Students

Spring 2008 Grades to be Posted on Degree Navigator

Spring 2008 grades should be available in Degree Navigator the morning of Friday, May 16. Please continue to monitor the login page of Degree Navigator for updates to this information. You will only be able to see your grades in Degree Navigator.

Protect Yourself! Change Your Buffalo State Password!

Protect your accounts, files, and other computer resources by periodically changing your Buffalo State password. To do so, visit the Password Change Utility.

Your password should be as strong as possible—avoid using dictionary words, names of people you know, phone numbers or anything else that might easily be associated with you. Your password must be 6 to 14 characters long, and should contain a combination of upper/lower case letters, numbers, and special characters.

Note: Changing your Buffalo State password will affect the following campus systems - Campus Logon, E-Mail, ANGEL, Library Databases, Online Directories, and ResNet (Cisco Clean Access).

It is your responsibility to safeguard your accounts and passwords! Never share your passwords with anyone for any reason, and never logon to campus computers for someone else! Doing so violates the campus policy on the use of electronic resources. If you are having trouble accessing your accounts, or changing your password, please contact the Computing Help Desk (878-4357).

Cash for Books!

We will pay you 50 percent of the books selling price if your professors have assigned it for the next term and the bookstore is not overstocked. Sell your textbooks at the Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore!

Top 10 Reasons Baccalaureate Degree Candidates Do Not Graduate

Information based on Graduate Applications during the 2006-2007 academic year

1. Missing a course required in the Major
   
   
2. Had an I, N, or X grade on Academic Record:
   
   All coursework must be completed no later than the date of graduation
   
   I = Incomplete - Must be completed by ten weeks into the first spring or fall semester after the "I" was earned or it converts to an "E" 
   Complete the contract you signed with your Instructor.
   
   N = Grade delayed - Contact your Instructor.
   
   X = Grade NOT submitted - See your Instructor.
   
   
3. Fewer than 120 hours completed
   
   
4. Fewer than 45 (now 33) hours completed in upper level courses:
   
   
   Upper level = 300 and 400 courses and foreign language 201, 202, and 210
   
   
5. Foreign Language Requirement not completed:
   
   All students are required to complete a 102 course or two years (units) of one foreign language in high school.
   
   If you are a transfer student with high school foreign language credits, request that your high school transcript be sent to the "Admissions Office, ATTN: Foreign Language Review."
   
   
6. Lacking a List A or B for GE2K core requirements
   
   Appropriate courses are listed in the college catalog, or at http://www.buffalostate.edu/registrar/documents/ge2000.htm 
   
   
7. Lacking a writing intensive course
    
   
   To fulfill the writing intensive requirement, the section of the course you register for must have a
   
   "W" designation as part of the course number, (example: ENG300W.)
   
   
8. Major average below 2.0
   
   Courses in your major must have average 2.0 or higher. Your cumulative (overall) GPA must also be 2.0 or higher
   
   
9. Lacking a GEC "core" requirement:
   
   Appropriate GEC courses are listed in the college catalog or at http://www.buffalostate.edu/registrar/documents/gec.htm
   
   
10. Math Competency Exam not passed:
    
    Must be passed before the date of graduation

Important Announcement Regarding Private Student Data

On April 11, 2008, Buffalo State was informed that a laptop containing about 16,000 Buffalo State current and former students' private information had been stolen. The laptop was owned by a consultant from SunGard, the company that provides Banner, the records system used at Buffalo State. Buffalo State will be working closely with SunGard to determine which students were affected and what information was included about them.

As soon as we can make these determinations we will notify each student individually by mail. If you do not receive a letter, you have not been affected.

The safety of student information is paramount to Buffalo State and SUNY. As SunGard’s largest client, SUNY is committed to negotiating appropriate action and resolution on behalf of its students. We expect SunGard to provide services for affected students such as a hotline, fraud alert notification services, and credit monitoring. SunGard has a Web site in place where they will be posting information at www.sungardhe.com/laptoptheft. We will make information available as it becomes available www.buffalostate.edu/privatedata.

Buffalo State is encouraging students to monitor their financial records. The Federal Trade Commission provides the following Web sites for consumers who suspect identity theft: www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/idtheft/idt04.shtm or www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/index.html.

Buffalo State has contracted with SunGard for consulting services for the Banner student information systems implementation project since June 2006.

We understand the anxiety and frustration that this event means for our community. We will work as quickly as possible to inform students impacted by this situation.

Sincerely,
Voldemar Innus
Vice President and CIO
Information Services and Systems
Buffalo State College

Change in Graduation Requirement for Bachelor's Degrees: Upper Division Credit requirement reduced from 45 to 33

Buffalo State College has just approved a reduction in the number of upper division credits required for a bachelor’s degree from 45 to 33, commencing with applications for graduation for spring 2008. All student audits in Degree Navigator were updated as of 9:00 a.m. on April 15 to reflect this change.

