From the Dean of the Graduate School
Consistent with efforts across the campus to optimize resources, degree conferral for graduate students will be conducted through the Registrar’s Office beginning Monday, June 6. Adrian Thompson will transition to the Registrar’s Office and remain the graduation coordinator and contact for graduate students and faculty members. Beginning June 6, all questions and inquires related to degree conferral should be directed to the Registrar’s Office.

SUNY has selected Desire2Learn’s (D2L) Brightspace learning management system to replace Blackboard as the new systemwide hub of its digital learning environment. The SUNY contract with Blackboard expires December 21, 2022.

Here’s your opportunity to obtain early access to a Brightspace sandbox and work with an Instructional Design and Distance Learning team member to explore the new platform.

The Brightspace sandbox is an initial Brightspace environment that can be used to explore the core functionality that will be available in the new learning management system. The purpose of the sandbox is to explore Brightspace from a faculty and student perspective. This is a temporary environment that will look different from the final production environment. For example, the Brightspace sandbox will not have additional third-party or extended functional tools that will be available in production. Both in-person and virtual workshops via Microsoft Teams will be offered.

Brightspace Playground Workshops
Please register for a Brightspace Playground Workshop using the links below or through the Workshop Registration System.

The following workshops will be held in person in Butler Library:

Monday, May 23, 1:00–1:50 p.m., Butler Library 314
Wednesday, May 25, 11:00–11:50 a.m., Butler Library 318
Thursday, May 26, 1:00–1:50 p.m., Butler Library 314
Thursday, May 26, 2:00–2:50 p.m., Butler Library 314

The following workshop will be held via Microsoft Teams:

Tuesday, May 24, Noon–12:50 p.m.

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Preparing a Blackboard Course for Migration to Brightspace
There are several steps you can take now to prepare your Blackboard courses for the upcoming migration to Brightspace. The workshop Preparing a Blackboard Course for Migration to Brightspace will outline several common actions and considerations you can take to clean up your Blackboard courses. If you intend to work on cleaning up your Blackboard course during this session, please request a Blackboard development course before attending this workshop. Once you have a Blackboard development course, you may also copy course content into your development course.

The following workshops will be held in Butler Library 314:

Monday, May 23, 11:00–11:50 a.m.
Tuesday, May 24, 1:00–1:50 p.m.
Thursday, May 26, 9:00–9:50 a.m.

The following workshop will be held via Microsoft Teams:

Wednesday, May 25, Noon–12:50 p.m.

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For more information or future offerings, please email Jamie Tabone, instructional designer.

Commencement week is here! Registered marchers can find reporting times and instructions on the marchers web page.

Volunteers can find reporting times and instructions on the volunteer ushers web page.

Rehearsals are scheduled for volunteer ushers, graduate ceremony hooders, marshals, and announcers. There is no rehearsal for marchers who are not hooding or have no additional roles. Registered participants will receive notice and reminders regarding rehearsals and Commencement day reporting times and assignments.

Thank you to all marchers and volunteers for your support of the Class of 2022!

When issuing a student a non-passing grade, including an E, F, U, I, or N grade, please also report the student's last date of attendance when entering the grade online. This assists the Financial Aid Office in determining whether a student unofficially withdrew and whether the student is able to retain the aid that he or she received.

The last date of attendance is the last date the student participated in class, took an exam, handed in homework, or actively engaged in an online course. If assigning an I or N grade, the last date of attendance is the last date you met with the student to discuss progress in the course. If you have no record of the student's attending, do not enter a date. Instead, use the grade of EV, which indicates that the student never attended the course.

Questions regarding this policy or procedure should be referred to the Financial Aid Office, 878-4902. The grading guide (PDF, 162 KB) may also assist you.

Graduating students from Buffalo State College or any other institution are welcome to participate in the 2022 Lavender Graduation Ceremony on Thursday, May 19, from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Assembly Hall. Lavender Graduation is an opportunity for graduating LGBTQ+ students to be celebrated and honored for their achievements and contributions they bring to our campus. 

Please register to attend the ceremony by noon Tuesday, May 17. Please contact Michael Heflin, assistant dean for inclusion and equity, with questions.

From the Interim Associate Vice President for Human Resource Management
As we prepare our individual and departmental annual reports for 2021–2022, I am taking this opportunity to remind supervisors that annual performance evaluations for all professional and civil service employees are required by college, SUNY, and state civil service policy as well as all collective bargaining unit agreements.

