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Vol. XLVI, No. 31 April 19, 2001

In this issue: From the President Twenty-five Year Employees Luncheon From the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs McNair Scholars Program Coordinator Appointed Position Announcement: Associate Dean, Natural and Social Sciences Position Announcement: Assistant for Degrees Academic Honors Convocation A Reading from Ukraine: A Fulbright Year in Kiev, Odessa, and the Crimea Alive & Well Faculty/Staff Wellness Programs From the Vice President for Finance and Management Requisition Deadlines Travel: Airline Tickets Call for Nominations: Delegates to Annual Meeting of NYS Teachers' Retirement System SABRE Presentations From the Vice President for Student Affairs 2001 Undergraduate President's Medal Senior Class Day From the Chair of the College Senate College Senate Meeting Curricular Items Curricular Proposals Senate Election

Twenty-five Year Employees Luncheon I am pleased to invite the college community to a luncheon honoring faculty and staff who are in their 25th year of service at Buffalo State College. The luncheon will be held at 12:15 p.m. Thursday, May 3 in the Saturn Club, 977 Delaware Avenue. Reservations will be accepted through April 30. This annual event serves to honor our colleagues at a milestone in their professional careers and to thank them for their dedication to Buffalo State. The 18 employees crossing the 25-year mark this year are: Richard T. Augustine, Student Accounts Office Maurine E. Baker-Stein, Instructional Resources Center Joseph W. Ball, Campus Services Ann Dennis, Computing Services Joanne E. Donato, Academic Standards James A. Gold, Educational Foundations Department Terry M. Harding, Campus Services Gary W. Heiman, Psychology Department Deborah A. Klodzinski, University Police Charles Mancuso, Performing Arts Department Donna E. McCarthy, Performing Arts Department Colleen Sullivan Meeks, SABRE Project Marina A. Moscato, Student Accounts Office Ronald L. Rabin, Communication Department Tejaswini Rao, Dietetics and Nutrition Department Alex J. Ratkowski, Economics and Finance Department Rebecca J. Schenk, Budget Office Denise M. Zenicki, Modern and Classical Languages Department Those wishing to attend the luncheon should contact Bonita Durand in the President's Office, ext. 4102. back to top   McNair Scholars Program Coordinator Appointed We are pleased to announce the appointment of Sandra Washington as coordinator of the McNair Scholars Program. Washington, who has served in this role on an interim basis since January 2000, is a graduate of Buffalo State College and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at the University at Buffalo. The McNair Scholars Program helps prepare low-income, first-generation-college, and underrepresented minority students for advanced studies through intensive mentoring, summer research experiences, and GRE preparation. The program currently serves 31 students. Position Announcement: Associate Dean, Natural and Social Sciences Position Overview The associate dean reports directly to the dean of the Faculty of Natural and Social Sciences. In that position, the associate dean has a primary function to provide advice and support to the dean. Regular responsibilities include review and implementation of college policies pertaining to students, supervision of academic probation, coordination of FNSS grants activities, representation of FNSS on collegewide committees, and general supervision of office operations. Submit applications to Lawrence G. Flood, interim dean of natural and social sciences, Classroom Building A113, by Friday, May 4. back to top Position Announcement: Assistant for Degrees Job Description The Registrar's Office will be implementing the Degree Navigator audit system, which will replace the Degree Audit now in use. The position of assistant for degrees has been created to support the implementation project. This is a temporary, one-year position. The successful candidate will transfer back to his or her former position upon completion of the temporary assignment. Essential Functions The assistant for degrees will be responsible for certifying completion of final degree requirements for baccalaureate degrees. This includes: Overseeing the creation and maintenance of degree screens for potential graduates Verifying completion of major and minor programs Corresponding with students regarding their degree status A commitment beyond normal business hours Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree or significant credit toward a bachelor's degree Five years' experience working with college student records Understanding of college academic policies Working knowledge of the Degree Audit Computer literacy Ability to work as an effective member of a team Experience in successful interactions with staff, students, faculty, and administrators Excellence in high-volume work requiring attention to detail with tight deadlines Ability to work independently and meet goals as a self-starter back to top Preferred Qualifications Working knowledge of the Buffalo State student records system, STARS Demonstrated creative problem-solving abilities Record of initiatives to improve service Experience with Web site maintenance or willingness to