Welcome to the spring 2022 semester! The February 2022 edition of the Promotional newsletter is now available. Stay informed about upcoming events, news, recipes, tips, contests, and more—everything you need to know about what Weigel has to offer. Each month the newsletter will be uploaded to our website.

The newsletter has copies of all event fliers. Click on the image to open the link or swipe to advance to the next page. 

In a similar format to the newsletter, we have also created the online COVID-19 Tool Kit, with information, guidelines, and resources regarding COVID, vaccines, booster shots, testing, appointments, quarantine, isolation, and more. The section will be updated regularly as information and best practices change.

Another new feature is our online self-care series, featuring tips, tricks, events, programs, resources, and more to help you with your self-care.

Here are a few sneak peeks of what you will find in February:

• Contest winners
• Health ambassador spotlight
• COVID booster clinic and eligible dates
• Random Acts of Kindness Week
• Counseling Center Therapy Dog events
• Spring Fitness Center and yoga hours
• Donation station for eyeglasses, cell phones, and hearing aids

Follow us on social media for more contests, events, and programs.

Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on Twitter
Watch us on YouTube
Follow us on Pinterest
Find events on the Public Health Promotion Outlook Calendar

We have also created a GroupMe and Whatsapp group for students and others to join, ask questions, give suggestions, and more.

The best way to find information is to follow us on social media. We will post any last-minute additions, updates, or cancellations as necessary. Consider attending with a friend, team, or org to boost your résumé or earn possible extra credit. If you missed a workshop or have an idea, please email Paula Madrigal, assistant director of prevention and health promotion. Click on the links for more information or visit our social media channels to check out the fliers.

Hope to see you there!

Reminder: Some programs require an RSVP. Also, some custom links are case sensitive.

Please contact?Paula Madrigal with questions.

Keep your financial goals on track with TIAA’s free live webinars. Reserve your spot today at TIAA.org/webinars.

Wednesday, February 16

• Market-Proof Your Retirement
  Noon

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Thursday, February 17

• Understanding Health Savings Accounts
  Noon
   
• Strategies for Staying on Track
  5:00 p.m.

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Tuesday, February 22 

• Estate-Planning Considerations
  3:00 p.m.

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Wednesday, February 23

• At Your Fingertips: Manage Your Money from Wherever You Are
  Noon

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Thursday, February 24

• Discover the Power of Financial Well-Being
  2:00 p.m.

America Saves Week (ASW) 2022 is February 21–25. Since 2007, this national campaign has been encouraging healthful savings habits and financial self-assessment. ASW provides a great opportunity to consider the savings vehicles available through SUNY employment, such as direct deposit (PDF, 2 MB), the SUNY 403(b), and the NYS Deferred Compensation Plan as well as the Financial Education and Planning Tools section of the SUNY Benefits web site. ASW also offers a digital tool kit to help promote this year’s themes:

Save Automatically | Monday, February 21

Save for the Unexpected | Tuesday, February 22

Save for Retirement | Wednesday, February 23

Save by Reducing Debt | Thursday, February 24

Save as a Family | Friday, February 25

We have corrected the page refresh issue in the online campus directory. New faculty and staff members will appear, while separated faculty and staff members will not.

The navigation issue is still present. We will report when that has been corrected.

SUNY’s current systemwide contract with Blackboard expires December 21, 2022. Following an extensive RFP process, SUNY has selected Desire2Learn’s (D2L) Brightspace learning management system to serve as the new systemwide hub of its digital learning environment.

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.

Workshops will be held in Butler Library 314. Please register using the links below or through the Workshop Registration System.

• Wednesday, February 9, 10:00 a.m.–noon
• Tuesday, February 22, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
• Monday, March 7, 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 23, noon–2:00 p.m.

For more information and future offerings of this workshop, please email Jamie Tabone, instructional designer.

The Early Undergraduate Research Opportunity (EURO) program, sponsored by the Undergraduate Research Office, is now accepting applications for the spring 2022 semester. The EURO program is designed to provide lower-division students with an opportunity to work closely with a faculty mentor on a research or scholarly project. A stipend of $1,000 is provided to each student who participates in an approved 10-week project. Alternatively, a faculty member may identify a micro-EURO project to be performed within a time frame of approximately five weeks, in which case students are eligible to receive $500 for participation. Up to $150 is available for supplies needed to complete a EURO project. All awards are subject to prevailing COVID-19 guidelines, IRB restrictions, and funding availability. Students must be classified as freshmen or sophomores, with at least 12 and no more than 60 earned credit hours at the time of application.

