Please join us for the next Elevating Student Success in Our Current Environment Series presentation, "Meeting Students Where They Are with Digital Supports: A Panel Discussion," with Gregory Wadsworth, associate professor of biology; Kimberly Kamper-DeMarco, assistant professor of psychology; and Mary Beth Sullivan, lecturer in the College Writing Program, on Tuesday, April 13, from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. via Zoom. This presentation will be moderated by John Draeger, professor of philosophy and director of the Teaching and Learning Center. This series is co-sponsored by the Professional Development Center and the Title III Task Force.

What does student success mean at Buffalo State College? What are the individual ways that we cultivate student success at the college, and how can we as individuals apply these practices to our own work to support the students we serve? Join us as we learn from our colleagues their definition of student success and the specific practices we as staff or faculty members can apply to better support the intellectual, personal, and professional growth of our students. Each conversation will involve a 10-to-15-minute presentation from a staff or faculty member focused on his or her definition of student success and effective practices that others can apply to their work with students. These conversations will then be followed by a 45-to-50-minute facilitated conversation by a member of the Title III Task Force about how we can apply these practices to our individual work with students. We will also discuss similar practices colleagues found to be effective and build off of the ideas presented to elevate these practices across campus.

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

Please join us for the webinar "Strengthening Leadership in 2021 with Emotional and Social Intelligence" on Thursday, April 15, from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. via Zoom. 

What does effective leadership look like in 2021, and how can we continue to develop our leadership skill set? During this workshop, staff and faculty members will engage in a discussion about practices and approaches to leadership that were found to be highly effective in 2020, discuss implications for applying these strategies in 2021, and point to resources for continuing to develop these necessary leadership skills.  

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

Registration is now open for the SUNY Student Success Summit 2021: Embracing Equity and Building Inclusive Excellence on Thursday and Friday, April 22 and 23.   

Free for all SUNY participants, this summit will bring together three SUNY communities of practice: Student Success, Applied Learning, and Advising. As SUNY is building capacity and best practices for supporting all students during these challenging times with evidence- and results-based campus and student leadership models and methods, our communities of practice have again joined together to facilitate collaboration, networking, and sharing of ideas to improve offerings for all students across the state.

Presenters from across SUNY include Buffalo State College's own Laura Hill Rao, director of civic and community engagement, and Ann Emo, professor and chair of the Theater Department and applied learning faculty coordinator, as well as speakers from SUNY System leadership and national thought leaders. The summit agenda is available online.

Episode 9 of the Data Science and Analytics program podcast Buffalo State Data Talk is now available. This episode features Kimberly Herrington, a data journalist and founder of Buffalo Business Intelligence. Ms. Herrington shares stories about how data she has analyzed has helped bring meaning to people’s work and how her analysis connected people who uncovered forgotten information. Tune in to hear how she uses all the skills she gained in her nontraditional background to successfully help people tell their stories using data.

Buffalo State's Data Talk podcast series introduces listeners to data and explores careers that involve data. Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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

The WellNYS Everyday Monthly Challenge Program is another option that promotes practicing a healthful behavior for 21 days out of the month, which hopefully develops into a habit. Sign up for the WellNYS Everyday Monthly Challenge Program.

Please note that all campus community members, regardless of their vaccination status, are still required to wear a face mask that covers their mouth and nose at all times while on campus, both indoors and outdoors, including in classrooms, conference rooms, and other public spaces, even when 6 feet of physical distancing is maintained.

Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is beginning to offer new guidance for vaccinated individuals with regard to face masks, Buffalo State College will continue to adhere to its existing mask mandate until further notice.

Exceptions to mask wearing exist only (1) when students are in their private residence hall room or personal space or (2) when eating a meal in an on-campus facility while seated and appropriately physically distanced. Faculty and staff members are likewise exempt only (1) when alone in their personal office or other space or (2) when eating a meal in an on-campus facility while seated and appropriately physically distanced.

Our campus community has done a remarkable job of adhering to the guidelines and keeping our campus safe and healthy over the past year. As more individuals in our community become vaccinated and COVID-19 cases continue to decline, we can see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel; however, now is not the time to relax the precautions that have kept us and those around us safe. Please continue to wear your mask on campus at all times. Together we can continue to keep Buffalo State a safe place for all students, faculty, and staff.

Each spring, campus personnel must decide when to begin cooling campus buildings. Unlike heating systems, air-conditioning systems cannot be turned on and off on a daily or weekly basis. The initiation of campus cooling systems is a temperature-dependent activity performed when nighttime low temperatures are consistently predicted to be 60 degrees or higher.

Additionally, the New York State Department of Health requires that all cooling systems be inspected by an accredited external inspector before activation, in order to comply with the Legionella testing requirement. In compliance with New York energy guidelines, we strive to keep indoor temperatures no higher than 78 degrees in air-conditioned spaces. Your patience is appreciated as we await warmer overnight forecasts and carry out the important inspection phase. Questions about air conditioning can be directed to Facilities Operations at 878-6111.

The deadline for student applications for the Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship (USRF) program is 10:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 31; mandatory faculty mentor approval is due by 10:00 p.m. Friday, April 2. The USRF program supports full-time student research, scholarly, and creative activity each summer under the guidance of faculty mentors. USRF 2021 applications are welcome from Buffalo State College undergraduates in all disciplines with a graduation date of December 2021 or later. Each summer 2021 fellowship provides a student stipend of $2,500, with $250 available for necessary supplies; faculty mentors receive a $500 honorarium. To access the online application portal, please visit the USRF program page on the Undergraduate Research website.

The Applied Fridays conversation series continues Friday, April 2, as David Ben-Merre, professor of English, presents "Mock Trial: The Virtual Version," a discussion of this co-curricular applied learning experience in times of COVID, from 10:00 to 10:50 a.m. via Zoom.

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.

Take A LooK (TALK) videos are short videos created for educators that promote looking at artwork in the Burchfield Penney Art Center’s collection. Youth observe an artwork, create a sketch, and use critical thinking skills throughout the video. Buffalo State College students in AED 100 with lecturer Kathy Gaye Shiroki produced their own Take A LooK (TALK) videos. Their fresh perspective reminds us that personal backgrounds craft many viewpoints to consider when looking at a work of art.

The Student Edition Take A LooK (TALK) videos are posted biweekly on the center’s social media platforms.

Charles E Burchfield, Wind-Blown Asters
Jason Seeley, Backpack
Nancy Belfer, Structures and Passageways

For further information, please e-mail Kathy Gaye Shiroki.