The University Police Department temporarily suspended the grooming standards for the department to allow officers to participate in the ninth annual Goatees and Beards for Charity fundraiser. Participants contributed $50 each to grow a goatee or $75 each to grow a beard for eight weeks, until December 31, to benefit this charitable event. This year, 18 officers participated and raised $1,205 to be donated to the Western New York Police Helpline, which provides 24/7 confidential assistance, information, and referrals by trained police peers to working and retired police officers, corrections officers, dispatchers, and their families. The helpline assists with any issues that may affect work and family life.

The New York State Deferred Compensation Plan will host an educational enrollment webinar on Tuesday, December 28, at 10:00 a.m. for all employees who wish to attend. The NYSDCP, also known as a 457(b) plan, is a supplemental retirement plan designed to help state and local public employees achieve their retirement savings goals and help bridge any potential financial gap in retirement. You may contribute to the NYSDCP in place of or in addition to a 403(b) plan. Please join My Meetings from your computer, tablet, or smartphone. You may also schedule an individual appointment.

The enrollment webinar will explain the benefits of enrolling and participating in the NYS Deferred Compensation 457(b) Retirement Plan and how it can help you better prepare for and live in retirement. The presentation will cover the basics of investing, investment options, pre-tax contributions, and the easy and secure online enrollment process.

Microsoft Teams meeting
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Video conference ID: 118 130 561 2
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(917) 983-6123
Phone conference ID: 701 784 004#

All TEU faculty, staff, clinical educators, students, and stakeholders: please enjoy the December 2021 TEU Assessment Newsletter.

Do you know any junior or senior leaders you would like to nominate for the Student Leadership and Humanitarian Recognition Awards?

Buffalo State College's Student Leadership and Humanitarian Awards recognize students who help make Buffalo State truly extraordinary—students who go above and beyond, who answer the call to service, and who lead their peers and our campus with energy, care, integrity, vision, and creativity. Candidates for these awards are leaders in our campus community, participate in civic engagement and service, and demonstrate a commitment to something worthwhile and enduring. These are the qualities that help define Buffalo State as a truly civil and caring academic community. 

Applications and nominations are invited for the following Student Leadership and Humanitarian Awards:

• The Mildred Campbell Leadership Award
• The Phillip Santa Maria Award for Student Leadership in Equity and Campus Diversity
• The Phillip Santa Maria Memorial Award
• The Luis M. Antonetti Student Humanitarian Award
• The Minnie and Joe Engel Student Humanitarian Award

The nomination and application process are electronic. The deadline for nominations is Friday, February 4, but we encourage early nominations to ensure that all deserving students are considered.

Nominations forms are available on the Dean of Students website. We encourage students to self-nominate, and we invite faculty and staff members to nominate deserving students for consideration. Recipients must be present on Tuesday, April 26, for the awards ceremony.

Questions about the Student Leadership and Humanitarian Awards can be addressed to the Dean of Students Office, Campbell Student Union 311, or by e-mail.

The Theater Department, Casting Hall Productions, and WBNY are proud to present three audio dramas to be broadcast on December 25, 2021, at 5:00 and 6:00 p.m., and at 10:00 and 11:00 p.m.

Directed by Casting Hall president Lissette DeJesus, The Canterville Ghost and The Cask of Amontillado are based on original stories by Oscar Wilde and Edgar Allan Poe and written specifically for radio by Cecilia Fannon and John de Lancie. These two dramas were performed on Halloween night to a live audience and recorded specifically for playback as audio-only works. The Canterville Ghost is a tale about an American family moving into a haunted castle and dealing with the resident ghost. The Cask of Amontillado is a story about how far one man will go for revenge.

A Christmas Scarol, a short comedy by Don Zolidis, was directed by senior theater major Eddie Spaulding. When Tim can’t think of a Christmas gift to get his high-maintenance girlfriend, he’s visited by four terrifying spirits (actually five—they’ve been hiring) who whisk him away on a harrowing and hilarious journey into the past, present, future, and an alternate timeline. This wild and free-spirited adaptation of the holiday classic is a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas (getting awesome presents).

WBNY officially sponsors the college radio app Radio FX and can be found using Radio Garden or at WBNY-FM 91.3.

Winterim provides a variety of activities to support the intellectual, personal, and professional growth of the Buffalo State community. Winterim will be held January 18–21 and is a great opportunity to connect with colleagues and learn from one another. Sessions this year include Intro to Knitting, Therapy Dogs, Buffalo State Trivia, and many more. Please register for sessions through the Workshop Registration System (LibCal).

