From the University Faculty Senators
This week is SUNY's Open Education Week. Please visit the event’s site for free professional development opportunities and resources related to open education.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The next meeting of the College Senate for the spring 2021 semester will be held Friday, March 12, at 3:00 p.m. via the videoconferencing platform Zoom.

Zoom meeting link
Meeting ID: 837 4141 1587
Passcode: 993037

Please join us for the next speaker in our Elevating Student Success in Our Current Environment Conversation Series, "Shoot for the Moon and Reach for the Stars: Encouraging Students to Strive for More," presented Katherine "Katie" La Vecchio, complex director in the Residence Life Office, on Tuesday, March 9, from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. via Zoom.

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.

About Katie La Vecchio
Katie La Vecchio, complex director in Residence Life at Buffalo State College, was previously the assistant director of alumni relations at Adelphi University. She is dual alumna of Buffalo State, obtaining a B.S. in childhood education and reading in 2012 and an M.S. in higher education and student affairs administration in 2014. Since returning to student affairs in 2018, Ms. La Vecchio has been involved with CSPA-NYS (College Student Personnel Association of New York State) in various roles, currently serving as vice president of membership-elect. Her personal interests include bargain shopping (she loves a good deal!); watching sports, including soccer, rugby, and football; and visiting various beverage trails around New York with her husband, Mike.

The 23nd annual Student Research and Creativity Conference (Digital SRCC 2021) will be held virtually in May, at the conclusion of the spring semester, on Buffalo State College’s Digital Commons platform, open to the campus community. Asynchronous digital representations of 2020–2021 research, scholarly, and creative projects in poster, oral presentation, or film/performance video/artwork slideshow formats are cordially welcomed from both undergraduate and graduate students in all disciplines. The SRCC online application features a preview function and will remain open to students for digital abstract submissions through 10:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 17. Faculty mentor approval of student project proposals is required by 10:00 p.m. Friday, March 19.

The annual SUNY Undergraduate Research Conference (SURC 2021) will take place virtually on Friday, April 16, with both synchronous and asynchronous sessions hosted by SUNY Old Westbury. Undergraduate research, scholarly, and creative projects completed during the 2020–2021 academic year are eligible, with online proposal abstracts due by Friday, March 12. The Undergraduate Research Office supports registration fees for all accepted Buffalo State College student presenters and their faculty mentors. For more details, please visit the SUNY-SURC proposal information web page.

Ready up and relax for your midterms during our free virtual Bengal Study Night: Midterm Edition event tonight, March 15, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. The event will feature midterm reviews, extended tutoring, games, relaxation, therapy dogs, and a workshop on preparing for midterms and finals.

Find the link(s) to your session(s) on the Bengal Study Night web page. The page is updated continuously, so stop back often.

For more information, please download the Bengal Study Night: Midterm Edition flier (PDF, 7.8 MB). A text-only version of the flier is also available on the Tutoring web site.

Please contact Lauren Copeland, coordinator of tutoring services, with questions.

Brought to you by the Student Achievement Programs and Buffalo State Tutoring Centers.

Ready up and relax for your midterms during our free virtual Bengal Study Night: Midterm Edition event on Monday, March 15, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. The event will feature midterm reviews, extended tutoring, games, relaxation, therapy dogs, and a workshop on preparing for midterms and finals.

Find the link(s) to your session(s) on the Bengal Study Night web page. The page is updated continuously, so stop back often!

For more information, please download the Bengal Study Night: Midterm Edition flier (PDF, 7.8 MB). A text-only version of the flier is also available on the Tutoring web site.

Please contact Lauren Copeland, coordinator of tutoring services, with questions.

Brought to you by the Student Achievement Programs and Buffalo State Tutoring Centers.

The Applied Fridays conversation series continues Friday, March 12, with "Clinical Placement during COVID," led by Karen E. Edmond, L.M.S.W., director of field education in the Social Work Department, from 9:00 to 9:50 a.m. via Zoom. Her use of online resources and project-based initiatives will be explored and discussed.

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.

Students are invited to attend the virtual workshop “Bank Smart” to learn about the benefits of using credit unions and other types of community development financial institutions (CDFIs) for both their wallets and the community on Wednesday, April 14, at 2:30 p.m.

Part of Buffalo State College's commitment to being an anchor institution, this workshop will discuss typical credit union offerings, how CDFIs build community wealth, and how these institutions compare with traditional corporate banks. This is a great financial literacy introduction for students who may be new to banking and making choices about money. 

Students should register on the Civic and Community Engagement website.

The Faculty-Student Association (FSA) is now accepting applications for the upcoming grant cycle. FSA grants are awarded to fund campus-based and remote and online programs that will promote and cultivate educational and extracurricular activities on the Buffalo State College campus. All student groups and faculty members are welcome to apply for funding. Average grant awards range between $1,000 and $3,000 and must be used before June 30, 2022. Please visit the FSA website for the application and guidelines.

The application deadline for the spring-summer grant cycle is June 30, 2021. Applications will be accepted this cycle for virtual and remote programming. For further information, please contact Hope Dunbar, executive director of the FSA.