYA) and B.S. in Psychological Science (PYS). Information on these programs can be found on the Psychology Department website.

Any new incoming students will be automatically placed in the B.A. in applied psychology program, while current students will remain in their existing B.A. or B.S. in psychology. 

Current students who wish to switch to the new programs can do so using the revised Undergraduate Change of Major form (sent to psychology@buffalostate.edu when completed). Please note: Students must achieve a minimum grade of B- in PSY 350 before switching to the B.S. in psychological science.

Also note, students can no longer switch to (or switch back to) the previous B.A. in Psychology (PSY) because that program is being phased out.

Please contact the Psychology Department with questions.

Meet with Kaleida for volunteer opportunities on Thursday, September 12, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union lobby.

At Kaleida's long-term-care facilities in Buffalo and North Tonawanda, volunteers work with the Activities Department to brighten the lives of residents through recreation and social interaction. A volunteer might assist with

• prepping crafts and doing them with residents;
• passing out snacks, art supplies, or activity packets;
• helping lead special events or group games such as bingo;
• taking the residents outside and watering the flowers;
• painting nails, applying lotion, and other sensory activities; or
• playing with children (HighPointe in Buffalo).

If you are interested, the first step is to complete an application on the Kaleida website.

The Buffalo Data Science Community and Buffalo State University's data science and analytics programs are proud to sponsor "MLOps in Action," presented by Avery Roper, data scientist at Rich Products, on Wednesday, August 7, at 6:00 p.m. in Science and Mathematics Complex 151.

This presentation will cover latest trends and best practices in deploying, monitoring, and managing machine learning models in production. 

Agenda

• 6:00-7:00 p.m. Presentation
• 7:00-7:30 p.m. Q&A
• 7:30-8:00 p.m. Optional networking

Edmund Haspett from TIAA will be on campus for individual consultations with Buffalo State faculty and staff members on Wednesday, August 21, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. in Cleveland Hall 416.

Appointments are required. Please visit the TIAA website to schedule an appointment or call (800) 732-8353 weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. There is no cost for these consultations.

No matter where you are in life just getting started or planning for retirement a consultation session can help you create a plan for your goals. You'll get answers to these questions and more:

Am I invested in the right mix of investments to help meet my goals?
Am I saving enough to create the retirement income I need?
How do I take income from my retirement account once I stop working?

Space is limited. Sign up today.

Edmund Haspett from TIAA will be on campus for individual consultations with Buffalo State faculty and staff members on Wednesday, July 17; Wednesday, July 31; and Wednesday, August 21, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. in Cleveland Hall 416.

Appointments are required. Please visit the TIAA website to schedule an appointment or call (800) 732-8353 weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. There is no cost for these consultations.

No matter where you are in life just getting started or planning for retirement a consultation session can help you create a plan for your goals. You'll get answers to these questions and more:

Am I invested in the right mix of investments to help meet my goals?
Am I saving enough to create the retirement income I need?
How do I take income from my retirement account once I stop working?

Space is limited. Sign up today.

You are cordially invited to participate in this year's annual First-Year Convocation at SUNY Buffalo State University on Friday, August 23, at 11:00 a.m. in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall.

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. This event plays an integral role in the university's comprehensive retention, engagement, and persistence framework.

First-Year Convocation Agenda

• 9:45 a.m. - Commuter student breakfast hosted by the School of Arts and Sciences (Rockwell Hall basement)
• 11:00 a.m. - Convocation ceremony (Performing Arts Center, Rockwell Hall)
• Noon - Class of 2028 photo (front steps of Performing Arts Center, Rockwell Hall)
• 12:30 p.m. - Grab-and-go lunch for students, faculty, and staff (Hank Mann Quad)
• 12:45 p.m. - Student lunch and learn with academic departments (Hank Mann Quad)
• 2:00 p.m. - Post-Convocation party for students (Hank Mann Quad)

Marchers are required to wear academic regalia and should place their orders for regalia rentals directly through the Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore via email to Marybeth Keller, general merchandise manager, or by phone at (716) 878-5509 by Monday, August 12. A limited inventory of regalia is available for loan at no charge through the Academic Affairs Office. Please email Ann Delmont, administrative assistant 2, to make your regalia loan request by Monday, August 12.

To register to participate in First-Year Convocation, please complete the registration form by August 12. Please direct questions to Kimberly Jackson, deputy university marshal, Academic Affairs Office.

Please visit the First-Year Convocation website for more information.

Thank you for your commitment and service. We look forward to seeing you at First-Year Convocation!

As students are gearing up to come back to campus and faculty members are wrapping up their syllabus planning, the Civic and Community Engagement Office would like to share some nonpartisan voter registration information and resources from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for classroom integration.

The ALL IN team has crafted the Nonpartisan Messaging and Tools for Faculty and Academic Affairs to provide administrators and professors alike with the resources needed to civically engage our students throughout the semester. The tool kit includes template syllabi language, sample campus announcements, and examples from other ALL IN campuses like ours! There are also plenty of Faculty Champion resources through the Ask Every Student initiative, available online in the Scholar Strategy Network's Faculty Tool Kit, and in the recently released SLSV coalition resource, 2024 #StudentVote Messaging Tool Kit: Combating Disillusionment.

With Civic Holidays and the general election quickly approaching, it takes every part of our campus working together to get students engaged and prepared to vote! For more ideas on how to engage our campus, join the Higher Education - Student Voter Engagement Google Group and connect with other campuses across the country.

Please email allinchallenge@civicnation.org or the CCE at cce@buffalostate.edu with any questions about integrating civic engagement in the classroom.

To support faculty members engaged in the Course Design Review (OSCQR) process, Instructional Design and Distance Learning has scheduled virtual OSCQR Q&A sessions.

Each session is intended for faculty members who are engaged in the Course Design Review (OSCQR) process for a J-Term or spring 2025 course and have completed their self-review.

Each Q&A session will focus on one section of the OSCQR rubric. Please feel free to register and join us for these optional virtual sessions: 

• Tuesday, July 30 | 10:00-11:00 a.m. - Course Overview and Information
• Monday, August 5 | 10:30-11:30 a.m. - Course Technology and Tools
• Thursday, August 8 | 9:00-10:00 a.m. - Design and Layout
• Monday, August 12 | 12:30-1:30 p.m. - Content and Activities
• Wednesday, August 14 | 9:30-10:30 a.m. - Interaction
• Thursday, August 15 | 1:00-2:00 p.m. - Assessment and Feedback

For more information or to register for a virtual OSCQR Q&A session, please visit the Workshop Registration System. 

The Career and Professional Education (CAPE) Center will host its annual Part-Time-Job and Internship Fair on Thursday, August 29, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Plaza (rain location: Campbell Student Union Social Hall).   

We need volunteers to help make the event successful. If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up online by Friday, August 16.

We have a variety of tasks for volunteers, including helping with setup, sharing information about CAPE with students, playing games with students, and handing out snacks to employers and students. The Cold Stone ice cream truck will also be at the event again this year.

Please contact Lynn Rogers, assistant director of employer engagement, with questions.