The Buffalo State College community is saddened by the death of James E. Westrope, associate professor emeritus of mathematics, who died July 19, 2020, in Fort Myers, Florida. Mr. Westrope joined the college in 1963 and retired in 1991. He is survived by his wife, Ardeth. Services will be held at a later date. More information is available online.

President Katherine Conway-Turner and members of her cabinet will host a pair of virtual town hall meetings to share information about the upcoming semester and answer questions about the college’s return-to-work plans and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The following forums are open only to Buffalo State College faculty and staff members and will be held via Zoom videoconferencing:

Tuesday, August 4: 9:00 a.m.
Thursday, August 6: 4:00 p.m.

Registration for these faculty and staff sessions is available online. Please sign up for one session only. Students are being invited to student-specific sessions to address their questions and concerns. 

Once you register for a specific date, you will be sent a link to the corresponding session. Please reference the COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions site before submitting your question(s).

For more information, please e-mail vpfm@buffalostate.edu. We look forward to seeing you at one of these virtual sessions.

The Buffalo State College Small Business Development Center will conduct the free workshop "Managing Your Business Finances during COVID-19" on Wednesday, August 5, from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. via Zoom videoconferencing. Networking begins at 8:30 a.m. This workshop will provide information on analyzing cash flow, calculating burn rate, and identifying baseline expenses. Also covered will be evaluating accounts payable, receivables, and payroll and implementing strategies to lower operating costs. Discussion will also be based around identifying and using improved technology to increase sales and capture deeper market penetration. To register, please e-mail Olivia Harbol. Registered participants will receive the link necessary for participation.

Buffalo State College will virtually host a four-day cybersecurity workshop, sponsored by Google, for in-service secondary school teachers of Western New York from Tuesday, August 4, to Friday, August 7, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The goals of the workshop are increasing interest in cybersecurity careers and diversity in the cybersecurity workforce of the nation, helping secondary school students understand correct and safe online behavior and becoming good digital citizens, and improving teaching methods for the delivery of cybersecurity content in K–12 curricula. The workshop will present various topics in the area of cybersecurity, including data security, cyber ethics, ethical hacking, social engineering, cryptography, web security, the Internet of things, Python programming, Raspberry Pi, and cybersecurity career awareness.

Ensuring that enough young people are inspired to direct their talents in this area is critical to the future of our country's national and economic security as we become even more reliant on cyber-based technology in every aspect of our daily lives. If you know of any high school mathematics, science, or technology teachers who might be interested in attending, please encourage them to visit the CS4HS website and register for the free virtual cybersecurity workshop.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The first meeting of the College Senate for fall 2020 will be held Friday, September 11, at 3:00 p.m. via Zoom videoconferencing. Web conferencing information will be sent to College Senate members. Please contact Vincent Masci, assistant to the College Senate, for more information.

From the Chair of the College Senate
The Committee Interest Form is now available on the College Senate website for those interested in serving on one or more of the eight College Senate standing committees for 2020–2021. The form will be available until Friday, July 31; forms must be submitted by Saturday, August 1.

The College Senate Office will forward the names of interested parties to the committee chairs for review and consideration. Committee membership is determined solely at the discretion of committee chairs. The College Senate Office has no involvement in the formation of standing committees. Not all committees may need members.

Faculty members from the Teacher Education Unit are invited to attend a one-hour lunch and learn session, presented by Lori Peterson, associate professor in the College of Behavioral Sciences at the University of Northern Colorado, on Thursday, August 13, from noon to 1:00 p.m. via Zoom videoconferencing. The session is for teacher education faculty members who want to learn more strategies for establishing remote classroom communities.

Registration is required.

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. This session is sponsored by the CEEDAR Center.

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

Weeks of Welcome at Buffalo State is a programming series hosted by student organizations and the campus community to welcome our students back for the start of another successful semester This semester, we are going virtual!

Information on programs and events can be found by visiting the Weeks of Welcome schedule on the Student Leadership and Engagement website. Campus departments and student organizations are encouraged to submit programs to be included in the Weeks of Welcome schedule of events. To submit an event, please complete a Weeks of Welcome program submission form.

Questions? Please e-mail Mason Meiler, programming coordinator for student leadership and engagement.

Faculty members from the Teacher Education Unit are invited to attend a one-hour lunch and learn session, presented by Corey Pierce, associate dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Northern Colorado, on Wednesday, July 29, from noon to 1:00 p.m. via Zoom videoconferencing. The focus of the session is for teacher education faculty members who want to learn more strategies for effective remote instruction.

Registration is required.

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

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

Many of us here at Buffalo State College agree that Black lives matter, but what about Black voices? Like most of you, Africana studies faculty members felt disgusted as we watched the video of George Floyd being killed. We think it’s also safe to assume that, like us, you understand that this was not an isolated incident. It doesn’t take much research to see that abuse of Black people by police is a constant in our country’s history, and that it dovetails with job discrimination, unfair banking practices, neighborhood segregation, and mass incarceration to make being Black in America a difficult way to live. We invite members of the Buffalo State community to take the opportunity to utilize Africana studies because of how vital it is for doing something real about achieving racial justice.

Africana studies is a unique discipline within academia because it centers on Black peoples’ perspectives in its analysis of the world. Since the field’s inception during similar social turmoil in the late 1960s, Africana studies has introduced generations of college students to the intellectual and creative knowledge produced by members of the African diaspora.

Any sincere advancements in the quest for racial justice will require viewing the world from the marginalized voices of the people that America has ignored—Black people. These perspectives are wide-ranging and include prescriptive and analytical tools for understanding and creating the kind of just world we all wish for our students and ourselves.

There may never be a better time to learn about the discipline, mobilize it, and partner with us to realize our unmatched potential at Buffalo State and beyond. As the new academic year quickly approaches, students will return amidst an ongoing pandemic and citizens’ protests with questions and concerns about the current state of society. We ask that you encourage students to enroll in Africana studies courses to enrich their understanding of the historical, social, political, and economic legacies informing the current moment.

When you meet with advisees who are selecting a major or considering a minor, please encourage them to take courses and talk with Africana studies faculty members. We also encourage you to reach out to us if you have questions. Together, we can discuss how this field enriches their current educational interests and create new opportunities for their futures.

Lastly, Africana studies welcomes the opportunity to partner with all departments and offices in student research, events management, diversity training, community engagement, and student recruitment and retention. As the Black philosophical tradition reminds us, “I am because we are.” Let’s pull together and make Buffalo State the place that made the difference.