Dec 12, 2024  
2023-2024 Springfield College Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Springfield College Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Student Life


Explore Student Life at Springfield College

A COLLEGE EXPERIENCE YOU WON’T FORGET

Our Humanics philosophy means not only a well-rounded education, but a great experience outside the classroom, too. To balance out their studies, students spend free time leading service projects, supporting our athletics teams in the stands or on the field, and taking advantage of the many clubs and organizations in our campus community.

As a Springfield College student, you’ll want to know what’s expected of you. That’s why we’ve made a student handbook that can help. The student handbook contains information and policies on academics, residence life, community standards, and more.

This page contains information about the following topics:


Athletics

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The mission of the Springfield College Department of Athletics is to provide a competitive varsity athletics program through offering a variety of opportunities with equal emphasis given to all sports. The Department of Athletics is dedicated to offering an educational experience that promotes development guided by the values of tradition, integrity, commitment to excellence, respect, and relationship building. 

These values are consistent with the College’s humanics philosophy, which allows the Department of Athletics to offer a co-curricular experience that emphasizes the development of the whole person in spirit, mind, and body. This approach enables student-athletes to pursue excellence in the classroom, on the playing surfaces, and in the communities.

In order for a student athlete to be eligible to practice or compete, they must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours, be in good academic standing with the College and be medically cleared.  Please click on the links below to learn more about each of these areas.

For a more comprehensive look at all that the Springfield College Department of Athletics has to offer, please visit the athletics website.

Career Center

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Students from all programs and schools are encouraged to work with the Career Center staff as early as their first year. The experienced staff is committed to student learning and development, and offers a variety of opportunities for students and alumni. The services provided by the Career Center are free of charge, and are available to students during their time at Springfield College, and long after they’ve graduated. Students, alumni, parents, employers, and faculty members are encouraged to meet the Career Center staff and learn more about the many opportunities, resources, and services available through the center.

The Career Center provides services and resources to assist Springfield College students and graduates with reaching their professional goals. Whether you’re a student, alumnus, or parent, we invite you to take time to meet the Career Center staff, and to learn about the many opportunities that the Career Center offers. 

We encourage students from all majors and programs to work with the Career Center as early as first year. Our experienced staff is committed to promoting student learning and development. We’ll work with you in identifying career options, exploring career-related engaged learning opportunities, enhancing job searching skills, preparing for admission into graduate/professional schools, recognizing employment opportunities, and networking with Springfield College alumni.

As a Springfield College student or alumnus, our services are always available to you, at no cost, in-person or via telephone appointment. 

In accordance with the mission of Springfield College the mission of the Career Center is to educate, inspire, and empower students and alumni to effectively make well-informed career decisions. The Career Center promotes an atmosphere where students are actively engaged in career explorations that lead to employment and post-graduation opportunities, and enhance lifelong learning. The center is committed to providing comprehensive resources, programs, and counseling that foster professionalism and meaningful learning experiences that enable students to function successfully in a global society. 

Clubs and Organizations

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Working hard is important, but playing hard is important, too. At Springfield College, we don’t just understand that, we encourage it. We want to help our students make the most of their experience on campus, whether that’s pursuing a hobby, joining or leading a club or organization, attending on- or off-campus events, or just connecting with friends.

That’s where the Office of Student Activities and Campus Union comes in. From your first day at orientation to the moment you walk across the stage in your graduation cap and gown, our office can help make your college experience memorable. 

Explore all that we have to offer by visiting our office in the Flynn Campus Union or checking out the campus calendar.

Health and Wellness

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Around here, it’s all about balance. We understand how important it is to maintain your health and wellness. Whether you’re looking to nourish your spirit, expand your mind, or exercise your body, we offer plenty of programs and resources to keep you feeling your best.

Inclusion and Community Engagement

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The Division of Inclusion and Community Engagement promotes and maintains a campus culture of inclusive excellence while simultaneously providing the community with a central point of contact for those wishing to explore ways they can connect with and support the College’s outreach efforts. The division provides students, faculty, and staff with opportunities to work, live, and play across lines of identity and difference.

Multicultural Affairs

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The Office of Multicultural Affairs aims to cultivate and sustain a campus climate that is inclusive, student-centered, pluralistic, and safe. In short: we want to help make the campus as inclusive as possible. And, we need students like you in order to achieve that.

What We Do

If you’re interested in social justice, consider getting involved. Our office initiatives, implements, and supports comprehensive educational, cultural and social programming, as well as critical service learning opportunities and advocacy. We seek to empower and support students while focusing on enhancing the retention and persistence of the students involved. 

