The Political Science and Public Administration Department is pleased to announce the next talk in its fall 2022 Public Service Lecture Series, "HOME's Role in Fighting Housing Discrimination in Buffalo," presented by Scott Gehl, retired longtime executive director of Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) and former University District council member, on Monday, October 3, from 4:30 to 6:15 p.m. in Science and Mathematics Complex 173. All are invited to attend.

For more information, please contact Gregory P. Rabb, lecturer of political science and public administration.

The NYS & CSEA Partnership for Education and Training is pleased to announce the fall 2022 Skills for Success catalog. Live, instructor-led courses and webinars provide CSEA-represented employees with the knowledge, skills, and tools needed to meet their personal and professional development goals.

The Skills for Success catalog contains course and webinar descriptions, dates, and start and end times. Over 80 courses and webinars are scheduled from September through December 2022. We urge CSEA-represented employees to take advantage of these valuable training opportunities. Employees may enroll through the Statewide Learning Management System or by completing the partnership’s application form located in the catalog or online.

For more information, please contact the partnership by phone at (518) 486-7814 or by email.

We are pleased to announce the New York State & CSEA Partnership’s 2022–2023 Tuition Benefits Program for eligible CSEA-represented NYS employees.

The catalog and application (PDF, 6.5 MB) are available online.

• Eligible CSEA-represented New York State employees may apply for two tuition vouchers or tuition reimbursements.
• Applications must be received by March 31, 2023.
• Any course taken must be in session during the time frame of April 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023.
• Applications will be accepted by mail (NYS & CSEA Partnership for Education and Training, Corporate Plaza East – Suite 502, 240 Washington Avenue Extension, Albany, NY 12203); fax (518) 486-1989; or email.
• Educational Advisement Services are available to members by phone at (800) 253-4332 (Option 1) or email at advisors@nyscseapartnership.org.

For more information, call (800) 253-4332 or email learning@nyscseapartnership.org.

Please contact Human Resources Management Office at (716) 878-3042 with any questions.

Free tai chi classes for beginners are currently being offered through the end of the semester to all students, faculty, and staff members every Monday and Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in Houston Gym 125.

Brad Baumgardner, coordinator of the Buffalo State Veteran and Military Services Office, has partnered with Weigel Health Promotion to teach this ancient Chinese discipline that is used for stress reduction and other health benefits.

Please wear comfortable clothing and appropriate sneakers. Bring a water bottle and a friend! 

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

Lot I-30 will be closed Tuesday, September 27, to accommodate large trucks and buses coming to campus for that evening's Little Feat concert in the Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall. Those with reserved spots and handicap-accessible permits will still have access to the lot. The nearest alternative staff parking is available in Lots I-32, R-1, and R-2. The nearest alternative metered parking is available in Lots R-3 and R-4. Your patience and understanding are appreciated.

Campus map (PDF, 4 MB)

The Teacher Education Council (TEC) will meet Friday, October 14, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. in the Grande Conference Room, Cleveland Hall 418. TEC representatives will receive a meeting invitation and agenda. All TEC representatives and Teacher Education Unit members are encouraged to attend. Non-members who would like to attend may contact their TEC representative for more information.

As previously announced, Buffalo State has a project underway to transition current students away from the existing email platform (Google/Gmail) to a new email platform, Microsoft 365 (M365/O365), the same one used by faculty and staff members. In preparation for the transition, we are looking for students to volunteer for a pilot group that will run during the fall 2022 semester.

Pilot Group
If you have students who would like to participate in the pilot group, please ask them to fill out this short survey. Students who volunteer for the pilot will be given access to the new Microsoft 365 email platform. All participants will be contacted before the start of the pilot with information and instructions.

Benefits
Listed below are some of the benefits to students who volunteer for the pilot:

• 1 terabyte (TB) of online storage in OneDrive
• The ability to access email using the desktop and web versions of Outlook
• The ability to seamlessly collaborate and share files with instructors
• The ability to join Microsoft Teams meetings as a full participant (not as a “guest”)
• The ability to easily schedule appointments with advisers, instructors, and other campus personnel

FAQ Page
We have developed a Frequently Asked Questions page to address many of the questions students may have about the transition to Microsoft 365. This page will be updated as needed, so please encourage students to check this page often (even if they choose not to volunteer for the pilot).

Project Updates
We have also developed a project page, Student Email Migration to Microsoft 365, containing details about the project itself. This page will be updated as needed, so please encourage students to check this page often (even if they choose not to volunteer for the pilot).

We look forward to sharing more information about the student email platform transition to Microsoft 365 in the coming months.

The Buffalo State Writing Center continues to offer a number of initiatives to support the faculty this semester. Faculty members in all disciplines are invited to take advantage of the following:

Commercials: If you wish to encourage your students to visit the Writing Center, please consider scheduling a live “commercial”—a 10-minute in-class presentation by a tutor who will review the services offered by the center, show students how to make an appointment, and discuss the benefits of one-on-one writing support.

Made-to-Order Workshops: Is there a writing issue your students tend to struggle with or a concept you want to reinforce? We are happy to design and deliver a 30-to-40-minute in-class workshop on a writing-related topic (for example, citation styles, thesis statements, effective peer review). Please request a workshop at least two weeks in advance.

Individual Consultations: Maggie Herb, director of the Writing Center and assistant professor of English, offers individual consultations with faculty members on both pedagogical concerns (writing assignment design and implementation, for example) and professional or academic writing projects.

To schedule a commercial, a workshop, or an individual consultation, please contact Maggie Herb.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The next meeting of the College Senate for fall 2022 will be held Friday, October 14, at 3:00 p.m. in Newman Lecture Hall, Bulger Communication Center 215. Kimberly Kline, professor of higher education administration, is serving as chair of the College Senate for the 2022–2023 academic year. Please contact Vincent Masci, assistant to the College Senate, 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.

As announced in late August, the entire SUNY system, including Buffalo State, will soon transition from the Citibank Commercial Card Program to the J. P. Morgan Commercial Card Program.

Please review these important dates related to the upcoming systemwide transition:

Procurement Card Update
All Citibank P-Cards will be closed by Citibank on Monday, October 3. Please plan accordingly, as there will be no P-Card use from Monday, October 3, through Monday, October 10, 2022. Active cardholders can begin using their new J. P. Morgan P-Cards on Tuesday, October 11. Any use of the J. P. Morgan P-Card before October 11 may result in a lack or delay of goods. Cardholders should contact all vendors who are set up for recurring payments. No payments by P-Card can be made during the blackout period, October 3–10.

All procurement cardholders, active and non-active, should pick up their new J. P. Morgan P-Cards from Bonnie Heim, director of non-contract procurement and corporate card administrator, in Cleveland Hall 418 during the following dates and times. Cardholders must surrender their Citibank P-Cards at that time.

Thursday, October 6
Noon–3:00 p.m.

Friday, October 7
9:00 a.m.–Noon

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Travel and NET Card Update
All Citibank Travel and Non-Employee Travel (NET) Cards will be closed by Citibank on Thursday, October 6. Active cardholders may begin using their new J. P. Morgan Travel and NET Cards immediately after activation. If a cardholder will be in travel status on October 6, please contact Bonnie Heim immediately.

All Travel and NET cardholders, active and non-active, should pick up their new J. P. Morgan Travel and NET Cards from Bonnie Heim in Cleveland Hall 418 during the following dates and times. Cardholders must surrender all Citibank Travel and NET Cards at that time.

Thursday, September 29
9:00 a.m.–Noon

Friday, September 30
1:00–3:00 p.m.

Cardholders should contact Bonnie Heim with questions or concerns.