Testimonials and Accolades

TESTIMONIALS:

Teka J. Harris, M.A., BCBA

Undergrad major/Year graduated:
Psychology 1998
Spanish Language and History 1998

Graduate major/Year graduated:
Applied Behavior Analysis 2009

Current occupation:
Director of Clinical Services, May Institute

What I love most about Westfield State University:
What I love most about Westfield State University is the genuine interest the professors and advisors take in the academic performance of each student. As a graduate student, I was impressed with the time professors took to ensure my understanding of the coursework. I was also impressed with their availability and accessibility outside of the classroom. The professors and advisors at Westfield State were definitely committed to my academic success.

How I feel Westfield State University has helped prepare me for my career path:
Westfield State University provided a firm foundation on which I am currently building my career. Not only did I come away with a true understanding of the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis, but I also obtained practical experience in the field through internship placements coordinated by the school. Through these internship placements, I was able to explore other avenues of the field, and ultimately reinforce my passion for teaching functional skills to adults with developmental disabilities and autism.

What I would tell anyone thinking of attending Westfield State University:
I would tell anyone thinking of attending Westfield State University to consider three things: comfort, convenience, and cost. Westfield State’s intimate campus and smaller class sizes foster a sense of community that is not often found at larger schools. The school is only a short commute, conveniently located approximately 30 minutes from Springfield, Holyoke, and Northampton. Westfield offers day and evening classes, which are especially accommodating to those who work full- or part-time jobs and commute from surrounding areas. If that isn’t enough, then compare the cost of attending Westfield to any other program in the area. Westfield State is one of the most affordable schools in Western Massachusetts, offering quality coursework for only a fraction of the cost of attending other colleges.

Christine Turcotte-White
B.S. Elementary Education, 1993
Masters of Education, Teacher of Reading, 2008

I received my undergraduate degree at Westfield State College in 1993. My degree was in Elementary Education. After living in Pennsylvania for a decade, I returned to Massachusetts and began furthering my education. Westfield State College was the first place I researched.

My graduate study was a Masters in Education- Teacher of Reading. I am so thankful for the faculty of Westfield State College. From the textbook selections to the assignments required in the classes, I was prepared to be not only an intervention teacher for struggling students, but a resource to teachers and parents at my school as well.

The faculty encouraged me to be continually growing in my profession, seeking professional associations and researching current publications in my field. I feel I had an excellent education at Westfield State College.

Currently, I hold a Language Arts Consultant position in an elementary school in Enfield, CT. I absolutely love my job, and what I do. I have Westfield State College to thank for developing the leadership qualities I needed to be successful in my career.

Waleska Lugo-DeJesús

Undergrad major/Year graduated:
Bachelor’s of Science in Business Management, December 2010

Graduate major/ Year graduated:
Masters of Public Administration- Public Management Track, expected graduation date of May 2012.

Current occupation:
Assistant, Vice President of Advancement and University Relations

What I love mostabout Westfield State University:
Westfield State University’s quality education empowered me to recognize the tremendous need for a positive and systematic change in our community. By means of caring and truly compassionate professors, advisor’s, or what I like to warmly refer to as my “Westfield student body advocates” I was well equipped and enabled to be in a position where I am making positive impacts and leaving behind the imprint of Westfield State University, “Education that makes a difference”. I struggled for over ten years to obtain my Bachelor’s in Sciences of Business Management because I represent today’s norm. I am not only a student; I am a mother, a wife, a worker, a volunteer. My journey has taken me through many well established educational institutions, but it was here at Westfield State that I was called my name and assisted as though I was unique. I am now enrolled in the Master’s program for Public Administration because I was taught to believe in myself. I am testament that anything is possible, I am the result of excellent education, and I am a graduate of Westfield State University.

How I feel Westfield State University has helped prepare me for my career path:
Westfield State University has broadened my career path by better equipping me to deal with issues that might not directly concern us but indirectly impacts us. I have been promoted to new positions that allow me to help others. Westfield State’s amazing faculty, administrators and an extensive support system, has guided me towards new and better educational goals. This year as a grad student, I will study abroad the economy of the UK while providing transformational opportunities in education. I am very much aware of the larger community that surrounds me, not just domestically but at an international level as well. I am constantly learning new ways of becoming more involved and making a difference. The high point of my education is that my professional relationships have expanded to unimaginable heights.

