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Middle States official to conduct open forum
Ellie A. Fogarty, vice president of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, will conduct an open forum for interested faculty, students and staff from 1-1:45 p.m. March 5 in 107 Capen Hall (Honors Conference Room inside the Silverman Library), North Campus.
Fogarty’s visit to campus is an important part of the initial Middle States reaccreditation process, as UB begins a comprehensive self-study as part of the decennial reaccreditation. Fogarty will use the forum to explain the accreditation process, Middle States’ expectations for a successful self-study and answer any questions.
More information can be obtained by contacting the Office of University Accreditation and Assessment at 645-3519.
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Dance residency set for CFA
Doug Varone & Dancers will be professional artists-in-residence at UB March 12-24, thanks to a $30,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts in support of the Center for the Art’s Arts in Healthcare Initiative.
The residency will conclude with a public performance on March 24.
Founded in 1986, Doug Varone & Dancers has commanded attention for its expansive vision, versatility and technical prowess. Varone is renowned for his ability to create kinetically thrilling dances that range from the smallest gestures to full-throttle bursts of movement.
Inspired by hip-replacement surgery and subsequent rehabilitation in 2006, Varone developed a new way of creating movement with his dancers that did not rely on his body. The concept, called Blind Eye Choreography, involves the use of descriptive language and dream imagery to help create dance. As part of the Arts in Healthcare Initiative, Varone and his dancers will use Blind Eye Choreography with patients at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo.
While in the hospitals, the company will use digital flipcams to record its sessions with patients. The dancers will review the footage and workshop it into choreography. The final product will be a new, 10-minute piece that not only will be shared at both hospitals, but also will be a part of the company’s performance at 8 p.m. March 24 in the CFA Mainstage theater. Tickets are $25.50 for general admission and $11.50 for all students.
During the second week of the residency, the company will offer master classes for UB dance students, as well as give a lecture/demonstration at Tapestry Charter School in Buffalo.
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Bullying topic of ‘Safe Schools’ seminar
UB will host the ninth annual Safe Schools Initiative Seminar from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 14 in the Center for the Arts, North Campus.
This year’s seminar, “Bullying: Insights and Tools for Gaining Control,” will feature two UB faculty members who will offer a proactive approach to dealing with bullying issues in schools and in the community.
Amanda Nickerson, director of UB’s Dr. Jean M. Alberti Center for the Prevention of Bullying Abuse and School Violence, will present an overview of key issues related to prevention and intervention of bullying in schools. The presentation will emphasize the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to create a safe and respectful environment, including the active involvement of students, peers, school staff, parents, law enforcement and community members.
In addition, Mark Frank, professor and director of the Communication Science Center in the Department of Communication and a leading authority on behavioral observation, will lead an in-depth workshop focusing on how to read or interpret nonverbal communication.
He also will discuss how the behavioral clues in facial expressions, voice and body can provide information about feelings, preferences, intentions, deception and other behaviors—clues that can be indispensable for an interviewer/counselor/faculty and staff member or officer in identifying problems before they begin or in helping develop strategies to overcome issues once they have been recognized.
This ability to interpret nonverbal behavior has implications for addressing issues related to bullying, such as the nature of the relationship between individuals, the imminence or likelihood of an attack and the fear of victims or witnesses—whether or not they are forthcoming).
The seminar is free and open to all who deal with school safety issues, including grade school, middle school, high school and district faculty, staff and school board members; college and university administrators, police officers and other law enforcement officials; and school transportation professionals.
Program sponsors include the U.S. Secret Service, Buffalo Field Office; University Life & Services, University Police and the Western New York Educational Service Council, all at UB; the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, New York Branch; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of New York.
For more information about the seminar, the speakers and to register, visit the registration website.
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CFA video group nominated for Emmy
The Center for the Arts Video Production Group has been nominated for a 2012 New York Emmy® Award for a promotional video on the Buffalo Philharmonic Youth Concert Series.
The concert series allows thousands of students from diverse communities across Western New York to experience the excitement of a live professional orchestra. Each BPO concert is developed with educators to be age appropriate, relevant to classroom learning and aligned with New York State educational standards. View the “BPO Youth Concert Series” video.
The Center for the Arts Video Production Group is a professional television and video outlet dedicated to enhancing communication about the CFA, UB and affiliated groups. It collaborates with a wide range of university clients to produce videos for marketing, development, education and entertainment. Since 2006, the group has received 14 national Telly Awards and a 2011 New York Emmy® Award.
The New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences presents Emmy awards in recognition of excellence in the television industry. The winners will be April 1 in New York City.
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UB proposes hike in Comprehensive Fee
UB has proposed a general 2.5 percent increase in the Comprehensive Fee each year for 2012-13 through 2016-17 in order to “continue to offer programs and services that our UB students need and expect in the current state, SUNY and UB budget climate.”
Under the five-year plan, which is being proposed to assist students in planning for the next few years, the Comprehensive Fee would rise from the current $2,022 for undergraduates and $1,538 for graduate students for 2010-11 to $2,297.50 for undergrads and $1,749.50 for grad students for 2016-17.
The increases, according to a letter to students from Bruce McCombe, interim provost, and Dennis Black, vice president for university life and services, “would support state-mandated increases in salaries and fringe benefits for employees, increased support for student health and wellness services, increased technology and library costs and services, a newly negotiated bus contract and central academic investments. These plans include proposals to upgrade classroom technology, electronic library resources and campus transportation.”
“UB desires to remain as one of the nation’s best buys in higher education, and will continue to be a major public university and premier public institution in the Northeast with continued student support,” the letter states.
Components of the Comprehensive Fee support intercollegiate athletics and intramural services (undergraduates only), campus life, college fee (set by SUNY), student health, technology, transportation and transcripts.
More details, including information on the specific components of the Comprehensive Fee, is available on the Comprehensive Fee website.
Students may comment on the proposed fee increase via email to src@buffalo.edu through March 9. In addition, an assessment of student interests and concerns is being conducted via the My Opinion survey that can be accessed through MyUB. Results will be shared via the Comprehensive Fee website.
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