Buffalo State Bulletin

NCATE Board of Examiners’ Visit

From the President
Thank you to the entire campus community for your assistance with the recent National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) visit April 12–16. I am especially grateful to all the stakeholders involved in our education programs, especially the Teacher Education Unit and the NCATE Accreditation Team. NCATE accreditation validates the quality of our educational offerings and ensures continued compliance with professional standards. It is critical as Buffalo State College continues to seek distinction for its innovative approaches to pedagogy and teacher education preparation programs, and as we seek 100 percent accreditation of all eligible academic programs at the institution.

Curricular Actions

From the President
I have approved the following curricular items, which have been recommended by the appropriate dean, the College Senate, and the provost:

Laws Governing the Confidentiality of Student Records

From the Vice President for Finance and Management
In an effort to provide guidance on laws governing the confidentiality of student records, the Office of University Counsel for the State University of New York has provided this document, titled “Privacy and Safety on Campus: A Legal Framework.”

Appointment: Associate Vice President and Comptroller

James A. Thor has been appointed associate vice president and comptroller at Buffalo State College. Thor has served Buffalo State for 18 years, most recently as director of college and foundation accounting. In addition, he serves on the Buffalo State College Foundation Investment Committee and the Finance and Audit Committee. Thor is also a member of the Burchfield-Penney Art Center Finance Committee and treasurer of the BSCR (Buffalo State College Realty) Corporation.

Ramsey to Retire June 1

SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Janet E. Ramsey, dean of University College, is retiring on June 1 with mixed feelings. “I love my job and I love Buffalo State,” she said. “But I reflected very carefully, and I’m ready to live a life that’s a little less demanding.”

New Freshman-Registration Process Begins This Summer

The Orientation Office and University College will take a new approach this summer to course registration for first-year students. Based on students’ preferences and declared majors, University College advisers will create a schedule of classes for each student before orientation. Administrators hope the move will improve retention and graduation rates.

Boat-Building Kids Float Their Boats

A dozen youngsters participated in an annual boat-building event on Sunday, sponsored by Buffalo State College’s Maritime Center. Aided by a grant from the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, professors and student mentors work with kids for five weeks as they build rowboats made of marine plywood.

Focus on Sabbatical: John Song

All John Song needed was a little break. The long-tenured professor of criminal justice had taken his only sabbatical 12 years ago and remembered how energizing the experience was. So after completing a stint as department chair, he traveled back to Taipei, Taiwan, last year to spend time with family and serve as a researcher at his alma mater, National Chengchi University. Little did he know what else was in store.

Center for Health and Social Research Provides 10 Years of Intellectual Development

During the 1997–1998 academic year, the goal was clear for progress at Buffalo State: expand research opportunities for faculty and staff. The college took a calculated risk in hiring a leading local researcher, William Wieczorek, and charging him with developing and directing the Center for Health and Social Research. It paid off, and the center today provides Buffalo State with influential connections to agencies in Western New York and beyond.

Focus on College and Community Partnerships: Keli Garas-York, EDU 311W

Learning how to use a new piece of equipment requires an adjustment period. In the classroom, students and teachers have had to adapt to technology at a staggering pace during the past few decades. From calculators to smart boards, many new tools have been developed to assist pedagogy. The latest is “clickers,” and with the help of a minigrant from the College and Community Partnerships Office, assistant professor of elementary education and reading Keli Garas-York and her EDU 311W students studied their effectiveness on literacy teaching methods in fall 2007.