The 2020–2021 re-recognition process for returning student organizations is officially underway. To ensure the educational integrity of co-curricular activities on campus, the college has established registration procedures for student organizations. Student Leadership and Engagement oversees the recognition process. Student organizations include clubs, organizations, fraternities, sororities, social fellowships, and honorary societies. 

For the upcoming academic year, all Buffalo State student organizations are now REQUIRED to register on Bengal Connect. This includes having an active, updated Bengal Connect page listing the organization’s executive board, roster, and constitution. All student organizations must complete this process in order to be considered an affiliated entity of Buffalo State College.

Re-Recognition Process for Returning Student Organizations
Student organizations already recognized at Buffalo State must apply for re-recognition annually. It is the responsibility of the student organization to complete this process. Failure to comply with the re-recognition process may result in a revocation of the student organization’s recognition status.

The deadline to apply for re-recognition is Friday, September 18. Re-recognition will take place via Bengal Connect, and all student organizations are required to have an updated and active Bengal Connect page.

Step-by-step instructions to complete re-recognition on Bengal Connect can be found on Student Leadership and Engagement website.

Student organizations that have already completed re-recognition must still update their student organization Bengal Connect page.

Process for Re-Recognition:

1. Complete the student organization re-recognition process via Bengal Connect.
2. Provide an updated active membership roster of at least seven Buffalo State students, including the newly elected executive board (president, vice president, treasurer, secretary) for the 2020–2021 academic year. All executive board members must be registered as full-time (12 credits), matriculated Buffalo State students.
3. Submit the student organization’s most recent constitution and bylaws via Bengal Connect.
4. Submit an updated Adviser Agreement Form. Student organization advisers must be full-time Buffalo State faculty or staff members.

Please note: Upon completion of the re-recognition process, all student organization executive boards are required to complete the “BSC Consent Convos” training sponsored by the Dean of Students Office. Please e-mail Nina Pierino, sexual violence prevention coordinator, to make arrangements.

Mandatory Annual Meeting in Fall 2020

All student organizations will be required to attend a mandatory annual meeting with Student Leadership and Engagement to be trained on Buffalo State policies and procedures.

The following two sessions will be available for students to select from. Both sessions will be virtual. Please choose one.

• Thursday, September 10: 12:30–1:30 p.m.
• Friday, September 11: 3:30–4:00 p.m.

Student organization representatives should RSVP to attend a session, and a meeting link will be sent to them via e-mail.

At least one representative from each student organization is required to attend this meeting. Student organization representatives can indicate which date their organization will attend on the re-recognition form. Failure to do so may result in the following:

• All current space reservations will be placed on hold.
• Organizations will be unable to reserve future space in the Campbell Student Union, Butler Library, academic buildings, recreation fields, the Houston Gym, or the Sports Arena.

Benefits of Student Organization Recognition

• Acknowledgment by the college that the student organization is an affiliated entity.
• Use of the college’s name to indicate location of the organization.
• Use of the college’s logo and identity marks. Please refer to the college’s rules and regulations on trademarks and licensing.
• Space reservation on campus: Registered clubs and organizations are eligible to reserve space in the Campbell Student Union, Butler Library, academic buildings, recreation fields, the Houston Gym, and the Sports Arena.
• Advance scheduling of major events: Registered student organizations can schedule all major events one semester in advance.
• Ability to be funded through the Student Activity Fee.

More information related to student organizations at Buffalo State can be found on the Student Leadership and Engagement website.

Buffalo State recognizes that student clubs and organizations are an important part of the college experience. Student Leadership and Engagement has a team of people available to answer any questions and assist organizations in this process.

The NYS Employee Assistance Program continues to host the very popular WellNYS Daily To-Do e-mail. This program sends a daily e-mail with a tip that encourages a healthful behavior. Sign up to receive the WellNYS Daily To-Do e-mail every morning.

The WellNYS Everyday Monthly Challenge Program is another option that promotes practicing a healthful behavior for 20 days out of the month, which hopefully develops into a habit. Sign up for the WellNYS Everyday Monthly Challenge Program.

September monthly challenge: Boost your energy

Iroquois Drive will be closed from the Coyer Entrance to the west driveway of Lot I-39 starting today, August 28, through Friday, October 16, to accommodate reconstruction of the roadway (campus map, PDF, 4.3 MB). During this time, when through traffic on Iroquois Drive cannot be maintained, drivers will be directed to use Rockwell Road. A two-way detour to Rockwell Road has been posted.

All parking lots along Iroquois Drive will remain open during this time. Drivers wishing to access these lots should enter Iroquois Drive from Elmwood Avenue.

The Iroquois Drive reconstruction project is replacing the deteriorated roadway and drainage system. It will provide additional sidewalks for pedestrian use, high-visibility crosswalks, and LED site lighting.

Thank you for your patience as this important construction project continues. Questions may be e-mailed to vpfm@buffalostate.edu.

The State University of New York will host a systemwide event, "Constitution Day: Deliberation on Voting in the United States," on Thursday, September 17, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Constitution Day is an opportunity for students from across the SUNY system to participate in an open dialogue on voting.  Faculty and staff moderators will help guide the discussion and facilitate open and honest conversation. This event will be delivered online in real time. Please register to receive access information to this free online event. The access information will be sent to you about one week before the event. Registration closes Thursday, September 10, or when the event reaches capacity.

