The collective bargaining agreements between the State of New York and United University Professions allow for waiver of holiday compensation.

Faculty and staff members must be in a position that accrues holidays and may notify the Payroll Office in writing by Wednesday, May 15, 2024, of their selection to waive holiday pay in favor of compensatory time off for holidays worked. The waiver will be in effect until at least April 1, 2025. Conversely, faculty and staff members may also elect to revoke any waiver of holiday pay now in effect by filing the election form (PDF, 115 KB) to the Payroll Office by May 15, 2024.

A form must be submitted only if making a change to the election currently in effect.

Please email the Payroll Office with questions or to submit the election form.

The deadline for Withdrawal from Course is Friday, May 3. The policy for Withdrawal from Course is copied below from the 2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog.

Students are strongly cautioned that a withdrawal from course may slow progress toward degree.

Withdrawal from Courses
Instructors are required to notify students of their academic standing no later than the end of the ninth week of the semester, or after two-thirds of a summer session or January Term. If a student does not officially withdraw from a course and stops attending, a grade of E will be recorded.

Students who wish to leave a course after the drop/add period and before the final withdrawal date (the end of the 10th week of the semester, or after two-thirds of a Summer Session or January Term) may withdraw via Self Service Banner. Non attendance at the first class meeting does not withdraw a student from a class.

Students withdrawing from some coursework may be eligible for a refund in accordance with the college refund schedule, which is posted each term on the Student Accounts website. Beyond the end of the refund schedule's time limit, full charges are assessed. Student-teaching courses have different deadlines. Students should check with their departments.

Withdrawals remain on the transcript and are recorded as W's but do not count in credit hours or GPAs. Withdrawal from a course may affect eligibility for financial aid in the current semester and in future semesters. For additional information about financial aid eligibility, refer to the financial aid section of this catalog, or online.

Before withdrawing from a course, careful thought should be given to the reasons for withdrawing and possible consequences. Course Withdrawals can have a negative impact on both progress toward graduation and eligibility for financial aid. Withdrawal from Course should be used infrequently and considered an action of last resort. It is to the student's advantage to read the instructions under Withdrawal from Course before withdrawing.

Governor Kathy Hochul has directed that flags on state government buildings be flown at half-staff until sunset today, April 22, in honor of Onondaga Sheriff's Office Lieutenant Michael Hoosock and Syracuse Police Officer Michael Jensen, who were killed in the line of duty April 14.

Lieutenant Hoosock was a public servant for Onondaga County for more than 20 years and served as a volunteer firefighter with the Moyers Corner Fire Department.

Officer Jensen joined the Syracuse Police Department in February 2022 and earned its Officer of the Month award in December 2023.

Both are survived by their families and loved ones. More information is available on the governor's website.

Between March 3, 2024, and April 12, 2024, there have been

• 23 courses added,
• 73 day/time changes,
• 29 courses canceled.

To see only these changes, please reference the Fall Addendum

The updated addendum is posted every Friday afternoon.

Students currently enrolled in spring 2024 who plan to take courses in summer or fall 2024 are strongly encouraged to complete their registration by the end of the spring semester to secure their desired schedule. Log in to Banner (SSB).

Undergraduate students are encouraged to register for 15 or more credit hours to assist them in graduating on time. Undergraduate students may take up to 19 credit hours in one semester if they are degree-seeking and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

The Registrar's Office website offers a feature to help students who are interested in taking an online course find online-only courses (sections being offered 100 percent online). More information is available on the Registrar's Office Courses web page or may be searched directly in Banner using instructional method.

All students are encouraged to meet with their advisors at their earliest opportunity. Students should review what courses they should take to stay on track for graduation. Department information is available online. All students should be aware of the illegal course repeat warning: illegal repeats can cause loss of time and financial aid.

All students are encouraged to use Schedule Planner to secure their desired schedule. Schedule Planner simplifies registration and decreases the amount of time involved in planning a schedule. Students can search for classes that have seats available by selecting Open Classes Only in the Course Status field.

