Faculty and Staff Appeal 2013 Donor Profile: Barbara Sherman

Soon after assistant professor of computer information systems Barbara Sherman began teaching at SUNY Buffalo State in 1994, she earmarked a portion of her paycheck for the Faculty and Staff Appeal.

Sherman left Buffalo State for a position at the University at Buffalo, but returned to the Computer Information Systems (CIS) Department in 2007 and resumed her appeal contributions here.

“I look at Buffalo State as my professional home,” Sherman said. “And my mother used to say, ‘charity begins at home.’”

Faculty and staff have the option of either making a one-time gift or spreading their contribution over the year through payroll deduction. Sherman chose the latter.

“Payroll deductions make it painless,” she said. “You can start small. Think of giving up Starbucks once a week. As I’ve received raises through the years, I’ve increased what I contribute.”

Those who contribute also can choose which funds they would like to support. Sherman designated her contributions for CIS student scholarships and to the department itself—for needed supplies such as software and hardware that weren’t covered due to budget cuts. Her biggest impetus for giving, however, has been to help students finance their education.

“I know that many of our students have a significant financial need,” Sherman said. In 2000, Sherman and Ottilie Woodruff, Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) counselor, helped establish the Kolawole (Tommy) Glover Memorial Scholarship Fund in honor of a CIS EOP student. This scholarship is just one of many worthwhile funds included in the campaign. Download the complete list of funds.

To learn more about the 2013 Faculty and Staff Appeal, contact Louis Noce, annual fund officer, at (716) 878-3467.