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Vol. XLVIII, No. 17 December 19, 2002

In this issue: From the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Call for Nominations: Graduate Student Awards From the Vice President for Finance and Management Health Insurance Deadline Tax-Deferred Annuity Limits for 2003 Please Close Windows From the Chair of the College Senate Course Proposals Curricular Items

Call for Nominations: Graduate Student Awards The President's Medal The President's Medal for Outstanding Graduate Student is the highest honor awarded to a graduate student by Buffalo State College. Based on academic performance, scholarly and creative activities, and community service and leadership, this award will be bestowed at Commencement on Saturday, May 10, 2003. Students completing graduate programs in December 2002, May 2003, or August 2003 are eligible for nomination. This year's recipient also will deliver the graduate student address. SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence The SUNY Chancellor's Award for Student Excellence, sponsored by Chancellor Robert L. King, is the highest honor bestowed upon a graduate student. This award recognizes those who have integrated academic excellence with achievements in areas such as athletics, community service, creative and performing arts, entrepreneurship, leadership, and career achievement. Award recipients will be honored at a spring ceremony in Albany as well as Commencement on Saturday, May 10, 2003. Students completing graduate programs in June–August 2002, December 2002, or May 2003 are eligible for nomination. Selection criteria are the same for each award. A student may be nominated for either or both awards. Selection Criteria Academic performance - demonstrated by grade point average, academic honors, standardized test scores, or letters of recommendation. Scholarly and creative activities - demonstrated by graduate thesis or project, scholarly publications, performances, exhibits, or grantsmanship. Community/College service and leadership - demonstrated by activities related to the student's academic discipline, service or leadership in professional organizations, or community-outreach activities related to the field of study. Students must be nominated by a graduate faculty member. Forms are available in the Graduate Studies and Research Office, Cleveland Hall 511. Nominations and supporting materials must be submitted to Cleveland Hall 511 by Monday, February 3, 2003. back to top   Health Insurance Deadline Employees enrolled in the New York State Health Insurance Program have until Tuesday, December 31 to select a new health insurance carrier, voluntarily cancel insurance coverage, or change from family to individual coverage. Information and forms are available from the Human Resource Management Office, Cleveland Hall 410 or www.buffalostate.edu/offices/hr. back to top Tax-Deferred Annuity Limits for 2003 The maximum tax deferment for 2003 is $12,000. Employees who are or will be 50 or older in 2003 may contribute up to $14,000 to TDA accounts. Employees who have completed 15 years of SUNY service and have not already taken advantage of catch-up contributions may defer up to an additional $3,000 a year. Employees whose current contributions are less than the 2003 maximum and who wish to continue at current contribution levels need not do anything. Employees whose current contributions are in excess of the projected maximum for 2003 must reduce contributions accordingly by submitting a salary-reduction agreement. Agreements must be received at least two weeks prior to the pay check that will reflect the change in biweekly deductions. The first paycheck of 2003 is January 15. Four changes to the contribution amount are permitted each calendar year. For more information, contact your TDA account representative or Al Galone in the Payroll Office at ext. 4124. Additional deferments through payroll deduction are permitted in excess of maximized TDA account contributions. For more information about the New York State Deferred Compensation Plan, contact William Lobbins at 626-0048. Please Close Windows If you open a window, please remember to close it. Open windows are the direct cause of pipes freezing and rupturing. The resulting water damage can be extensive and expensive. Again, please close all windows before you leave for the night and especially before you leave for a weekend. back to top   Course Proposals All course and program proposals submitted to the College Senate Curriculum Committee in spring 2003 must follow the new format described in the 2002 Curriculum Handbook. Associate deans and departmental curriculum designees can assist course authors with the new format, appropriate forms, and electronic submission process. back to top Curricular Items The following have been received in the College Senate Office and will be forwarded to the Senate Curriculum Committee for review and approval: Program Revision: Master of Science in Creative Studies (6700) New Course: DES 378 Introduction to Web Design. Introduction to interactive Web design from the perspective of communication design. Includes history of the Internet, industry-standard site-creation software, and testing and evaluation. Integrates design aesthetics, information organization, image preparation, and intuitive interface design and navigation. Course Revisions: CRS 610 Facilitation of Group Problem Solving. Advanced strategies for small-group leadership through the creative problem solving (CPS) process. Emphasizes mastery of facilitation techniques and skills, examines conceptual relationships between facilitation and change leadership, and develops basic change-leadership skills. Students apply creative strategies to real issues and receive expert feedback on facilitation skills. CRS 625 Current Issues in Creativity Studies. In-depth survey of current issues on the nature or nurture of creativity. Focus on skill development in research and scholarship to increase critical thinking skills and general content literacy of creativity practitioners in any discipline. Includes review, analysis, and interpretation of findings from empirical and non-empirical sources with some emphasis on the background and development of research at the International Center for Studies in Creativity. CRS 635 Creativity and Change Leadership (Master's Seminar). Culminating activities that cap the theory/foundations strand of the curriculum. Focus on understanding and applying the characteristics of change leadership in the context of creativity and creative problem solving (CPS). Theoretical and practical launching point for student examination of future contributions to the field, domain, and discipline through articulation of personal philosophy and definition of creativity. Students relate the CPS process and other change methods to disciplines such as business, education, psychology, sociology, history, philosophy, the arts, and the sciences. back to top CRS 670 Foundations in Teaching and Training Creativity. Practical experience in group facilitation using principles of creative learning, creative problem solving (CPS), and leadership. Emphasizes guided practice and independent work in realistic teaching/training situations to develop independent learners and reflective practitioners. Students build on their knowledge of CPS facilitation to develop instructional designs and examine ways to modify teaching and leading with CPS in various groups or situations. CRS 690 Master's Project. Development and implementation of an applied project that requires the use of creative problem solving (CPS), change leadership, and facilitation skills. Students define and implement change initiatives that have direct impact either on the community or for the general field of creativity. Students also develop analytical skills as they form and evaluate the success of their projects. CRS 795 Master's Thesis. Design and implementation of empirical research (qualitative and quantitative) designed to make new and useful contributions to the field of creativity. Students work closely with faculty and, in many cases, join ongoing programs of research within the department. FAR 327 Non-silver Photographic Processes. Investigation of light sensitive, non-silver photographic processes. Includes cyanotype, Vandyke brown, casein, and gum bichromate. Students receive instruction in basic processes and individual project assignments. A voluntary lab fee covers the cost of chemistry; papers, fabrics, and other materials are supplied by the student. REL 303 Women and Religion. Women in world religions, with emphasis on their contributions to religious thought and practice. Includes women's spirituality and its effects on the developed and developing worlds.

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