Why We Do It

We do this in hopes of fostering inclusiveness, understanding, and appreciation across multiple dimensions of diversity while also promoting academic achievement, cross-cultural competence, intergroup dialogue, leadership development, and social justice education among all members of the Springfield College community.

Through collaboration with offices on campus, as well as the local community, our office provides support for historically underrepresented and marginalized students on campus. This serves students of color, LGTBQ+, women, first-generation college students, immigrants, refugees, students of varying religions, and students of varying socioeconomic status. We offer opportunities for students to challenge bias, explore identity development and intersectionality, and expand their knowledge and appreciation of all facets that contribute to intentional and transformative learning.

Recreation and Sports

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Campus Recreation is excited to serve the Springfield College community by offering the most current and engaging  sports & wellness programs for students, faculty, and staff. 

Our recreational and competitive sports programs have never been stronger, with almost 40% of our student body participating in intramurals and approximately 300 students competing in Club S[ports, which are growing and expanding. Our teams and individuals have fared well in national competitions in recent years.  We will offer roughly 12 intramural sports each semester and 12 active club sports.

If recreational sports don’t spark your interest, our pool, climbing wall, 15,500 square feet of fitness areas, and six-lane indoor track are available at your convenience based on your interest and schedule. Our facility is open seven days a week for more than 100 hours.

Residence Life

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At Springfield College, we believe education outside of the classroom is as important as formal learning within the classroom. One vital part of that experience can be found by living on campus. Because we believe in the importance of the residential experience, all students are required to live on campus through their junior year (six semesters) and may elect to live on campus for their senior year

Your residence hall serves as the site of exciting and valuable learning, as well as the focal point for making friends, studying, and having fun. You will learn useful skills, such as how to live with a roommate and share living space, how to compromise, and how to respect one another’s needs.

Residence hall living provides students with a wonderful opportunity to learn about themselves and others, and to contribute to a community in a meaningful way. Your residence hall experiences will provide some of the most treasured memories of your years at Springfield College.

If you have questions or we can be of assistance please feel free to email us at reslife@springfield.edu or call us at 413-748-3102 (Monday thru Friday 8:00am until 4:00pm summer hours and 8:30am until 4:30pm during the academic year).

Service and Leadership / Student Volunteer Programs

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At Springfield College, we’re focused on being leaders in service to humanity. Our Center for Service and Leadership plays a large role in achieving this goal by making a difference in the lives of community members and making the world a better place through service and volunteerism.

So, where do we begin?

We understand the philosophy that being a good citizen starts with being a good neighbor. The center connects Springfield College community members with residents of the greater Springfield community via service opportunities and programs, with a specific focus on providing educational opportunities for our students.

The Center for Service and Leadership has three locations associated with it.

  • Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement, temporarily located at 385 Eastern Avenue in Springfield
  • Community Bike Shop, located at 235 Eastern Avenue in Springfield
  • Center for Service and Leadership main office, located in Suite 342 in the Flynn Campus Union on the Springfield College campus

The centers provide students and faculty with learning laboratories for extending practical application of skills, leadership development, and service learning with members of the local Old Hill and Upper Hill communities. These centers connect the issues that Springfield College students care about with the things they believe they can change, providing a platform to develop students as leaders in service to others.

The Center for Service and Leadership strives to collaborate with offices, departments, and organizations that provide leadership development opportunities for students.

Spiritual Life

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The Office of Spiritual Life supports the spiritual, educational, and worship needs of the Springfield College community. We strive to provide direct assistance and access to students and employees of all spiritual and religious backgrounds through the work of the director, associate chaplains, and in cooperation with spiritual centers and houses of worship in the greater Springfield area.

We embrace religious pluralism and work to encourage interfaith dialogue and cooperative action. We respect that our diverse traditions help us live integrated lives where spirit, mind, and body complement one another in service to the world. We invite members of the community to learn more about the spiritual paths that traverse our campus, and to engage in the multifaith worship services, educational programs, and service opportunities we offer.

Study Abroad

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WANT TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?  Through our study abroad program, you can. You can learn a lot about the world through books and in your classes-but nothing compares to seeing it first-hand. Aside from experiencing and learning new things, you’ll also earn academic credit while building your résumé.

International study is an impressive credential, whether you are applying to graduate school or for work in the growing global job market. The best part? We’ll help you through the entire process.