Buffalo State will host a semiannual blood drive in support of its community partner ConnectLife on Thursday, February 9, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall.

Appointments are encouraged but not required. Appointments can be made by phone at (716) 529-4270 or online through the ConnectLife website (sponsor code 001047). Walk-ins are also welcome.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, blood supplies in Western New York are critically low. ConnectLife is Western New York’s only community blood bank, contributing nearly 80 percent of the local hospitals’ blood supply. Every drop of blood collected stays here in Western New York.

If you are eligible to donate, please consider supporting the ConnectLife blood drive on February 9. All donors will receive a pair of Bandits tickets. Thank you.

Brightspace LMS Open Lab is an open forum devoted to answering questions and solving problems that faculty members may have about navigating Brightspace. Bring your course-specific questions and have them answered here!

Open labs are held daily through Friday, January 27, in Butler Library 314. Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

Online Training Options
Online synchronous workshops will be provided by the SUNY Center for Professional Development. Registration is open.

Online asynchronous modules are available within the Buffalo State Brightspace environment. Log in to mylearning.buffalostate.edu using the "Network Login" button, where you can enter your Buffalo State username and password. If you are experiencing log-in issues, please submit a ticket via the IT portal.

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.

All faculty members are encouraged to begin training in Brightspace, the new SUNY-wide learning management system selected to replace Blackboard Learn.

In-Person Training Options
In-person training sessions will be offered by Instructional Design and Distance Learning (IDDL) and the Teaching and Learning Center. These sessions will be hosted on campus in a variety of labs across campus. Registration is through the Workshop Registration System.

The Brightspace Fundamentals Workshop Series is designed for instructors new to Brightspace and is suitable for instructors teaching in any modality: face-to-face, hybrid, or online. Workshops in the series are Navigation and Interface; Communication Tools; Authoring and Publishing Content; Gradable Activities: Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes; and Gradebook.

Managing Your Move to Brightspace: “Build from Scratch” or “Copy and Clean” Strategies
These workshops offer strategies for either building a course in Brightspace or migrating course materials from Blackboard into Brightspace.

Brightspace LMS Open Lab
Need assistance with your course in Brightspace? This lab is an open forum devoted to answering questions and solving problems that faculty members may have with navigating Brightspace. Bring your course-specific questions and have them answered here!

Online Training Options
Online synchronous workshops will be provided by the SUNY Center for Professional Development. Registration is open.

Online asynchronous modules are available within the Buffalo State Brightspace environment. Log in to mylearning.buffalostate.edu using the "Network Login" button, where you can enter your Buffalo State username and password. If you are experiencing log-in issues, please submit a ticket via the IT portal.

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.

Please join the Anne Frank Project for two days of kinesthetic workshops in our story-based learning (SBL) curriculum using story as a vehicle for community building, conflict management, and identity exploration. This professional development training shows how to apply the practice in lessons and classroom culture. It is free and open to all members of the Buffalo State community! To sign up, please email the assistant director, Jonise Hall.

Training Dates
Wednesday, January 18, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 19, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Campbell Student Union Assembly Hall

From the Chair of the College Senate 
The first meeting of the College Senate for spring 2023 will be held Friday, February 10, at 3:00 p.m. in Newman Lecture Hall, Bulger Communication Center 215. Kimberly Kline, professor of higher education administration, serves as chair of the College Senate for the 2022–2023 academic year. Please contact Dr. Kline with questions. 

We encourage everyone to visit the College Senate website to catch up on Senate news, find podcasts and minutes of past meetings, review reports and resolutions, and more.

The NYS Deferred Compensation Plan will host the following free educational webinars for all employees who wish to attend. The NYSDCP is a supplemental retirement plan, also known as a 457(b) plan, designed to help state and local public employees achieve their retirement savings goals and help bridge any potential financial gap in retirement. Employees may contribute to a 457(b) in place of or in addition to a 403(b) plan.
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Enrollment
Tuesday, January 24
Noon

This webinar will explain the benefits of enrolling and participating in the NYS Deferred Compensation Plan and how it can help you better prepare for and live in retirement. It will include the basics of investing, investment options, and pre-tax contributions and an overview of the easy and secure online enrollment process.