Employees may update their personal and campus phone numbers, home addresses, and emergency contacts and view their legal name, demographics, and education information in the SUNY System Administration’s Human Resources Self-Service Module. Please take a few minutes to review and update your telephone numbers in the system, including cell, home, and office, as well as your emergency contacts.

Employees are encouraged to review their records annually to ensure that their information is accurate and up to date. Necessary changes may be completed or requested via the Self-Service Module. A user guide (PDF, 364 KB) is available to assist employees in accessing and using the Self-Service Module. Home address and legal name changes may also be requested by completing the paper form. Campus directory updates may be requested using the paper or online Directory Add/Update Form. Departments with multiple directory edits for their staff members may e-mail a list of the changes to Noelle Fisher, office assistant 1 (keyboarding), in Human Resource Management.

Please e-mail Lydia Kawaler, manager of personnel operations, with any questions.

The Young Adult Option 2022 open enrollment period for eligible adult children of New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) enrollees is December 1–December 31, 2021. The New York State Health Insurance Program allows a young adult child up to age 30 to purchase coverage through his or her parent's group health insurance policy.

The Young Adult Option is for medical coverage only; dental and vision coverage is not included. Under the law, the young adult's coverage is subject to all terms of the group policy; however, premiums are to be paid by the young adult or his or her parent, not the employer. The premium is the full cost of individual coverage for the NYSHIP option selected.

Eligibility Criteria
The Young Adult Option is available to young adults who meet all of the following eligibility requirements:

• Be a child, adopted child, or stepchild of a NYSHIP enrollee (including those enrolled under COBRA)
• Be age 29 or younger
• Be unmarried
• Not be insured by or eligible for coverage through the young adult's own employer-sponsored health plan.
• Live, work, or reside in New York State or the plan's service area
• Not be covered under Medicare

In addition, the young adult does not need to live with the parent, be financially dependent on the parent, or be a student. A young adult's eligibility for health insurance coverage through a former employer under federal COBRA or state continuation coverage does not disqualify the young adult from electing this option under NYSHIP. Children of the young adult are not eligible for coverage under this option but may be eligible for health insurance coverage under other programs, such as the Child Health Plus Program. The young adult's parent does not need to have family coverage, nor is the young adult required to have been previously covered as a dependent under NYSHIP, to be eligible to enroll.

For more information or to enroll a young adult child, please visit the Department of Civil Service website.

The Health Insurance Pre-Tax Contribution Program (PTCP) election period is December 1–December 31. The PTCP is a voluntary program that employees can choose to participate in when they are first eligible for health insurance benefits. Employees may also elect to participate or decline participation in PTCP each year during the PTCP election period.

If you choose to participate in PTCP, your share of the health insurance premium is deducted from your wages before taxes are withheld, which may lower your tax liability. In exchange for this reduction in your tax liability, you agree to maintain the same pre-tax health insurance deduction for the entire plan year, unless you experience a qualifying event that would allow you to make a change or cancel your coverage and provide timely notification (within 30 days) of the event. If you decline participation in PTCP, your share of the health insurance premium will be deducted from your wages after taxes are withheld. Employees who do not participate in PTCP may have greater flexibility to make changes to their NYSHIP coverage during the year, as long as those changes are consistent with NYSHIP rules.

You can check your current PTCP status by reviewing your paycheck.

• If you are enrolled in PTCP, your paycheck stub shows “Regular Before Tax Health” in the Before Tax Deductions section. Your health insurance premium is deducted from your wages before taxes are withheld.
• If you are not enrolled in PTCP, or part of your deduction is being taken after tax (e.g., for a non-federally-qualifying dependent), your paycheck stub shows “Regular After Tax Health” in the After Tax Deductions section. Your health insurance premium is deducted from your wages after taxes are withheld.

If you wish to change your pre-tax selection for 2022, you must submit a Health Insurance Transaction Form (PDF, 78 KB) to the Benefits Office in Cleveland Hall 403 by Friday, December 31. For more information about the PTCP, please see the "Planning for Option Transfer" brochure (PDF, 3 MB) or the PTCP Fact Sheet (PDF, 179 KB).

No action is required if you wish to keep your current tax status.

The end of the semester is a good time to clear out old and unused files from your Ensemble Video account. Please refer to the Knowledge Base article Cleaning up files in the Ensemble Media Library for some helpful hints and instructions.

As always, if you'd like any help with the process or have any questions, please feel free to book a one-on-one appointment in the "Ensemble Video Training" or "Ensemble Video Question" categories.