As we get closer to the end of the semester, we get closer to textbook adoption cutoffs. But don't fret; there is still time.

If you are using open educational resources (OER) or not using any materials for your course, please let us know. All these factors contribute to our school's overall adoption percentage.

Many of our students use some form of student financial aid. If we don't receive adoption requests, we can't provide the books for students to purchase with their aid. Oftentimes, if students don't see a textbook listed on our website, they will go without, because they can't use their aid to purchase their books from a third party. Let's help all our students access their course materials!

As always, if you have questions about the adoption process or textbooks in general, please contact Trista Hayes, textbook manager in the Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore, (716) 878-5509. Thank you.

Come and celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception with the Newman Center on Thursday, December 8, at 12:05 p.m. in Butler Library 210.

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

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. Log in at Buffalo State's Brightspace, and be sure to use the network log-in and your Buffalo State credentials. If you are experiencing log-in issues, please submit a ticket via the IT portal.

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.

Training Options - Online
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 option with 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.

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

Open enrollment for the 2023 NYS Flex Spending Account (FSA) began Tuesday, November 1, and ends at 11:59 p.m. Monday, December 12. The program helps eligible state employees save money on necessary health- or dependent-care expenses because the money set aside in these accounts is not subject to federal, state, or Social Security taxes.

The Flex Spending Account offers three benefits:

• The Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) lets you set aside any amount from $100 up to $2,850 for the 2023 plan year to pay for health care expenses that are not reimbursed by your health insurance or other benefit plan. However, only medically necessary medical, hospital, dental, vision, hearing, and prescription drug expenses for you, your spouse, and your eligible dependents can be reimbursed by your HCSA.

• The Dependent Care Advantage Account (DCAA) allows your family to set aside up to $5,000 in pre-tax dollars for eligible custodial childcare, elder care, or disabled dependent care expenses that are necessary for you and your spouse, if you are married, to work.

• The Adoption Advantage Account allows employees to set aside up to $15,950 to pay for expenses related to the adoption of an eligible child with pre-tax dollars. This benefit is available to M/C employees and those represented by CSEA, PEF, UUP, NYSCOPBA, and PBA.

For complete information, visit Flex Spending Account. If you wish to take advantage of this benefit, submit your application for enrollment online or by phone at (888) 204-4512. You will need your NYS Employee ID number, which is located on your pay stub, to complete your application. Please be sure to enroll by December 12.

If you are enrolled for the 2022 plan year, you must re-enroll to continue your benefits in 2023.

Important note: Employees who do not work for 26 consecutive pay periods should consider electing a shorter time frame for their deductions so they do not lose coverage while off the payroll. For example, faculty members who are not paid through the summer should elect to have all deductions taken in the spring semester to have coverage for all of 2023.

The 2023 enrollment deadline of 11:59 p.m. December 12 will be strictly enforced.

The Faculty-Student Association (FSA) is accepting applications for the fall 2022 grant cycle. FSA grants are awarded by the FSA board of directors to fund programs that will promote and cultivate educational and extracurricular activities on the Buffalo State College campus. All student groups, faculty, and staff members are welcome to apply. Please visit the FSA website for the application and guidelines.

The application deadline is Wednesday, November 30. For further information, please contact Hope Dunbar, executive director of the FSA.

Please join the Chemistry Department for the final seminar of fall 2022, "Developing an Internal Standard for Qualitative DART-MS Analysis of Seized Drugs," presented by Gina DelMonache, a forensic chemistry master's degree candidate in the Chemistry Department at SUNY Buffalo State, on Thursday, November 17, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Science and Mathematics Complex 151. 

