Author: slfrank

I write to share with you information about UB’s continuing institutional membership to the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU).

HACU is an organization that represents more than 500 colleges and universities in the United States, Latin America, Spain, and school districts throughout the U.S. Its mission is to advocate for Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) in the U.S. and around the world, and advance Hispanic servingness in higher education. Besides policy advocacy at all levels, HACU also provides its members with a variety of programming and educational resources, as well as various opportunities and scholarships for students at member institutions.

Specifically, HACU membership provides

Advocacy representation on behalf of Hispanic education
Grant opportunities offered only to member institutions
Internships, scholarships and leadership opportunities for students
Discounts to HACU Conferences, advertising, exhibitor opportunities, and HACU ProTalento career resource
Faculty and staff development opportunities
Free subscription to The Voice of Hispanic Higher Education magazine and e-newsletter
Access to webinars and HACU Advocacy Center
Anyone on campus can access programs, initiatives and information on conferences without a login.

I invite you to visit the HACU website and explore the many resources and opportunities the organization offers.  Please also disseminate this information to your students, faculty and staff.

If you have questions about the membership or how to best utilize it in your units, please contact me or the Office of Inclusive Excellence (vpix@buffalo.edu).

We would like to share an exciting opportunity for your students and faculty this fall: new LEED training workshops. With the LEED exam changing in 2026, these sessions are an excellent way for students to build their expertise in sustainability and earn their credentials before the new, more challenging exam is implemented.

We would be grateful if you would share this invitation to all members in the Graduate Student Association at SUNY Buffalo. As a friendly reminder, your students can use the code ‘green’ to receive a $100 discount.

We appreciate you distributing the information below, as past students in the group have found these workshops to be incredibly valuable. Please CC or respond to this message once it has been distributed.

LEED Green Associate Certification: Fall Enrollment

• LEED is the #1 Sustainability Certification: LEED is a scorecard to rate Green Buildings, but, people can also become LEED accredited highlighting their expertise about what it takes to work and build sustainably.
• Valuable Credential: Adds an industry-recognized certification that boosts employability.
• Open to All: Works for students of any major, with no prior experience required.
• Lifetime Credential: Students who pass before 2026 get to keep their credential for life and won’t have to take the more difficult new exam.
• Affordable: Discounted pricing makes it accessible for all students.

Our workshops focus not just on passing the test, but on providing a deep understanding of the material to ensure that your knowledge is solid and practical. This approach significantly improves your chances of success, especially considering the exam’s historically low pass rate.

LEED Green Associate (GA) Training – Webinar and Online self-paced options:

I will be offering live webinars that can be streamed on any of the following dates:

1. September 6 2025 – 1:00PM – 5:30PM EDT
   2. October 4 2025 – 1:00PM – 5:30PM EDT
   3. November 15 2025 – 1:00PM – 5:30PM EST
   4. December 20 2025 – 1:00PM – 5:30PM EST   – OR –
   5. On-demand recordings completed at your own pace

The above options (1-5) are all identical.

Register for a live online seminar or start today with our on-demand recorded workshop completed anytime at your own pace here – https://leadinggreen.com/online

Both options offer comprehensive training, practice exams, valuable tips, and required textbooks – all led by a USGBC Faculty member. It’s the most efficient and affordable way to master the material without breaking the bank!

Cost: $200 with the coupon code ‘green’ for $100 off! (Non-students $300)

Please contact the instructor Lorne directly with any questions at info@leadinggreen.ca

We would like to inform you about UB’s continued institutional membership with the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD). The NCFDD is a nationally recognized, independent organization that provides online career development and mentoring resources for faculty, post-docs, and graduate students. For more information, see UB’s NCFDD webpage.

The NCFDD provides a variety of virtual programs and resources including:

• Weekly Monday Motivator        
• Monthly Core Curriculum Webinars
• Monthly Guest Expert Webinars
• Access to Multi-Week Courses
• Access to Dissertation Success Curriculum for graduate students
• Private Discussion Forum for peer-mentoring, problem-solving, & moderated writing challenges
• Monthly accountability buddy matches
• Access to 14-Day Writing Challenges
• Access to the Member Library that includes past webinar materials, referrals, and readings.