learn Applications Applicants should send a cover letter relating qualifications to position requirements; a résumé; and the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of three references. Transcripts will be required but need not be submitted in advance. Review of applications will begin May 4 and continue until a successful candidate is named. Anticipated date of hire is May 21, 2001. Submit applications to: Chair, Search Committee for Assistant for Degrees Registrar's Office, Cleveland Hall 204 Buffalo State College 1300 Elmwood Avenue Buffalo, NY 14222-1095 Buffalo State is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Women and minorities are especially encouraged to apply. back to top Academic Honors Convocation The 2001 Academic Honors Convocation will be held from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, April 26 in Rockwell Hall Auditorium. Faculty members who attend as students' guests are encouraged to wear their academic attire and sit with their students. Department representatives who will participate in the processional should wear their academic regalia. All members of the college community are invited to attend this ceremony and the informal reception afterward to honor the achievements of our outstanding students and their faculty mentors. A Reading from Ukraine: A Fulbright Year in Kiev, Odessa, and the Crimea Ann Colley, professor of English, will read selections from her journal letters and discuss her recent Fulbright in Ukraine from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 1 in Cleveland Hall 518. Refreshments will be served. Contact the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies at ext. 3093 if you plan to attend or for more information. back to top Alive & Well Faculty/Staff Wellness Programs Yoga II April 25–June 13 (eight weeks) Wednesdays, noon–1:00 p.m. Houston Gym 213 (Dance Studio) Cost: $60; make checks payable to Alive & Well Program Mary Dedrick, guest instructor from the Himalayan Institute, returns to continue the lunchtime yoga program. Yoga is an exercise form that develops flexibility, muscle tone, stress-management techniques, and meditation skills. Beginners are welcome at this session and will have no trouble keeping pace. Try yoga for your health. Laugh Harder! Live Longer! Friday April 27 noon–1:00 p.m. Sports Arena 226 (Bengal Room) It is well established that humor has a positive effect on health and well-being. Professor of exceptional education Bruce Baum will host an entertaining hour of humor to lighten your spirits and emphasize the importance of laughter in your day. When was the last time you laughed so hard it made you cry? Remember how good you felt? Take a stress break and stop in for the fun of it. To register, contact the Alive & Well Program at ext. 5109 or odonnelj@buffalostate.edu. back to top   Requisition Deadlines Purchase requisitions for supplies, materials, services, and equipment from fiscal year 2000/01 funds must be received in the Purchasing Office by the following dates: $20,000 or more (noncontract) Friday, April 27 $20,000 or more (contract) Friday, June 1 less than $20,000 Friday, June 15 Purchase requests for computer equipment and equipment replacement requirements, and purchases through Boise Cascade for office supplies and XPEDX for copier paper, also must adhere to these deadlines. American Express (AMEX) cardholdlers should curtail card use after June 15. Please plan accordingly. Important note: It is the responsibility of departments to ensure that all requisitions for fiscal year 2000/01 are received in the Purchasing Office by the above deadlines. Late requisitions will not be processed. Requests received through campus mail beyond deadlines will be returned. Call Marcia Slawinowski or Terri Locher in the Purchasing Office at ext. 4113 with questions. back to top Travel: Airline Tickets The college has modified the billing arrangement with its designated travel agency, NFT Travel. Tickets issued through NFT now will be charged to a business travel account (BTA) with American Express. The new arrangement offers several advantages to college travelers: The $10 fee for electronic tickets (e-tickets) has been eliminated. (There is a $15 fee for the delivery of paper tickets.) The BTA account can be used to obtain tickets on discount carriers such as Jet Blue, Southwest, and AirTran. Previously, these airlines required payment by personal credit card. NFT will guarantee the lowest available airfare, including access to special city-pair discounted coach fares that have been negotiated by the state for employee business travel. This change is part of a program by New York State to reduce travel costs for individuals and agencies by centralizing certain travel services. The BTA billing method allows the state to accumulate the ticket purchases of all state agencies and use the combined purchasing volume to negotiate lower fares and better travel agency services. The current state policy for airline ticketing states that employees must use the centralized travel agencies and billing procedure for tickets purchased with state funds. This has been agreed to by the employee negotiating units in recent contracts with the state. The procedure for college employees remains the same. Refer to section 8 of