President Conway-Turner has communicated to the campus community that she considers performance programs and evaluations to be a primary responsibility of all supervisors, and it is her expectation that these be done each year for all employees. We rely on supervisors to provide honest and constructive feedback to staff to assist them in addressing any performance issues and providing positive commentary where appropriate to motivate and encourage excellent performance. Supervisors should be aware that fulfilling this important responsibility will be considered in decisions to award discretionary increases, promotions, and other personnel actions.

The evaluation cycle for professional employees with permanent appointment and for Management Confidential employees is July 1–June 30 of each year, which aligns with the cycle for annual reports. The evaluation cycle for classified employees with permanent appointment is April 1–March 31 of each year. Human Resource Management tracks and records completed performance evaluations for all employees.

Employees with probationary or term appointments should be evaluated on cycles beginning with the date of appointment. Human Resource Management will remind supervisors when evaluations or recommendations related to probationary and term appointments are required.

Evaluations should be based on a performance program that clarifies job expectations and goals for the following year. Job descriptions should be reviewed each year and updated as appropriate. Please ensure that this information is current for your professional and civil service employees.

Managing employee performance with job descriptions, performance programs, and evaluations is an ongoing process of communication between a supervisor and an employee and provides an opportunity to address issues in a timely fashion and to more effectively foster employee development. By clarifying job expectations, responsibilities, and providing specific feedback, you enhance your staff's ability to be successful in their work and meet expected outcomes and goals.

Information and forms on the performance evaluation process is available on the Human Resource Management website.

If you have questions or need assistance with employee evaluations, please contact Human Resource Management at kawalel@buffalostate.edu.

Thank you for your cooperation in this important process.

Unfortunately, we are no longer able to access our old Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore Instagram account to restore it. Please like our new account to stay up to date on the goings-on at the bookstore.

Find us on Instagram at @buffalostatebengalsbookstore.

Same great bookstore, shiny new account!

Thank you.
The Bookstore Staff

The English Department book sale has expanded to two rooms (now in Ketchum Hall 327), with a rich assortment of contemporary and classic fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, life writing, art, and mystery fiction. Prices from 25 cents to $3. Special CEP week hours will be Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, May 17–19, 1:00–2:00 p.m. All sales benefit student research.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The final meeting of the College Senate for spring 2022 will be held tomorrow, May 13, at 2:00 p.m. in Bulger Communication Center 215 (Newman Lecture Hall). Please note the one hour earlier start time. Please contact Vincent Masci, assistant to the College Senate, with questions.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The University Faculty Senate 2022–2023 Standing Committee application for the nine standing committees is now open. Standing committees drive most of the initiatives, resolutions, white papers, and actions of the UFS. Please take some time to review the committee charges to familiarize yourself with the scope of their work.

Before applying, please consider the time commitment required.

• At minimum, you can expect to attend monthly meetings (virtual) and carry out assigned individual or collaborative research and actions for your committee.
• Most importantly, all committee members are expected to attend in person the UFS Fall Planning Meeting, which will be held this year in Saratoga Springs, New York, on Thursday and Friday, September 8 and 9. This meeting is mandatory, and in-person participation is required. Those with valid ADA/COVID requirements may request accommodations for remote participation by contacting the UFS Office.

Committee member terms are one year with eligibility for renewal each year for (usually) up to three years, after which members are asked to either change committees or take a year off. Committee chairs are selected by the UFS president and are the main conduit between the committee and the executive committee. The executive committee brings all approved committee work to the body at least once a year.

To apply:

• New committee members must fill out the registration form and submit a CV. Returning committee members must also fill out the registration form if they wish to continue to serve on the same committee (no CV required) or if they wish to apply to serve on a new committee (new CV required).
• CVs must be no more than two pages and include the information that is most current and applicable to the committee(s) to which you are applying. Unless publications are specifically relevant, please do not include in your submitted CV.
• The executive committee will review all applicants and place them on committees where needed at the Summer Planning Meeting in June. Your first choice of committees is not guaranteed, but UFS does try to accommodate applicants' interests when able. UFS will communicate via email an acceptance or denial letter by Friday, July 1. Once accepted, you should arrange for travel to the UFS Fall Planning Meeting. You will begin receiving listserv communications from your committee chair by Friday, July 15.

If you have questions before applying, please email jennifer.redinger@suny.edu.

2022-2023 COMMITTEE REGISTRATION