Volume 2, Issue 2 • October 26, 2022 This newsletter is published by the Division of Student Affairs as a communication tool for our parents and families to stay informed.

Billy Balzano, Class of 2025 (second from right), and their family enjoyed Family Weekend on campus along with Vice President for Student Affairs Slandie Dieujuste (far right).

Greetings from the Vice President for Student Affairs

Dear Parents and Families: Fall is in the air! As I reflect on our recent Family Weekend and think about the Thanksgiving holiday that will soon be upon us, I can’t help but feel grateful for your partnership in helping our students succeed. While our fall semester may be busy, it is filled with great opportunities for learning and growth—both in and outside of the classroom. As we near the end of the semester, please encourage your student to continue to make Springfield College their own.   As always, we are just one email or phone call away: studentaffairs@springfield.edu or (413) 748-3100.   Sincerely, Slandie Dieujuste, PhD   Follow me on Instagram @Dr.Slandie.

Registration is Coming! Advising and registration planning for spring 2023 will begin on Monday, Oct. 31 with registration beginning the week of Nov. 14. All students are required to meet with their academic advisor to receive registration clearance prior to their registration date and access time. Please encourage your student to log onto PrideNET and verify under the My Profile tab that they do not have an absolute hold on their account as they will not be able to register until the hold has been removed.

We are rapidly approaching Halloween, which you may have thought was a holiday just for kids--not true! College students love to celebrate Halloween, and many celebrate with alcohol. As family members, students still take their cues from you. We encourage you to be honest and open about the risks that can come with drinking and other substance use and what your expectations for your student are on Halloween and every other weekend. There are a few important points you might want to consider the next time you talk to your student: Recognize that some students do choose to drink in college. If students do drink, encourage them to do so in the safest manner possible. Some ideas you can stress include limiting how much they drink, eating food before drinking, keeping drinking to one night or less per week, not drinking to the point of intoxication, and never driving after drinking. Sticking with a small group of friends also helps keep everyone safe, and offers great group costume opportunities. Remind them that not drinking or using other substances is the safest option, and that many students choose not to drink. Springfield has an active non-drinker group on campus and plenty of activities that don’t involve alcohol. Remember that help is available! If a student or their friend needs medical assistance due to drinking or consuming other drugs, they should call the Department of Public Safety or a Residence Life staff member. The College has a medical amnesty policy that may apply in these situations. Students’ safety is always paramount and we are committed to getting them help when needed. Thank you for the role you play in helping your student have a safe and successful experience at Springfield College!

Housing News

The Office of Housing and Residence Life is looking ahead to the approaching fall break (Thanksgiving) to take place in November. Springfield College residence halls close at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 22 and re-open at noon on Sunday, Nov. 27. We are sure many of our students are looking forward to a well-deserved break! If a student needs to stay on campus during any part of Thanksgiving break (including staying late or returning early), they must submit a Break Housing Application (via the My Housing page on PrideNET). ID card access to the residence halls will be turned off and access will be granted only to students who have submitted this form on time. Student requests are due by noon on Monday, Nov. 21. For the break, depending on the dates the student requests to be on campus, they may be asked to relocate to another residence hall. Dining services will not be available. Please note there are no guests or alcohol permitted during the break (regardless of age). There is a charge to stay over fall break of $200. Break housing fees are not prorated. If you have any questions, please call us at (413) 748-3102 (we are open Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) or email us at reslife@springfield.edu.

Veterans Services  Springfield College is a designated “military-friendly” institution and the Military and Veterans Services Center is open to support and connect student veterans and military-connected students. ROTC representatives are available to meet by appointment. The center is located at 272 Middlesex Ave. and is open Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30-4 p.m. A Veterans Day ceremony will be held at the center on Friday, Nov. 11 at 11 a.m. Pictured above right: At last November's opening of the Springfield College Military and Veterans Services Center, (from left to right) ROTC trainer Travis Wright, Logan Large, who leads efforts at the center; President Mary-Beth A. Cooper; and Vice President for Student Affairs Slandie Dieujuste took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

A Sport for Every Student Campus Recreation offers roughly 10-12 intramural sports per semester. Offerings include cornhole, flag football, tennis, soccer, basketball, volleyball, bowling, futsal, dodgeball, handball, and softball. If your student is interested in a particular sport(s) but does not have a team, they can register as a free agent. All participants can register through IMLeagues.com using their Springfield College email address. For more information or assistance, you can email us at intramurals@springfield.edu. Pictured above left: Members of the VT Ways, champions of the 5v5 intramural basketball league, pose following their winning season in spring 2022.

