Please tell students that they can receive their flu vaccine during their assigned COVID-19 pool testing as well as by appointment at the Weigel Wellness Center. Appointments can be made by phone at (716) 878-6711.

The vaccine will be provided free of charge and is included in their mandatory student health fee. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is more important than ever to get the flu vaccine this year because of COVID-19. 

Please contact the Weigel Wellness Center, 878-6711, with questions.

Please join us for the first podcast discussion in our Podcast, Walk, and Talk Series, "Overcoming Our Fears by Taking Simple Steps Now to Make Our Pandemic Winter Easier," facilitated by Jonathan Hulbert, director of leadership and organizational development, on Friday, October 16, from noon to 1:15 p.m. via Zoom.

All of us have experienced the stressors, moments of hope, and sadness that have accompanied the events of 2020. At times, this new way of living has plunged each of us onto an emotional roller coaster, accompanied by feelings of a loss of control over our lives. Join a discussion with your colleagues after listening to two short podcasts to explore a powerful exercise called “fear-setting” and the simple steps you can take now to regain a sense of control over your life and make a pandemic Buffalo winter easier.

Take some time away from your desk to go for a walk from noon to 12:30 p.m. and listen to the two short podcasts below. After your walk, join the Zoom call and engage with your colleagues in a virtual discussion until 1:15 p.m. about how we can apply what we learned from the podcast to our own lives. The Zoom link will be sent two hours before the event.

Please listen to these two short podcasts below on your walk:

1. NPR Life Kit
Prepare Now for Your Pandemic Winter. Your Future Self Will Thank You 
Listen on NPR, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify for free.

2. TED Talks Daily
Why You Should Define Your Fears Instead of Your Goals
Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for free.

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

Please note: The incorrect time was listed for this webinar in the message published on October 12. The message below shows the correct time. 

The Teaching and Learning Center and Applied Learning are pleased to announce the webinar “Undergraduate Research in the COVID Era,” presented by Carolyn Guzski, interim director of undergraduate research, on Wednesday, October 14, from 3:00 to 3:50 p.m. via Zoom videoconference.

Research, scholarly, and creative activities play a vital role in applied learning goals, but mentoring student participation in hybrid and all-digital environments can be challenging. The Undergraduate Research Office at Buffalo State continues to provide growth opportunities for all disciplines through student project funding, faculty development and research assistance, and its annual Student Research and Creativity Celebration. This presentation explores strategies for designing new projects and adapting current activities to prevailing COIVID guidelines. Time for questions and sharing ideas among attendees will end the talk.

This is the first session in the continuation of the Applied Learning Conversation Series “Remote and Hybrid Learning.” Sessions on various applied learning topics will be led by Approved Applied Learning faculty fellows throughout the academic year. Each short presentation will be followed by a discussion exploring ways we can design new activities or adapt or revise current projects.

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

Voya Financial has established an in-depth learning curriculum for participants. Its weekly Zoom workshops address the concerns of every individual—whether newly hired, mid-career, or nearing retirement. Workshops provide the financial education that everyone has been looking for but could never find. You do not have to be a Voya customer to participate.

The following workshops take place on Fridays at noon:

Investment Concepts Simplified
October 16
You don’t need to be an expert or a stock market whiz to put an investment strategy into place. By focusing on just a few fundamentals, you can have a solid investment plan for your retirement or other financial goals. This webinar will explain investing concepts in plain English and provide simple, practical ways to help you invest with confidence.

Evaluating Your Investments: Beyond the Basics
October 23
This webinar moves beyond investment basics to evaluation investments using various portfolio analysis tools and resources. Topics include an in-depth look at asset allocation, including sub-asset classes and relative risk and return. Attendees will learn various techniques and best practices to help them create a sound and appropriate investment strategy for their personal retirement goals.

Financial Wellness
October 30
Financial wellness is about a healthy balance between living for today while preparing financially for tomorrow—a balance that lets you live within your means, feel confident about your future, and be prepared for what is next. This webinar will cover the guiding principles of financial wellness to help you identify your own priorities and your next best steps, along with resources to help you get there.

Please e-mail Molly Pecoraro to register. Make sure to specify the workshop(s) you are registering for. A Zoom link will be provided upon registration.

