The State of New York/United University Professions Joint Labor-Management Committees have announced that $50,359.45 has been allocated to SUNY Buffalo State for Individual Development Awards for the new program period of July 2, 2024, through July 1, 2025.
This award program is intended to assist employees in the UUP bargaining unit in developing their full professional potential and preparing for advancement by funding professional development activities. Information on eligibility requirements, types of projects or activities funded, funding priorities, and expenditure limitations along with the application and instructions are available on the Human Resource Management website.
The maximum amount that can be awarded for each employee under this program is $2,000. Employees may be funded for up to two projects or activities, not to exceed a total of $2,000. The funded activity must take place between July 2, 2024, and July 1, 2025. 
Applications for this award period must be received at uupida@buffalostate.edu no later than April 7, 2025. Award notifications will be sent by email on or around July 1, 2025.
Individual Development Awards committee members are Lisa Marie Anselmi and Jude Jayatilleke representing UUP, and Erika Grande and Charles Lyons representing management. If you have any questions regarding the awards, please email uupida@buffalostate.edu.

Any employees who have been inactive on the State payroll for more than two pay periods will have their direct deposit deactivated by the Office of the State Comptroller. Employees returning who had direct deposit in previously semesters and whose information has not changed must request reactivation by submitting the Direct Deposit Reactivation Request Form via e-mail to the Payroll Office.

Buffalo State University participates in the New York State Direct Deposit Program. Through this program, employees may choose to have their net salary partially or entirely deposited directly, via electronic funds transfer, with any financial institution that can receive transactions through the automated clearinghouse system. To enroll, please bring completed original Direct Deposit Form to the Payroll Office in Cleveland Hall 408.

Please share this message with your returning students as well.

Posted in The Daily 8/31/2023

The program has been extended through June 30, 2024. While the SUNY program will continue through June 30, 2024, extensions of telecommuting arrangements for Buffalo State employees are not automatic. Employees must request extensions of their existing plans or apply for new plans. All telecommuting arrangements must be reviewed and approved by the employee’s immediate supervisor or manager, the department head or dean, the division leader, and senior campus leadership.

Requesting an Extension of a Telecommuting Plan
Please discuss your request with your supervisor and submit the SUNY Telecommuting Program Application and Work Plan, checking the box labeled “Application for Renewal.” Your plan should be updated at this time to reflect any operational changes. While your request is being reviewed for approval, your existing plan will remain in effect. The Human Resource Management Office will notify you of the outcome of the review process for an extension.

Requesting a New Telecommuting Plan
Please discuss your request with your supervisor and submit the Telecommuting Program Application and Work Plan, checking the box labeled “New Application.” New telecommuting work arrangements must not commence until they receive final written approval. The Human Resource Management Office will notify you when the arrangement can begin. Employees approved to participate in the telecommuting program must complete and submit to their supervisors biweekly progress reports describing work completed while telecommuting. The Human Resource Management Office may, at any time, request these reports to ensure compliance with the program.

Please note the following program highlights:

• All telecommuting work arrangements are subject to advance approval.
• This program supports employees whose work does not require in-person student or constituent service delivery and interaction, including classroom presence.
• This program uses a set schedule during each pay period. It is not appropriate for “as needed” telecommuting arrangements.
• Telecommuting is limited to no more than 50 percent of a pay period.
• Telecommuting arrangements may be terminated at any time by the supervisor for operational reasons, or because the telecommuting employee does not complete the required progress reports.
• Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that the work described in the telecommuting plan is being done, and that the needs of the department are being met while the plan is in place.

Visit the Telecommuting Program for more information for employees and supervisors. 

Please contact the Human Resource Management Office with questions about the program.

In any fiscal year in which February 29th falls, the Office of the State Comptroller automatically adjusts salaried employees' biweekly salary calculations based on 366 days in the fiscal year. Salaried employees paid on a calendar year basis will see a change in their biweekly gross earnings beginning with the September 27, 2023 paycheck. 

The definition of calendar year and the leap year and non-leap year salary calculation is posted at Payroll FAQs and noted below. 

Questions may be directed to the Payroll Office via email at payroll@buffalostate.edu or by phone at 716-878-4124.

Pay Modes - Calendar (CAL) 
Use for faculty with academic year obligations paid over 12 months.  The normal appointment year or payroll obligation dates for faculty is 9/1/xx – 8/31/xx.  The faculty academic year obligation is determined each year by the President.  (26 pay periods)

Why is there a discrepancy between my gross annual earnings and my annual base salary?

Since a fiscal year cannot be divided equally into bi-weekly periods, computation of the bi-weekly wage is made by dividing the annual salary by the number of calendar days in the fiscal year (365 or in the case of a leap year, 366) and multiplying this result by fourteen, the number of calendar days in a bi-weekly period. To reduce this process to one step, the fractions 14/365 and 14/366 are converted to multiplication factors: .038356 (non-leap year) and .038251 (leap year).

Normally, there are 26 pay periods during a calendar year. Due to the idiosyncrasies in the calendar and the State's payroll cycle, State employees occasionally receive 27 paychecks in a calendar year, instead of 26. When this occurs, the employee's gross annual earnings will be higher than the annual salary.

Message from the President

Every Buffalo State University employee plays a valuable and critical role in helping us fulfill our mission to serve our students, faculty, and staff in addition to our surrounding community to the best of our ability. Our supervisors have the added responsibility of providing honest, constructive, and specific feedback to their staff members to affirm successful goal accomplishment and to address any performance issues that require attention. I also expect supervisors to provide positive, collegial, and respectful commentary where appropriate to motivate and encourage excellence in performance.  

Performance evaluations, goal setting, and accountability are a primary responsibility of every supervisor, and it is my expectation that they be completed each year for all employees. Supervisors and employees should be aware that fulfilling this important responsibility will be considered in decisions to award discretionary increases when available, promotions, and other personnel actions.

Our campus has performance evaluation systems in place that are intended to clarify job expectations, encourage, and support professional development, provide quality feedback, and foster continuous constructive and communication between the supervisor and the employee on performance throughout the year.

Supervisors will use the process and forms available on the Human Resource Management website and consult with Human Resource Management if you have any questions on the process or need advice on addressing performance issues.

Posted in The Daily 9/5/2023

Human Resource Management is pleased to announce a Phased Retirement Program for eligible academic and professional employees. The program provides an opportunity for a phased approach to retirement, allowing employees to transition into retirement gradually, with a reduction in workload or obligation and commensurate reduction in pay. The program is voluntary and optional.

Program details, including eligibility requirements, the application, and the intent to resign for retirement template letter, are available on the Human Resource Management website.

Eligible employees should discuss the program with their chair or head of their department. Participation in the program is subject to review and approval of the President.

Please contact Human Resource Management with questions.

Posted in The Daily on 2/2/2023