The Online Course Development series (asynchronous format) will guide participants through a systematic approach to the design and development of online synchronous, online asynchronous, and hybrid courses. Participants will be equipped to make design decisions that support interaction, student engagement, authentic learning and assessment, and meaningful integration of technology. This facilitated online asynchronous series will benefit instructors seeking to design or refresh an online or hybrid course. 

A full description of the online course development series can be found on the Instructional Design and Distance Learning website. 

Series Information and Registration
This online asynchronous course will begin Monday, September 25, and end Wednesday, November 8. All activities will occur through Brightspace. Instructional Design and Distance Learning recommends taking the Online Course Development series at least one year before teaching online or hybrid. 

Please register for this series through the Workshop Registration System.

For more information and future offerings of this series, visit the Instructional Design and Distance Learning website. Please contact Brooke Winckelmann, instructional designer, with questions. 

The Beyond Boundaries Screening and Discussion Series is pleased to announce its fall 2023 schedule. All films start at 7:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center's Tower Auditorium and are free and open to the public. There is always a discussion after the film.

The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks (2022)
With featured guest: Director Yoruba Richen
Thursday, September 21
This definitive political biography of Rosa Parks examines her six decades of activism, challenging perceptions of her as an accidental actor in the civil rights movement. Based on the bestselling biography and executive produced by award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien.
View trailer.

The Last Out (2021)
With featured guest: Director Sami Khan
Thursday, October 19
The Last Out follows three talented Cuban athletes as they leave their families and homes behind in pursuit of their ultimate dream—a contract with Major League Baseball. At the shadowy nexus of the migrant trail and pro sports, the story chronicles their harrowing journey, from immigration obstacles to the broken promises of dubious agents.
View trailer and Deadline article.

Attica (2021)
Thursday, November 9
Filmmaker Stanley Nelson has a distinguished career telling stories of Black struggle against white supremacy. He teams with Traci A. Curry to revisit the largest prison uprising in U.S. history at the Attica Correctional Facility near Buffalo, New York, in 1971.
View trailer.

Beyond Boundaries is curated by Ruth Goldman and Meg Knowles, associate professors of communication, and is co-sponsored by the Communication Department, Equity and Campus Diversity Office, and Burchfield Penney Art Center.

Bengals Dare to Care Day?is Saturday, September 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Join the Buffalo State community for a day of service. Bengals Dare to Care Day is a wonderful experience for residence hall floors, courses, athletic teams, and other groups to bond while serving the community.

To best coordinate group efforts, we ask that a faculty or staff member related to the group participate in Bengals Dare to Care Day alongside their group in a site coordinator capacity. Site coordinators keep track of volunteers, facilitate a short reflection discussion, and act as the point of contact with the community partner during the morning of service. Training is provided. Site coordinators are needed to check in by 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 23.

Everyone in the group must be registered in advance. You can register your group on your own or communicate to your members to register themselves and make sure they include the group leader’s full name and group name on their application (e.g., August/Men’s Soccer or Daniel Blum/UNC 100 Section 5).

As a group, you will all be together on a service project and have the opportunity to reserve space on a site of your choice. To keep the site, 15 members must be present the day of the event by 8:30 a.m. or the site will be open to the public to join.

The?BDTC Guide for Courses?will help faculty and staff members prepare their students to participate and reflect on the day in relation to course content and general civic learning. 

Please contact the CCE, (716) 878-3919, with questions.

Beyond Boundaries kicks off its 10th season on Thursday, September 21, at 7:00 p.m. in the Burchfield Penney Art Center's Tower Auditorium with a free screening and discussion of The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks (2022), featuring special guest Yoruba Richen, the film's co-director. Based on the bestselling biography and executive produced by award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien, this definitive political biography of Rosa Parks examines her six decades of activism, challenging perceptions of her as an accidental actor in the civil rights movement. 

Beyond Boundaries Fall Schedule*

The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks (2022)
Thursday, September 21
7:00 p.m.
With featured guest director Yoruba Richen
Directors: Yoruba Richen, Johanna Hamilton   
Watch the trailer.

The Last Out (2021)
Thursday, October 19
7:00 p.m. 
With featured guest Director Sami Khan 
Directors: Michael Gassert, Sami Khan 
Watch the trailer.

Attica (2021)
Thursday, November 9
5:30 p.m. Reception in honor of Teri Miller
7:00 p.m. Film screening and discussion panel
Directors: Stanley Nelson, Traci A. Curry 
Watch the trailer.