Join the Microsoft Teams meeting on your computer or mobile app.
Meeting ID: 277 146 748 946
Passcode: HR3hTM

Call in (audio only): (917) 983-6123
Phone conference ID: 564 339 168#

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NYS Pension
Thursday, January 26
Noon

The NYS Deferred Compensation Plan is joined by the NYS Retirement System to give an educational presentation on the basics of the pension and how it will help provide for your future. There will be Q&A sessions throughout the webinar.
Registration required.

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Countdown to Retirement
Friday, January 27
Noon

This webinar discusses some important considerations for those planning for or contemplating retirement. The presentation will discuss longevity, income sources, asset consolidation, and withdrawals or required minimum distributions.

Join the Microsoft Teams meeting on your computer or mobile app.
Meeting ID: 276 659 583 542
Passcode: MdSYJz

Call in (audio only): (917) 983-6123
Phone conference ID: 377 675 268#

Some important changes are coming to the way that library patrons log in to Illiad, the interlibrary loan system. Illiad is one of the systems that allows Butler Library patrons to borrow from other libraries across the country. 

We will be updating the log-in procedures to use the campus network log-in instead of the username and password that you created for Illiad. This will improve the security of those log-ins and bring the system in line with campus security expectations.

In most cases, a new account will be created when you log in for the first time. You will be asked to verify and update any account details including address and department. If you wish to link your new account with your old account to retain access to your history of completed transactions, the accounts can be merged.

We will include a link on the interlibrary loan page to allow users to request account merging. New users and users who do not wish to retain their account history do not need to complete this request.

This new log-in process will start the week of January 23. Please contact Joe Riggie, head of information management, with questions or concerns.

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

Tuesday, February 7
Tuesday, March 7
Tuesday, April 4
Tuesday, May 9

Appointments are required.

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?

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

Buffalo State seeks internal candidates for the position of interim faculty coordinator of the Center for Social Justice. This position is temporary and will report to the provost. The incumbent will serve until the position of director of the Center for Social Justice is in place.

Job Responsibilities
The interim faculty coordinator of the Center for Social Justice (CSJ) will focus on the establishment of the CSJ with a focus on integrating social justice learning into curricula across campus. Following guidelines articulated in the Center for Social Justice Recommendations Report, the interim faculty coordinator will focus on issues of social justice at each academic level and across academic disciplines.

Specifically, the interim coordinator will

• collaborate with academic programs and with the Academic Plan Committee to infuse social justice content across the curriculum including general education;
• build cohorts of faculty for peer-to-peer education and support for social justice education;
• in collaboration with the Teaching and Learning Center, provide faculty development opportunities focused on course-based integration of social justice;
• share research-based promising practices with campus constituents to support student learning of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion;
• participate and co-lead the Social Justice Subcommittee.

Required Qualifications
The successful candidate will be a tenure-track or tenured member of the Buffalo State faculty with a clear vision and proven track record working on social-justice-based initiatives. It is also helpful if the candidate's research includes a focus on social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit a current vita and a cover letter addressing the qualifications. Applications may be submitted by email to mayrosj@buffalostate.edu by Wednesday, January 25.

Buffalo State seeks internal candidates for the position of interim faculty coordinator of the Center for Social Justice. This position is temporary and will report to the provost. The incumbent will serve until the position of director of the Center for Social Justice is in place.

Job Responsibilities
The interim faculty coordinator of the Center for Social Justice (CSJ) will focus on the establishment of the CSJ with a focus on integrating social justice learning into curricula across campus. Following guidelines articulated in the Center for Social Justice Recommendations Report, the interim faculty coordinator will focus on issues of social justice at each academic level and across academic disciplines.

Specifically, the interim coordinator will

• collaborate with academic programs and with the Academic Plan Committee to infuse social justice content across the curriculum including general education;
• build cohorts of faculty for peer-to-peer education and support for social justice education;
• in collaboration with the Teaching and Learning Center, provide faculty development opportunities focused on course-based integration of social justice;
• share research-based promising practices with campus constituents to support student learning of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion;
• participate and co-lead the Social Justice Subcommittee.

Required Qualifications
The successful candidate will be a tenure-track or tenured member of the Buffalo State faculty with a clear vision and proven track record working on social-justice-based initiatives. It is also helpful if the candidate's research includes a focus on social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit a current vita and a cover letter addressing the qualifications. Applications may be submitted by email to mayrosj@buffalostate.edu by Wednesday, January 25.