Student Leadership and Engagement is hosting an asynchronous virtual involvement fair on the platform, Flipgrid. All student organizations that have registered for the 2021–2022 academic year are encouraged to record and submit a video to showcase.

The Virtual Involvement Fair will be available to incoming and current students at the beginning of the summer 2021 Orientation. Student organizations are encouraged to submit a 3-to-5-minute video that highlights who they are and what they do.

More information regarding the Virtual Involvement Fair, step-by-step instructions on accessing and recording videos, and the link can be found on the Student Leadership and Engagement website.

Please contact Luke Haumesser, associate director for student leadership and engagement, with questions.

Student Leadership and Engagement reminds students that the 2021–2022 re-registration process for returning student organizations is officially underway. To ensure the educational integrity of co-curricular activities on campus, the college has established registration procedures for student organizations. Student organizations include clubs, organizations, fraternities, sororities, social fellowships, and honorary societies. 

Bengal Connect Requirement
All student organizations registered with Buffalo State College are required to have an updated and active Bengal Connect page. Bengal Connect is provided by United Students Government (USG) to connect students with affiliated organizations and extracurricular activities that enrich the campus community.

Re-registration Process for Returning Student Organizations
Student organizations already recognized at Buffalo State must apply for re-registration on an annual basis. It is the responsibility of the student organization to complete this process. Failure to comply with the re-registration process may result in a revocation of your student organization’s registration status.

Please visit Student Leadership and Engagement's website for step-by-step instructions for Bengal Connect Registration.

1. The re-registration period will begin on April 1 and end on May 31 each academic year.
2. Complete the student organization re-registration process via Bengal Connect.
3. Provide an updated active membership roster of at least 10 Buffalo State students, including the newly elected executive board (president, vice president, treasurer, secretary) for the upcoming academic year. All executive board members must be registered as full-time (12 credits), matriculated Buffalo State students.
4. Submit the student organization’s most recent constitution and bylaws via Bengal Connect.
5. Submit an updated Adviser Agreement Form. Student organization advisers must be full-time Buffalo State faculty or staff members. If you need a new adviser, the Student Leadership and Engagement Office can assist in matching you to a full-time faculty or staff member through the Adviser Interest Form.

All student organizations will be required to attend the mandatory annual meeting with Student Leadership and Engagement to be trained on Buffalo State policies and procedures. This meeting will occur in the first few weeks of the academic year. Each student organization will be required to send at least one representative to this meeting. Failure to do so may result in the following:

• All current space reservations will be placed on hold.
• Organization will be unable to reserve future space in the Campbell Student Union, Butler Library, academic buildings, recreation fields, or the Houston Gym or Sports Arena.

United Students Government (USG) Recognition
The United Students Government (USG) serves as an official recognizing agent at Buffalo State. USG recognition is a separate process and provides student organizations the opportunity to qualify for activity fee funds in addition to other benefits.

All currently recognized USG member organizations must complete USG re-recognition once every three years. However, all organizations are required to register via Bengal Connect with an updated roster, contact information, adviser, and constitution on an annual basis.

Benefits of Student Organization Registration

• The college acknowledges the student organization as an affiliated entity.
• Use of the college’s name to indicate the location of the organization.
• Use of the college’s logo and identity marks. Please refer to the college’s rules and regulations on trademarks and licensing.
• Space reservation on campus: registered clubs and organizations are eligible to reserve space in the Campbell Student Union, Butler Library, academic buildings, recreation fields, and the Houston Gym and Sports Arena.
• Pre-scheduling major events: registered student organizations can pre-schedule all major events one semester in advance.
• Access to Bengal Connect.
• Access to Student Organization Resource Center (student organizations recognized by the United Students Government will receive priority for desk space).
• Ability to be funded through the student activity fee.

The campus community is invited to join us for the final film event of the semester in the Beyond Boundaries Film and Discussion Series, The Infiltrators (2019), directed by Alex Rivera and Cristina Ibarra, on Thursday April 15, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. via Zoom. 

The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

When Claudio Rojas is abruptly detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), his parents reach out to the National Immigrant Youth Alliance (NIYA), an activist group known for halting deportations, in hopes of getting him released. The group sends Marco Saavedra to the detention center undercover to gain access and help free Claudio. Another young activist, Viri, infiltrates the women's side of the facility, working to halt deportations.

The Infiltrators reveals the interior workings of a shadowy detention facility and, by extension, the larger network of for-profit detention centers in the United States. The film highlights how these places house immigrants from across the globe who are all incarcerated without trial.

Watch the trailer.

The Beyond Boundaries Film and Discussion Series is curated by Ruth Goldman and Meg Knowles, associate professors of communication; and Crystal Rodriguez, chief diversity officer, at Buffalo State College. This series is made possible through a collaboration with the Buffalo State Equity and Campus Diversity Office, the Buffalo State Communication Department, and the Burchfield Penney Art Center. 

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

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.

The IRS is warning university students, faculty, and staff members of an ongoing e-mail scam specifically targeting university students and staff. Phishing e-mails that appear to come from the IRS ask you to go to a website and enter your Social Security number, first and last name, birth date, gross income, electronic filing PIN, and more. 

The IRS does not send e-mail to individuals; it uses traditional U.S. mail to communicate.

