The Faculty-Student Association (FSA) is now accepting applications for the 2021 grant cycle. FSA grants are awarded by the FSA board of directors to fund 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. Please visit the FSA website for the application and guidelines.

The application deadline for the 2021 grant cycle is Sunday, November 29. Applications will be accepted this cycle for virtual programming. For further information, please contact Hope Dunbar, executive director of the FSA.

Come together to network, collaborate, and learn from other instructors during the free Blackboard Digital Teaching Symposium, taking place virtually on Thursday, November 5, from noon to 6:00 p.m.

Following the spring’s emergency shift to remote instruction, faculty members have been remediating their courses using digital tools like never before. With this next generation of online courses now well underway, we will come together to share lessons learned and best practices. Faculty members across the country will take the virtual stage, highlighting what’s working—and what’s not—in their digital teaching practice. Tune in to hear their stories, ask questions, and network. This virtual event, offered by Blackboard, is free.

Please register on the Blackboard site.

The Western New York Writing Project, in partnership with the Buffalo State College Writing Center, invite the Buffalo State community—and the Western New York community at large—to celebrate National Day on Writing, on Tuesday, October 20. 

Most of us write every day. Sometimes because we have to—essays for class or reports for work. But we also jot notes in journals or on scrap paper. We write poems or stories. We send texts and e-mails to our friends and family. We make lists in our Notes app. We write our initials in wet cement. And as we navigate through unprecedented and traumatic national and world events, we might find ourselves writing as an emotional outlet or to effect change. 

What do you write? And more importantly, why do you write? That is the question we pose to you on this National Day on Writing in 2020. Tell us why you write! Tag us, using the hashtag #whyiwrite, and then check in with us on our social media throughout the day on October 20 to see your answer featured and to connect with other writers from across the community!

To participate, find us here: 

Western New York Writing Project: @wnywp on Facebook and @wny_wp on Twitter

Buffalo State College Writing Center: @buffstatewritingcenter on Facebook, @buffstatewritingcenter on Instagram, and @buffstatewhc on Twitter.

Tomorrow, November 3, is Election Day across the state and nation. New York State voters can appear in person at their assigned polling location from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. to cast their vote.

Below are some resources and suggestions to ensure voting is a right that you can access tomorrow:

• Look up your assigned polling location and make a plan for how to get there.
• Choose a time between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. to arrive at your polling location to vote.
• Watch the 6 Tips for First Time Voters video.
• Get to know the candidates on your ballot using a personalized voter guide on Ballot Ready, Vote 411, or another non-partisan website.
• Save the Election Protection Hotline number in your phone in case you run into issues at the polls: (866) 687-8683 English; (888) 839-8682 Spanish; (844) 925-5287 Arabic; (888) 274-8683 Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
• Read and review your rights as a New York State voter (PDF, 615 KB).
• Encourage friends or family to vote on November 3.

Please contact the Civic and Community Engagement Office, (716) 878-3919, with questions.

Do you want to vote in the 2020 election? The Civic and Community Engagement Office is committed to making voting accessible to all Buffalo State students and community members with tools and resources on our website and social media pages.  

Follow the prompts below to create your voting plan or attend a 30-minute virtual voting workshop hosted by a student leader tonight at 6:00 p.m. to create yours! Join by Zoom or by phone at (929) 205-6099.
Meeting ID: 870 5761 6218

Create your voting plan:

• I have confirmed that I am a registered voter.
• I have determined how I am voting:
  • If I am voting by mail, I requested an absentee ballot before the October 27 deadline. I’m prepared to complete and send in mail or drop off before or on November 3.
  • If I am voting early in person between October 24 and November 1, I looked up my early voting polling site options and hours of operations and have a plan for how to get there.
  • If I am voting in person on Election Day, November 3, I have looked up where my polling location is and have a plan for how to get there.
• If I am voting in person during early voting or on Election Day, I know what time the polls are open and when I will arrive at my polling location.
• If I am a first-time voter, I have watched the 6 Easy Tips for First-Time Voters video.
• I have researched candidates who will appear on my ballot on Ballot Ready, Vote 411, or another nonpartisan website
• I have the Election Protection Hotline number in my phone in case I run into issues at the polls: (866) 687-8683 English; (888) 839-8682 Spanish; (844) 925-5287 Arabic; (888) 274-8683 Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, Urdu, and Vietnamese
• I have read and reviewed my rights as a New York State voter (PDF, 147 KB).
• I have encouraged friends or family to vote.

