Blackboard will deploy its Collaborate Ultra v21.10 release on Thursday, June 10, from 2:00 to 6:00 a.m. Collaborate Ultra users will experience intermittent availability during the four-hour maintenance window.

Version 21.10 will expand the availability of Gallery view to participants in addition to moderators as well as allow moderators to use their camera as content to share on mobile devices.

For more information, please refer to Blackboard's Release Notes for Collaborate Ultra page.

Training on Blackboard Collaborate Ultra is available through group sessions listed throughout the year on the Workshop Registration System or by scheduling an individual appointment through the Innovation and Learning Collaborative's booking page.

Educause is offering the webinar “Digital Learning as a Tool for Social Justice” on Thursday, June 17, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. An Educause profile is required and is free to create to attend this webinar. 

Research shows that student performance in gateway courses is a direct predictor of retention and student success; however, Black, Latino, Indigenous, and other minoritized student groups have historically been underserved in these courses, resulting in higher DFWI rates and lower retention rates for these students. Digital learning can be a catalyst for improving course outcomes for historically minoritized students, but instructors also need awareness and tools to address the affective, interpersonal, and situational challenges that Black, Latino, Indigenous, and other minoritized student groups experience. This session will cover strategies for faculty and institutional leaders for digital learning transformation at scale that centers on equity and racial justice.

Outcomes:

• Recognize the challenges of digital learning facing Black, Latino, Indigenous, and other minoritized student groups
• Explain how intentional course design and instructor strategies can improve course outcomes for historically minoritized students
• Describe strategies for digital learning transformation at scale that centers on equity

Please register through the Educause events page. 

Members of the Teacher Education Unit are invited to review the draft of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) self-study that will be submitted in June to our national accreditor, CAEP.

Data collection, analysis, and reflection for over 53 programs are captured in this self-study, affecting more than 1,600 Buffalo State College students enrolled in teacher education and leadership programs. 

Buffalo State log-on credentials are required to access the self-study and evidence. Any questions, comments, or concerns can be directed to Shannon Budin, professor of exceptional education.

Help us welcome first-year students to campus in a BIG way! Marchers and volunteers are needed for Buffalo State College's 15th annual First-Year Convocation, which will be held in person on Friday, August 27, at 10:00 a.m. in the Student Union Plaza. First-Year Convocation gives our newest students an opportunity to be officially introduced and welcomed into our academic community. Additionally, it offers a visible representation of the true network of support available to students throughout their academic career. First-Year Convocation also embeds the idea that we are a community that thrives on supporting our students to create future generations of scholars.

First-Year Convocation requires the enthusiastic participation of the entire campus community to succeed. All departments and offices are encouraged to support this event by allowing personnel to march in the academic processional in regalia* or to volunteer to assist with the various aspects of First-Year Convocation. After a year of remarkable changes, it is our hope to reinforce Buffalo State's commitment to first-year students while providing the official academic welcome to the Class of 2025. Please register online by Friday, August 20.

*Note regarding regalia: A limited number and variety of gowns are available for loan through the Academic Affairs Office and a regalia loan request from the Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore. Please provide your own hood and cap, either rented or owned, if possible. If you have questions, please email us at atp@buffalostate.edu.

Thank you for your dedicated service and commitment to our students!

Blackboard Learn will be updated to Blackboard Learn 9.1 Q4 2020 (3900) on Wednesday, June 9. The upgrade will require Information Technology to reserve a seven-hour block from midnight to 7:00 a.m. to perform the necessary actions. Please plan accordingly. If the upgrade is completed early, the site will be brought back online sooner. This upgrade will give the campus new features and will eliminate and fix some functionality. Please read the Blackboard Learn Upgrade: June 9, 2021 article for specific details.

After the upgrade, if you or your students experience any issues with Blackboard Learn, please restart your computer and clear your browser cache. If you continue to experiences issues, please contact SUNY Online Support Services, (844) 673-6786.

SUNY is pleased to sponsor “SUNY Pride - LGBTQIA+ Inclusion: From Now to Next,” a town hall–style webinar with Chancellor Malatras and SUNY student advocates discussing topics affecting the SUNY LGBTQIA+ community, on Thursday, June 10, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. This conversation, led by students, is open to all campus students, faculty, community members, and allies. Please submit all questions with your registration. If you’re unable to attend but wish to submit a question, please email sunypride@suny.edu. All questions must be submitted by Monday, June 7.

Register today.

Don’t forget to mail your ballots in so they are received at the P.O. Box by the deadline of Saturday, June 12.

Please contact an election committee member with questions.

CSEA Local 640 Election Committee Members 2021
Mary Codick, Chair, Chase Hall 222, 878-6121
Jennie Silverman, Classroom Building B207, 878-4606
Brian Everett, Clinton Center 120, 878-6124

The Buffalo State College community is saddened by the death of Ralph R. Dykstra, ’55, ’71, associate professor emeritus of elementary education and reading, who died May 31, 2021. Dr. Dykstra joined the college in 1967 and retired in 1990. Survivors include his wife, Kathleen. Funeral services will take place in Providence, Rhode Island, on Friday, June 4. More information is available online.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The College Senate Standing Committee Member Interest Form is now available for those interested in serving on one or more of the eight College Senate standing committees for the 2021–2022 academic year. The form will be available until Sunday, August 1.

Come and join our webinar "Give Them Options: Why and How to Incorporate Student Choice into Your Courses," presented by Erica Demler, coordinator of the Math Center, on Tuesday, June 8, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Student choice is a foundational component of universal design for learning (UDL) that, when used in meaningful ways, can motivate and empower students to take charge of their learning. We will briefly discuss some of the theoretical underpinnings of student choice and highlight the benefits it can have for students. Ms. Demler will then offer some practical examples of how she has embedded student choice in multiple ways and at multiple levels within her MAT 311: Introductory Statistics course. We'll finish by exploring ways you can incorporate student choice in your own courses.

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.