From the Interim President

At the March 14, 2025 meeting, the College Senate voted to recommend to the interim president the adoption of the following resolution: 

Whereas, the Buff State Alert campus emergency notification system is used to send important communications to students, faculty, and staff during emergency situations; and 

Whereas, other SUNY campuses including SUNY Geneseo conduct tests of emergency notification systems twice annually; and 

Whereas, test communications at regular intervals can increase familiarity with alert messages and can enable subscribers to confirm receipt of notifications; and 

Whereas, Buffalo State does not currently offer specific programming, initiatives, or training related to emergency preparedness topics for students; and 

Whereas, during emergencies in recent years (December 2022 blizzard, bomb threat, shelter in place), many students expressed a lack of understanding about protocol, resources, and preparedness tips. 

Therefore, be it resolved, Buffalo State should increase the frequency of TEST communications through Buff State Alert and Outdoor Emergency Horn from once per year to once in the Fall semester and once in the Spring semester; and 

Be it further resolved, Buffalo State should send out rotating emergency preparedness topics to the campus community with links to relevant university webpages to reinforce emergency information before an emergency situation occurs; and 

Be it further resolved, Buffalo State should develop and provide a statement on emergency preparedness for faculty to include in their course materials. 

I accept the recommendation from the College Senate regarding the adoption of the DOPS Emergency Preparedness Resolution. I charge the Interim Vice President for Management and Operation to oversee the implementation of this resolution and to communicate it widely to the appropriate offices and individuals. I thank the Student Welfare Committee and the Chair for this recommendation, and the Senate and the Senate Chair for their diligence in bringing this resolution forth.