Annual performance evaluations for all professional and civil service employees are required by Buffalo State, SUNY, and state civil service policy as well as all collective bargaining unit agreements.

Interim President Durand has communicated to the campus community that she considers performance programs and evaluations to be a primary responsibility of all supervisors, and it is her expectation that these be done each year for all employees. We rely on supervisors to provide honest and constructive feedback to staff members to assist them in addressing any performance issues and to provide positive commentary where appropriate to motivate and encourage excellent performance. Supervisors should be aware that fulfilling this important responsibility will be considered in decisions to award discretionary increases, promotions, and other personnel actions.

The evaluation cycle for professional employees with permanent appointment and for Management Confidential employees is July 1–June 30 of each year, which aligns with the cycle for annual reports. The evaluation cycle for classified employees with permanent appointment is April 1–March 31 of each year. Human Resource Management tracks and records completed performance evaluations for all employees. If you need a copy of the performance documents on file, please reach out to your Vice President’s office.

Employees with probationary or term appointments should be evaluated on cycles beginning with the date of appointment. Human Resource Management will remind supervisors when evaluations or recommendations related to probationary and term appointments are required.

Evaluations should be based on a current performance program that clarifies job expectations and goals for the following year. Job descriptions should be reviewed each year and updated as appropriate. Please ensure that this information is current for your professional and civil service employees.

Managing employee performance with job descriptions, performance programs, and evaluations is an ongoing process of communication between a supervisor and an employee and provides an opportunity to address issues in a timely fashion and to more effectively foster employee development. By clarifying job expectations, responsibilities, and providing specific feedback, you enhance your staff's ability to be successful in their work and meet expected outcomes and goals.

Information and forms on the performance evaluation process is available on the Human Resource Management website.

On the BizLibrary home page you will find a playlist titled “For Supervisors: Performance Evaluation & Setting Goals”. These short videos provide guidance pertaining to performance management/evaluations and creating SMART goals.

As a reminder, The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs shared information relating to the individual faculty and librarian report and the respective due date.

If you have questions or need assistance with employee evaluations, please contact Human Resource Management at hr@buffalostate.edu.

Thank you for your cooperation in this important process.

Posted in The Daily on June 3, 2025

With local primary and general elections being held this year, now is a good time to review the state ethics rules regarding political activities.

Volunteering for Political Campaigns

State employees may volunteer for political campaigns as long as they follow the state ethics laws. Under Civil Service Law § 107, state offices may not be used for soliciting or collecting any political contributions. State officers and employees, and prospective employees, may not be questioned or asked about their political affiliation, whether they made any political contributions, or how they voted. No person can use their official state position to coerce, intimidate, or influence other state officers or employees for any political purpose, action, or contribution, or to interfere with any election.

The following political activities would violate the Code of Ethics in POL § 74:

·    Circulating a candidate’s nominating or designating petition within your office;

·    Printing or copying campaign materials using a work printer/copier;

·    Using your work computer (laptop or office) to produce campaign literature of any kind, including in support of or in opposition to a candidate or a ballot question; or

·    Using state internet connections or accounts to forward e-mail messages received from an electoral campaign, or someone supporting or opposing a candidate or ballot initiative, or to send campaign emails.

Volunteering to be a poll worker as a state employee

Are you planning to serve as a poll worker this election season? You may be able to! However, remember that a state officer or employee is not permitted to engage in any outside employment or professional activity that is in substantial conflict with their job.

·    If you are not a designated policymaker, then your agency’s rules and procedures will apply to your outside activities.

·    If you are a policymaker, then your agency’s rules and procedures, as well as COELIG’s regulations, will apply to your outside activities.

If you are unsure, check with your agency’s Ethics Officer, Jamie Warnes, AVP of Human Resource Management (warnesje@buffalostate.edu), before signing up.

Learn more about outside activities on the Commission's website or the Buffalo State University Ethics website.

Posted in The Daily on June 3, 2025

Many retirees wish they had begun focusing on financial and retirement planning much earlier in their lives. To help active members avoid that pitfall, the New York State Teachers' Retirement System (NYSTRS) offers a proactive approach to prepare for retirement: The Pension and Retirement Education Program (PREP).

NYSTRS has posted the summer 2025 schedule of seminars, which is available on the Retirement Planning/Pension & Retirement Education Program page.

Dates: Tuesday, July 15
            Tuesday, August 12

Location: Buffalo Airport Hotel
                 4600 Genesee St.
                 Cheektowaga, New York 14225

The PREP seminar educates members of all ages and career stages on the value of careful financial and retirement planning. The seminar further helps you understand your NYSTRS benefits and how your future pension fits into your overall retirement picture. This information is a key piece of the plan that helps you achieve your retirement goals and dreams.

The half-day seminars, which are free and held throughout the state, cover the following topics: NYSTRS benefits, financial planning, Social Security, estate planning, and the retirement process. Seminars are held from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with registration beginning at 8:00 a.m. There is no fee to attend, and members are welcome to bring a guest, but all attendees must be registered in advance. Spots fill up quickly, so register soon. 

There are two ways to make a reservation:

1. Online using your MyNYSTRS account. After logging into your account, visit the Tools/Schedule a Consultation or PREP page.
2. By calling NYSTRS at 800-348-7298, ext. 6180.

When calling to make a reservation, you must provide your EmplID or Social Security number, email address, and home phone number (and the same information for your spouse or companion if they are a member and will also be attending).

Please bring your latest Benefit Profile with you to the seminar. For the most up-to-date estimate of your retirement benefits, use our online MyNYSTRS Pension Estimator. This tool allows you to create estimates using various retirement dates.

If you make a reservation but cannot attend, please call the number above to cancel (or cancel using your MyNYSTRS account) so that we can offer this reservation to another member.

PREP seminars are not intended for individual benefits counseling. Members interested in a benefit consultation should visit the Retirement Planning/Benefits Consultations page.

Posted in The Daily on May 30, 2025

The following are official state holidays and classes will not be in session. Buffalo State University will be closed with the exception of those employees required to maintain essential services. All eligible classified and unclassified employees may observe this holiday without charge to accruals. Please check with your supervisor if you are unsure if you need to report to work on this day.

Memorial Day: Monday, May 26, 2025

Juneteenth: Thursday, June 19, 2025

Independence Day: Friday, July 4, 2025

Labor Day: Monday, September 1, 2025

For employees who are required to work on any of these holidays, the following state attendance rules will apply:

Classified employees who work on these holidays will be compensated according to their holiday waiver status. Those who have not elected to waive additional money for holiday work will receive holiday pay per their bargaining unit agreements. Employees who waived additional money for holiday work will receive compensatory time off instead of additional holiday pay. Classified employees who wish to inquire about their current holiday waiver status may contact the Payroll Office at (716) 878-4124.

Please post notices in advance in your offices and on your website, use the out-of-office automatic e-mail replies, and change voice mail recordings so that students and other employees are aware that the office is not available. These messages should provide information on whom to contact in case an issue requires immediate attention.

For more information on holidays, please visit the Human Resource Management website.

Posted in The Daily on May 22, 2025

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