Any May 2008 graduation applicant who is affected by this change will be sent a letter updating their status. Letters will be received by the week of April 21-25.

Please contact your departmental adviser if you have questions.

2008 Award Recipients for Student Leadership in Equity and Campus Diversity

The President's Council on Equity and Campus Diversity is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2008 Phillip Santa Maria Award for Student Leadership in Equity and Campus Diversity. The students were nominated for the award by faculty, and students for their outstanding leadership in promoting respect for diversity and individual differences in student organizations, programs, and projects.

Layfayette Williams is being recognized for his leadership in Native American Student Organization including initiating the Native American Living Area and in promoting the influence of the Native American culture on American traditions such as thanksgiving to international and other students.

Jamel l Yarborough is being recognized for his leadership helping students understand African American cultural traditions such as Kwanza, hip-hop music, and the role of African Americans in the fashion industry.

Marcus Scott is being recognized for his leadership in promoting and understanding of diversity through film through the Silver Screen Association which he founded and other activities to unite people of all belief systems and cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Annual Security Report

As part of our ongoing campus safety initiatives, the Buffalo State College Annual Security Report has been updated and is available for download by visiting the University Police Web site or clicking on this link (PDF, 224KB).  Any questions regarding the Annual Security Report can be directed to the chief of University Police at (716) 878-6333.

Graduating On Time with a Bachelor’s Degree

If you plan to graduate in four years (8 semesters) you must take at least 15 credits each semester. Taking just the 12 hour minimum to qualify for financial aid will cause you to fall short of the credits needed to graduate. There is a 120 minimum credit hour requirement which must be fulfilled to earn a bachelor’s degree. 15 credits x 8 semesters = 120 credits. If your major requires more than 120 credits, you will need to take more during the fall or spring semesters or consider summer courses, intersemester, or explore your eligibility to earn credits without taking classes – through Credit for Experiential Learning, Course Challenge, or the College Level Examination Program; see pages 30-31 in this section of the undergraduate catalog: http://www.buffalostate.edu/pdf/
ugradcat/2007/06-academicpolicies.pdf

Also, you can save money by registering for more than 12 hours, since there are no additional tuition charges for courses above 12 credit hours. Any credits registered greater than 12 for either the fall or spring semesters are “free.” You may take up to 19 hours in one semester.

Fall 2008 Registration: Registration Start Dates Available

You may now see your Registration Start Date in Banner under "Registration Status." Your Registration Start Date will be a day from April 9 to April 22 inclusive. Holds, if any, will also show under "Registration Status." Holds should be resolved at least two working days before you intend to register.

You can see up-to-date course listings by searching on Banner; choose "Search for Classes." You may also see the listing of courses at http://www.buffalostate.edu/registrar/x716.xml.

Fall 2008 Master Schedule Now Online

The fall 2008 master schedule is now available online at  http://www.buffalostate.edu/registrar/x716.xml 

Policy on Students Unable to Attend Classes Because of Religious Beliefs

According to the SUNY policy, "Any student in a SUNY institution of higher education who is unable, because of his or her religious beliefs, to attend classes on particular day or days shall, because of such absence on the particular day or days, be excused from any examination or any study or work assignments. It shall be the responsibility of the faculty and of the administrative officials of each institution of higher education to make available to each student who is absent from school, because of his or her religious beliefs, an equivalent opportunity to register for classes or to make up any examination, study, or work assignment which he or she may have missed because of such absence on a particular day or days."

At Buffalo State College, we sharpen the mandate of the state and endorse the policy that prohibits administering of evaluative examinations on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Good Friday.

For the full policy, see page 34 of the 2007-2009 Undergraduate Catalog or the Equity and Campus Diversity Web site.

Academic Skills Center Letter to Students

We’d like to remind all undergraduate and graduate students that free tutorial services are available at the Academic Skills Center.

Our staff of eleven tutors supplements classroom instruction in a wide range of subjects:

• Math—All levels
• Reading—Effective use of texts, vocabulary building, comprehension
• Business—Accounting, Statistics
• ESL-English as a Second Language
• Writing—Support for composition and writing-intensive courses
• Humanities—Literature, Music, Film
• Computer Skills—Basic programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Research
• Foreign Language—Spanish, French (Grammar), Latin (Grammar)
• Physical Sciences— Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering Technology
• Social Sciences—History, Political Science
• General Study Skills—Test taking, time management, note taking

If you feel you can benefit from the one-on-one assistance a tutor can give you, or if you’d like to come as a small group of two or three students with common concerns, please make an appointment by visiting our office in South Wing 330 or phoning (716) 878-4041, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. We also offer later hours in some subjects to accommodate evening students.