the college travel manual for details. NFT Travel has assigned several of its agents to the Buffalo State account to provide more personalized service. Agents for the college are Kristin Larson, P. J. Pettitt, and Reni Budwey; they can be reached at 691-5880. Call the Accounting Office at ext. 4117 with travel questions. back to top Call for Nominations: Delegates to Annual Meeting of NYS Teachers' Retirement System Pursuant to the provisions of Education Law Section 505, Buffalo State seeks nominations for one delegate and one alternate to the annual meeting of the New York State Teachers' Retirement System. Delegates serve a two-year term to begin August 1. Employees of Buffalo State College who are members of the NYS Teachers' Retirement System are eligible for nomination. Nominations must be received in the Human Resource Management Office, Cleveland Hall 410, by Friday, April 27. The election will be held there Thursday, May 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. If no nominations are received, or if the number of nominees equals the number of delegates (one delegate and one alternate), no election will be held. Obtain nomination forms from, and address questions to, Eileen L. Marino, Human Resource Management Office, ext. 4821. back to top SABRE Presentations The campus community is encouraged to attend one of two identical SABRE project presentations, "SABRE Spring 2001 Update: Transformational Change; The Road Ahead," Tuesday, April 24 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., or Wednesday, April 25 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. in E. H. Butler Library 210. This is the first opportunity for the campus to see the just-released, Web-enabled version of the Oracle Student System. Each session also will include information on what's coming next with online access to student records, ongoing certification training activities, a question-and-answer session, refreshments, and giveaways. For more information, visit www.buffalostate.edu/offices/sabre. back to top   2001 Undergraduate President's Medal Starr Rae Wooden has been selected to receive the President's Medal for Outstanding Undergraduate Student during commencement May 12. Wooden is an engineering technology student with a 3.57 GPA who has excelled both in and beyond the classroom. A Utica, New York, resident, she is the first in her family to attend college. Last fall, she was recognized by the Technology Department as "outstanding student of the month" for her academic and athletic excellence. Wooden is an active member of the National Society of Black Engineers, a four-year member of the Buffalo State women's softball team, including the 2000 Buffalo State SUNYAC Championship team, and a three-year member of the Buffalo State women's basketball team. Finalists for the 2001 undergraduate President's Medal were Beth Delano, Travis Ingersoll, Daniel Kmiotek, Jonathan Litwin, Michelle Milleville, and Carol Szalach. back to top Senior Class Day Members of the senior class are invited to attend the inaugural Buffalo State College Class Day program from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday, April 27 in the Campbell Student Union Fireside Lounge. The event will feature food and music until 7:00 p.m. Seniors may purchase bricks for the commemorative walkway and explore the benefits of membership in the Alumni Association. Participants will be asked to sign a poster, to be displayed during orientation, offering "pearls of wisdom" to the incoming freshman class. Special gifts and door prizes, donated by the Alumni Association, will be distributed. A Buffalo State alumnus and other guest speakers will address the senior class beginning at 7:00 p.m. Please encourage seniors to attend this event and share their memories with fellow classmates prior to commencement. back to top   College Senate Meeting The next College Senate meeting will be 3:00 p.m. Friday, May 4 in E. H. Butler Library 210. Curricular Items The following courses and programs have been received in the College Senate Office and will be forwarded to the Senate Curriculum Committee for review and approval: New Courses: EDU 511 Methods of Teaching English/Language Arts. This course is designed to build methodological practice from the theoretical scaffold of literacy knowledge and teaching. Students participate in classroom practice for at least 40 hours while exploring in-depth curricular, theoretical, and practical educational frameworks. Participants learn and practice the pedagogy required for teaching language arts across the curriculum. Students plan, implement, and evaluate lessons incorporating the New York State standards for English Language Arts; practice and evaluate assessment tools and processes; become reflective practitioners; and demonstrate effective techniques for instructional organization. EDU 528 Families and Early Childhood Programs. This course focuses on knowledge and skills needed to build partnerships with families in the changing context of society. Particular emphasis is given to examining model family-involvement programs, working with families in poverty, integrating an anti-bias curriculum, and active strategies for implementing information and formal communication in the school setting. Projects are completed