As Student Accessibility Services (SAS) continues the implementation of Accommodate, the new disability accommodation management system, we would like to provide faculty members with the resources they need to learn to interact with the Testing Center component of the system.

All timed tests and quizzes administered within Brightspace can be accommodated within the course management system. Accommodated students do not use the SAS testing center for online testing. Please refer to the Knowledge Base article on using the accommodations tool to provide quiz or test accommodations to a student for more information on online testing.

All tests and quizzes administered at SAS will use the Accommodate portal.

• Students who have submitted their “Letter of Accommodation” will have the option to schedule their tests through the system.
• Faculty members will be notified when students make test appointments.
• Faculty members may upload their tests to the portal at any time, even if the student has not made an appointment.
• Completed tests will be uploaded to the portal and available for faculty to view and download.
• Tutorials for uploading new exams and downloading completed exams are available on the SAS website.

Please encourage students to make their test seat reservations in advance to help faculty and SAS staff members provide them with the accommodations they need. 

Please feel free to contact SAS with questions.

The 2023 Open Enrollment Period for the Student Employee Health Plan (SEHP) will run from Tuesday, September 5 through Friday, October 20. Eligible employees have the following options for enrolling in SEHP.

• Enroll within 45 days of appointment or when the employee becomes first eligible. Coverage begins as of the date the enrollment form is received in the Human Resource Management Office or the date of appointment, whichever is later.
  -- Employees on F-1 or J-1 visas and domestic students at campuses where health insurance is mandated have coverage effective the date of appointment.
• Enroll within 30 days of a qualifying event. Coverage becomes effective as of the date the enrollment form is received in the Human Resource Management Office or the date of event, whichever is later.
• Enroll during the Open Enrollment Period. Coverage is effective as of the date the enrollment form is received in the Human Resource Management Office.
• Enroll at any time as a late enrollee. Coverage becomes effective 30 days from the date the enrollment form is received in the Human Resource Management Office.

The Open Enrollment Period provides employees who were eligible for SEHP last year but chose not to enroll the opportunity to enroll now without the 30-day waiting period otherwise required for late enrollment.

The 2023 SEHP rates may be found on the SUNY website.

The Summary of Benefits and Coverage may be found on the Department of Civil Service website.

Additional information may be located on the Human Resource Management website under Graduate Assistant Benefits Orientations – Health Insurance.

The campus community is invited to attend the New York State EAP monthly webinar “Mind Your Health: Ways to Boost Your Brain” on Wednesday, September 13, from noon to 12:40 p.m.

In this workshop, presented by Victoria Kordovski, Ph.D., and Beate Davis, Ph.D., of SUNY Upstate Medical University, you will learn more about how you can promote healthy brain aging. They will discuss science-based strategies that can reduce the risk of cognitive decline and help support a healthy mind and body.

Please register for this free 40-minute webinar through the WebEx meeting registration page.

The Withdrawal from College and Leave of Absence forms no longer require chair approval (signature) to be processed. Students are encouraged to consult with their academic advisors and/or department chairs and check the established deadlines before they complete the Leave of Absence or Withdrawal from College application.

All Independent Study, Course by Contract, and Special Project applications for undergraduate and graduate students were due to the Registrar's Office by the published deadline of 5:00 p.m. Friday, September 1. As a courtesy, the Registrar's Office will continue to accept these forms until the deadline for Online Late Add—11:59 p.m. Thursday, September 14. This also includes any music forms. There will be no late add fee assessed for processing these forms.

Nothing says autumn more than watching a plummeting pumpkin smash onto pavement. The Geosciences Department invites you to observe the Annual Autumn Pumpkin Drop, where we toss a pumpkin from the roof of Buckham Hall, on Thursday, September 21, from 12:45 to 1:30 p.m.; the pumpkin drop will take place about 1:15 p.m. Swing by to celebrate the upcoming fall season—or last day of summer, if you will. Come early to sign the large pumpkin (brings good luck) and enjoy cider and cookies. There will be plenty of time left over to allow you to get to your classes afterward. The drop zone will be in Lot R-12, located on the southeast side of Buckham Hall. Look for the yellow tape cordoning off the drop zone.

