Please join SUNY OER Services and Carnegie Mellon University’s Open Learning Initiative (OLI) to learn how faculty members are helping students develop effective study strategies using the Student Cognition Toolbox during this webinar on Wednesday, April 21, from noon to 1:00 p.m. The Student Cognition Toolbox is available to all SUNY faculty and students at no cost on SUNY OER Ready-to-Adopt Courses.

Catherine Overson and Victor Benassi of the University of New Hampshire's Center for Excellence and Innovation in Teaching and Learning will discuss their research into student study behaviors and the short online companion course they created to help students develop effective study strategies to meet their learning goals—the Student Cognition Toolbox, designed in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University’s Open Learning Initiative (OLI).

This session will be presented by Hal Turner of the Open Learning Initiative, accompanied by Drs. Overson and Benassi, and facilitated by Tony DeFranco of SUNY OER Services.

Registration is open for this free webinar.

Learn how to strengthen your online and hybrid skills to enhance your course design and increase student engagement with the Online Course Development Series. This series prepares instructors to design, develop, and enhance online or hybrid courses using best practices of online teaching and learning.

Instructional Design and Distance Learning is currently offering two formats of the online course development series:

1. Online Course Development Series: Facilitated Online Asynchronous through Blackboard Learn
This facilitated online asynchronous series provides the opportunity to work on online or hybrid course development while receiving individualized feedback.

This series begins Monday, June 7, and ends Sunday, July 25. More information and a link to register can be found in the Workshop Registration System.

2. Online Course Development Series: Online Self-Paced through Blackboard Learn
Instructors can enroll in the self-paced online course development series to participate in the series at their own pace. Instructors have the opportunity to meet with an instructional designer at the end of the series to receive feedback on course design.

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Brooke Winckelmann, instructional designer, Instructional Design and Distance Learning.

SANS.org, a provider of information security awareness training, has published a new OUCH! newsletter, "Privacy: Protecting Your Digital Footprint." View and download other articles from this organization in the Ouch! archives.

Please join us for "Be Embodied: A Guided Meditation to Calm Your Mind," facilitated by Jenna Fadale, registered dietitian and Buffalo State alumna, on Friday, April 16, from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m. via Zoom. 

This 45-minute meditation session will teach participants how to calm their minds using the body and breath as tools. The session will start off with light stretching to help the body get comfortable for seated meditation. Guided relaxation and breath awareness techniques are used to help participants develop their mind-body connection. At the end of the practice a sacred sound, known as a mantra, is used to help deepen concentration and promote relaxation.

For more information and to register, please visit the Workshop Registration System.

Please join us for a "Loving-Kindness Meditation," presented by Berg Miller, assistant professor in the Social Work Department, on Friday, April 23, from noon to 12:30 p.m. via Zoom. 

Loving-kindness meditation (sometimes called “metta” meditation) is a great way to cultivate our propensity for kindness. It involves mentally sending goodwill, kindness, and warmth toward others. Join us for a 10-to-15-minute synchronous meditation to help ground yourself so that you might also be more present to others.

For more information and to register, please visit the Workshop Registration System.

From the Chair of the College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee
Three at-large College Senate positions will become vacant on August 30, 2021. Additionally, one University Faculty Senate alternate position is vacant. Two at-large Senate seats will be open to academics only, and one at-large seat will be open to professionals and academics. All full-time faculty and professional staff members are eligible to run for these seats provided they meet other eligibility requirements (see below).

At-large senators represent the entirety of the college. The University Faculty alternate senator is a senator within both the College Senate at Buffalo State College and the SUNY University Faculty Senate. The alternate attends SUNY University Faculty Senate meetings only in the absence of the University Faculty senator.

A call for nominations and information about candidates’ statements is posted on the College Senate website. The call for nominations begins at 12:01 a.m. Monday, April 26, and continues through 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 30. Elections for these positions will run from 12:01 a.m. Monday, May 3, to 11:59 p.m. Friday, May 7.

Eligibility: Current College Senate members who are completing two consecutive terms in their respective positions are not eligible for reelection. For additional information on eligibility requirements, please consult the Bylaws of the College Faculty on the College Senate website.

Campaigning: The College Senate Bylaws and Elections Committee strongly discourages using college e-mail services for campaigning. Please limit campaigning to the candidate statement posted on the College Senate website, available to the college community on Monday, April 26.

Please note: Individuals running for a senator position in another election may not also run for an at-large senator position while the other election is being conducted. If the other election concludes during the period when nominations for at-large senators are still being accepted, eligible individuals may self-nominate for the position.

If you are interested in being a candidate, please contact Vincent Masci, assistant to the College Senate. We look forward to your participation in the vital process of campus governance.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The next meeting of the College Senate for the spring 2021 semester will be held tomorrow, April 9, at 3:00 p.m. via the videoconferencing platform Zoom.

Zoom meeting link
Meeting ID: 810 5155 2659
Passcode: 309617

Did you know it is an election year? The CSEA Local 640 will hold elections in June for the positions of president, vice president, recording secretary, and treasurer.

An email containing important election information went out to all CSEA members on March 31. If you have not received this email, please contact Mary Codick, CSEA Local 640 Election Committee chair, to ensure you are entered into the email list correctly.

If you have questions about the election process, please contact one of the CSEA Local 640 Election Committee members listed below:

Mary Codick, Chair, Chase Hall 222, 878-6121
Jennie Silverman, Classroom Building B207, 878-4606
Brian Everett, Clinton Center 120, 878-6124

Statistical Analysis System (SAS) analytics software is up for renewal. As part of our IT software assessment process, we are asking for user feedback. This is a very important part of the software assessment and is your chance to voice your perspective on the product.

Please take the SAS Analytics Sofware Assessment. Responses are due by Thursday, April 15. Thank you.

Please join the Dean of Students Office for its annual Take Back the Night event today, April 7, at 6:00 p.m via Zoom. Take Back the Night is an international event and nonprofit organization with the mission of ending sexual, relationship, and domestic violence in all forms. Hundreds of events are held in over 30 countries annually. This year's Take Back the Night Event will feature a speaker from RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) and Crisis Services of Buffalo, as well as student performances. For more information, please email Nina Pierino, sexual violence prevention coordinator.