For more information and the online application portal link, please visit the EURO page. Applications should be received by Wednesday, February 16, for full consideration.

Weeks of Welcome at Buffalo State College is a programming series hosted by student organizations and the campus community to welcome our students back for the start of the semester.

Information on spring 2022 WOW programs and events can be found by visiting the Weeks of Welcome schedule through the Student Leadership and Engagement website. Faculty and staff members are encouraged to share these engagement and involvement opportunities with students

Interested in hosting an event? Campus departments and student organizations are encouraged to submit programs to be included in the Weeks of Welcome schedule of events. To submit an event, please complete a Weeks of Welcome Program Submission Form.

Please email Student Leadership and Engagement with questions or to learn more.

We would like to take a moment to thank our instructors for a successful launch of the new Testing Center at Student Accessibility Services during the fall 2021 semester. We could not have been as successful without all your positive participation!

As we begin the spring 2022 semester, we would like to make you aware of two issues that increase complications to the Testing Center process and explain why they are there by design.

1. The Testing Center Is Student-Driven

• The process starts with your students making their exam appointments five to seven days before your exam is scheduled for the class. We appreciate that instructors may want to assist their students as much as possible; however, we we ask that you direct your students to the ‘Make Your Exam Appointment in the Testing Center’ link on the Testing Center website so that students are encouraged to observe their responsibility and increase their self-advocacy.
• When students make their own exam appointments, instructors receive an automated email with the appointment details and are thereby notified that their student intends to take his or her exam in the Testing Center. Friendly reminders will continue to be automatically sent until the exam is with the Testing Center. The email also includes a link for instructors to send their exam to the Testing Center, which is our preferred method of delivery. Students also receive a summary of the exam appointment that they have made for their records.
• Testing Center staff members use the information provided by your students when they make their exam appointments to ensure that they will have a space in the Testing Center to take their exam and will have access to all needed exam accommodations or assistive technology. These provisions take time to set up correctly for each individual user and can be requested only by the student.

2. Submission of Your Exam to the Testing Center Using the Online Form Is by CRN for Your Course

• We appreciate that instructors may be using the same exam for multiple courses each semester. Because of the limitations of our database, regardless of the exam being identical, the exam must be submitted to the Testing Center based on the course registration number (CRN) of your course.
• The unique identifier that our database uses to link your student to your course and ties the entire system together is the CRN; therefore, although it is typically not a highly used piece of data, the CRN is the single most important component for our Testing Center.
• We realize that this may cause the occasional instructor to have to make multiple submissions of his or her exam, and for those instructors, we appreciate your understanding. As an alternative, instructors may always drop off their exams in person at the Testing Center, Butler Library 160, during the exam day: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–3:45 p.m.

We kindly ask new instructors and those not yet familiar with the new policies and procedures of the Testing Center at Student Accessibility Services to please take the time to familiarize yourself with your roles and responsibilities available on our website.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Andrea Gustafson, learning and accommodations specialist, who is in charge of the Testing Center at exams@buffalostate.edu, the email address for all Testing Center correspondence.

Thank you for being a part of Buffalo State College’s dedication to equal educational access for individuals with disabilities.

The NYS Employee Assistance Program continues to host the very popular WellNYS Daily To-Do email. This program sends a daily email with a tip that encourages a healthful behavior. Sign up to receive the WellNYS Daily To-Do email every morning.

The WellNYS Everyday Monthly Challenge Program is another option that promotes practicing a healthful behavior for 20 days out of the month, which hopefully develops into a habit. Sign up for the WellNYS Everyday Monthly Challenge Program.

February Monthly Challenge: Create a bucket list or vision board.

An information session for the upcoming International Professional Development Schools (IPDS) Italy program will be held Thursday, February 24, from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. via Zoom. Please inform your students.

Zoom meeting ID: 884 2008 9827
Passcode: IPDS Italy

IPDS programs are open to Buffalo State College undergraduate and graduate students from all disciplines. IPDS provides opportunities for teacher candidates to explore classrooms, teaching, and teacher education programs through study and service exchange activities. IPDS Italy participants complete a pre-travel course during the fall 2022 semester and travel abroad for three weeks during January 2023. Applications are due Sunday, April 3.

Find more details and the application on the Professional Development Schools website.