We have a very exciting Orientation program planned for you and the staff is busy planning your arrival!

• New Student Orientation Information

Please note that registration opens May 1st! Please check back then for the registration forms and other important Information in regards to registration!

If you have questions please do not hesitate to contact the New Student and Parent Orientation program at nso@westfield.ma.edu or call us at 413-572-5619.  Our staff will be available to answer your questions, calm your fears, and assist you with your needs.

More than 300 items were held up for auction. The highest bidding item was a “Kiwanis Treasure Chest” featured items such as a Kindle Fire tablet, an office chair, a multitude of restaurant gift cards, lottery tickets, etc. Another “big ticket” items included a trip to Aruba, a trip to Hilton Head, SC., Red Sox and Celtics tickets, and a three credit graduate or undergraduate course at Westfield State.

Westfield State students in the Communication and Computer and Information Science departments work the auction every year; using the skills they learn in the class room to develop real-world experience.  Under the direction of Mark St. Jean, Coordinator of Video Production and Television Operations, a team of students film the auction and broadcast it on Channel 15, the local public access channel.  Dr. James Carabetta, chair of the Computer and Information Science department, directs a group of select students to refine the software database developed by the department over the past several years.

“The annual Westfield Kiwanis TV Auction has been a staple here in the ‘Whip City’ for over 44 years,” said Magarian.  “It began in a small radio station in Westfield and then moved to the Westfield State campus in the early 1990’s. About 10 years ago it moved over to the television studio and has been a regular broadcast since.”

The Westfield Kiwanis Club, which was first organized in 1922, is the local chapter that serves Westfield, Southwick, and the surrounding hill towns. The organization’s mission is to change the world “……one community and one child at a time”. They founded Westfield Little League in 1950 and the Westfield Boy’s and Girl’s Club in 1969. They work on numerous projects to serve the community throughout the year.
The Kiwanis Club and Westfield State University has had a long-standing partnership for many years.  The Westfield Kiwanis Club has sponsored the WSU Circle K community service club for 43 years. In addition, each year, the Kiwanis club donates $3000 to both the Computer Science Department and the Communication Department as thanks to the University for hosting the annual auction.

For more information on The Westfield Kiwanis Club, visit www.westfieldkiwanis.org.

Coach Bud Hagan
Bud Hagan’s Westfield roots run deep. He was a standout athlete in baseball, basketball, football and track at Westfield High School.  Following service in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Hagan began his coaching career in the Canadian Maritimes. He coached basketball and football at St. Patrick’s High School, and basketball at King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
While in the Maritimes, Bud was a standout pitcher for the St. John Dodgers in the New Brunswick Provincial League. In basketball, he led Halifax to a second-place finish in the Canadian Amateur Championships in 1954-55 pouring in a city-record 42 points in one game.

Bud Hagan served Westfield State for 34 years as a coach, athletics director and registrar from 1956 until his retirement in 1990. Most notably, he played a pivotal role in ushering in the modern era of college athletics as the university’s first full-time athletics director.

From 1956-62, Bud coached the baseball and basketball teams, was a physical education instructor, and directed the intramurals and intercollegiate athletics programs. He also served as registrar at Westfield State until his retirement in 1990. He has been a member of the University’s athletics Hall of Fame committee since its inception, serving the first three years as chairperson. He was inducted into Hall of Fame in 2000.

James C. Hagan ‘84
Class of 1984 alum Jim Hagan has distinguished himself as a business and community leader. He also has worked tirelessly on behalf of Westfield State. He served as a Westfield State University Trustee from 1991-2001 presiding as chair from 1999-2001; as a member of the Westfield State Foundation’s Board of Directors, and as chair of Westfield State’s “Access to Excellence” fundraising campaign, which aided in the completion of the Woodward Center athletic and academic complex.  In recognition of his contributions, the Westfield State University Athletics Hall of Fame Committee presents the James C. Hagan Award to recognize sustained excellence in service in support of the Westfield State University athletics program. He was named the 1998 Westfield State Alumnus of the Year and was an inaugural recipient of the university’s Horace Mann Award for Public Service in 2012.

Within the Westfield community, Jim has served a number of organizations as a board member including Noble Hospital, Stanley Park, and the Boys and Girls Club. He upholds the family tradition coaching youth baseball, soccer and basketball.

Jim is perhaps most widely recognized in his role as president of Westfield Bank, an institution committed to serving the community in social and financially responsible ways. Westfield Bank’s support of the development of the Bud and Jim Hagan Field honors the legacy of hard work and dedication to community embodied by both father and son.

Westfield Bank has been a longtime philanthropic supporter of Westfield State University and the community. The Bank has sponsored a number of events including the Westfield State Foundation’s annual Scholarship and Owl Club Golf Tournaments and the university’s annual Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Bud and his wife Kathy, as well as Jim, wife Kristin, and their two children, reside in the City of Westfield.

Westfield State’s baseball program is one of the top programs in New England, making three appearances in the NCAA Tournament within the past six years. Westfield’s program first rose to prominence in the late 1970’s with five straight NCAA bids from 1975-79. The team recently traveled to Cuba over spring break and played two games there as part of an educational exchange program.

• 2013 Catalog
• College For Kids Website

For more information, contact the Career Center, Westfield State University, (413) 572-5206.

WESTFIELD, Mass. February 21, 2013 -  For the second year, Westfield State University (WSU)recognized the exceptional community contributions  and achievements of four Westfield area residents whose leadership reflect the rich legacy of Horace Mann, founder of Westfield State, and the community service traditions of Westfield State University.

