Author: slfrank

Dear UB Community,

We are inviting you to consider taking part in this research project being conducted by Foundation Year students in the UB MSW Program.

Our research group is conducting a study to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic affects the quality of and access to healthcare for women from different racial groups who specifically reside in Western New York. Black and Brown women have been disproportionately impacted by medical malpractice, health and economic disparities, and medical racism both currently and throughout the history of the United States (Perry, Harp & Oser, 2013).

Through our research, we hope to further investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on racialized groups of women with an intersectional lens in order to inform further policy to address systemic barriers and increase access to proper care. This study collects all data anonymously, and we encourage participants to take advantage of the portion of the survey where you can submit a personal story or experience about your medical care experience (either positive, negative, and/or neutral).

You can participate in this study by filling out the survey linked below:

https://forms.gle/MugpHvQMwBToRBFn6

Please reach out to Shanita Glover-Mangam (shanitag@buffalo.edu) or Ciara Harrington (ciarahar@buffalo.edu ) if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Lillian Agyemang
Shanita Glover-Mangam
Ciara Harrington
Maggie Hersee
Tiana Hill
Briana Jones
Caroline Lerczak
Chyna Richards

Due to the resignation of Connor Walters as Vice President, there is a vacancy in the Graduate Student Association’s Executive Committee.

Please note as stated in the GSA By Laws:

“In the case of removal or resignation of any officer, said officer shall be replaced by a vote of the Board from any willing graduate students in attendance who have attended and signed in at two Board meetings within the past twelve months during the meeting at which the replacement election is held.”

Effective immediately, there is a call for nominations to permanently fill this position through the end of the current term, which is May 31, 2021.

Please send all nominations to the GSA President, J Coley at gsa-president@buffalo.edu.

REGISTER NOW!

Inclusive Excellence Summit: April 8, 2021

The Office of Inclusive Excellence is pleased to announce UB’s second Inclusive Excellence Summit, “Living our Commitment.” The summit will consist of 25 sessions and workshops that highlight practices, research, and initiatives across the university that support diversity and inclusion, in addition to a keynote address by CDI Distinguished Visiting Scholar, Dr. Waverly Duck. This is an opportunity for faculty, staff, and students to come together as a community to promote understanding and to learn about the innovative methods and practices being developed to foster multiculturalism and diversity at UB. For more information, visit the summit webpage.

Date & Time: Thursday, April 8
Location: Zoom (online)
Intended Audience: UB Faculty, Staff and Students

Click Here to Register
Registration Deadline: April 2, 2021

GSEU likes to keep you updated on all that which concerns you as a Graduate Worker at UB, be it information related to insurance, fees, contracts, worker safety, raises, or news related to our actions and activities. To be able to do this effectively, we need your non-UB email ID because a UB ID is likely to mark emails from us as spam, or to remove itself from the mailing list.

Please submit your non-UB email ID by following this link: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/non-ub-email-id-for-updates?source=direct_link

Specific details about each event can be found using the following link: https://www.buffalo.edu/studentlife/who-we-are/announcements.host.html/content/shared/www/studentlife/gateway-wide-content/announcements/2021/black-history-month.detail.html

UB Counseling and Stress Management Virtual Workshops – Spring 2021

All Counseling Services workshops will take place via Zoom.
For the full schedule, visit: https://www.buffalo.edu/studentlife/life-on-campus/health/wellness-events-calendar.html

Connection and Compassion for International Students
This workshop is intended for international students. Over the past few months, there has been a multitude of changes nationally and internationally affecting schools, workplaces, and communities. This has led to an increased sense of social isolation and challenges for many students. This workshop will highlight unique challenges experienced by international students; introduce strategies and resources for coping, and ways to cultivate compassion and connection with others in this era of social distancing.

Creating Routine to Support Distance Learning
This workshop will focus on the impact that distance learning has on the current student experience. Effective tools to increase routine and motivation will be provided as well as resources for virtual academic support.

Cultivating Connections and Social Supports While Physically Distancing
This workshop will address the impact of social isolation and the current effect on mental health and overall wellness. Coping skills and tools to increase virtual connections will be provided.

Helping Students Adjust During Distance Learning: How Faculty and Staff Can Support Students
This workshop will provide information for faculty and staff surrounding the impact of COVID-19 on students. Ways to recognize and assist students in emotional distress will be covered as well as the impact of overall stress. Strategies will be provided to support students during this time of transition, change and loss.

