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Throwback Thursday

It’s Throwback Thursday!

Each Thursday, throughout the summer, the Office of College Communications will include historical facts about the college in The Dome, on Facebook and Twitter. It’s all part of our yearlong sesquicentennial celebration, which culminates in September 2020 when Canisius turns 150 years old. 

Today, we flash back to August 2000 when New York State granted peace officer status to the Canisius College Department of Public Safety. Peace officers have the same authority as police officers with the exception of being able to serve a warrant. They are restricted to their own geographic jurisdiction.

The Canisius Public Safety Department was the first private security organization in New York State to receive peace officer status.

Submitted by: College Communications

Fall 2020 Reopening Update

As we look forward to the start of the fall semester, the college has been working hard to make the reopening and move-in process at Canisius as safe, smooth and successful as possible for everyone later this month.   The health and safety of our students, faculty and staff have continuously served as the guiding principle as we planned our return to on-campus learning and living this fall. But, in order for us to unite and stay on campus for classes for the duration of the semester, it is critical that we work together to ensure the health and safety of our community. We must each do our part to protect ourselves and each other.  Many students, faculty and staff have shared a preference for as normal a campus experience as possible; whether we can deliver that experience will depend upon everyone’s cooperation.

An important part of our strategy is ensuring that people are healthy when they come to school, and modifying our facilities and procedures to mitigate risk. Through rigorous safety protocols and physical alterations to campus facilities, we have created an environment intended to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our community. All of us must adhere to some basic safety principles: monitor your health daily, mask wearing, social distancing, frequent hand-washing and avoiding large gatherings.  We will ask everyone – students, faculty and staff alike – to acknowledge their pledge to commit to these new community expectations and practice them on a daily basis.

Though simple, some of these precautions represent a major change in normal daily behavior. We are confident that our campus community is up to the task of taking the needed steps to protect the health and safety of the students, faculty, staff, as well as their friends and their families. To be successful this fall, we truly do need to be, “men and women with and for others”. We are all in this together. Taking the steps necessary to protect others is who we are as Golden Griffins. We must understand how our behavior and individual choices can impact our campus.  To this end every member of the community will enter into the Griff Pledge, a compact that formalizes our shared commitment to health and safety.  Look for this the week prior to the start of school.

The following information, regarding Quarantine Requirements, a Safe Return to Campus and the Griff Pledge, was sent by Vice President for Student Affairs Dan Dentino, PhD, to undergraduate and graduate students earlier this week:

Quarantine Requirements
In the spring, New York was the epicenter of COVID-19 activity, but the state’s strict lockdown and the community’s compliance has drastically reduced the infection rate in our state. New York is reopening gradually and cautiously to prevent a resurgence and has instituted a quarantine requirement for individuals entering from states with significant community spread of the virus. As of this writing, all individuals entering New York from restricted states and other countries are required to self-quarantine for 14 days. This mandatory quarantine applies to everyone (residential and commuter students), including those who have tested negative for COVID-19. To “quarantine” means that you stay in an off campus location or your designated campus housing and not be in public or other campus buildings, grounds or common areas for 14 days; beginning the last day you were in a designated restricted state or country  For more information on New York State’s quarantine requirement, please read the state’s FAQGiven the quarantine requirements noted above, all students coming from restricted states and other countries should plan adequate time to quarantine. Please contact the Office of Student Life if you have questions or need more information.


For students, there are a few ways to satisfy this quarantine requirement:

·         The first option is to make alternative off-site plans for quarantining. Click here for more information– https://www.canisius.edu/commencement/buffalo-travel-information. You may also use other hotels, including those outside of the metropolitan area that are in any state that is not on the list of restricted states. Students may also quarantine with a family member or family friend who lives in New York or one of the other states not designated as a “Hot Spot.”  In this case, you are required to submit a NY State Traveler Health Form and email a screen shot of the confirmation you receive to Mr. Al Pilato, Associate Director of Student Life at pilato1@canisius.edu.

·         The second option is to remain home and begin your classes online, until your state is removed from the restricted-state list. We understand that this may be a disappointing option for many to consider. Please be assured that we will be flexible in working with you on your plans to join Canisius College’s on-campus community at whatever time in the semester this becomes a comfortable and viable option for you and your family. If you choose this option, please contact the associate dean of your respective college/school:

o   Wehle School of Business: Laura McEwen (mcewenl@canisius.edu)

o   College of Arts & Sciences: Dr. Phil Reed (reedp@canisius.edu)

o   School of Education & Human Services: Dr. Lorrei DiCamillo (dicamill@canisius.edu)

·         The third option is for residential students only—if you are a student entering from a restricted state or another country and are planning to live in College housing, you are able to quarantine in Canisius housing with assigned roommate (if applicable) and your room or suite will be considered a living/family unit under these circumstances. For residential students, you have already received some information about this in a previous communication. 

