Blue & Gold Today

Dear faculty members,

Please save the dates of Professional Development Week, Spring 2024, beginning Thursday, January 9, 2025. Click here for a detailed schedule. The schedule can also be found on faculty development portal, CITE Share Point and CITE TEAM sites. 

We would especially like to draw your attention to the following sessions, which require or prefer pre-registration.

• Teaching with AI by Anna Mills: Thursday, Jan 9, 2:00 to 3:00 pm. This is a pre-obligation Opportunity to attend a virtual workshop session on "Teaching with AI" by Anna Mills. Anna Mills is an influential voice in critical AI literacy and contemporary pedagogy. You will need to register to receive more details and the link. This session will be cast live SUNY wide and is funded by the IITG grant led by SUNY Oneonta, in which Alfred State is a collaborating campus, along with Oswego, Morrisville, Schenectady, and Orange. 
• Engaging Prospective Students: Monday, January 13, 2:00pm to 3:00 pm. [Session Link will be distributed via Announce and CITE when available]. Presented by: Zack Kassebaum, an executive-level admissions consultant. This virtual training, a collaborative initiative between Enrollment Management and Academic Affairs, is designed to equip faculty with practical tools and strategies to deliver effective, engaging presentations to prospective students and families during admissions events. It is an excellent opportunity to refine your presentation skills and help make Alfred State a clear choice for prospective students!
• Exploring ChatGPT Plus: Hands-on Demos: Thursday, January 16, 3:00 to 4:00 pm [PHS 105]. Presenter: Deepa Deshpande. This is an exclusive opportunity to explore hands-on, the various capabilities and features of ChatGPT Plus (paid subscription) models available under the TEAM plan we purchased through the IITG grant. Please pre-register to reserve your spot
• Everyone’s an Asset Builder: Friday, January 17, 1:00pm to 4:30pm [Allegany Room]. Facilitators: Kerri Potter, Katie Carr and Meagan Fawley. In this workshop, you’ll learn about 40 developmental assets that contribute to the healthy development of young people. Learn how you can be an active player in building skills, experiences, and opportunities in our community. Please pre-register to help us organize this session.

Thank you for your valued contributions to the continuing success of our student community!

Please be advised that the U.S. Postal Service is closing all post office locations and suspending regular mail delivery on Thursday for former President Jimmy Carter’s national day of mourning. Inter-campus mail delivery and pickup will continue as normal but there will be no incoming/outgoing USPS mail that day. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the mailroom at ext. 3520.

Our Community Needs Hub has received approval to move from our Peet Hall location to the ground floor of Braddon Hall, that means less stairs y'all!!! We are grateful for the opportunity to set up a more permanent home on the ground floor of Braddon Hall and will have the thrift store closed over break while we transform it into our new home. That said, we will continue to offer food pantry request support throughout the break!

• Our staff are available to fill requests Monday-Thursday. If any student is in need of nonperishables food or hygiene items they can submit a Food Pantry Request form and we will email them once the request has been filled to coordinate a pick-up location. 

The Center for Civic Leadership wishes everyone a restorative winter break and a happy new year!

College Council’s Leadership Through Civic Engagement Award

Please consider nominating a student, faculty, or staff member that has been a civic engagement leader in some capacity over the past two years before the January 30th deadline! This is a great way to celebrate our faculty, staff, and students for being civic champions. 

• Who:  Anyone may nominate a student or faculty/staff member.  Faculty/staff service would need to be within the past two years 
• Description:  College Council recognize members of the Alfred State community annually for leadership in civic engagement.  Background, instructions, and application found here (link here). 
• How to Nominate:  Use the online application
• Recognition:  College Council selects up to 2 faculty/staff and unlimited # of deserving student awardees. Student awardees are recognized at Honors Convocation while faculty/staff awardees are recognized at the Reward & Recognition Luncheon. 
• Due Date:  January 30 for nominations

Upcoming pre-retirement webinars have been assist employees in planning for one of the most challenging and exciting periods in life – retirement!  

The following link provides additional registration information including dates/times and subject matter(s) to be covered: https://oer.ny.gov/directions-pre-retirement-planning-webinar

• If you have questions, please contact benefits@suny.edu.
• Please do not contact OER.
• Please note that the SUNY ORP retirement plan is not specifically covered in these webinar sessions, but there are other sessions (i.e. NYSHIP retiree coverage) that are still beneficial to SUNY ORP members.

Click the link below to register.

Are You Interested in Attending a DIRECTIONS: Pre-Retirement Planning Webinar? | Office of Employee Relations

View our latest Financial Literacy series, Are You Struggling with Mental Health? 

Keri Edsall, Loan Officer & Online Financial Aid Counselor sits down with key campus partners from Residential Services, Health & Wellness Services, University Police, and Global & Civic Wellbeing to discuss the importance of maintaining good mental health as it is crucial for overall well-being and impacts how we think, feel, and behave in all aspects of our lives. 

https://youtu.be/xWlgXDaYQRg

Dear Faculty and Staff,

The offices of Career Development and Institutional Advancement are excited to announce an upcoming Networking Event that will coincide with our Signing Day Dinner.  This is designed to connect students with employers, professionals, and alumni from various industries.  It will provide valuable opportunities for students to network, learn about career pathways, and engage with potential employers.

We would be grateful if you could share any relevant employer contacts or industry connections that are also Alfred State Alumni that might be interested in participating. Your support in connecting us with professionals from your network will help ensure the success of this event and provide our students with meaningful opportunities.

• Date: Wednesday, 4/23/25
• Networking with Students: 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
• Signing Day Dinner with Employers and Students: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
• Location: Student Leadership Center, Park Space and Small Event Space

For more information or to submit employer contacts, we encourage you to fill out this form:  Alumni Employer Submission. Please reach out to Sandra Burdick at BurdicSL@alfredstate.edu if you have any questions.

Thank you for helping us create meaningful connections that enrich our students’ academic and professional journeys.

To help ring in the new year, EAP's wellness initiative WellNYS has webinars and challenges to help with health goals, stress, and ideas for upping your activity.  Links to the challenges and upcoming webinars can be found on the Employee Assistance Program page in the portal.  You can also check out the Frontline Employee newsletter for January 2025.