Hope and Resiliency: Managing Change and Ambiguous Loss
This workshop will focus on changes and associated losses resulting from the current COVID-19 crisis. Topics will include shifting to distance learning, social isolation, changing geographical location, inability to plan for the future and temporary loss of life as we know it. Tips and tools to increase coping and support will be provided.

International Tea Time
International Tea Time is a free bi-weekly meeting which brings together U.S. and international students for conversation, friendship, and fun. Students play games, talk, and enjoy getting to know each other.

Inclusion and Acceptance: Supporting LGBTQIA+ Communities
This workshop will provide participants an open conversation on LGBTQIA+ history, such as the Stonewall Riot and Marsha P. Johnson, as well as opportunities for participants to engage within the LGBTQIA+ community, including podcasts and musical artists. Topics surrounding exclusion, bullying, safety, as well as persistence and resilience will be discussed. Creating spaces and opportunities for LGBTQIA+ folks to be seen, heard, and feel a sense of belonging in school, family, and social systems are emphasized. Finally, this workshop will provide resources for participants to find both mental and physical health support.

Life Through Loss: Coping with COVID-19 Related Grief
The intent of this workshop is to provide education and validation surrounding the impact of grief and loss associated with Covid19. It will also assist individuals in identifying strategies of self-care and support.

Mindful Self-Compassion and Self-Care to Support Mental Health
This workshop will focus on the impact that stress and other mental health concerns have on overall health and wellness. Tools related to mindful self-compassion, symptom management and self-care will be provided to increase support.

Recognizing the Impact: Supporting Communities of Color during times of Crisis
This workshop focuses on exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on marginalized communities. This program will take an intersectional approach to identifying the various ways that these communities are uniquely affected by national crises. Additionally, facilitators will offer strategies for self/community care aimed at improving and maintaining mental wellness.

Resistance and Resilience: Self-care skills for students of color experiencing racism
This workshop acknowledges the detrimental impact of racism on society as a whole, but particularly for People of Color. This virtual workshop aims to provide education, support, and skills to empower Students of Color impacted by racism and White supremacy. The goal is to offer tools for self-care and coping, while also empowering Students of Color to challenge the status quo.

Transform: Anti-racist skills for white students to create a healthy campus for all
This outreach will provide a space for white-identified students to gain skills in order to engage in difficult conversations around race, identify systems of oppression, and learn tools to participate in self-reflection. The purpose of these skills is to continue to grow a deep, compassionate UB community committed to racial justice and equality.

Yoga, Meditation and Mindfulness for Mental Wellness
This workshop will provide education surrounding the benefits of yoga, meditation and mindfulness to increase mental wellness. Experiential examples of movement and breath work will be provided to assist participants in developing their own home practice.

Weekly Stress Management programs are online at https://buffalo.zoom.us/my/relax
For more information, contact Sharlynn Daun-Barnett at sd62@buffalo.edu
Note: to attend, you will need to sign-in to Zoom using your UBIT name and password.
If you use another email address, you may be denied access.

Wellness Coaching
The UB Wellness Coaching Program helps students define specific goals related to their overall health and wellness, and to identify and implement actionable steps to achieve their goals. Using a strengths-based approach, Wellness Coaches assist students in pursuing goals related to academic, physical, social, emotional, relational or spiritual wellness. When you are under quarantine, a Wellness Coach may be able to help you to set goals to cope with your unique circumstances. This free program is also available throughout the year. For more information or to schedule an appointment, go to https://www.buffalo.edu/studentlife/goals

Drop-In and Connect
Thursdays 6-7pm, 2/11 – 4/29 (no program 4/8) via Zoom at https://buffalo.zoom.us/my/relax
How is your week going? What is going well? What are you struggling with? Are you feeling disconnected from others? During this time of online classes and COVID-19 safety guidelines you may feel isolated, but we want you to know that you are not alone. This peer support program is a safe, non-judgmental space to connect and share your experiences from the week. Our Stress Reduction Program team is here to listen, support you, and can link you with campus resources too. While we talk, we encourage you to participate in a relaxing activity to help you take a mental break, such as coloring, playing with Jenga or stretching. Drop-in when you need to vent or come every week!

Yoga for Student Living class
Mondays 5:30-6:45pm, 2/8 – 5/3, via Zoom at https://buffalo.zoom.us/my/relax
This live, online yoga class consists of yoga postures/movements, meditation approaches and breath awareness to maintain wellness through the challenges of this semester. No experience is necessary. Dress comfortably. If you need to leave early, that is okay.

Meditation in Motion
Tuesdays 4-4:30pm, 2/9 – 4/27 via Zoom at https://buffalo.zoom.us/my/relax
Do you want to meditate, but have a tough time sitting still? Learn techniques to meditate using movement and other brief, creative strategies. All experience levels are welcome, but no experience is necessary.