A Safe Return to Campus
The health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff remain the highest priority in our reopening plans. We have developed a series of health protocols to mitigate risk and promote the safety of the learning environment. These protocols include the following:

  • Health Hazard Reduction: This is aimed at reducing or eliminating risk via the quarantine requirements noted above, regular health screening, and contact tracing efforts to ensure that people carrying the virus and their close contacts do not come to campus. As part of this process, you will be strongly encouraged to participate in a daily Mobile App screening. Please look for an email in the coming week to enroll in the screening.
  • Density Reduction: We are focused on limiting the number of students, faculty, and staff on the campus and in the classrooms, and accommodating vulnerable populations.
  • Engineering Controls: Improvements to campus HVAC systems and air circulation, will mitigate risk.
  • Administrative Controls: These efforts protect our community with behavioral changes, through signage, training, and regular communication, to promote social distancing and reshape the way we live, work and study.
  • Personal Protective Equipment: Face coverings, which will be provided to students as a critical component of risk mitigation, will be required at all times in all common, public areas, except in areas designated for eating or when you are in private quarters.

For more information about the steps the college is taking to promote health and safety, please see the college’s Return to Campus website

The Griff Pledge
Making the Canisius College campus safe is a shared commitment, and so we are requiring every member of our community to take the Griff Pledge, which demonstrates that we are all working together to protect one another from COVID-19.  As a member of the Canisius College community:

  • I will wear a face covering at all times on campus, both indoors and outdoors, and when taking part in College activities on or off-campus when unable to be socially distant (students can take face coverings off in their individual residence hall rooms);
  • I will wash my hands frequently and thoroughly (for 20 seconds, minimum), especially after contact with surfaces and items in public areas, after eating, coughing, sneezing, or wiping one’s nose;
  • I will self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and complete daily MobileApp screenings;
  • I will follow the directions of College and Erie County Health Department  officials regarding testing, screening, and quarantine/ isolation (if necessary), and cooperate with the College and Erie County Health Department’s contact tracing efforts, if called upon to do so;
  • I will act in the spirit of people for others, knowing that I am helping to protect the campus community from illness. I am responsible for my actions.

Submitted by: College Communications

Service for Trevor Watt, PhD

A live stream service will be held for Emeritus Professor of Religious Studies and Theology Trevor L. Watt, PhD, on Friday, August 7 at 11:30 a.m. The service can be viewed on the Facebook page for the Dietrich Funeral Homes Inc. A memorial service will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church at a future date and time. Trevor Watt passed away on August 3 at the age of 94.

Trevor joined the faculty ranks in 1968 and infused the campus community with his sense of esprit. His classes on dreams, death and family systems were always among the first to fill in the department, and students and faculty alike gravitated to him for his thoughtful and encouraging advice.  Upon Trevor’s 2009 retirement, one faculty colleague commented, “Talking to Trevor is like listening to Mozart.  He always uplifts the spirit.”

Widely revered as an educator and scholar, Trevor staged more than 50 scholarly presentations during his tenure at Canisius.  He had a special interest in the pastoral aspects of theology and psychology, which led him to complete a Diplomate of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors.  In recognition of his contributions for introducing aspects of psychology into pastoral counseling, the Eastern and Northeastern Region of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors presented him with its Distinguished Contribution Award. 

Beyond academia, Trevor spent 15 years as host of “In Process,” a television program about religious issues, which aired on WIVB-TV.  He was also a co-founder and first board chair of the Life Transitions Center, which grew to become the counseling division of Hospice Buffalo. 

Trevor is predeceased by Marilyn G.S. Watt, PhD, the long-time and beloved chair of the Communications Department at Canisius. 

Submitted by: College Communications

Academic Affairs Q&A and Web Workshop Week

In the second week of August, Canisius College faculty and librarians will lead a series of workshops focused on methods and resources for teaching during the fall 2020 semester. Faculty will present ways in which they have promoted learning communities in online course spaces, developed creative ways to present content and communicated effectively with students in web-based courses, especially during the Covid-19 crisis.

Additionally, COLI and library staff will present resources and options for web-based course content. Each workshop will be held via Zoom and will run about one hour and 15 minutes. You can see workshop descriptions and sign up for workshops here.

To kick off Web Workshop Week, Academic Affairs will conduct a Q&A session on the preceding Friday, August 7 at 9:00 a.m. Vice President for Academic Affairs Sara Morris, PhD, will be in attendance to answer questions you may have specifically concerning teaching and coursework in the fall 2020 semester. Please RSVP to attend using this form.

Submitted by: Mark Gallimore, COLI

Canisius College Athletics Teams with Balanced Body Foods

Canisius_FirstTimeUsers_1080x1080 (1).pngStart eating healthy today! In partnership with Canisius College Athletics, Balanced Body Foods is offering 10 percent off meals for all first time users. The Balanced Body Foods menu features a variety of healthy and tasteful options for everyone to enjoy! Click here to learn more.

Submitted by: Nick Wojcicki, marketing coordinator, Athletics