How long have you worked at Buffalo State College and if applicable what other areas have you worked/positions have you served in at Buffalo State College?
I have worked at Buffalo State for over 12 years. I have always been at Student Accessibility Services and was hired as the Technology Accommodations Coordinator in 2010. I have learned a lot from my colleagues, faculty and students at the college and my work has diversified and grown beyond just providing assistive technology support to our students.
What motivates you to provide excellent services for your colleagues, students, and supervisor?
My goal is and always has been to make the department an integral part of the college. I believe that when we work together, we can support our students to find the tools to be independent. I am motivated when I see our students succeed in the real world. I believe in teamwork and hope that I can give to this community as much as I learn from it.
What personal philosophy about working with others guides your day-to-day work?
I truly believe that working in this field is what my adult life has been all about. I have had great mentors and would like to continue to be that for our students and young professionals in this field. I want students to develop self-advocacy skills, know their strengths and weaknesses and learn to effectively use the tools that are available to them.
What do you do when you are not working?
When I am not working I usually spend a lot of time with my husband. We love watching different television shows which mainly include sports, mystery, and crime! We follow our daughter’s college sports, and religiously watch their men’s basketball and her lacrosse games.
Sumana routinely commits her time, energy, and talents to the Buffalo State community and beyond. She shows the same level of care and support for prospective students when she represents us at open houses and resource fairs as she does our current students every day, and our students who have graduated but occasionally seek guidance and knowledge resources. Sumana approaches each student, not only as an individual, but as holistically as she can, so that she can apply the resources and skills at her disposal to them so that they are equipped to be as successful as they can. She is giving of her time and talents to teach students, faculty, staff and colleagues on and off campus in the much needed areas of accessible technology; and her personal skill set allows her to reach each population where they stand and have successful results. Most importantly, she does not gatekeep her knowledge, but is open and giving of everything that she knows and continues to learn; empowering all of us to be better professionals and students.
Sumana has embraced her role as Interim Director of SAS and has lead us in new and wonderful directions, promoting positive collaborations and initiatives that will only make our office better. Sumana promotes an environment of communication and positivity by engaging in the activities and ideals that she expects from her staff. She leads by example, volunteering to sit on campus, community, and state committees that bring and distribute educational wealth in areas surrounding not just disability, but technology, diversity, and equity. Sumana is constantly engaged with the campus and brining SAS to the forefront of any conversation. You will readily find her at open houses, recruitment fairs, and other events on and off campus where having a member of SAS available might prove even the slightest bit fruitful. She is known throughout the state as one of the 'Go-To' assistive technology experts in the field, although if you ask her, she remains extremely humble in regards to this honor.
Sumana continuously fosters diversity and inclusion on campus and remains welcoming and engaging with all members of the Buffalo State community at all times. She routinely brings the members of the office gifts and snacks for us to share and enjoy. She listens to our stories of our families and loved ones and shares hers with us. She works hard to create and maintain an environment where colleagues and students feel welcome when they walk through the door by repeatedly leaving her personal office to enter the waiting area regardless of if our Secretary is available to respond to our visitor. That engagement is not only welcoming but shows warmth and care for our visitors. She works hard to know all our students by their first name, and a little bit about them so that she has something to ask about when they are in our office, just to make our students feel a little more at home and at ease, especially since the conversations in our office can orbit around difficult.
Sumana's work ethic is Student Centered and Driven. Any office or department in higher education should be student driven, but Sumana goes above and beyond by individually tailoring our supports and resources to each student who walks through our door to ensure that they have the best possible outcome from our office and the college in general. Much of her work on committees goes unsung in that is creates programs and policies that make Buffalo State more student centered by incorporating her skill set and knowledge base to the conversation; but her fingerprint is all over this campus in it's accessibility. Although most offices serving students with disabilities are appointment-driven, and ours is to an extent, Sumana has always made herself available to students on a walk-in basis whenever she can; there is no webinar or meeting that is more important than a student in need.