Abstract
The need for rapid chemical analysis continues to grow with the ever-changing drug landscape. The emergence of new psychoactive substances warrants an in-depth examination of analytical instruments capable of producing high-fidelity information rapidly. In this seminar, direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) will be introduced as an ambient ionization mass spectrometry method for rapid analysis of a wide variety of samples. DART-MS is seeing increased prevalence in drug analysis due to its speed, simple sample preparation, and high sensitivity. DART-MS has a broad range of forensic applications with seized drug analysis at the forefront. To further enhance data integrity while also eliminating some of the experimental challenges associated with qualitative analysis of seized drugs, the use of an internal standard is generally required. Internal standards are commonplace in quantitative analysis, however are much less frequently used in qualitative analysis, save for gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The use of an internal standard in DART-MS would add an additional layer of data integrity, while also providing in-spectrum mass calibration verification for samples, and an estimate of analyte concentration. Although there are potential pitfalls to the inclusion of an internal standard, it was ultimately found that the benefits of incorporation outweighed the potential challenges resulting in an overall increased level of data integrity.

Please join the Biology Department and the Great Lakes Center for the remote seminar “Mitochondrial (Dys)function in Orthopedic Disease and Regenerative Medicine,” presented by Michelle Delco, Harry M. Zweig Assistant Research Professor at Cornell University, on Monday, November 21, at 3:00 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center 214. The seminar will give insight into the link between cellular mitochondria, cartilage trauma, and osteoarthritis. A 30-minute coffee and cookie reception will precede the seminar, beginning at 2:30 p.m.

Dr. Delco holds a bachelor of science in agriculture and life sciences; a D.V.M.; and a Ph.D. in comparative biomedical sciences from Cornell University. Her research aims to understand how joint injury leads to arthritis in horses and humans. Specifically, she is investigating mitochondria, the energy-producing centers of the cell, as a link between cartilage trauma and osteoarthritis. The goal of her research is to develop new strategies to improve healing and prevent irreversible joint disease and chronic pain in equines and human athletes who suffer orthopedic injuries.

Abstract
Mitochondria sustain eukaryotic life and dictate cell fate. These organelles are best known as cellular “powerhouses” because they produce ATP required for tissue function and repair. Mitochondria can also act as mechanotransducers, sensing forces applied to tissue and converting those signals into biological responses, such as increased metabolic activity, senescence, and apoptosis. Mitochondrial dysfunction underlies many chronic diseases of energy-hungry tissues like muscle and brain; however the role of mitochondria in mediating degeneration of cartilage and other avascular, poorly healing orthopedic tissues is unclear. Recent work by our group revealed that mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the earliest responses of cartilage to overloading, resulting in chondrocyte death, cartilage degradation, and ultimately osteoarthritis—the most common cause of skeletal pain and disability. This talk will explore several areas of ongoing research, including Dr. Delco's investigation of cartilage mitochondrial mechanobiology, and new mitochondria-targeted regenerative therapies for osteoarthritis and orthopedic soft tissue injuries, including intracellular mitochondrial transfer (donation of healthy mitochondria) from mesenchymal stem cells to injured chondrocytes.

Are you looking for gift ideas? Need something to bring to an office holiday party? We have you covered! Visit the Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore to check out our new markdowns and sale items.

We have lots of Buffalo State apparel on sale for 25 percent off or buy one get one free!

Also, don't miss out on our general reading sale. All regularly priced general reading books are buy two get one free. Titles range from the classics to TikTok trending books, self-help, manga, and more. Stop in today and grab a few. With these sales, you can pick up something for you friends, family, and even yourself.

From the Chair of the College Senate 
The final meeting of the College Senate for fall 2022 will be held Friday, December 9, at 2:00 p.m. in Newman Lecture Hall, Bulger Communication Center 215. Please note the one hour earlier start time. 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 minutes of the November 2022 meeting will be available no later than November 18.

Please join Weigel Health Promotion, Professional Development, and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for a free "Stop the Bleed" tourniquet training, facilitated by ECMC, on Tuesday, November 15, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center 422.

This free 90-minute workshop will teach participants how to recognize serious bleeding and learn ways to control it, such as applying direct pressure, packing wounds, and using a tourniquet. All participants will have the hands-on opportunity to practice these skills and will be issued a course completion certificate at the end of class.

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.