Please contact the Civic and Community Engagement Office, (716) 878-3919, with questions. 

Are you ready to vote in person on Election Day? To ensure that voting information is accessible and distributed to students across the campus, the Civic and Community Engagement Office has put together numerous resources for students on our YouTube and Instagram accounts.

To get ready to vote on November 3, here’s a checklist to help you create your voting plan:

• I have confirmed that I am a registered voter.
• I have looked up where my polling location is and have a plan for how to get there.
• I have chosen a time between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. to arrive at my polling location to vote on Tuesday, November 3.
• If I am a first-time voter, I have watched the 6 Easy Tips for First-Time Voters video.
• I have researched candidates who will appear on my ballot on Ballot Ready, Vote 411, or another nonpartisan website
• I have the Election Protection Hotline number in my phone in case I run into issues at the polls: (866) 687-8683 English; (888) 839-8682 Spanish; (844) 925-5287 Arabic; (888) 274-8683 Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, Urdu, and Vietnamese
• I have read and reviewed my rights as a New York State voter (PDF, 147 KB).
• I have encouraged friends or family to vote on November 3.

Please contact the Civic and Community Engagement Office, (716) 878-3919, with questions.

The early voting period in New York State ends Sunday, November 1. If you want to cast your vote in person, consider going to an early voting polling location near you. All registered New York State voters are eligible to participate in this more convenient and accessible in-person voting opportunity. In most areas of New York State, voters can arrive in person to any countywide early voting location. Use the Vote Early New York website to confirm the polling locations available to you and the hours the polling location is open.  

Important reminders: 

• Any registered voter is eligible to vote early in person during the early voting period.
• Early voting in New York State is available at designated early voting sites from October 24 to November 1, 2020, including Saturday and Sunday.
• Your polling location for early voting may differ from the polling location you'd visit on Election Day. To find your early voting polling location, visit Vote Early New York website.
• The hours that polling locations are open during early voting vary from day to day. To confirm the open hours of the early voting polling locations, visit the Vote Early New York website.
• Since you'll be voting in person, please wear a mask, maintain physical distancing, and bring hand sanitizer. 

Please contact the Civic and Community Engagement Office, (716) 878-3919, with questions.

Early voting begins across New York State on Saturday, October 24, and runs until Sunday, November 1. All registered New York State voters are eligible to participate in this more convenient and accessible in-person voting opportunity. In most areas of New York, voters can arrive in person to any county-wide early voting location. Use the Vote Early New York website to confirm the polling locations available to you and the hours the polling location is open.  

Important reminders: 

• Any registered voter is eligible to vote early in person during the early voting period.

• Early voting in New York is available at designated early voting sites from October 24 to November 1, 2020, including Saturday and Sunday.

• Your polling location for early voting may differ from the polling location you'd visit on Election Day. To find your early voting polling location, visit the Vote Early New York website.

• The hours that polling locations are open during early voting vary from day to day. To confirm the open hours of the early voting polling locations, visit the Vote Early New York website.

• Since you'll be voting in person, please wear a mask, maintain physical distancing, and bring hand sanitizer. 

Please contact the Civic and Community Engagement Office, (716) 878-3919, with questions.

The deadline for New Yorkers to request an absentee ballot is Tuesday, October 27; however, many election officials are urging voters to request their absentee ballots as soon as possible.

Please encourage students to take 10 minutes to complete the online absentee ballot request form from New York State's Board of Elections.

If you've assigned or are offering extra credit for participation in one or more of the Bengals Dare to Care events or activities, and have not done so already, please contact Civic and Community Engagement, 878-3919, so we can update our records.

Bengals Dare to Care will be a demonstration of Buffalo State College's commitment to social responsibility, community building, and social justice. Participants are invited to attend virtual workshops, engage and reflect on racial justice, and take action. Virtual workshops are hosted once a week from October 26 through November 22 and feature the voices of local activists from Buffalo State's community partners, including Open Buffalo, Say Yes Buffalo, MOCHA Center, Kirby's Korner, FeedMore WNY, and Habitat for Humanity Buffalo. 

Registration is open to all members of the Buffalo State campus and WNY community on Civic and Community Engagement's website.