Canton

Accounting majors at SUNY Canton will be helping the local community file their taxes.

This service is being provided by the school and the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which focuses on teaching students who participate in the program as part of their coursework, how to file taxes. The students will then in turn teach the community how to file taxes themselves. The students will be performing this service from 10 a.m. to noon on Mondays and Wednesdays and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Fridays until April 6.

–readmedia.com

Stony Brook

SUNY Stony Brook has received complaints from students and faculty after the school announced that they will no longer cancel classes to observe religious holidays. The Holy Week and Passover will be the last holidays students will have off.

The school cited academics as the reason for this change in scheduling, since students were given time off right before final exams in 2011. The school also said that no tests will be given and no papers will be due on religious holidays, and this scheduling change will be in effect for the next four years.

-newyork.cbslocal.com

Cortland

SUNY Cortland will hold the 27th Annual Central New York Teacher Recruitment Days on Monday, March 26 and Tuesday, March 27.

About 460 central New York students and 55 school district recruitment professionals are expected to attend this event, which is run by the school’s Career Services Office and is co-sponsored by the Central New York Career Development Association. The event will focus on giving students who will have their teaching certificate by the fall of 2012 the opportunity to present themselves to local school districts and give advice to these students on how to advance their teaching careers.

-cortland.edu

Brockport

The College at Brockport announced Tuesday that they have hired James Willis, Ph.D, as their new Vice President for Administration and Finance.

Willis, who served as the Executive Vice President of University Support Services at SUNY Buffalo, was given the job after Lou Spiro, the current vice president, announced that he would retire on June 30 after 33 years of service.

Brockport president John Halstead said the school hired Willis for his expertise in finances, strategic planning and the SUNY system itself.

-brockport.edu

Buffalo

SUNY Buffalo president Satish Tripathi went to Albany on March 13 to ask the New York State Legislature to designate a Center of Excellence in Material Informatics at the school.

Tripathi made a proposal to the legislature, in which he asked that this center be established in next year’s state budget, so it may receive funding for new lab equipment, more faculty members and a new facility.

The university said this new center could increase the school’s positioning for federal funding in the field of informatics. The school hopes this could help them recruit faculty members on a national scale in this expanding field.

-buffalo.edu