For more information and for a printable version of our current tutoring schedule, visit our Web site: http://www.buffalostate.edu/academicsupport/x491.xml

Now that you know where to find us, we hope you’ll visit us and take advantage of our services.

Best regards,
Thomas Renzi, Ph.D.
Coordinator of Tutorial Services

Fall 2008 Registration Dates

March 25 
Fall 2008 courses will be viewable online.

March 26 
Students will be able to view time ticket assignments, holds, and course offerings directly in Banner.

April 9–22 
Registration start dates for current students.

Freshmen and Seniors: National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Needs Your Participation

In mid-February, all Buffalo State freshmen and seniors were contacted about a survey, the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), asking for your opinion about your college experience. The results will be used to improve the quality of the undergraduate experience at Buffalo State.

You can access the survey at: https://www.nssesurvey.org/login.cfm

Please enter the Survey ID and password your were sent via e-mail.  Complete the survey as soon as possible. Your help is essential to the success of this important initiative. If you have any questions or problems with the survey, please call 1-800-676-0390 or e-mail help@nssesurvey.org.

Upon completing this survey, you will be entered to win one of the following prizes:

--iPod
--digital camera
--one of 10 $20 gift certificates to Pano's

Award recipients will be notified via e-mail.  Questions about this survey can be addressed to Dr. Rosalyn Lindner, Academic and Student Affairs, (716) 878-5550.

Microsoft Office 2007/2008

The campus will convert to Office 2007 (Windows) and Office 2008 (Mac) on Thursday, May 15. This is one week after the end of the spring 2008 semester, and 13 days prior to the beginning of the first summer session, 2008.

All lab machines and laptop loaners will be affected.
 
Training on "What's New" in Office 2007/2008, and hands-on practice sessions in Office 2007/2008, will begin in April 2008. Please check the CyberQuad Registration page in March for a list of sessions.

Faculty, staff and students are welcome to attend training.

Support documentation for Office 2007/2008 is located here:
http://www.buffalostate.edu/cts/x737.xml

Please direct your questions to Computing Help Desk at x4357, or stop by the E. H. Butler Library Information Commons. 

Financial Aid for Students Attending Part-Time

Did you know that students can receive aid even when attending school part-time? Part-time students can receive Federal Pell Grants, Federal SEOG Grants, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Stafford Loans and NY State Aid for Part-time Study (APTS). In limited situations some students can even receive part-time TAP.

To receive a Federal Stafford loan students must be attending half-time (6 credits per term) but can otherwise receive up to the annual maximum, e.g. $3,500 for Freshmen, $4,500 for Sophomores, $5,500 for Juniors and Seniors and $8,500 for Graduate students.  Independent students can borrow even more.

Federal Pell Grant recipients can receive aid for taking just one class.  The amount of the Pell Grant is prorated based on the enrollment status.  A student attending 9-11 hours can receive $200 - $1617 per semester.  A student attending less than half-time (1-5 hours), can receive $200 - $539 per semester.

To qualify for APTS a student must take at least 3 credits. Those students who qualified for APTS this semester received $100 per credit which averages out to $300 per course.

To apply for federal aid (includes loans) a student must complete the FAFSA on an annual basis.  This can be done online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. To apply for APTS students must complete a separate application available at www.buffalostate.edu/financialaid. The form needs to be submitted by the end of drop/add to assure that you will be considered for the grant that term.

For assistance with completing the application process students can contact staff in the Financial Aid Office located in Moot Hall at (716) 878-4908.  Part-time students can also receive general assistance during extended hours at the Information Commons located in the lower level of the E. H. Butler Library.

Top Five Reasons to Get Advised

Spring registration is now open. Take a few minutes to discuss your current and future academic plans with your adviser.  If you cannot think of a good reason to get advised, don’t worry—we have thought of five reasons for you!

1. Save money
2. Get on with your life
3. Get to know your adviser
4. Take control of future
5. Graduate in four years

Barnes & Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore Offers New Line of T-shirts from edunLive.

Every edunLive t-shirt is made from 100% African cotton and yarn and every step of the manufacturing process takes place in Africa—or as we like to say—every t-shirt is “grower-to-sewer” African. Each purchase helps support trade and employment opportunities in impoverished regions of sub-Saharan Africa. We work to ensure that everyone involved in the making of the t-shirts—from the farmer to the factory worker—is fairly compensated and works in a humane, ethical, and respectful environment. The driving force behind this kind of social and ethical change in the clothing industry is you. [More.]

Receive Financial Aid Notices, Registration Notices, ANGEL and Banner notices through College Webmail Only!

Read Buffalo State College e-mail to receive these notices.

