Drop by the Campbell Student Union from noon to 2:00 p.m. for a relaxing activity, visit with Erie County SPCA's Paws for Love therapy dogs, and learn more about our free and confidential services for students:

Fireside Lounge: February 14

Main Lobby: February 28, March 11, and April 11

The dean of the Graduate School, Kevin Miller, will host the spring 2022 Graduate School Meeting on Friday, February 25, at 3:00 p.m. via Zoom. The meeting will focus on Graduate School operations, graduate-student related policies and procedures, and updates regarding the Graduate Student Association.

Zoom meeting link
Meeting ID: 841 1417 9116
Passcode: 590727

Questions regarding the meeting or content can be directed to the Graduate School.

Bengal Connect provides students with the opportunity to connect with clubs and organizations, learn about programs and events taking place on campus, and get involved while attending Buffalo State. Faculty, staff, and students are able to log on using their Buffalo State user name and password.

Campus departments are encouraged to use Bengal Connect to promote their programs and events. More information and resources on how to use Bengal Connect can be found on the Student Leadership and Engagement website.

Students Leadership and Engagement will also host two virtual training sessions for anyone interesting in learning more about the platform. Please register if you would like to attend.

• Tuesday, March 8 | 12:30–1:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 15 | 12:30–1:30 p.m.

With more than 50 student organizations such as cultural organizations, club sports, Greek Life, media groups, and more, there are all kinds of ways for students to get involved on campus. If students want to start a new organization, they can register a new student organization through the platform.

All student organizations on Bengal Connect have met the requirements for registration at Buffalo State College. The college recognizes that student organizations are an important part of the student experience and complement the college's commitment to the intellectual, personal, and professional growth of its students.

Information and resources on how to use Bengal Connect can be found in the Engage Help Center. Please contact Student Leadership and Engagement if you need assistance or have questions when using Bengal Connect.

Bengal Connect is sponsored by United Students Government (USG) and funded by the student activity fee.

From the Chair of the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee
As a result of the merger of the School of Natural and Social Sciences and the School of Arts and Humanities, the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee brought forth a motion in spring 2021 to change the allotment of Senate seats. This motion was voted on and approved by the college faculty. On November 24, President Conway-Turner announced:

“I accept the College Faculty Bylaws Article III C(5) changes recommended at the March 12, 2021, meeting with an expectation that the Senate will submit an amendment as detailed in the bylaws charge shared by Senate leadership in the November 2021 meeting of the College Senate.” 

Therefore, the Bylaws and Elections Committee is charged with “future-proofing” the bylaws to transition Senate seats as administrative changes arise. The current distribution is 12 seats for the School of Arts and Sciences, six seats for the School of Education, and six seats for the School of the Professions. No other Senate seats are affected.  
 
Before a motion to amend the bylaws is made, the Bylaws and Elections Committee is asking the Buffalo State faculty (defined by the bylaws as all academic, professional, and managerial employees)?to vote on which proposal should be brought to the Senate for consideration.

Those eligible to vote will be sent an email on Monday, February 14. Please use the link in the email to vote on which proposal for the amendment should be developed and brought to the Senate in March. The vote will close at 11:59 p.m. Thursday, February 17.

The Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State College will reopen to visitors Thursday, February 10, after temporarily closing in response to escalating COVID-19 numbers.

The Lifetime of Themes special exhibition, which opened December 10, 2021, and shut down with the temporary closing, has been extended to May 1. The retrospective Charles E. Burchfield experience provides an expansive look at 50 years of painting with major loans from museums and private collections across the country never before exhibited in Western New York.

New museum installations include Hope Setting in a Bank of Smoke, a mural by Muhammad Zaman inspired by the colors of Charles E. Burchfield's 1917 painting Sun Setting in a Bank of Smoke; Burchfield Palette, imagined by Eclectric Oil and Light, that illuminates from within for viewing outdoors; and Social Justice Stitched Stories, a Stitch Buffalo textile art initiative designed to engage community members with its refugee women artists, staff, and volunteers.

Three other exhibitions previously on view—James G. Pappas: Relative to Music; Founders; and Kurt Treeby: Loss Projection—have also been extended to May 1.

Museum hours will be Thursday–Saturday 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Friday 10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m., and Sunday 1:00–5:00 p.m starting February 10.

Please see the Burchfield Penney website for more information.

Please join the Professional Development Center, Employee Assistance Program and Weigel Health Promotions for "Random Acts of Kindness Week," Monday, February 14, through Friday, February 18. Listed below are some of the events that will be offered, but please refer to the calendar (PDF, 354 KB) for other activities to complete throughout the week.

• What Awaits You Outside in New York State!
  Facilitated by Laura DiBetta
  Noon–12:30 p.m. via WebEx

• Loving-Kindness Meditation
  Facilitated by Berg Miller
  1:30–2:00 p.m. via Teams

• Hot Chocolate Social
  Butler Library 318
  Noon–2:00 p.m.

• All Level Yoga and Mindfulness
  Facilitated by Lorena Mathien and Teresa Corrigan-Beaton
  9:00–10:00 a.m. in Houston Gym 125

• Restoration and Resolve: Guided Yoga Nidra Meditation
  Facilitated by Melissa Meehan
  Noon to 12:45 p.m. via Teams

Please contact Rebecca Eggleston, professional development assistant, with questions.

The Weigel Health Center, in partnership with Wegmans Pharmacy, will host a COVID-19 booster clinic for Buffalo State College faculty, staff, and students today, February 8, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Assembly Hall.

Appointments are recommended. Please reserve your appointment time online.

Please bring your insurance card to the clinic. The COVID-19 vaccine is covered by insurance with no copay and is available at no cost to the uninsured. You must be 17 years of age or older. Please note: Anyone under age 18 must bring with them a signed and completed consent form from their parent or guardian. The parent or guardian must also be available by phone for verbal consent confirmation the day of the clinic.

All participants must wear a face mask.

Wegmans will bring the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines on site for this clinic. If you are receiving a second vaccination dose or a booster shot, you must bring your vaccination card with you.

The Teacher Education Council (TEC) will meet Friday, February 11, via Zoom only. TEC representatives will receive a meeting invitation and Zoom link via email, along with last month’s minutes and an agenda for review. All TEC representatives and Teacher Education Unit members are encouraged to attend. Non-members who would like to attend remotely may contact their TEC representative or Kathy Doody, associate professor of exceptional education, for log-in information.

Note: We will resume our face-to-face meetings in the Grande Conference Room, Cleveland Hall 418, for the Friday, March 11, meeting.

Learn more about the college's Voter-Friendly Campus designation and voter engagement efforts during a brief presentation on Thursday, February 17, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. in Caudell Hall 209. Afterward, take part in a discussion about how the campus community might integrate civic and voter engagement into curricular and co-curricular experiences.

RSVP by email to cce@buffalostate.edu or by phone at (716) 878-3919.

The English Department is holding a book sale on Tuesdays from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. and Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. to noon in Ketchum Hall 214. Thousands of books available, especially mystery fiction, older general fiction, and biographies, as well general nonfiction, current scholarly books in eighteenth-century studies, contemporary lit, and collectibles. Material replenished weekly; sale will run throughout the semester or as long as supplies last. Cash, check, or Venmo accepted. Proceeds will benefit the English Department research and travel fund for students and nontenured faculty.