Buffalo State University will hold its fifth Big Dig campus tree-planting event on Saturday, November 4. This popular pro-sustainability event engages faculty, staff, students, and community members. Volunteers will plant over 40 tall trees (between 12 and 14 feet), all native to this area—including oaks, redbuds, birches, and more. In previous seasons, the group has planted trees along Grant Street, Campus Walk, and Rockwell Road. This year’s group will convene at Rockwell Road and Grant Street at 8:00 a.m. The long-term impact is substantial. Benefits include carbon sequestration, pollinator support, air filtration, and beautification of the campus. The event is also a lot of fun! All are welcome to help. The primary sponsor is the Friends of the Maud Gordon Holmes Arboretum. Co-sponsors include the Buffalo State Grounds Department, the Buffalo Sunrise Rotary Club, and the Buffalo State Finance and Management Office. To participate, please contact Susan McCartney, director of Buffalo State's Small Business Development Center.

If you are planning to organize a holiday collection drive, the Civic and Community Engagement Office (CCE) would like to support you in your efforts. Let the CCE know about your plans by emailing us your Bengal Connect event link with the details so it can be publicized on the Buffalo State CCE Collection/Donation Drive web page. If you also include in the email a graphic or PDF poster of your drive, we will be able to support you on the promotional side of things by placing it on our social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and Bengal Connect).

You will also find the resource guide “How to Organize a Collection/Donation Drive” (PDF, 145 KB) and a growing list of community partners seeking help with their collection drives. On occasion, some departments looking to collaborate across campus reach out to us. Let us know if you are looking to connect with others and we will facilitate the connection. We look forward to hearing from you.

Gavin Leighton, assistant professor of biology, will present “The Evolution of Complex Communication and Visual Deception in Birds” today, October 20, at 3:00 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 320 as the first talk in the fall 2023 "Conversations in and out of the Disciplines" series. A Q&A and short wine-and-cheese reception will follow the talk. Everyone is welcome.

The Buffalo State writing major will hold a social event for all students in—or interested in—writing or technical writing on Friday, October 27, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. in Ketchum Hall 218. Students interested in learning more about our programs will have the opportunity to mingle with current students, faculty, and alumni. There will be food, beverages, and prize giveaways! Students are encouraged to bring their scariest stories and poems to share. For more information, please email Michele Ninacs, associate professor of English.

J-Term and spring 2024 registration begins Wednesday, November 1, at 6:00 a.m. for priority registration groups and is then continuous. All continuing students are strongly encouraged to complete all registration for the semester during advance registration, which is November 1–14 (PDF, 100 KB). Please be sure to review and bookmark the Registration Add Errors page. The Banner Student Registration Guide (PDF, 135 KB) is a handy reference tool to have available when working with students.

Registration tip when working with students: If an override is granted in Banner, the student must then attempt to register for the course again by entering the CRN on the Add Classes Worksheet at the bottom of the Add or Drop Classes page and Submit. The student must select Submit to be successful.

Note to students: Do not attempt to search for the section using Look Up Classes. The course may not appear available especially if it’s closed because it has reached maximum enrollment capacity.

A New Hire Benefits Orientation will be held Friday, November 10, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. in the Grande Conference Room, Cleveland Hall 418.

This orientation is for new hires who have yet to complete their health insurance and retirement paperwork and may have questions after reviewing the materials that were sent to them previously.

Registration is required. Please email your name to benefits@buffalostate.edu with "Benefits Orientation RSVP" in the subject line.

Online courses: the Registrar’s Office website has links to listings of online-only sections (sections being offered 100 percent online) for the J-Term and spring 2024 semesters. The listings are updated each weekday evening. Although these sections are also contained in the regular J-Term and spring master schedules, the online-only listings will help you and students identify 100 percent online sections quickly. The following online listing links are available:

J-Term 2024
ONLINE

Spring 2024
UG ONLINE
GR ONLINE

Students can also search directly in Banner or Schedule Planner. All students are strongly encouraged to use Schedule Planner; it's an easy tool to plan their desired schedule.

There are currently 58 active online sections (undergraduate and graduate) being offered for J-Term 2024 and 149 active online sections (undergraduate and graduate) being offered for spring 2024.

January Term, or J-Term, 2024 is a stand-alone term that begins Wednesday, January 3, and ends Tuesday, January 23, 2024. Students can "jump ahead" by taking a J-Term class before the spring semester. Banner Preview began October 4. Students can view the master schedule directly in Schedule Planner and use this helpful tool to plan their desired schedule. J-Term offers 58–100 percent online sections!

Please download this flyer for more information about J-Term (PDF, 176 KB).

The Registrar's Office cross-registration web page has been updated in preparation for the upcoming advanced registration period for J-Term/Spring 2024. It is very important to review both the SUNY and WNY Consortium eligibility criteria and deadlines. A quick reference flyer (PDF, 169 KB) has been posted. Both programs are articulation agreements; therefore, eligibility criteria must be met to participate, and the deadline is fixed. No exceptions to either. Registration begins Wednesday, November 1, at 6:00 a.m. (PDF, 100 KB) for priority groups and is then continuous. We strongly encourage all continuing students to meet with their assigned advisors, use Schedule Planner, and register early to get their desired schedule.