The Health Ambassador Program supports the policies and practices put in place to ensure the health and well-being of students, faculty, and staff as we continue to learn and work on campus during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Health ambassadors will be stationed at four locations across campus Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The following locations will rotate based on feedback and traffic:

• Technology Building lobby (at the base of the stairs)
• Butler Library lobby
• Science and Mathematics Complex atrium
• Campbell Student Union
• Classroom Building lobby
• Bulger Communication Center

Example services:

• Answering questions about COVID-19 health and safety procedures
• Checking temperatures and providing personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Directing people to online resources
• Answering questions about daily symptom tracking 

Please fill out this form if you would like to volunteer as a health ambassador. This is a volunteer position; please sign up for hours throughout the fall 2020 semester. The schedule will be updated biweekly. New volunteer trainings will be held weekly on Mondays at 1:30 p.m via Zoom videoconference.

The Health Ambassador Program is organized through the Prevention and Health Promotion Office in the Weigel Wellness Center.

Please e-mail Paula Madrigal, assistant director of prevention and health promotions, with questions.

The Buffalo State College Archives and Special Collections is pleased to co-sponsor Jeffry Iovannone’s “Gay Places: A Virtual Walking Tour,” in association with Preservation Buffalo Niagara, on Thursday, October 15, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Dr. Iovannone was the keynote speaker for the third biennial E. H. Butler Library Archives and Special Collections Charles Rand Penney Speaker Series in 2019.

“Gay Places” will explore five sites, including their architectural styles and the local LGBTQ stories attached to them, along with the help of materials from the Buffalo State Archives and Special Collections’ Madeline Davis LGBTQ Archive of Western New York. Dr. Iovannone will also share stories from his research on Buffalo’s gay liberation movement and discuss the importance of LGBTQ historic preservation efforts. 

This event draws on research derived from Dr. Iovannone’s blog series,"Gay Places with Dr. Jeff," which similarly heavily mined the college’s Madeline Davis and other LGBTQ+ archival collections.

Additional information and Zoom registration is available on the Preservation Buffalo Niagara website.

Buffalo State College's Public Relations Student Society of America chapter will host a Zoom panel discussion, “Togetherness in a Divisive World: Diversity and Inclusion in Public Relations,” on Thursday, October 15 at 12:15 p.m.

Local public relations professionals serving as panelists will be Rene Petties-Jones, community engagement director for the National Federation for Just Communities of WNY Inc.; Daphne Ross, senior director of college success and communications with Say Yes Buffalo; Kandis Fuller, communications manager for Univera Healthcare; and Marcene Robinson, news content manager at the University at Buffalo. PRSSA chapter president Evan Atkins will serve as moderator.

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend.

Zoom link
Meeting ID: 862 9075 7564
Passcode: 712218

The New York State Education Department Office of Higher Education (NYSED-OTI) has issued Buffalo State College a limited number of e-vouchers (electronic vouchers) to be distributed to students to help defray the cost of the registration fee for the edTPA/ATS-W. To be eligible to apply for an edTPA/ATS-W e-voucher, candidates must have been enrolled in an educator preparation program seeking their first NYS Initial Certificate during the 2020–2021 academic year, be eligible to graduate by or before August 2021, and have successfully completed all other certification requirements (EAS, CST, fingerprinting, Release Authorization form, TEACH application). Students who think they are eligible to apply for an edTPA/ATS-W E-Voucher, or have questions about the eligibility requirements, are asked to e-mail the Teacher Certification Office.

The New York State Education Department Office of Higher Education (NYSED-OTI) has issued Buffalo State College a limited number of e-vouchers (electronic vouchers) to be distributed to students to help defray the cost of the registration fees for the New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE). There are two different voucher types: one for the EAS, and one for the CST. Please tell students to check their Buffalo State e-mail accounts for the application and information to apply for an EAS and/or CST e-voucher, or visit 2020–2021 NYSTCE E-Voucher Application to apply now. The application closes Friday, October 16, at 5:00 p.m.

The Buffalo State College Fitness Center has reopened with new hours following guidelines established by New York State and after receiving approval from the Erie County Department of Health. New hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:00–10:00 a.m., noon–2:00 p.m., and 4:00–6:00 p.m.

Visitors must first show their daily screening approval or Medicat app at the reception desk before entering and are required to wear a face mask during their entire workout. Capacity at any one time has been reduced to 33 percent of maximum occupancy, or 38 users total, in compliance with New York State guidelines. Membership information for faculty and staff members is available online.