in a classroom setting. EDU 606 Literacy Instruction for Linguistically Diverse Students. This course explores issues relative to supporting literacy instruction for linguistically diverse learners in elementary-school classrooms. Initial topics include literacy learning and culture, dialects, and second-language development. A model for effective instruction based on best practices research is presented for application in mainstream classrooms. back to top EDU 620 Teaching and Learning in Diverse Elementary-School Classrooms. This course is designed with particular emphasis on culturally sensitive pedagogy and research relative to effective teaching and learning for diverse student populations. Topics include collaborating with parents; developing a community of learners; considerations of culture, power, and clan. Cooperative learning in culturally diverse classrooms and contextual teaching and learning also are discussed. EDU/EAD 640 Conflict Resolution and Peaceable Schools. This course is offered to elementary education and certificate of advanced studies students interested in investigating conflict resolution in the public-school context. Topics include the foundations of peacemaking, emotional intelligence, teaching tolerance, cooperative learning, and conflict resolution. A model for incorporating peaceable schools curricula into existing school programs is presented. EDU 645 Teaching Strategies for Adolescents with Reading Difficulties. This course addresses the planning and implementation of instructional programs for adolescents with reading and writing difficulties. Topics include principles of diagnostic teaching, methods and materials for remedial instruction, working with parents and colleagues, and effective report writing. Students apply teaching techniques with adolescents exhibiting reading and/or writing difficulties and write a report for the school and parents. back to top EDU 649 Advanced Practicum in Reading. This course offers further opportunity to integrate theoretical and practical aspects of the reading/writing program in a supervised clinical setting. Students extend their clinical experience to pupils at a different age level—younger or older—than those in EDU 647. Students develop, implement, and evaluate diagnostic and remedial reading/writing programs for pupils referred to the college literacy center. EDU 671 Constructing Science Understanding in an Elementary Classroom. An examination of the ways in which science-teaching methods are demonstrated and evaluated. Research focusing on elementary students' formal and naïve science understanding will be examined. EDU 682 Enhancing and Integrating Elementary Social Studies, Science, and Math. This is a curriculum course for those seeking certification in childhood education (1-6) that investigates, through research and field experience, the connections between theory and practice in selecting, organizing, and presenting elementary-school science, mathematics, and social studies material and evaluating pupil progress. Students exhibit the characteristics of reflective practitioners and teachers as researchers. back to top ENT 361 Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs). Prerequisite: ENT 331, TEC 314, or equivalent. A comprehensive treatment of programmable logic controllers (PLCs) is presented. Prior knowledge of PLCs is not required. Familiarity with DOS or MS Windows operating systems is helpful. Standard PLC programming languages are examined: ladder logic, sequential function charts, function block diagrams, instruction lists, structured text, and high-level languages such as Basic, Pascal, and C. Numerous laboratory exercises with four PLC brands give students broad exposure to programming, troubleshooting, networking, and PLC system design and startup. Elective for engineering technology majors. HEW 500 Philosophies, Principles, and Organization of Athletics in Education. This course examines the basic philosophy and principles of interscholastic athletics. Includes state, local, and national policies and regulations related to athletics; legal issues, function, and organization of leagues and athletic associations in New York State; personal standards for the coach as an educational leader; public relations; safety procedures; school budgets, purchasing, and facility usage. Required of all non-physical education certified teachers who coach interscholastic teams at any level in New York State public schools. back to top Course Revisions: EDU 501 Seminar for the Reflective Teacher. This beginning course provides students with an introduction to the reading and interpreting of educational research and an invitation to reflect on ways to investigate and improve their own practice. Emphasis is on critical reading, synthesis, and assessment of educational research literature as related to the enhancement of the teaching and learning processes and experiences of elementary teachers. EDU 616 Integrating Theory and Practice in Programs for Infants and Toddlers. Introduces graduate students to the research basis of early childhood education. Students integrate theory and practice to design programs and activities appropriate for infants and toddlers and implement these activities during a field placement (20 hours). Special attention