To claim your free Institutional Membership, complete the following steps:

1. Click here.
2. Choose University at Buffalo from the drop-down menu.
3. Select “Activate my Membership”.
4. Complete the registration form using your institutional email address (@buffalo.edu).
5. Go to your UB email to find a confirmation/welcome email. Click “Activate Account” in the email.

If you have questions about the membership, please contact the Office of Inclusive Excellence (vpix@buffalo.edu). If you have any technical questions, please email NCFDD at Membership@FacultyDiversity.org.

Check out some of the great events GSA has to offer!

Provided by your mandatory student activity fee.

On May 22, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (H.R. 1) by a vote of 215-214. The Senate is now working on its version of the bill, which includes the Senate HELP Committee’s bill text. The House-passed reconciliation bill and the Senate HELP Committee bill includes two provisions of serious concern to CGS and the graduate education community:

• Terminates the Grad PLUS Loan Program on or after July 1, 2026
• Caps Federal Unsubsidized Loans for graduate students at $20,500 annually

These provisions in the reconciliation package will do more harm than good and will put many Americans at a disadvantage. The U.S. Senate is currently drafting its own reconciliation package and has announced plans to pass the bill before the July 4th Recess.

Please contact your U.S. Senators at your earliest convenience to express your concerns about these and other higher education-related provisions in the budget reconciliation bill.

Dear UB Graduate Students,

As many of you know, escalations in the Middle East, as well as threats by the US government to revoke student visas from those with ties to certain countries or studying certain fields, have left many of our students feeling anxious, isolated, and uncertain. International graduate students at UB have worked incredibly hard for the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to our university community, and we fully support their ability to do so. We stand with our international students as they’re forced to navigate not only the everyday challenges inherent in academic pursuits, but also the stress of working during violent conflicts abroad and amid domestic policy changes that may impact their ability to work and study at UB.

As we welcome a new group of students, many of them international, we would like to remind everyone about the following resources and encourage you to use them freely:

• International Student Services– A message of support from ISS, with links to additional resources.
• FAQs and Guidance on Federal Policies– A comprehensive page from the University providing information and guidance.
• SUNY Protocols for Interacting with Outside Law Enforcement– How to respond to requests by law enforcement officials (these guidelines apply to professors, staff, and students).
• S. Laws and Your Rights– Information from International Student Services.
• UB Counseling Services– For mental health counseling.
• Red Cards– Portable information about your Constitutional rights in a variety of languages. Printed cards in a few different languages can be picked up in the GSA North Campus office at 310 Student Union.
• CEAC Visa Status Check– For student visa status checks.

Additionally, we encourage everyone to review the UB Discrimination and Harassment Policy. If you experience or witness harassment on UB’s campus, we strongly encourage you to report it to the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Information about their policies and procedures, including the investigative process, can be found here.

Beginning in Fall, we will be creating an ad hoc International Student Committee. This committee will be helpful in relaying concerns from international students to the GSA, which will in turn use that information to better advocate on behalf of those populations in meetings with upper administration, as well as shape GSA programming for the upcoming year. In the meantime, we welcome any feedback that would be helpful in hitting the ground running once the semester starts.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to anyone in the Graduate Student Association if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

The GSA Executive Committee

Sarah MacDougall, President – gsa-president@buffalo.edu
Sevda Mirkoohi, Vice-Presidet – gsa-vicepresident@buffalo.edu
Isaac Kolding, Treasurer – gsa-treasurer@buffalo.edu

Check out some of the great events GSA has to offer!

Provided by your mandatory student activity fee.

This will be a 45-minute “Speed Reading 101” workshop that covers fundamental concepts and techniques to help students approach their reading material more effectively (textbooks, case studies, journal articles, research, among other types of analytical reading most students encounter regularly).

Quick Recap:

+ Increasing Your Reading Speed Using Practical Techniques
+ Improving Comprehension With Better Focus & Concentration
+ Remembering and Recall Crucial Information Using Proven Methods
+ Reading Faster on the Computer Screen and Other Digital Devices

Please RSVP through the link below:

https://irisreading.com/school/UB

Students have expressed concern over the use of AI detection tools such as TurnItIn, and their disproportionate impact on students of color, international students, and neurodivergent students. If you would like to sign a petition urging the university to move away from using those tools, please do so here.