Dr. Karim Ismaili, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, traveled to Washington, D.C., to present at the annual conference of the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA).

The four-day event took place last month at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park.

According to its website, AIEA is the only association dedicated exclusively to senior leaders in the field of international education. The organization brings international education leaders together to share their ideas to help with the shaping and management of international higher education.

Dr. Ismaili said he was invited to attend the event by the American Council on Education (ACE) to, as he put it, “recognize the terrific global work that’s going on at BSU.”

In Jan. 2016, Bridgewater took its global engagement efforts to another level by participating in the ACE’s Internationalization Laboratory. That affiliation ended last spring, but the connection to the organization remained.

“That’s how they learned of the great work we do,” Dr. Ismaili said.

BSU’s global initiatives include social justice-related efforts in Cambodia, Belize and Cape Verde.

The ACE laboratory helped the university develop a comprehensive model for internationalization to reflect the global work being done at Bridgewater. It also allowed for collaboration with 12 other participating institutes, where best practices were shared.

During his AIEA presentation, Dr. Ismaili shared his thoughts on “perspectives on internationalization during a round table discussion. ACE’s Senior Associate Barbara Hill chaired the session. Other speakers included provosts Gail Simmons of Hofstra University and Bonnie Irwin of California State University Monterey Bay.

As part of the roundtable discussion, Dr. Ismaili stressed the importance of being proactive in communicating to all constituencies and that comprehensive public regional universities, like BSU, must engage in the world.

Dr. Ismaili also spoke to establishing and documenting the impact of global engagement and regularly communicating that impact to internal and external audiences. He encourages continued strategic planning and board participation in making internationalization decisions. (Story by Heather Harris Michonski, University News)

A new web-based tool seeks to help students map their educational future at BSU.

DegreeWorks Planner offers students a visual map of their education. Students can use the tool to determine what they need to take each semester. It provides a structured plan, as well as an opportunity to make changes along the path to graduation. Students can click and drag classes to different semesters and assess how to best add back in courses they’d dropped.

Freshmen are already using this new tool; upperclassmen and graduate students will be onboard beginning March 9.

 Students have historically used paper plans.

“The problem with that is the piece of paper gets lost,” said Dr. Rita Miller, dean of undergraduate studies. “What’s good about the planner is this creates an electronic plan for the students.”

 It allows students to spend more time with their advisers on conversations about internships and future education and career paths.

“It gets them out of the transactional stuff and into more substantive conversations about how students can really use their college education,” said Dr. Miller.

Administrators hope the planner will eventually help them track what courses students need to take and when they expect to take them. That information would aid in determining course schedules for upcoming semesters.

DegreeWorks Planner is part of a broader DegreeWorks suite of applications that includes preexisting tools such as the What-If feature. It allows students to experiment with changing a major, minor or concentration and see how the move will affect their progress toward graduation. GPA calculators help students figure out how they need to perform to meet their academic goals.

Filling out the planner is not a substitute for registering for classes. And, students still need to meet with their adviser before registering.

“We’re excited about it,” Dr. Miller said of the planner. “It really will help empower them to be in charge of their own education and figure out what they need to do to graduate.”

To access the DegreeWorks Planner, students should go to InfoBear, login as a student and select DegreeWorks to get to their degree audit. Then, select the plans tab.

Bridgewater State has also updated the DegreeWorks website with guides for using DegreeWorks Planner. (Story by Brian Benson, University News)

Next month, Joshua Hamilton, ’80, will take over as provost, vice president and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of New England.

Dr. Hamilton’s résumé reveals a long list of accomplishments spanning 40 years in the field of higher education; he said it all started at Bridgewater State.

“Going to Bridgewater was crucial for me. It was the single most important thing I did,” he said. “Bridgewater has always been a school of opportunity.” 

His career as an academic leader happened by accident, Dr. Hamilton said, and he credits the teachers and staff at Bridgewater for shaping his path. 

“In my 40 years in higher education they are some of the best teachers I’ve encountered in my career…they are dedicated to students’ success,” he said. 

After graduating from Old Rochester Regional High School in Mattapoisett, Dr. Hamilton took some time to find his career path. After graduating from Bridgewater State, he went on to earn master’s and doctorate degrees from Cornell University.

Before accepting the job at UNE, which has campuses in Portland and Biddeford, Maine, Dr. Hamilton worked at Swenson College of Science and Engineering, the University of Minnesota Duluth, and Rhode Island College. He called his new position at his “dream job.”

“It’s an innovate place,” he said. Another bonus is that the new position offers him the ability to work with and help undergraduates through curriculum reform and other means.  

“Thinking back to my Bridgewater State experience…at the undergraduate level you can literally transform students’ lives,” he said. (Story by Heather Harris Michonski, University News)

Do you need to develop a model using a 3-D printer or complete soldering for an electronics project?

A new makerspace under development on campus could be just what you’re looking for. 

