The Teacher Education Unit will hold its annual program improvement retreat on Wednesday, January 25, from 8:45 to 11:30 a.m. in Bulger Communication Center (upper level). Please plan to attend if you are a faculty member in one of the college's educator preparator programs.* Check-in begins at 8:45 a.m. (light breakfast provided) followed by guided and independent data reviews for each program from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.

This year’s retreat will focus on (1) the new Teacher Performance Assessment program requirement in New York State and (2) program assessment data, including candidate performance during clinical experiences and employer and alumni feedback.

Please register no later than Friday, December 16.

Please direct questions to Shannon Budin, professor of exceptional education.

*All programs in the TEU should be represented across all schools.

The entire campus community is invited to share a cup of coffee during our November Cultural Café on Tuesday, November 29, at 12:15 p.m. in Butler Library (first floor, west end). This date has been rescheduled from the Friday snowstorm closure. We will be sampling a signature Bangladesh dish, chicken biryani. For more information, please contact Tricia Herritt, ISSS director. A special thank-you to Butler Library for sponsoring this event.

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

Starting with J-Term 2023, all courses will use Brightspace, and content and student data will begin to be archived for historical purposes.

Faculty members teaching in J-Term and spring 2023 are able to access their courses now. Go to Buffalo State's Brightspace page and click 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.  

In-Person Training Options
In-person 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.

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 contact Jamie Tabone, instructional designer, with questions. Please see the IDDL website for more information.

The search committee for the assistant vice president for student success and retention is pleased to announce it has selected four candidates for campus interviews. The committee invites the campus community to attend an open forum with each candidate, during which the candidates will make a short presentation on their understanding of student success and answer questions:

Candidate 1
12:05–1:05 p.m., Monday, November 28, Bulger Communication Center 215

Candidate 2
11:00 a.m.–noon, Tuesday, November 29, Bulger Communication Center 215

Candidate 3
11:00 a.m.–noon, Thursday, December 1, Bulger Communication Center 215

Candidate 4
11:00 a.m.–noon, Friday, December 2, Bulger Communication Center 423

The name of each candidate and a short bio will be published in the Daily Bulletin on the day of the forum. Those who attend the events will be invited to share feedback on the candidates with the committee.

Please direct questions to search committee chair Julian C. Cole, associate professor and department chair, Modern and Classical Languages.

The Exchange at Beverly Grey will be on campus Thursday, December 1, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union lobby. Beverly Grey is a nonprofit organization that helps small businesses. It offers mentorship and coaching, workshops and classes, and strategies to attain funding.

Please contact the Civic and Community Engagement Office , (716) 878-3919, with questions or comments.

The annual Art and Design Fall Student Exhibition, which showcases art by students in 100- and 200-level art and design courses, is on display in the Czurles-Nelson Gallery in Upton Hall through today, Wednesday, November 30.

Weigel Health Promotion invites you to participate in facilitating a Thanksgiving Day event for our students and campus community on Thursday, November 24, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. in Buckham Hall A114. Members of the Buffalo State community will host a Thanksgiving Dinner event on campus for any student who would like to participate. Resident students who are staying on campus or commuter student who have had a change in plans, have no plans, or would like to spend Thanksgiving with fellow Bengals are welcome.

This is a time for any and all students who are interested in hanging out together, playing some music and games, eating, and relaxing. There is no registration, and the event will be first come, first served in terms of food and supplies.

Please share this information with students, especially those who live off campus and may not be going home or those who are from the area and don't have anyone to spend the holidays with, including international students. We are excited to provide an opportunity for students to gather and be together if they wish.

If you would like to contribute any appropriate donations ahead of time, please consider the following:

• Pre-packaged dishes, foods, meals, or serving and storage containers (e.g., grocery store items, caterers, boxed foods, drinks, disposable plates, cups, utensils, serving items, to-go boxes, aluminum foil).
• Activities: Cookie or gingerbread house decoration kits or supplies; friendship bracelets.
• Games, crafts, cards: We have games and puzzles, but feel free to provide more.
• Other: Any additional ideas or suggestions greatly appreciated.
• Join us: Feel free to stop by or get involved in the activities.

Donations can be dropped off in the Weigel Wellness Center on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Please make sure you provide your name and information with the donation.

Download the flier from our website or social media.

Any food that is left over that students do not want will be donated to Harbor House (homeless mental health program).

Please contact Paula Madrigal, assistant director of prevention and health promotion, with questions.

The Great Lakes Center is pleased to release our fall 2022 newsletter (PDF, 2MB). This issue features our summer fieldwork on the Great Lakes and Oneida Lake, invasive species monitoring for the red swamp crayfish, ANT 389 visiting the Field Station grounds to learn forensic excavation techniques, the arrival of the spotted lanternfly to our area, the WNY PRISM crew teaming up with Craneridge Association to remove invasive plants, and one of our research scientist receiving an award.

Each article is also posted separately in our news section:

Newsletter #21: GLC samples the Great Lakes amid challenging weather

Newsletter #21: CSMI Lake Huron survey on Canadian boat

Newsletter #21: Molluscs of Oneida Lake

Newsletter #21: Crayfish battles in Amherst

Newsletter #21: Anthropology class excavations

Newsletter #21: Spotted lanternfly spotted in WNY PRISM region!

Newsletter #21: Battling invasive species in a quiet wooded neighborhood

Newsletter #21: GLC scientist receives research award

If you'd like to be on the mailing list for future editions of the newsletter, please email the GLC.

Ready up and relax for finals during our free Bengal Study Nights on Tuesday, December 6, and Wednesday, December 7, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. in Buckham Hall A Wing.

We'll have final exam reviews, tutoring, research help, yoga and mindful meditation, craft and relaxation activities, therapy dogs, food, games, and prizes.

Free and open to all students, staff, and faculty.

For more information, please visit the Bengal Study Nights web page. The web page is updated continually, so stop back often!

Please contact Faherty Nielsen, interim coordinator of tutoring services, with questions.

Please share the following information with your students about the upcoming  Anne Frank Project student trip to Rwanda, Summer 2023:

Buffalo State College’s Anne Frank Project has been facilitating student trips to Rwanda, Africa, for over 10 years. Our students grow from this immersive experience in multiple ways. The lessons from Rwanda’s remarkable post-genocide reconciliation process are especially necessary today in our conflicted world. The power of forgiveness, community, compassion, and unity are explored through the use of stories on this unique international experience. Students receive 6 credit hours.

Students must complete the online application process before the deadline today, November 18. Once students have completed the online application, they will be contacted directly by the Anne Frank Project to schedule an in-person interview.

Important: Because of the inclement weather, please let interested students know they should reach out directly to Anne Frank Project director Professor Drew Kahn to make appropriate arrangements if they cannot make this deadline.