Feeling Your Yoga class
Tuesdays 6-7pm, 2/9 – 4/27, via Zoom at https://buffalo.zoom.us/my/relax
This live, online yoga class consists of yoga postures, meditation, and breath awareness to maintain balance and overall wellness. It is not a fitness class, yet we test our limits, raise our heart rates and wind down to active rest. All experience levels are welcome, but no experience is necessary. Dress comfortably.

Wellness Wednesdays
Wednesdays, 12-12:30pm, 2/10 – 4/28 via Zoom at https://buffalo.zoom.us/my/relax
Bring your lunch and drop-in to learn about different ways to feel better and improve your self-care—from sleep tips, to fitting in time to exercise, to partying safer, to learning ways to relieve stress. Self-care is defined as activities that you can engage in on a regular basis to reduce stress and maintain your health and well-being. If there is a topic you would like us to talk about, let us know!

Drop-In Meditation Group
Fridays, 3-3:45pm, 2/5 – 4/30 via Zoom at https://buffalo.zoom.us/my/relax
The benefits of practicing meditation include reduced stress, improved sleep, and a more focused mind. This weekly meditation group teaches the fundamentals of mindfulness and meditation, and provides students with a variety of meditation techniques from different guest presenters. All experience levels are welcome, but no experience is necessary. We welcome students from all religious and non-religious traditions.

Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay!

As graduate workers, we at the Living Stipend Movement strongly believe that we should never be subjected to broad-based fees by our own employer. Join us in pledging to boycott graduate fees for the Spring 2021 semester, or sign in solidarity if you are unable to withhold fees and/or are willing to contribute to the forthcoming Boycott Protection Fund. Sign the pledge here!

For more information, see our FAQ page, or email us to get involved!

Call for Candidates

On April 12 – 15, 2021 the following offices will be filled through a general election of graduate students at UB:

PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

TREASURER

The stipends for each of these positions is currently $14,500, but this amount may be increased as part of the GSA Board of Directors’ approved budget for 2021-2022 (which will be voted on at the April 7^th Board of Directors meeting).  Elected officers must be present and available to serve in the duties of their office from June 1, 2021 until May 31, 2022.

Any student enrolled in a department that is currently represented by GSA, who is in good academic standing, and has attended one Board of Directors meeting in the past twelve months prior to becoming a candidate and attends the February 3^rd and March 3^rd Board meetings shall be eligible to run for office.

*Please note that international students holding an assistantship or any other employment will be restricted by federal work regulations and may not be eligible to run for office under United States Law.*

Petition packets for candidacy are now available by email request and are due back to the Election Committee Chair by Friday, February 26, 2021 at 4:30pm.  Absolutely NO late submissions will be accepted.

All prospective candidates must attend a mandatory meeting with members of the Election Committee where the Election Rules and Regulations will be handed out and reviewed.  Meetings will be arranged between prospective candidates and the Election Committee to occur between Thursday, March 4, 2021 and Thursday, March 11, 2021.

Please contact the Election Committee Chair, Daniel Duran (dduran@buffalo.edu) to request a petition packet, or to inquire about the details of the application procedure and formalities.

The UB Educational Design Collaborative (EDC) has coordinated a series of workshops in response to topics departmental instructional designers, academic technologists, librarians, and faculty mentors frequently get asked about. Below is the schedule of workshop events information and links to register for each session.

Register to receive a ZOOM link to join the webinar and a link to add the event to your calendar.

This series is targeted to faculty, GA’s Adjuncts, and is open to anyone who wishes to attend.
If you register and can’t attend, you’ll receive notification when the recording is available.
Questions may be directed to ubedc@buffalo.edu

Course Design Basics 
January 14th, Noon-1pm (EST)
Jessica Kruger and Derek Farkas, School of Public Health and Health Professions
This brief workshop will help you to organize your courses for the spring semester. During this course, expect to walk away with tips and tricks on ensuring your course is easy to navigate for students and is organized using evidence-based practices. This course will discuss how to self-evaluate your course for continued course improvement.

Authentic Assessments 
January 15th, 10am-Noon (EST)
Jessica Kruger and Derek Farkas, School of Public Health and Health Professions
Want to adopt or create an authentic assessment for your course? This workshop is hands-on, working in teams to create an assignment that you can utilize next semester. By attending this workshop, faculty will walk away with assessments that can be implemented, strategies to reduce time grading, and the confidence to try this new assessment type.