Upcoming Events, Activities, and Athletic Competitions As your student settles into their fall routine, we hope they find time to get involved on campus and spend time with new and old friends. If your student is looking for something to do, encourage them to visit the athletic calendar and the programming calendar for ideas.

Spiritual Life The great joy and great challenge in working in religious and spiritual life on a college campus is that our populations shift yearly. As an office, Spiritual Life endeavors to meet the needs of all our students, and especially those students with religious affiliations not historically represented on our campus. The past two years have seen a significant growth in the number of Muslim and Hindu students on Alden Street. In response, Spiritual Life has offered a variety of new regular programs and support for high holy days. For example, Muslim Friday Jumu’ah Prayers join our regular schedule of on-campus services, including Halftime, our mid-week Christian worship service, and Catholic Mass. We now regularly hold campus celebrations for Dashain and Diwali, festivals of significance to our Hindu students. While we continue to support the religious lives of students who identify with specific faith traditions, Spiritual Life seeks to provide services and programming for those students who do not identify with any given religious tradition. Thus, you’ll find regular meditation groups happening, guest speakers and public forums addressing today’s ethical and social justice issues. Information about these and other programs are shared on our Spiritual Life Web page, via emails, flyers, and on our Instagram account @scspirituallife. All this is done with the support of outstanding student leaders. Through them, and their efforts, we see the “Spirit” part of the Triangle is alive and well and exemplified in ways meaningful to our current students.

As a caregiver, you may have questions about the mental health resources available to your student. Because about 20 percent of Springfield College students seek counseling through our office each year, the College is committed to making sure our office is staffed to handle this demand. But we often find that mental health can be helped in many different ways, not just by attending counseling through our center. On our campus we have a multitude of peer support options that parents are not always familiar with that can help your student beyond our office. Here are just a few: Pride Cares – Our office trains students to be more prepared if a friend is struggling with mental health issues, how to be comfortable with the conversations, and to know how to refer when needed. Students who have been trained in Pride Cares have green tags on their backpacks and stickers (featuring the words "Pride Cares") that often go on their residence hall doors. Minds in Motion – This is a student club on campus, advised by the Counseling Center, that normalizes mental health and provides a regular space for students to gather and to look at how they can help others (and often themselves) with mental health concerns. Student Advocates for Wellness – These are peer educators that put on a variety of programs that focus on wellness and help students make healthier choices in regards to their physical, spiritual, and mental health. We hope that should your child be seeking out support services, knowing and being able to share these resources beyond the Counseling Center will help you and your student.

We’re excited to share with you the wonderful work that students and staff within the Division of Student Affairs are doing.

Cheney Award

The Cheney Award is given to a member of the Springfield College family who has worked unselfishly for the best interests of the College and the community. This year’s recipient was Annie Warchol, assistant dean for Student Engagement. Annie was recognized for her tireless work to provide engaging opportunities for students, execution of award-winning programs, mentoring new professionals, and being one of the biggest cheerleaders for Springfield College. Please join us in congratulating Annie on this well-deserved recognition! Pictured top right: President Mary-Beth A. Cooper presents the Dean R. William Cheney Award to Annie Warchol.

About the Division of Student Affairs The Division of Student Affairs aims to foster an engaging and inclusive co-curricular learning environment where students grow as leaders while exploring, understanding, and living the Humanics philosophy. The Division is comprised of the following offices and programs: Spiritual Life, Community Standards, Health Promotion, Dean of Students, Undergraduate Student Orientation Programs, Career Center, Counseling Center, Housing and Residence Life, Student Activities and Campus Union, Campus Recreation, Center for Service and Leadership, Veterans and Military Services Center, and the Health Center.

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