If you receive an e-mail that indicates it is from the IRS, do not click on any links in the e-mail. Please forward the e-mail to the Buffalo State College IT Help Desk. You may also report the e-mail to the IRS by forwarding the e-mail as an attachment to phishing@irs.gov.

If you believe you may have provided identity thieves with information, the IRS asks you to consider immediately obtaining an Identity Protection PIN. This voluntary opt-in program provides you with a six-digit IP PIN that helps prevent identity thieves from filing fraudulent tax returns in your name. 

If you e-file your tax return and find it rejected because a return with your SSN has already been filed, the IRS recommends that you file a Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit, to report yourself as a possible identity theft victim. See Identity Theft Central to learn about the signs of identity theft and actions to take.

Introducing April's Monday Motivation: Stop in every Monday in April and get any size Refresher for just $2! Choose from our strawberry acai, strawberry acai with lemonade, pink drink, verry berry hibiscus, verry berry hibiscus with lemonade, or violet drink.

April 5–9: BOGO
Why not treat a friend or a co-worker to lunch this week? Stop by and purchase a café beverage and lunch sandwich, and get a café beverage and lunch sandwich free! Offer valid Monday–Thursday 2:00–4:00 p.m., and Friday 1:00–3:00 p.m. Our lunch sandwich options include grilled cheese, Italian sub, ham and cheese foldover, pretzel dog, and tomato caprese.
While supplies last.

April 19–30: Smoothies and Shakes
$3 16-ounce smoothies and shakes are back! With the warm weather approaching, be sure to cool down with one of our smoothies or shakes. Our smoothie options are mango and pomegranate, and our shake options are frozen hot chocolate and frozen white hot chocolate.

As you know, New York State is currently working to distribute vaccines to all eligible New Yorkers, with many SUNY campuses serving as vaccine distribution sites. With the recent expansion of criteria for appointment eligibility, this message is to remind you that all New Yorkers age 30 and older, as well as all in-person college faculty and staff members, are now eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines.

You may visit the New York State COVID-19 Vaccine website at your earliest convenience to learn more and make an appointment. If you still have questions about the vaccines, please view the #KnowYourVax video series, featuring experts from around the SUNY system.

Thank you for all that you have done for the SUNY system and your campus community to help keep everyone safe and our campuses running during this difficult time.

The Student Civic Leadership Board is coordinating “Bengals Care Collective Drive: Care Packages” to benefit Transitional Services Inc. Our students would like to create 35 care packages to support those who are struggling with mental health concerns.  

Donations will be collected on Tuesday, April 20, from 9:00 to 4:00 pm in the South Wing breezeway. All participants must adhere to COVID-19 safety guidelines including wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart, using hand sanitizer, and following volunteer instructions.

Recommended items include the following:

• Shampoo and conditioner
• Lip balm, lotion, body wash, and makeup items
• Razors and shaving cream (men and women)
• Journals and adult coloring books
• Socks, undershirts, and undergarments 
• Gift cards (must be $25 or less in value; grocery stores and department stores are preferred)
• Household items (cleaning supplies, etc.)

Please note: only new items can be accepted at this time.

The collection drive is an action step that is being coordinated in tandem with the Because Bengals Care: Increasing Mental Health Awareness and Erasing Stigma workshop on the last Tuesday in April. This event is funded by the Buffalo State College Grant Allocation Committee. Please contact Civic and Community Engagement, 878-3919, with questions.

The Applied Fridays conversation series continues Friday, April 9, with a conversation about the Beyond Boundaries Film and Discussion Series, led by associate professors Meg Knowles and Ruth Goldman of the Communication Department, from 10:00 to 10:50 via Zoom. Beyond Boundaries, which is finishing up its eighth year, focuses on connecting Buffalo State College students, faculty, and staff with the large community through films and discussions focused on contemporary social justice issues.

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

Throughout the semester, Applied Fridays will examine a number of topics centered on applied learning and how we have adapted to an online environment. A short presentation will be followed by a discussion exploring ways we can design new activities or adapt or revise current projects. The series is sponsored by the Teaching and Learning Center, the Civic and Community Engagement Office, and the Career Development Center.

For more information please contact Ann Emo, professor and chair of the Theater Department and applied learning faculty coordinator.

Please join us for "Restoration and Resolve: Guided Yoga Nidra Meditation," facilitated by Melissa Meehan, web administration director in the Marketing and Communications Office, on Wednesday, April 14, from noon to 12:45 p.m. via Zoom. 

Yoga nidra, or yogic sleep, is a practice that invites us into the state between wakefulness and sleep. This powerful meditation technique draws on the yogic limb pratyahara (withdrawal of senses) and can be surprisingly helpful for reducing stress and mitigating feelings of depletion. Further, yoga nidra's use of the sankalpa, or heart's intention, is an interesting exercise in uncovering what we truly yearn for in our lives. Please prepare a warm, comfortable place where you can rest in savasana during this extended guided meditation; your comfort is key. 

A series of life experiences led Melissa Meehan to mindfulness and yoga. She loves sharing how these mind-body practices can help reduce symptoms related to anxiety and depression, while also helping practitioners build resilience, self-regulation, and autonomy. 

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.