Student-Athlete Handbook - Introduction

Buffalo State College Vision Statement
Buffalo State College will be a nationally recognized leader in public higher education known for
its caring and rigorous academic environment where lives are transformed through education;
the intellectual and creative accomplishments of its faculty, staff, students, and alumni;
its cross-culturally competent community dedicated to developing leaders for an increasingly global society.

Buffalo State College Mission Statement
Buffalo State is a diverse and inclusive college committed to the intellectual, personal, and professional growth of its students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Our mission is to empower students to succeed and to inspire a lifelong passion for learning. Buffalo State is dedicated to excellence in teaching, research, service, scholarship, creative activity, and cultural enrichment.

Buffalo State College Core Values
We, the Buffalo State community, are committed to:
  • actively facilitating access to public higher education;
  • excellent learning experiences in and out of the classroom;
  • being student centered;
  • the rigors, joys, and fulfillment of intellectual discovery;
  • engagement, applied learning, and partnerships with the community;
  • social responsibility;
  • respect for diversity and individual differences;
  • supportive and collegial relationships;
  • opportunities for individuals to realize their full potential.

Buffalo State Intercollegiate Athletics Mission Statement
Buffalo State's intercollegiate athletics department is dedicated to providing quality and competitive intercollegiate athletics programs while focusing on instilling essential transferable skill sets and dispositions in all of our student-athletes.

SUPPORT OUTCOMES
Quality athletic programs - Athletics is committed to providing our student-athletes with first-rate athletic facilities that offer all of the necessary amenities to succeed in a safe environment. Our student-athletes receive supportive and knowledgeable coaching related to their specific disciplines. We ensure a safe and comfortable experience for our student-athlete while traveling to away from home competitions. We provide appropriate services in the areas of sports medicine and strength and conditioning training.

Competitive athletic programs - Athletics strives to produce teams that win more than 50 percent of their contests annually and compete in their respective conference postseason tournaments. Additionally, Buffalo State aspires to place in the top-5 in the annual SUNYAC Commissioner's Cup.
Student graduation - Athletics strives to support its student-athletes to ensure successful completion of academic degree.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Development of transferable skill sets in all our student-athletes - Athletics is committed to develop the following skills sets in all of our student-athletes: team work, discipline, reliability, responsibility, ability to overcome adversity and problem solving.

Development of transferable dispositions in all our student-athletes - Athletics is committed to develop the following dispositions in all of our student-athletes: self-confidence, competitiveness, civic pride, respect, and cultural sensitivity.

NCAA Division III Philosophy Statement
Colleges and universities in Division III place the highest priority on the overall quality of the educational experience and on the successful completion of all student-athletes' academic programs. They seek to establish and maintain an environment in which a student-athlete's athletics activities are conducted as an integral part of the student-athlete's educational experience. They also seek to establish and maintain an environment that values cultural diversity and gender among their student-athletes and athletics staff. To achieve this end, Division III institutions:
  1. Place special importance on the impact of athletics on the participants rather than on the spectators and place greater emphasis on the internal constituency (students, alumni, and the institutional personnel) than on the general public and its entertainment needs;
  2. Award no athletically-related financial aid to any student;
  3. Encourage the development of sportsmanship and positive societal attitudes in all constituents, including student-athletes, coaches, administrative personnel and spectators;
  4. Encourage participation by maximizing the number and variety of athletic opportunities for their students;
  5. Assure that the actions of coaches and administrators exhibit fairness, openness and honesty in their relationships with student-athletes;
  6. Assure that athletics participants are not treated differently from other members of the student body;
  7. Assure that athletics programs support the institution's educational mission by financing, staffing and controlling programs through the same general procedures as other departments of the institution;
  8. Provide equitable athletics opportunities for males and females and give equal emphasis to men's and women's sports;
  9. Give primary emphasis to regional in-season competition and conference championships;
  10. Support student-athletes in their efforts to reach high levels of athletic performance, which may include opportunities for participation in national championships, by providing all teams with adequate facilities, competent coaches in and appropriate competitive opportunities

The purpose of the NCAA is to assist its members in developing the basis for consistent, equitable competition while minimizing infringement on the freedom of individual institutions to determine their own special objectives and programs. The above statement articulates principles that represent a commitment to Division III membership and shall serve as a guide for the preparation of legislation by the division, and for planning and implementation of programs by institutions and conferences.

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