Tracking Student Progress: Blackboard Analytics 
January 18th, Noon-1pm (EST)
Jessica Kruger and Derek Farkas, School of Public Health and Health Professions
Want to ensure that your students are accessing course content to ensure their success? This workshop discusses strategies to help you track students’ progress through Bb analytics to support student retention or serve as an early warning system. By attending this workshop faculty will learn about statistical tracking in UBlearns, adaptive release functions, and how to utilize these analytics to help keep your students on track.

Virtual Worlds for Virtual Times 
January 19th, 2pm-4 pm (EST)
Various Presenters from across the SUNY System
This 2-hour webinar highlights SUNY faculty and staff using virtual worlds and simulations to develop authentic learning opportunities. We will also discuss tools and platforms currently used and ones that are on the horizon that are appropriate for virtual exchange and learning in general. This event was initiated through a conversation within the COIL and VR groups on SUNY Workplace. Info about speakers and topics is located here: http://bit.ly/vr-worlds-sim

Creating Engaging Instructional Videos using Adobe Spark 
January 20th, 1pm-2pm (EST)
Steven Sturman, School of Social Work
Adobe Spark allows you to easily create instructional videos using images, text, voice overs, and music.  This workshop demonstrates how to use this free app to create engaging course videos or slideshows.  This app may also be useful for students to creatively respond to many project assignments.

Reusing Panopto Content from one Semester to Another 
January 21st, 1pm-2pm (EST)
Beth Fellendorf, UBIT
If you’ve already made Panopto recordings, we’ll go over how to share those recordings with a new group of students.

Portable Lightboard 
January 22nd, 1pm to 2pm (EST)
John Pfeffer, UBIT
This session provides information on how to create your own portable lightboard which you can use to write out equations or diagrams for live classes or recordings.  This session provides a list of materials and step-by-step instructions.

Streamlining Assessments 
January 25th, Noon-1pm (EST)
Jessica Kruger and Derek Farkas, School of Public Health and Health Professions
Want to reduce the amount of time you spend grading but still provide quality feedback for students? This workshop provides strategies to help you think of new ways to grade students’ assessments without adding hours to your grading. By attending this workshop, faculty will learn about creating and using existing rubrics and methods to break-up assignments to reduce your assessment load.

Encouraging Student Camera Use – Policies & Recommendations 
January 26th, Noon-1pm (EST)
Cynthia Tysick, UB Libraries
Tips and strategies to encourage students to use their cameras during synchronous sessions.

Streaming LIVE using Zoom, Panopto and Social Media 
January 27th, 1pm to 2pm (EST)
Beth Fellendorf, UBIT and Caryn Sobieski-VanDelinder, School of Public Health and Health Professions
This session covers using your favorite pandemic lifelines: Zoom, Panopto and social media to live-stream. This practice could be useful when working with very large groups and to reach and engage broader audiences everywhere!

Integrating UB Libraries Library Liaisons, Research Guides, and Roadmaps into Your Course
January 28th, 1pm to 2pm (EST)
Bryan Sajecki and Tiffany Walsh, UB Libraries      
The Library offers information resources for incorporation into your Blackboard course to provide up-to-date information to students in the virtual learning environment. This session helps you learn how to incorporate research guides, roadmaps, videos, databases, permalinks, research tools, and how to integrate discipline-specific information with your library liaison directly within a UBlearns course.

Engaging Students in Large Classes (faculty panel) 
January 29th, 1pm to 2pm (EST)
Jeanne Myers, School of Management and Jay Stockslader, College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty teaching large classes will share their first-hand experiences and strategies such as participant engagement, effective host controls, course design, pre-recording content, using chat assistants and more.

The UB Education Design Collaborative (EDC) consists of individuals from the university instructional support community who are dedicated to the advancement and growth of teaching and learning initiatives across UB. We would like to thank our presenters and the event planning committee from UBIT, UB Libraries, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, School of Management, School of Nursing, School of Public Health and Health Professions, School of Social Work, the Center for Educational Innovation, and also faculty and staff from across the SUNY system.

To learn more about the EDC, or to join us, check out the Education Design Collaborative Website.

Cheryl Oyer, Co-Chair UBEDC
Steven Sturman, Co-Chair UBEDC

The UB Center for Geohazards Studies is pleased to announce a research grant opportunity for graduate students to support research in any discipline that is related to natural hazards.

All application materials must be received by  March 1st at 5:00 PM EST. Funds are available for projects to start on July 1, 2021

Eligible individuals must be enrolled in a graduate degree program at the University at Buffalo and be a member of the Center for GeoHazards Studies