New this year is an invitation to campus clubs and organizations to decorate their own pumpkin and bring it for display and watch it drop from the roof. There will be a first-come five club or organization limit. Please contact Stephen Vermette, professor of geosciences, to register your club or organization.

Do you have students who are interested in joining a close-knit community of gaming enthusiasts? Do you know students who are interested in competing in online tournaments against other schools in various titles, or maybe interested in casting games or coaching teams? Whatever they are looking for, students can find it with Buffalo State esports. The program competes against other SUNY institutions and East Coast Division schools. In the past, Buffalo State esports has competed in Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Rocket League, Valorant, Call of Duty, and other popular sports titles like NBA2K and Madden. The program won championships in the past and multiple top eight finishes.

The program offers multiple teams for each skill level. In addition to competing against other institutions, Buffalo State esports hosts local tournaments. It is a great way to meet other students and make friends. Interested students can contact Buffalo State esports members on Bengal Connect, Twitch, Twitter, and Instagram. Buffalo State esports is sponsored by Student Leadership and Engagement.

Campus departments are encouraged to use Bengal Connect to promote their programs and events, and the Corq app to find events and student organizations around campus from their mobile devices.

Bengal Connect
Bengal Connect provides students with the opportunity to connect with campus clubs and organizations, learn about programs and events taking place on campus, and learn how to get involved when attending Buffalo State. Faculty, staff, and students can log in using their Buffalo State user name and password.

More information and resources on how to use Bengal Connect can be found on the Student Leadership and Engagement website.

With more than 50 student organizations, including cultural organizations, club sports, Greek Life, media groups, and more, there are all kinds of ways for students to get involved on campus. If students want to start a new organization, they can register a new student organization through the platform.

The university recognizes that student organizations are an important part of the student experience and complement the Buffalo State’s commitment to the intellectual, personal, and professional growth of its students. All student organizations on Bengal Connect have met the requirements for registration at Buffalo State.

Information and resources on how to use Bengal Connect can be found in the Engage Help Center.

Corq App
The Corq app allows students, staff, faculty, and the community to find events and student organizations around campus from their mobile devices. It is a great tool for finding things to do. You can search by the type of activity you are interested in—the arts, music, athletics, cultural, learning, service, social, spirituality, and more. You can sort events chronologically. You can even find events that offer free food!

The Corq app can be downloaded on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Video Tutorials and Additional Assistance
Student Leadership and Engagement has created a series of short videos to assist the campus community with how to use the platform.

Please email Student Leadership and Engagement if you need assistance or have questions when using Bengal Connect or Corq. Bengal Connect and Corq are sponsored by United Students Government (USG) and funded by the student activity fee.

The Kidney Foundation of WNY is dedicated to increasing awareness and improving the lives of those with kidney disease. Please join us in the Campbell Student Union lobby from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 21, to see how you can help.

Please contact the Civic and Community Engagement Office or call (716) 878-3919 with any questions you may have.

Buffalo State University's Anne Frank Project will host its 15th annual Social Justice Festival: Ideas + Action = Justice on campus October 4 and 5. Please join us for two days of diverse workshops and exhibits that will actively engage participants in kinesthetic learning opportunities on ways to respond vs. react. View the schedule of events on the new AFP website and register today! Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to volunteer and receive a free shirt.

About Our Theme: Ideas + Action = Justice
We live in a world where the “Twitter-verse” and “TikTok-land” can falsely reward ideas presented in isolation. Ideas without action require no courage, no research, and no truth, all fitting underneath the umbrella of “reaction.” Reactions do not require education, and they have no lasting impact. When ideas are followed up with action, positive impact becomes possible. This is a response, not a reaction. This is the only way to make positive personal and social change: justice. 

Register for the Donn Youngstrom featured presenter, activist and model Autumn Rose Williams.

Register for the virtual classroom of A Long Talk about the Uncomfortable Truth.

Register for AFP 2023 sessions.

Volunteer at AFP 2023.

Looking to prep your students for the festival? Contact the assistant director, Jonise Hall, to set up classroom visits.