Effective immediately, the Procurement Card (P-Card) single transaction limit has been increased to $4,999. Cardholders are reminded that price justification is required to be submitted with monthly P-Card reconciliation backup. Two to three competitive quotations for a purchase between $2,500.01 and $4,999.00 must be obtained. If a sole source or single source (PDF, 110 KB), documentation from the department is required as well.

Additionally, awards will be an authorized expense on the P-Card. Award purchases should be reasonable, necessary, directly related to the campus, and adequately documented. When applicable, all logos or marks must be approved by Kristy Mediak, director of accounts payable and procurement services.

Lastly, the P-Card application has been updated to remove the request of a default state account. All applications will be processed with all state accounts associated with the appropriate department or area. This will eliminate the need for cardholders to request the addition of state accounts from the same department or area.

All communication regarding the P-Card should now be sent via email to Procurement. This includes all account-related questions or concerns as well as purchasing inquiries.

The campus community is invited to attend the webinar "Asset Allocation, Market Volatility," presented by the New York State Deferred Compensation Plan in partnership with the New York State Retirement System, on Friday, April 26, at noon, via Microsoft Teams.

The presentation will discuss some important considerations for those approaching retirement. It will discuss longevity, income sources, asset consolidation, and withdrawals or required minimum distributions. 

Advance registration is not required.

Join the meeting.

Meeting ID: 223 467 420 740

Passcode: hwxQVM

Dial-in by phone: (917) 983-6123
Phone conference ID: 500 044 510#

Special guest Nancy McCabe will read from her work at the next Emanuel Fried Drop Hammer Student Reading Series on Thursday, April 25, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 218.

Dr. McCabe is the author of nine books, most recently the memoir Can This Marriage Be Saved? (University of Missouri Press, 2020), the young adult novel Vaulting through Time (CamCat Books, 2023), the comic novel The Pamela Papers (Outpost 19, 2024), and the forthcoming middle-grade novel Fires Burning Underground (Fitzroy/Regal House, 2025). Her work has appeared in Newsweek, Salon, Fourth Genre, Prairie Schooner, Massachusetts Review, Gulf Coast, Writer's Digest, LARB, and more and has made Salon's Best of 2021 list. She has earned a Pushcart Prize, two awards from Prairie Schooner, and an Individual Artist's Fellowship in Literature from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Her work has repeatedly been selected for inclusion in the annual Best American anthologies series, including eight times for Best American Essays and once for Best American Non-Required Reading. She directs the creative and professional writing program at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.

Snacks and refreshments will be provided. This event is free and open to the public.

The Emanuel Fried Drop Hammer Student Reading Series is a tribute to the legacy of our late colleague Emanual "Manny" Fried and his famous play Drop Hammer.

Turkessa Amoah from TIAA will be on campus for individual consultations with Buffalo State faculty and staff members on Tuesday, April 30, between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. in Cleveland Hall 416.

Space is limited. Appointments are required. Visit the TIAA website or call (800) 732-8353 weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. to schedule an appointment.

Discuss your financial situation with an experienced TIAA consultant to help you plan for your future and pursue your financial goals. Take this opportunity to review your retirement savings or to increase or start a tax-deferred annuity.

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.

Please join the College Writing Program for a public keynote address, "Linguistic Justice: Black Language, Literacy, Identity, and Pedagogy," presented by April Baker-Bell on Monday, April 29, at 11:00 a.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center's Tower Auditorium. A question-and-answer session will follow the talk, and attendees are invited to enjoy a free lunch from Roux in the Burchfield Penney atrium directly afterward. This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required through BengalConnect; a live-streaming link will also be provided with registration.

Buffalo State faculty, staff, and graduate students are also invited to attend the pedagogical workshop "From Theory to Praxis: Antiracist Black Language Pedagogy + Writing" with Dr. Baker-Bell following lunch, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m., in the Burchfield Penney boardroom. This workshop is free, but seats are limited. Registration is required through BengalConnect.

Both events have been graciously co-sponsored by the Buffalo State Teaching and Learning Center, Center for Social Justice, Honors Program, Equity and Campus Diversity Office, Provost's Office, School of Arts and Sciences, Anthropology Society, and English Department. Please contact Natalie Szymanski, CWP director, for more information.