Institutional Planning and Advisory Committee (IPAC)

Buffalo State College’s Institutional Planning Advisory Committee (IPAC) embarked upon the development of a new three-year strategic plan in 2021. The process was guided by the document Essential Strategic Planning Phases and an Example Approach for an Academic Department by Jonathan Hulbert, Director of Leadership and Organizational Development at Buffalo State. The methodology presented in Jonathan Hulbert’s document aligns with recommendations provided by the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) and has been used successfully in academic department strategic planning throughout Buffalo State College. This new institutional strategic planning document captures the main elements of our existing document with modifications made to reflect institution-wide strategic planning.

The Role of IPAC is to serve as a conduit between multiple areas of the college, serve as the coordinating body of strategic planning initiatives, and provide leadership in the following ways:

Oversee the iterative strategic planning process and its implementation.
Monitor and adjust the ongoing strategic planning process to meet the college’s needs.
Strengthen and focus the analytics required for planning, assessment, and student success.
Regularly communicate assessment and planning progress to faculty, staff, and students.
Share information and assessment results with the Institutional Effectiveness Committee for possible inclusion in the Middle States Self-Study materials.
Develop recommendations for actions and goals within the broad parameters of the strategic plan and the college’s mission for submission to the president and cabinet.

Kim Barron, AVP Institutional Effectiveness and Planning, Co-Chair

Jim Mayrose, Provost, Co-Chair

Assessment of Student Learning Subcommittee

Emily Boyce, Associate Professor, Music

Kimberly Kline, Professor, Higher Education Administration

Lawrence Maheady, Professor, Co-chair and Exceptional Education Department

Deborah Silverman, Chair and Associate Professor, Communication

Amitra Wall, Associate Provost, Academic Affairs

Student Support Subcommittee

Philip Badaszewski, Assistant Dean, Residence Life

Curtis Brickhouse, Director, Student Affairs Operations

Katrina Fulcher, Associate Professor, Speech-Language Pathology

Yanick Jenkins, Director, Educational Opportunity Program

David Loreto, Interim Vice President, Enrollment Management

Charles Lyons, Director, Butler Library

Kristen Mruk, Associate Director, Student Leadership and Engagement

Planning and Institutional Improvement Subcommittee

William Benfanti, Associate Vice President, Government Relations, Institutional Advancement

Andrew Binder, Director of Operations, Performing Arts Center at Rockwell Hall

Atta Ceesay, Chair and Associate Professor, Political Science and Public Administration

Lin Xia Jiang, Professor, Art and Design

Carolynn Krupp, Director of Institutional Planning, Institutional Effectiveness and Planning

Nigel Marriner, Registrar, Registrar's Office

Wendy Paterson, Dean, School of Education

Sarah Reid, Campus Planner, Campus Planning Office

Perry Schmidt, Student (B.S.), Dietetics

Bhakti Sharma, Associate Professor, Art and Design

Evidence in Decision-Making Subcommittee

Kelly D’Aloisio, Director, Financial Management Office

Tiffany Fuzak, Research Analyst, Institutional Effectiveness and Planning

Michelle Hockett, Associate, Institutional Research

Amy McMillan, Director, Honors Program

Gary Solar, Chair and Associate Professor, Earth Sciences and Science Education

Olivia Delos, Assistant, Institutional Research

Defining Features Subcommittee

Elisa Bergslien, Associate Professor, Earth Sciences and Science Education

Melissa Meehan, Director, Web Administration, Marketing and Communications

Laura Hill Rao, Director, Civic and Community Engagement

Amy Wilson, Chair and Associate Professor, Higher Education Administration