Students,
The campus e-mail system has been upgraded:

• Student e-mail box quotas have been increased from 10MB to 50MB
• E-mail forwarding is no longer available:
  You must read Buffalo State e-mail to receive campus messages
• E-mail is accessible anywhere from the Web at http://webmail.buffalostate.edu
• Friends list is no longer available
• Your campus assigned e-mail address will be the only one recognized by the campus for official mailings

The campus policy on student e-mail has been updated and can be found online (PDF, 32KB).

Inform the Registrar's Office of Address Changes

Have you moved? Inform the Registrar's Office of a change in your address or phone number. The exception is dorm addresses, which are updated by the Residence Life Office. The Registrar's Office is located in Moot Hall 210. Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday: 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; Thursday 8:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

2007 Awards for the Promotion of Respect for Diversity and Individual Difference

The President's Council on Equity and Campus Diversity is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2007 Awards for Promotion of Respect for Diversity and Individual Differences. The awards are given to recognize those faculty, staff, and programs that have made special efforts to increase respect for diversity and individual difference through classroom discussions, curricular and co-curricular experiences, projects, and activities that go above and beyond what is usually expected as part of their regular job expectations, teaching assignment, or responsibilities. Awardees are selected from nominations received from students, faculty, and staff who prepare a written statement to support the nomination.

The 2007 recipients are:

Dr. John F. Cabra, International Center for Studies in Creativity;

Dr. Timothy Gallineau, Associate Professor, Student Personnel Administration;

Dr. S. Marlon Gayadeen, Lecturer, Criminal Justice Department;

Dr. Satasha Green, Assistant Professor, Exceptional Education;

Dr. Thomas Reigstad, Professor, English;

The English Department

The Women in Science and Mathematics Lecture Series

Learn How Many Calories You Can Burn

This ongoing research project for overweight women ages 20–59 is designed to determine how many calories your body burns while resting and how many calories it burns during activity. If you would like to participate in the study, call (716) 878-5715 and provide your name, phone number, and best time to call. A member of the research team will call you back to determine your eligibility. Eligibility requirements include non-smokers in good health with no recent weight loss. The Research Foundation at Buffalo State and the Dietetics and Nutrition Department are sponsors of the study.

From the Senior Advisor to the President for Equity and Campus Diversity

College Policy on Discrimination and Harassment

It is the policy of Buffalo State College to provide an employment and educational environment free from invidious discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital or veteran's status. It shall be a violation of this policy for any agent, student, or employee of Buffalo State College to discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital or veteran's status against any individual with respect to the terms of employment, education, or benefits of any program or activity at Buffalo State College.

Persons within the college community who perceive that they have been subjected to discrimination or harassment based on age, race, religion, color, national origin, gender, disability, marital or veterans' status, or sexual orientation are urged to present their concerns to Dolores E. Battle, Senior Advisor to the President for Equity and Campus Diversity, at the Equity and Campus Diversity Office, Cleveland Hall 415.
 
View the full policy (DOC, 30KB)

Withdrawal from Course/School and Financial Aid Eligibility

Withdrawing from a class or from school may affect your eligibility for financial aid in both the current and future semesters. Similarly, if you simply stop attending classes, (i.e., unofficially withdraw) you may also forfeit aid for the current semester and be ineligible for aid in future semesters. Make an informed decision.

For more details see http://www.buffalostate.edu/financialaid/x474.xml.

Visit Your Academic Department for Advisement

How to contact your adviser

• Go to the department secretary to find out who she or he is
• Ask for his or her office location
• Ask for his or her direct phone line
• Find out his or her office hours
• Go to the department Web site for his or her e-mail address 
• Leave a message in his or her mailbox
• Leave a message with the department secretary
• If you have attempted to reach your adviser in all of the ways listed above without success, return to the department secretary and ask to meet with the chair of the department. 

The chain of command for all departments
 
It is recommended that you try to work out any matters with your adviser or class instructor prior to talking with the chair of the department and to go through the chain of command in this order:

• The adviser or class instructor
• The chair of the department
• The Associate Dean
• The Dean
• The Vice-President/Provost of the College
• The President of Buffalo State College

What to bring to your advisement appointment

• A copy of your Full Audit Report which is in Degree Navigator
• An understanding of your general education requirements, Intellectual Foundations for all first semester freshmen or GE2K for all other students
• A pen!
• A written list of all questions you may have.

If you miss your advising appointments for any reason, it is up to you to reschedule.

Campus Crime Statistics

A copy of the Buffalo State College campus crime statistics as reported annually to the U.S. Department of Education will be provided upon request. Please direct all such requests to the Chief of University Police, Chase Hall, Buffalo State College, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222, (716) 878-6332. Information can also be obtained from the U.S. Department of Education Web site at http://ope.ed.gov/security or the Buffalo State Web site at www.buffalostate.edu/offices/police/safety.

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