Please join us for the webinar "Strategies for Synchronous Engagement in the Classroom and within Your Department," presented by Ashley Martin, director of student achievement programs in Academic Success, on Tuesday, October 20, from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m.

Did you know you can transform virtually any activity you would do in person into one you can deliver in a synchronous? remote setting? During this session, you will learn strategies for improving student and staff engagement during synchronous classes and meetings. You will acquire skills that will allow you to foster learning and productivity while also creating a fun and supportive environment through the use of collaborative learning strategies, free online tools, and breakout groups. This session will be delivered by the director of student achievement programs and student staff running the programs. Additionally, participants will be encouraged to share their own advice for engaging students in the remote setting.

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

Please join us for a training on the use of the deliberative dialogue method as an educational tool for building student capacity to engage in thoughtful, constructive, and critical discussions of public questions, presented by Campus Compact, today, October 1, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Faculty, community engagement professionals, and administrators are all welcome to attend. This training is free to members of the Buffalo State College community.

This training focuses on the National Issues Forums method of public deliberation and includes an overview of the theory of deliberative pedagogy and a deep dive into the method and practice of deliberative dialogue. Participants engage in a practice forum and receive strategies and tools for effective moderation with specific attention to online formats.

The training will be facilitated by Leslie Garvin, executive director of North Carolina Campus Compact, who has more than 20 years of experience working with community groups, faculty, students, and administrators. Since 2013, NC Campus Compact has trained over 550 faculty, staff, students, and community members from 71 colleges and universities to moderate deliberative dialogues. Ms. Garvin leads the efforts to find common ground for action on pressing community issues through the use of deliberative dialogue. She also facilitates the compact's faculty engagement initiatives, including the Community of Practice, Inquiry, and Learning (COPIL) and Partnerships: A Journal of Service-Learning and Civic Engagement.

Campus Compact is grateful to Up to Us for its partnership in support of student civic learning and deliberative dialogue.

Please register online.

The 2018–2020 Community Engagement Report (PDF, 3.7 MB) has been compiled and shared by the Civic and Community Engagement Office as a project of the President's Civic Action Plan Implementation Committee. The report aims to reflect the breadth and depth of Buffalo State's community engagement efforts from across campus. Comments and feedback are welcome.

Join Buffalo State College colleagues for a national presentation through the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, "Community-Engaged Learning in Remote and Online Environments: A Pathway to Success," on Friday November 6, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Presented by Drew Hemler, lecturer in the Health, Nutrtition, and Dietetics Department; Meghan Pereira, director of instructional design and training; Laura Rao, director of civic and community engagement; and Joy Guarino, professor of theater and service-learning faculty coordinator.

Transitioning to remote community-engaged learning during COVID-19 has been remarkably successful for faculty, students, and community partners at Buffalo State College. Join us to learn about how we successfully transitioned a mostly in-person service-learning program to mostly remote activities. Buffalo State has now learned that community-engaged learning can be successful in remote, online, or in-person classes and can help students learn academic concepts through experiential learning. Community-engaged learning leads to increased student engagement, success, retention, and graduation. Now more than ever, community-engaged learning can also help fill critical gaps in supports that community organizations are experiencing. In this session, participants will explore opportunities to connect academic content to community priority through remote and online learning and come away with strategies and project ideas, as well as learn from successful course experiences this past semester.

Register now. Buffalo State is a CUMU member, and registration and participation is included in our membership.

Please join us for the webinar "Creating Video-Based Discussion on Flipgrid," presented by Katrina Fulcher, associate professor of speech-language pathology, on Monday, October 19, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

This webinar will introduce you to and teach you how to use Flipgrid as a mechanism for online discussions in your online learning community.

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

Please join us for the online teaching and learning session "Q&A: Offering Feedback" on Friday, October 16, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Bring your questions about ways to offer students effective feedback. The lab will be "staffed" by members of the Teaching and Learning Center. Whether you have a general question or a question about how to fine-tune what you’re currently doing, we’ll do our best to help! There is no agenda for this session. Show up when you can within the allotted time and leave when you have to.

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

Please join us for the webinar "Creating a Strong and Engaging Instructor Presence in Online Learning Communities," presented by Katrina Fulcher, associate professor of speech-language pathology, on Monday, October 12, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

This webinar will address the importance of instructor presence in online learning communities. Ideas for how to increase instructor presence will be given, including ways to structure online learning environments, ways to infuse your personality, creating engaging lecture materials, and hands-on activities. 

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

Please join us for the webinar "Q&A: Student Reflection and Metacognition" on Friday, October 9, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Come and bring your questions about promoting student reflection and metacognition.?The lab will be "staffed" by members of the Teaching and Learning Center team. Whether you have a general question or a question about how to fine-tune an existing assignment, we’ll do our best to help! There is no agenda for this session. Show up when you can within the allotted time and leave when you have to.

Please register through the Workshop Registration System.

The Professional Development Center is pleased to offer a five-part course series that will provide participants with strategies and frameworks to help them strike a balance between being productive in a remote or uncertain work environment and still spending quality time with their families, friends, and activities they are passionate about.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the day-to-day routines of how we work, care for our families, relax at home, and spend time with our friends. What is challenging about these changes is that our daily routines, which used to be separated by psychological, social, and physical boundaries, no longer have clear divides. A loss of boundaries and routines in our lives can lead to employee burnout and affect our mental health. But as individuals, we have the power to create the routines, boundaries, and personal connections to maintain a fulfilling personal and work life in a temporary uncertain remote or in-person environment.

The hour-long class discussions listed below will serve as an opportunity to connect with colleagues on each topic, share strategies for overcoming similar challenges, and identify on- and off-campus support systems to enhance personal well-being. Everyone participating in the course will be asked to review a short video located in the Professional Development Center Blackboard Organization. (Enrollment instructions for Blackboard are below.) We highly encourage anyone who is interested in these topics to register for all five course discussions, as we believe discussing these challenges with colleagues will help enhance your learning and provide a support system for changes you want to implement.

You do not need to attend all five discussions to view the course videos. You can view them as a self-paced module by following the Blackboard organization self-enrollment instructions. At Step 4, search for the organization “Professional Development Center.” Click on the “Professional Development Center” under “My Organizations” and select the respective module.

Please register for each discussion you are interested in attending. Discussions will be held on the following Thursdays from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. 

Course Introduction
October 8

Part 1: Setting Goals and Boundaries to Create a Purposeful Work-Life Balance in Times of Uncertainty
October 22

Part 2: Minimize Distractions and Stay Present in Professional and Personal Engagements
November 5

Part 3: Align Your Time with Your Goals and Boundaries
November 19

Part 4: Create Balance between the Tensions/Paradoxes You Feel During Times of Uncertainty That Support Your Well-Being Using Polarity Management
December 3

Please contact Rebecca Eggleston, professional development assistant, with questions.

Episode 4 of the Data Science and Analytics program podcast Buffalo State Data Talk is now available. This episode features William Bauer, associate education and diversity director of the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute's BioXFEL program. Dr. Bauer will talk about the work of the BioXFEL Center, the roles of the different members, and professional development advice.

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.