Beyond Boundaries is sponsored by the Center for Social Justice, the Equity and Campus Diversity Office, the Communication Department, and the Burchfield Penney Art Center. The series is curated by Ruth Goldman and Meg Knowles, associate professors of media production in the Communication Department.

*All films will be screened in the Burchfield Penney Art Center's Tower Auditorium.

Buffalo State University Interim President Bonita R. Durand, Ph.D., invites you to the annual State of the University address at 12:15 p.m. today in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. Dr. Durand will review highlights of the past year, provide updates on the current state of the university, and outline a future vision and plans. Reception to follow.

To avoid a conflict with today's State of the University address, the first meeting of this semester’s Social Justice Book Club has been rescheduled to Thursday, September 21, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in Bacon Hall 214A. The location was also changed to accommodate interest.

We are reading a variety of short stories from the science fiction genre, emphasizing authors of color and featuring social justice themes. Meeting dates are September 21, September 28, October 12, October 26, November 9, and November 30. Drop in for one session, a few, or all six!

The book club is free and open to all Buffalo State students, faculty, and staff. Readings will be provided in PDF format to all registered participants.

Anyone interested in joining the book club should fill out the online form.

More information is available on the book club website. Any questions can be directed to Julie Setele, senior assistant librarian.

Please join the Biology Department and Great Lakes Center for the seminar “Dynamic Hypoxia in the Central Basin of Lake Erie,” led by Paris Collinsworth, on Monday, September 18, at 3:00 p.m. in Science and Mathematics Complex 151. Attendees are welcome to arrive at 2:30 p.m. to enjoy coffee and cookies before the seminar.

Abstract
Seasonal hypoxia is a regularly occurring, natural phenomenon in the bottom waters of the central basin of Lake Erie; however, there is increasing evidence that the duration, extent, and severity of hypoxic conditions are influenced, at least in part, by warming lake waters and nutrient loading to Lake Erie. In order to fully account for such anthropogenic contributions, baseline estimates of the spatial extent and severity of hypoxia are required. Here, results are presented from multiple monitoring programs designed to provide a high-resolution estimate of the spatial extent of hypoxia in central Lake Erie. Preliminary analyses indicate that the hypoxic zone is very dynamic, particularly along nearshore areas where rapid intrusions of hypoxic water into coastal areas are common. The seminar concludes with a discussion about the implications of dynamic hypoxia for various ecosystem services provided by Lake Erie, including fisheries and water supply.

Former Buffalo State data science and analytics (DSA) students Jillian Shepard, data scientist at Kangarootime, and Josh Cohen, data engineer at Delaware North, will present "Digital Portfolios for Data Scientists" as part of the Fall 2023 DSA Seminar Series on Monday, September 18, from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. in Science and Mathematics Complex 151.

Topics covered:

• Why digital portfolios matter
• Building data science portfolios, tips and common pitfalls
• DIY vs. hybrid vs. premade portfolios
• Steps and guidance to create your own portfolio
• Curating your GitHub account
• ?Applying for jobs on LinkedIn

Buffalo State University's Anne Frank Project is hosting its 15th annual Social Justice Festival: Ideas + Action = Justice on campus October 4 and 5. This year, we welcome A Long Talk to AFP 2023!

A Long Talk will provide a two-part anti-racist empowerment experience. The purpose of this work is to end racism and dismantle systemic oppression in America by energizing, activating, and empowering allies in the pursuit of our shared purpose, and by engaging in an ongoing conversation focused on truth, understanding, and problem solving, leading to individual and cooperative activism. In essence, the experience is an honest conversation about how we can all do more than just being personally “not racist.”

A Long Talk will hold its first session virtually on Wednesday, September 27, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The second session will be in person at our Social Justice Festival on Wednesday, October 4, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Attending the first session is recommended.

Register now! Limited seating. 

Please contact AFP's assistant director, Jonise Hall, at halljl@buffalostate.edu with questions.

The My Courses widget in Brightspace enables you to access your favorite courses by pinning them to the top of your course list. You can use Brightspace's "Pin" feature to make it easier to find frequently accessed courses. Pinned courses will appear in the Pinned tab in the My Courses widget and at the top of the Course Selector list.

This Knowledge Base article, Pinning Courses in Brightspace, explains how to pin courses in Brightspace.

Have other questions or need assistance? 

• Please direct any questions about Brightspace functionality to SUNY Online. 
• If you need on-campus assistance from Instructional Design and Distance Learning, please submit a ticket through the IT portal.
• Check for Brightspace workshops on campus in the Workshop Registration System.