is given to the assessment of young children. EDU 626 Integrating Content Areas in the Teaching of Young Children. This course examines current theory and practice of instruction across the curriculum emphasizing constructivist methods. Particular attention is given to teaching children pre-K through second grade, adhering to the principles of developmentally appropriate practices. A field experience is required. back to top EDU 690 Master's Project. Building on foundations constructed in EDF 689 and EDU 501, this course entails the production of a curriculum or research-based project in a topic of special interest to the student. The project must be approved by the instructor prior to execution. The final product must follow APA guidelines in its written form. Oral presentation is required. ENT 351 Analog Electronics. Prerequisite: ENT 341. Analysis and design of electronic circuits (discrete and integrated) with emphasis on linear analog applications and fuse of computer simulation software. Required for electrical engineering technology, electronics majors. ENT 432 Microprocessors. Prerequisite: ENT 431. This course provides an introduction to the theory and application of microprocessors and microcontrollers including programming, interfacing, prototyping and troubleshooting. Required of electrical engineering technology majors. ENT 461 Control Systems I. Prerequisites: ENT 302, ENT 341, ENT 342, and senior standing. This course applies frequency domain techniques to open-loop and closed-loop systems with emphasis on stability and performance. Classical methods of control engineering are presented: Laplace transforms; transfer functions; root locus analysis; Routh-Hurwitz stability analysis; steady-state error for standard test signals; and second-order system approximations. MATLAB is introduced and utilized extensively for computer-aided analysis. Laboratory exercises provide practical application of the control-system theory. Individual computer-managed homework exercises ensure student competency. Required for electrical engineering technology majors. back to top ENT 462 Control Systems II. Prerequisite: ENT 461. A project-centered course in which students build, tune, simulate, and model a system (such as a magnetic levitation apparatus) for the purpose of demonstrating skills acquired during previous academic work. The project focuses on practical applications of control-system theory developed in ENT 461 and frequency response theory introduced in this course. Simulink is used to develop a computer model of the course project. Additional laboratory exercises provide practical applications of control-system theory. Individual computer-managed homework exercises and individual projects ensure student competency. Required for electrical engineering technology majors. ENT 471 Power Systems I. Prerequisite: ENT 332. Basic elements of power systems, energy sources, substation configuration, load cycles, balanced three-phase circuits, power factor correction, transmission line configurations and impedance, voltage regulation of transformers, and the per unit system are studied. Load flow, fault analysis, and economic operations are introduced. Required for electrical engineering technology, power/machines majors. ENT 472 Power Systems II. Prerequisite: ENT 471. The symmetrical component method is used for fault analysis. Power system demand calculations, relay protection applications, supervisory control, power quality, and system reliability are introduced. Required for electrical engineering technology, power/machines majors. back to top Program Revisions: Curriculum and Instruction Master's Degree Social Studies Concentration Curriculum and Instruction Master's Degree MST Concentration Curriculum and Instruction Master's Degree ELA Concentration Childhood Education Including Certification in Childhood Education for Noncertification Graduate Students Childhood Education with Certification Early Childhood Education Including Certification in Early Childhood for Noncertification Graduate Students Early Childhood Education with Certification The following courses and programs have been approved by the Senate Curriculum Committee and will be forwarded to the president for final review and approval: New Courses: SSE 640 The Sociohistorical Context and Issues of Diversity in U.S. Schooling SED 310 Teaching Science in a Middle School SED 409 Seminar in Secondary Science Education Program Revisions: Technology Education 0500 M.S. Ed. Social Studies Education (5–12) 6640 back to top Curricular Proposals Deadlines for 2000/01 course and program curricular proposals have passed, and submissions are not processed during the summer. To prevent the loss of files, faculty curriculum committees should not submit proposals to the College Senate Curriculum Committee until the fall 2001 semester commences. back to top Senate Election Senate elections continue through noon Friday, April 27. Elections are currently being held for two at-large senate seats and one SUNY senate seat. The election process can be accessed through the College Senate Web site at www.buffalostate.edu/orgs/senate. Contact Sharon Cramer, ext. 4334 or cramersf@buffalostate.edu, or Lisa D'Addieco, ext. 5139 or daddielm@buffalostate.edu, with questions. back to top