Sumana was integral in our success as an office through COVID and beyond. Her embrace of new technology and desire to make and keep our office 'paper-free' allowed us and keeps us able to seamlessly run services for students and faculty regardless of our physical location. Although it takes an entire office to support this type of initiative, Sumana has always been the driver of it. She does not confront issues as problems, but as barriers in need of solutions and we work together to find that solution. If there is a new and better way to tackle an issue, she is open to not only her own solutions, but solutions driven by others, and she will fully support the best initiative to move our office forward in a way that keeps us innovative and on the cutting edge regardless of any limitations we may have. What I appreciate the most about Sumana in this area is not only are her solutions collaborative, but they are timely; she takes the time needed to think through, but not overthink, or process an idea to extinction. Her leadership is the epitome of embracing change.
As Interim Director and Technology Accommodation Coordinator of Student Accessibility Services, Sumana's positive attitude is demonstrated on a daily basis. Sumana truly cares about each student who is connected with our office. With her extensive knowledge of assistive technology, Sumana will meet with the students offering training in assistive technology to help them succeed at Buffalo State. Every committee Sumana is involved in, both on campus and in the community, reflects back to our office in some way offering insight into all the services available to students connected with our office. Sumana always demonstrates a positive working environment to our staff just by her actions alone. We see on a daily basis how important it is to Sumana to make sure everyone that enters our office succeed. Our staff work as a team making sure that every person be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. Sumana's work ethic is what encourages our staff work hard to be the best that we can be when working with students, faculty and staff. Sumana is always working with faculty making sure they know what is needed to make their material accessible to their students. Sumana is a giver and she is constantly giving of herself to our students, faculty and staff. She gives of herself to the community by participating in may events on campus and off campus.
While I have only been working with Sumana for a few weeks, she has been nothing but kind to me. She has personally showed me around campus and taken me to meet colleagues so I am more acquainted with the campus. I see this kindness extended to every student that walks into our office as well.
Sumana is always positive in our office, she always has a smile on her face in the morning and when a student walks through our door. She uplifts each member of our team with positive affirmations, and even when it is a difficult day, she finds a way to always see the bright side.
Sumana is my mentor, and has taken me under her wing so I can help run the SAS office. She is always willing to help me with any questions I have, and will demonstrate how to do each step of every process so that I can understand fully. She has allowed me to sit in on meetings so that I can collaborate in the intaking of new students to our office. She has been nothing but kind and patient to me, as well as to our other team members.
Sumana bases her work on student-centered service. The student always comes first in her mind, I can see this when she meets with new students to learn their personal needs. She always gets to know students and what is going on in their lives outside of classes alone so as to better understand who they are as people rather than just students. When a student comes in with a problem, she does not rest until she solves it, she makes sure if she cannot help them personally, to refer them to the correct person who can.
As the intern in the Student Accessibility Services Office, I have had the wonderful pleasure of noticing Sumana Silverheels' work as a campus ambassador. She is kind to every employee in our office, in every meeting and interaction. Sumana kindly and gently works to handle any office conflicts. She speaks calmly and increases harmony in our office. Over the summer, when I interned with a different department on campus, I tabled a couple of the other department's orientation sessions. Sometimes the table was next to was the Student Accessibility Services table. I would hear the gentle kindness Sumana shared with students who approached her table. She was inviting and patient with each student. This is the energy I have heard Sumana genuinely greet students she has meetings with. Finally, Sumana has appeared to be very flexible to change and new ideas, to help students and her peers.
You have to be a kind person to work in Student Accessibility Services and I have the privilege of having Sumana as my supervisor. She respects every student that comes into the office and makes them feel comfortable while also being really informative and helpful. She is confident in everyone who works at the office, which makes it easier to work with her in the first place. When I met her on my first day I wasn't having the greatest day, and she was really kind to me which made my day better. Even now, she is helping me be more involved with the office.
Sumana is constantly exhibiting acts of kindness in professional and non-professional settings alike. I’ve seen Sumana take time out of her extremely busy schedule to stop and help students with issues in and out of student accessibility survives. She always provides for the people working for Student Accessibility Services, we are never over worked or made to feel less than.
The most positive Bengal! Sumana comes into work with a smile. Even in the face of being extremely overwhelmed, she stops and shares a positive thought. When I was having social issues, Sumana always encouraged me to face my adversity head on and let me know that I was capable to achieve anything.
Students are so comfortable with Sumana and feel good about sharing with her personal and academic woes because she listens and then actively works to resolve the issue even if it is complex and takes a long time. She is very conscious of being kind and making every student feel comfortable.
