Bengals Dare to Care is traditionally a day of service for the Buffalo State community in partnership with local organizations, hosted by President Conway-Turner. To keep our students and community safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bengals Dare to Care 2020 has been reformatted to a monthlong experience to demonstrate Buffalo State’s commitment to social responsibility, community building, and social justice.

Members of the campus community are invited to join President Conway-Turner in Bengals Dare to Care 2020 to learn, engage, and take action on racial justice.

Each week will focus on a topic, feature a virtual speaker event, provide additional resources for engaging in the issue on a local level, and list ways in which individuals can take action.

----------------------------------------------------------

October 26–November 1: Voting, Civil Rights, and Racial Justice

• Tuesday, October 27, 4:00–5:00 p.m., Franchelle C. H. Parker and Max Anderson, Open Buffalo

----------------------------------------------------------

November 2–8: Education and Racial Equity 

Wednesday, November 4, 2:00–3:00 p.m., Daniel Robertson, Manager of Boys and Men of Color Initiative, Say Yes Buffalo

----------------------------------------------------------

November 9–15: Diverse Perspectives within Racial Justice: LGBTQ+ and Differently Abled

• Monday, November 9, 12:30–1:30 p.m., Kirby Briggs, Kirby’s Korner, and Alex Burgos, MOCHA Center

----------------------------------------------------------

November 16–22: Food Security, Housing, and Race

• Thursday, November 19, 12:15–1:15 p.m., Ada Garcia-Poll, ’18, and Hannah Kalmeyer, ’21

Faculty members are welcome to include Bengals Dare to Care 2020 virtual events, resources, and action items in their syllabi for student participation. Please ask your students to register, or e-mail your class roster (names, e-mails) to the CCE.

More information and a link to register can be found on the Civic and Community Engagement Office website.

Across the country, many communities are seeking individuals to become poll workers for the upcoming election. Poll workers support the election process in roles such as voting station setup, voter check-in and ballot distribution, machine operation, and more. They serve an essential role to ensure that elections run smoothly and that voters have a good voting experience.

Fifty-six percent of poll workers are over the age of 60, and because of COVID-19, fewer are signing up for the job. If a polling location or county is short on poll workers, voters may experience long lines and wait times to vote or the consolidation of polling locations.

Members of the community are being asked to consider becoming a poll worker to

• get paid for their role in keeping our elections working,
• protect older cohorts of poll workers who are at a higher risk for COVID-19,
• ensure that their community’s election process is smooth and efficient for voters.

You can learn more about the responsibilities of becoming a poll worker and express your interest in being a poll worker for early voting or general election day.

The Career Development Center is excited to announce that the 20th annual Part-Time-Job Luau has gone virtual! The virtual luau for part-time jobs and paid internships will be held on Thursday, September 17, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on BengalLink (formerly ORCA).

On-campus departments seeking to hire student assistant positions (non-work-study) are invited to attend. Registration is free for on-campus departments. The deadline to register is Tuesday, September 15.

Please help us advertise the virtual luau to students seeking part-time jobs and paid internships. More information and a list of organizations attending can be found on the CDC website under the Events tab.

Need a break? Join Performing Arts Center director Andy Binder as he hosts a virtual Zoom trivia contest for Buffalo State College faculty and staff members on Tuesday, September 15, from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. Questions will cover a wide variety of topics, including geography, pop culture, history, science, and random facts.

Please register through the Workshop Registration System. 

In an effort to support and mobilize Buffalo State College voters, the Civic and Community Engagement Office will host a series of Virtual Voting Workshops that are open to all students, faculty, and staff. 

Please join by Zoom or by phone at (929) 205-6099: Meeting ID: 870 5761 6218

• Tuesday, September 15, 1:00–1:30 p.m., How to Register to Vote
• Wednesday, September 23, 6:00–6:30 p.m., How to Register to Vote
• Thursday, October 1, 1:00–1:30 p.m., Applying for an Absentee Ballot
• Tuesday, October 6, 1:00–1:30 p.m., Voting: Absentee Ballots, Early Voting, Election Day
• Tuesday, October 13, 1:00–1:30 p.m., What’s on My Ballot and Making a Voting Plan
• Wednesday, October 21, 6:00–6:30 p.m., What’s on My Ballot and Making a Voting Plan
• Wednesday, October 28, 6:00–6:30 p.m., What Are My Rights at the Ballot Box?
• Thursday, November 5, 1:00–1:30 p.m., The Election Happened. What’s Next?

The September-October issue of the PACM and DSA newsletter is now available online.

The newsletter allows you to learn more about applied math and data science through interesting journal articles; interactive dashboards; upcoming events (such as career panels, seminars, and conferences); significant news articles; and featured profiles of faculty, alumni, and industry professionals. By providing you with timely and relevant information, we help you stay up to date with the fields of applied math and data science.

The September-October issue features a profile on our newest faculty member, Murray Richburg; information about the DSA Fall Seminar series; interesting data science articles; and more. A link to subscribe is included in the upper left corner of the newsletter.

Faculty members from the Teacher Education Unit are encouraged to join the fourth and final "Lunch and Learn" session, sponsored by the CEEDAR Center, today, September 2, from noon to 1:00 p.m. via Zoom videoconference, to wrap up our discussions about online teaching and learning. Presenters will be Todd Sundeen, associate professor in the School of Special Education; Corey Pierce, associate dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences; and Lori Peterson, associate professor in the College of Behavioral Sciences, at the University of Northern Colorado.

Registration is required. The meeting link will be sent upon registration.

The University of Northern Colorado has robust online and hybrid offerings and is the largest teacher preparation program in the state. UNC also houses the Colorado Center for Rural Education, which has long-standing experience in providing successful distance learning.

Please contact Shannon Budin, professor of exceptional education, with questions.

All faculty and staff members at Buffalo State are invited to a Bible study on Friday, September 4, at noon via Zoom videoconference. We are currently in the middle of a 12-week study of Jeremiah. We usually have about a half-hour of study and then 15 minutes of sharing and prayer. If interested, please e-mail David Ettestad, professor of physics, for the link.

With the recent release of the new Buffalo State College website, the Marketing and Communications web team is currently working to update the college’s Drupal templates. More than 155 official template sites, representing academic departments, centers, programs, and administrative offices, are currently online. Official templates are designed to enhance and support campus communication, so it is critical for us to receive your feedback about features, functionality, design, and communication needs. Please take a moment to complete this web template survey. Additional comments or questions may be sent to Melissa Meehan, director of web services.

The campus community is invited to attend the New York State EAP webinar “Self-Care: Beyond Washing Your Hands” on Friday, September 11, from noon to 12:30 p.m.

It's advice you hear everywhere: wash your hands. This is one of best ways to prevent the spread of disease. During this seminar, Linda Carignan-Everts, NYS EAP wellness coordinator, will share other ways to take care of yourself. These simple acts can keep you physically and mentally fit during your work from home day.

Please join us!

-------------------------------------------------------
To join the training session
-------------------------------------------------------
1. Visit the NY State Webex training website.
2. Enter your name and e-mail address.
3. Enter the session password: WellNYS2020
4. Click "Join Now."
5. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen.
-------------------------------------------------------
To join the session by phone only
-------------------------------------------------------
To receive a call back, provide your phone number when you join the training session, or call the number below and enter the access code.
Phone: (518) 549-0500
Access code: 161 207 4170