This event will be held in the form of a public deliberation on the history, problems, and future of voting in the United States. Students will have the opportunity to meet with other students in colleges throughout the system to discuss these topics in small groups via Zoom. This event will use materials developed by the National Issues Forums Institute (NIFI) of Dayton, Ohio, as part of its With the People initiative. 

Please promote this event to your students. The hope is to have a robust discussion, with students sharing ideas and working through the issues with their peers from across the system.  

If you have questions, please e-mail Peter Sawyer, chair of the History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences Department and director of the Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement at Hudson Valley Community College.

Join the Civic and Community Engagement Office and Campus Compact for a webinar on Wednesday, September 2, at 3:00 p.m. to learn more about Campus Compact's Safe Elections Project and the critical role students can play in ensuring a safe, fair, and accessible election this November as poll workers. Participants will learn more about the scope of the current crisis, why poll workers are so important, how to inform themselves about local rules and regulations, and how to mobilize students and recent graduates to help meet this crucial national challenge.

There is no charge for the webinar, but registration is required. 

Faculty, staff, and students who visit the IT Help Desk in person for help during the fall semester must first schedule an appointment. In adherence with new campus safety policies, the IT Help Desk can no longer accept walk-ins. Please use this online system to book your 15-minute time slot ahead of your visit.

Faculty, staff, and students should make every effort to resolve their technical issues through other means before scheduling a visit to the Help Desk. Most questions and problems can be addressed via our 24/7 self-help resources, by submitting a Login Assistance or General Technology Help ticket, or by calling or e-mailing the Help Desk (878-4357).

If you need to schedule an appointment, please arrive on time and be aware that all visitors are required to practice physical distancing and wear face coverings for the duration of the appointment. Appointments will be canceled if you fail to arrive within 10 minutes of your scheduled time.

To help reduce the potential spread of COVID-19, Buffalo State College is following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding mechanical ventilation systems. While ventilation cannot address most aspects of infection control, modifications to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems can help to some extent.

The campus has ordered high-performance MERV-13 filters, which will be installed in all air-handling systems. Filters and systems will be monitored and maintained to ensure proper operation.

In addition, the ventilation systems will be operated for longer hours, with more outdoor air being supplied to indoor spaces where possible. Ventilation systems in all student housing facilities and all restrooms will be operated continuously.

There may be areas of the campus that are warmer or cooler than usual as a result of these changes. Individuals are asked to please accommodate these minor inconveniences and dress appropriately, so that the whole community can benefit from these ventilation changes.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Although many class delivery methods have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Student Accessibility Services (SAS) staff would like to remind faculty and students that we are still providing disability accommodations for students. SAS staff members will be available for phone consultations or virtual meetings from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Additionally, “virtual walk-in” hours will be published on the SAS website. While most practices will remain the same this fall, please note the following changes:

• Students who receive disability accommodations will e-mail their faculty members the notice of accommodation letter at the beginning of the semester.
• Online testing: Faculty members who are giving an online test are asked to proactively extend the test times for those students who require it. You will not have to fill out an SAS test form as in previous years. Please review the Knowledge Base article on Test Availability Exceptions in Blackboard.
• On-campus testing: While SAS will have very limited capacity to proctor tests, we do recognize that there are some situations where faculty members will need SAS to help meet students' testing accommodation needs, especially when a class is based on campus. In these situations, we ask that

  (1) students work with their instructors to provide reasonable testing accommodations;
  (2) instructors who are unable to appropriately accommodate students please e-mail Andrea Gustafson, learning and accommodations specialist, at exams@buffalostate.edu.

As always, reasonable accommodations are provided on a case-by-case, class-by-class basis. If you have any questions at all regarding how to best accommodate a student, please do not hesitate to e-mail SAS or call 878-4500. We are here to help!

If a student is granted an override in Banner, he or she must then attempt to register for the course again by entering the CRN on the Add Classes Worksheet at the bottom of the Add or Drop Classes page and click Submit. The student must be sure to click Submit to be successful. The student should not attempt to search for the section using Look Up Classes. The course may not appear available, especially if it is closed because it has reached maximum enrollment capacity.

The Anne Frank Project is pleased to announce the program for AFP 2020: Transformation through Innovation, the 12th annual social justice festival at Buffalo State College. AFP 2020 will be live and remote via Zoom or Instagram on October 13, 14, and 15.

Visit the AFP 2020 website to review the program (updated regularly)

Registration and volunteer info coming soon! 

Questions or concerns? Contact Eve Everette, assistant director of AFP.

About the Festival
AFP’s annual festival is an experiential exchange of ideas with a focus on processing theory into practice. We share diverse performances, workshops, and exhibits that actively engage participants in kinesthetic learning opportunities that connect to the festival's theme, AFP's mission, and the story of Anne Frank.

Our Theme
The global health crisis of 2020 is requiring us to think, act, and educate in new ways to improve our world. “Social distancing” and “flatten the curve” are hashtags dominating our culture. People are re-learning how to tell stories in new physical and digital spaces. Transforming through innovation is how we create, connect, and communicate to serve the needs of our communities. AFP 2020 celebrates the positive innovations in the face of adversity. The festival provides multidisciplinary workshops and artworks that teach the tools and vocabulary to tell stories in challenging times to inspire hope and build strong, safe communities.