An audience of more than 300 people packed Westfield State's Scanlon Banquet Hall to honor and support the 2013 Horace Mann award winners: Civic leader, education advocate and former Trustee of both the WSU Board and Foundation Dawn Carignan Thomas; businessman, former trustee and current Westfield State Foundation board committee member John Davies; community volunteer and former executive director of the Westfield Business Improvement District Lisa McMahon; and educator, former director of the Westfield Housing Authority and Westfield State alum Daniel Smith.

Each recipient received an honorary doctorate of public service presented to them by President Evan Dobelle and Board Trustee member Joseph Carvalho.

Acknowledging the award, Lisa McMahon said, "To be honored for public service when it is a way of life is just awesome – it's awesome."
The program’s featured speakers included Dr. Ira Harkavy, the associate Vice President of the Barbara and Edward Netter Center for Community Partnership at the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Charles Desmond, chair of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education.
Harkavy, a nationally respected expert in community-university partnerships based on his 20 years of innovative leadership at the Netter Center provided this perspective from Benjamin Franklin:  "'Higher education contributes to a healthy, democratic society.' And, 'When institutions give high priority to working with their communities, it increases chances for improving social problems.'"

###

On Thursday, May 16, 2013 the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education will host Westfield State University’s Graduate Commencement for students receiving Master’s Degrees and Certificates of Advanced Graduate Studies. The evening will begin with a reception from 5:00 to 6:00, refreshments will be available. The ceremony will start promptly at 6:00 and is expected to last approximately 90 minutes. Candidates will receive a formal invitation in April, however, are encouraged to save the date now.

Participation in the ceremony is allowed to those graduate students who will have completed all degree requirements by the date of the May ceremony, and to those students who meet the following criteria:

1) Students who have completed all requirements in August or December of the previous year, or January of this year, and were not able to participate in last May’s ceremony.
2) Students who have completed all course requirements and are expected to complete their thesis/capstone over the summer. This would require the approval of their program administrator.
3) Students who have completed their comprehensive examination/thesis/capstone, but can complete their one remaining course by the August 30th immediately following the ceremony date. This must be a course already scheduled to be offered over the summer of the same year as the commencement in which they participated.

There will be no exceptions to commencement participation as indicated above.

The Graduate Commencement is a recognition of academic accomplishment and an opportunity for graduates to celebrate with family, friends, and faculty. As part of the Commencement proceedings, graduate students will have their academic hoods donned from the Dean of the Graduate School and an invited faculty member. The hood is placed over the graduate’s head, signifying the completion of the graduate program of study. Graduate students will have the opportunity to briefly recognize those individuals who provided support during their graduate education (optional). Please note that the ceremony is longer than the attention spans of most small children. All faculty are invited to attend this ceremony, however, only faculty who have been asked by a graduate to don the hood are required to wear academic regalia. All graduates must wear academic attire. A professional photographer will take pictures of each candidate as they are hooded.

Further details will be sent to eligible students in April. If you do not receive your detail letter by the end of April and believe you are eligible, please contact Shelly Normand at (413) 572-8024 or mnormand@westfield.ma.edu. Students intending to graduate in May, need to file their graduation application by April 15th.

Please nominate a faculty member for the John F. Nevins Outstanding Educator Award, to be given during the ceremony. Nominations may be made online at: www.westfield.ma.edu/dgce clicking on student resources and clicking again on Nevins Award Nomination. For more information on this you may contact Denise Browne at dbrowne@westfield.ma.edu.

On the evening of commencement, students will adorn attire steeped in ancient tradition. Today’s academic dress has its origins in the clerical attire worn by medieval scholars. The hood at that time was meant as a head covering during bad weather. The hood evolved over the years, becoming a small cape attached to the robe, and finally a draping separated from the robe. It entered this county through King’s College (now Columbia) in colonial New York. The custom grew so rapidly that in 1894, an American Intercollegiate Commission standardized the style and color of robes and hoods. Colors here at WSU include: Accounting: light brown, Criminal Justice: midnight blue, Education: light blue, English: white, History: white, Psychology: gold, Public Administration: peacock blue, Social Work: citron. Whereas hooded regalia began as an academic dress for all students, it evolved to distinguish and signify the regalia of graduate students only.

We look forward to witnessing our students formally receive their academic hoods and becoming a part of this distinguished tradition.

The Vagina Monologues is an episodic play made up of varying numbers of monologues read by women. The monologues cover a range of topics including women's sexuality, the LGBQT experience, domestic and systematic abuse against women, women's health, as well as how women are viewed and interacted with on a societal level.

Each year there is a different spotlight monologue. For 2013, it is “One Billion Rising”, which in commemorating of the 15th anniversary of the play, implores one billion women to rise and speak out against domestic violence.

The event is coordinated by organizer Karen Renda ’13 and director Amanda Hebson ’13 with help from faculty advisor Hillary Sackett, assistant professor of Economics and Management.

Renda said that the monologues and opinions expressed in the show are beneficial for both men and women.

“For women, this show has the potential to be an inspiring and healing experience,” Renda said. “For men, it is a chance to get savvy with some knowledge pertaining to women, and to hear their sides of the story, to get men thinking about women’s experiences as they traverse their journey in life. We're all in this journey together and I think it's essential that we all try and understand one another.”

Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors. All of the money made from the performance will be donated to the V-Day which helps end violence against women and girls and SHM Alternative College in Brockton, Mass., which benefits single and homeless mothers seeking college and vocational training.