Volume 2, Issue 5 • March 8, 2023
This newsletter is published by the Division of Student Affairs as a communication tool for our parents and families to stay informed.
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Pictured above: Slandie Dieujuste (left) and Assistant Dean for Student Engagement Annie Warchol (right) share their experiences in higher education with Gigi DeRose (middle) as she begins her internship with the Office of Student Activities.
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Greetings from the Vice President for Student Affairs
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Dear Parents and Families:
We are enthusiastically marching into spring alongside our students! The semester is flying by, with midterms and spring break around the corner. This issue of Springfield College Connect contains important information about processes and deadlines that your student should be aware of. We appreciate your assistance in helping them stay on top of things.
As always, we are a phone call and email away:
Sincerely,
Slandie Dieujuste, PhD
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Campus Communication
While this newsletter is just one of the ways we communicate with families, we recognize that sometimes you may have questions about other things happening on campus or would like to receive communication in “real time” during a crisis. SC Alert serves as the College-wide emergency notification system. With SC Alert, you can keep up-to-date on weather delays, school cancellations, power outages, or other campus-wide emergencies just as your student does. Ask your student to add your phone number and/or email to their profile so you will receive emergency notifications directly to your phone. (They need to be logged into PrideNET to make any updates.)
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Break Housing: Residence halls will close for spring break on Friday, March 10 at 5 p.m. and reopen on Sunday, March 19 at noon. Since residence halls are not accessible to students during the break, we encourage everyone to take all necessary items (passports, medications, laptops, etc.) with them when they leave for break. If your student needs to stay on campus during any part of spring break, they must submit a Break Housing Application (via their PrideNET account) prior to 4 p.m. on March 8. Card access is granted only to students who have submitted the break form on time and have been approved to stay. Please note that dining services will not be available. Neither guests nor alcohol are permitted during the break (regardless of age). The $200 break housing fees cannot be prorated.
Housing Selection: The housing selection process for the upcoming academic year is underway. Students should check their Springfield College email regularly and review the Housing Selection Guidebook (on their MyHousing Portal on PrideNET). Contact us at (413) 748-3102 during regular business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or at reslife@springfield.edu.
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Imagine your student studying abroad for the same cost as a semester on campus. With the College Study Abroad Program, students can choose from programs in more than 30 countries across six continents, pay tuition to Springfield College, and apply their financial aid. These global experiences enable students to fulfill academic requirements while learning about different cultures, gaining intercultural and language skills, developing new perspectives, and deepening their understanding of themselves and their abilities. Students who study abroad develop greater self-confidence, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and the ability to work effectively in diverse environments.
The International Center staff advises students to start planning a semester abroad as early as their first year, selecting Study Abroad as their themed exploration. They can get started by visiting Springfield College Study Abroad or attending the Study Abroad Fair on Monday, April 3, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Campus Union Cafe area. Application deadlines are as follows: fall deadline is April 1, and the deadline for spring is October 1. For questions about program options, requirements or scholarships, contact studyabroad@springfield.edu. Encourage your student to start exploring the global opportunities available through Springfield College today!
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Upcoming Events, Activities, and Athletic Competitions
With the coming of warmer weather and extended daylight, your student may be looking for things to do outside or at different times of day. Encourage them to visit the athletic calendar and the programming calendar for event and activity ideas.
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If your student is traveling for spring break, we suggest you have a conversation with them about safety. Instead of lecturing them on the importance of being safe, ask them questions about their plans, if they know how to reach emergency services, what actions they are planning to take in order to stay safe, etc. Remind them that laws vary—particularly around cannabis—in different states. Be sure you know how to reach your student, how to reach their friends (and how their friends can reach you), and their travel plans. Staying informed is the most important step you can take to help your student stay safe while giving them the independence they crave—and the great experience of traveling.
If your student will be home, chat with them about expectations before they head out every night to see high school or other friends while you’re expecting them home for dinner. It’s a great time to improve on what worked for you as a family during winter break, and set yourselves up for summer expectations.
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Loneliness is one of the most common factors that leads to mental health challenges. While we hope your student has made numerous and deep connections with others, it is not uncommon to hear that some of our students have not yet. Many students find their connections throughout the year, not just in September.
Sometimes these connections haven’t happened and other times they are lost because of the ever-changing campus environment with students going away for study abroad, internships, or graduation. It is never too late to find and create new connections, but we know that it takes courage and energy to make these changes. There are staff members in offices on campus, like Student Activities and Residential Life, that can help get students connected to each other.
If your student is struggling, please have them reach out to their resident assistant, New Student Orientation leader, classmates, others on their team, etc. If that does not seem to be enough, have them consider reaching out to the Counseling Center to see if we can be of help in understanding why they are struggling and helping them find pathways to connect.
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We’re excited to share with you the wonderful work that students and staff within the Division of Student Affairs are doing. |
Springfield College Dance Marathon (SCDM)
(SCDM) a campus-wide program that partners with the B+ Foundation to provide financial assistance to families of children with cancer, support childhood cancer research, spread awareness about childhood cancer, and spread the B+ message: “It’s not a grade… it’s an attitude.” SCDM has the honor of being paired with B+ Hero Zakk and his family and has a goal of raising $30,000 to assist Zakk and other families impacted by childhood cancer. Learn more information or support their efforts. Follow SCDM on Instagram @SCDanceMarathon.
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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, Office of Non-discrimination Initiatives, Title IX, 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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Copyright © 2023 Springfield College. All rights reserved.
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