Robert Wayne
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice ‘09
Bachelor of Art in Political Science ‘09
Master of Science in Criminal Justice ‘10

Upon graduating High School in the Summer of 2005 I had many schools to choose from. I chose to be a part of Westfield State University because of their outstanding reputation in regards to the Criminal Justice program. Once I started classes the department was very helpful, they are easy to learn from and they go the extra mile from there students. Most of the faculty are people who have hands on experience in their specific field, retired Police Officers, Corrections Officers, Lawyers ect. This made it very easy to learn from then and you could trust they are helping prepare you for life after college. As I prepare for life after graduate school this degree has already helped me earn a job but it will also make me more marketable for competitive jobs. Everything I have learned throughout my tenor at WSU has helped me in one asset of life and I am very happy I made the right choice and attended WSU.

ACCOLADES:

U.S. News & World Report ranks WSU as only 1 of 4 among Top Online Education Programs nationwide

News January 10 2012

WESTFIELD, Mass. – January 10, 2012 – Westfield State Universitywas ranked as one of four Honor Roll schools named to U.S. News & World Report’s first-ever edition of Top Online Education Program rankings. Westfield State’s online bachelor’s degree completion programs were ranked in three different categories: faculty credentials and training (#1), student services and technology (#16), and teaching practices and student engagement (#42). Westfield State offers four online bachelor’s degree completion programs in business, liberal studies, history and sociology. Under President Dobelle's leadership, Westfield State University began offering online degrees in 2008. Since then, online student enrollment soared 115 percent as of last year and is projected to increase by a total of 300 percent this year.

Said Dobelle,"To be ranked as only 1 of 4 institutions in the country by U.S. News & World Report on their Honor Roll, along with The University of Florida, Pace University in New York and Florida Institute of Technology is extraordinary. To be placed as Number 1 for Faculty and Training throughout the country is an enormous compliment to our professors and our professional staff."

Theserankings were created in response totoday’s high demand for education provided in a flexible manner. With many distractions to detract from schooling, online education has become increasingly popular due to its flexibility.

“President Dobelle has prioritized online education and we are definitely ahead of the curve. In particular, all Westfield State faculty who teach online go through training to ensure quality delivery. As a result, as people are becoming more technologically comfortable and understand how online classrooms can mimic an in-person experience, we are seeing tremendous growth and increasing respect from employers for student outcomes,” said Kimberly Tobin, PhD, Dean, Graduate and Continuing Education, Westfield State University.

While U.S. News has applied some of its rankings standards used for traditional schools, many new measures have been developed and were used to evaluate online programs. In order to be considered for the rankings, online degree programs needed to have at least 80 percent of their course content available online.

There were no numeric rankings for overall program quality this inaugural year. Instead, U.S. News created non-numeric honor roll lists of online programs. There is one honor roll for online bachelor's degree programs and one each for the master's degree programs, excluding computer information technology. Each list includes programs that performed well across a series of numeric indicator rankings.

Data was collected from both for-profit and not-for-profit schools. For more information about the rankings methodology, please go to http://www.usnews.com/onlinemeth.

For more information on the U.S. News Top Online Education Program rankings, please visit http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education or find U.S. News on Facebook or Twitter.

For more information about Westfield State’s online bachelor’s degree programs, please visit www.westfieldontheweb.net

Westfield State recognized as Top Military-Friendly institution

WESTFIELD, Mass. November 10, 2010 - Westfield State University (WSU) has been selected as a Military Advanced Education Top Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities Honoree.

Glenn R. Berlin, associate publisher of Military Advanced Education, offers his congratulations to the entire staff at Westfield State for “the inspired effort you put into making it easier for men and women in uniform to advance their careers by enhancing their educations.”

Westfield State will be featured in the December 2010 issue of Military Advanced Education. In addition, Military Advanced Education is instating a searchable directory on the top military institutions on its website to make it easier for the readers to find Westfield State by its military-friendly policies.

“It is an honor to be recognized as a Top Military-Friendly College and University Honoree,” said Evan Dobelle, president of Westfield State University. “We are proud of the opportunities and support services that our historic college has to offer military veterans and their families.”

The Veterans’ Services department on campus assists incoming and currently enrolled students eligible for benefits with necessary paperwork. The office also directs students to the different services the university provides for Veterans including counseling.

Most recently, Veterans’ Services formed the Veterans’ Friendly Campus Committee to explore ways to better serve students with veterans’ status. The committee was formed during the 2009-2010 academic year by Dr. Marsha Marotta, Dr. Kim Tobin, and Dean Susan LaMontagne.

There are currently 134 enrolled students receiving veterans’ benefits. Next on the agenda is the formation of a student veterans' group which Veterans’ Services hopes to achieve by the end of the academic year.

For more information visit www.westfield.ma.edu/veterans.