A makerspace provides access to specialized equipment that people probably don’t have at home, but that could make it easier for them to put their creative juices to work.

“The idea is to allow students, faculty, staff and the community at large to have a location on campus where they can do project-based learning,” said Robert Monteith, analytical instrumentation engineer at BSU.

The initiative is funded by an $80,000 Bridgewater State grant for academic innovation. In addition to the new makerspace itself, organizers will expand access to existing facilities, including a wind tunnel and a machine shop that features woodworking and other tools.

These developments comes as professors seek to challenge students to solve problems and learn by doing. And, makerspaces are becoming more common, said Susan Savill, a part-time physics faculty member working with Mr. Monteith and others on developing BSU’s makerspace.

While some details are still evolving, organizers hope to create the BSU makerspace in a centralized location and potentially launch it over the summer. Trained student employees will work at the facility, which will include 3-D printers, soldering stations and a CNC machine that can cut materials such as aluminum and wood. It will also provide space for people to collaborate with each other on projects.

A makerspace could, for example, be used to create a device that helps track the feeding pattern of mice, Mr. Monteith said.

“It’s engineering, science and art all intertwined in this idea of hands-on learning,” said Ms. Savill.

Mr. Monteith added: “It’s taking theoretical education and making it practical.” (Story and 3D printer photo by Brian Benson, University News)

This year, Dance Kaleidoscope promises to be an evening that is as emotional as it is entertaining.

The production is a decades-long spring tradition that showcases original choreography staged by and featuring advanced student dancers. 

While staff and faculty offer design and logistical support, students serve as the choreographers, dancers and crew for the show, said Matthew Greene, an adjunct faculty member in the Theater Department.

“The dancers draw on personal experiences and issues that are important to them as thematic materials for the concert,” he said. “It’s usually a very eclectic production.”

During the fall semester class, Dance Production Theory, taught by Dr. Jody Weber, students learn what goes into a dance concert on an artistic level. Come spring, students then take Dance Production Techniques with Professor Greene. Under his guidance, students produce Dance Kaleidoscope. 

This year, dancers will perform routines covering toxic relationships, love trumping hate, Alzheimer’s disease, emotional baggage, childhood dreams, a mother losing a child, eating disorders, abuse and insecurities. 

As the show deals with some intense issues, Mr. Greene suggests audience members be ages 12 and older. 

“I’d encourage anyone looking for a beautiful, thought-provoking evening of entertainment to attend. They’ll see the best that BSU has to offer with our upperclassmen dance majors staging some of their finest work for the BSU community to enjoy,” he said. 

The show is expected to run 90 minutes. 

Dance Kaleidoscope 2018 is scheduled for Thursday, March 29 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, March 30, at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m. Performances are held in the Rondileau Campus Center Auditorium on Park Avenue.

Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at www.BSUtix.com. Tickets are $15 for the general public and $10 for students, seniors and military. A discount ($10 for general public, $8 for students, seniors and military) is applied for tickets purchased online. 

Online sales end 90 minutes prior to the start of the show. For more information visit, arts.bridgew.edu. (Story by Heather Harris Michonski, University News)

March is Women’s History Month and many campus departments, including the campus’ Chapter of Massachusetts Women in Public Higher Education, are hosting events all month long. 

Congress in 1987 declared March as National Women’s History Month in order to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of American women.

The month-long celebration got off to a fast start at BSU when an event offering free professional headshots was fully booked. (Organizers are looking into scheduling another session.)

The Bridgewater MWPHE is hosting the following events, which are free and open to faculty and staff. 

Monday, March 12: Chair Yoga. 12:30-1:30 p.m., RCC Small Ballroom. RSVP here. 

Thursday, March 15: Supporting the Success of Female Employees. 12-1p.m. RCC Council Chambers. Sponsored by the Office of Institutional Diversity and the BSU Chapter of MWPHE. RSVP to Kristine Bohmer at KBohmer@bridgew.edu

Tuesday, March 20: BSU Phenomenal Women Reception. 1-2:30 p.m. Dunn Conference Suite. Sponsored by the Office of Institutional Diversity and the BSU Chapter of MWPHE. RSVP here. 

Bridgewater started its own BSU Chapter of MWPHE in the fall of 2016. For more information visit the chapter’s website. (Story by Heather Harris Michonski, University News)

The Light Foundation is expanding its relationship with Bridgewater State University by raising funds through its Lighthouse Raffles for exclusive sporting events in Boston during the month of April.

Light Up BSU, a fundraising initiative organized by former New England Patriot Matt Light’s foundation, is running through the month of March.

The drive will benefit the Light Foundation, its annual Leadership Conference for youth in the region that’s held at BSU, and the BSU Foundation, which provides donations for a number of impactful student support initiatives such as scholarships, paid internships, undergraduate research and study abroad.

The Light Foundation provides unique outdoor learning experiences to assist youth with reaching their highest potential by leading young people down a path toward becoming responsible members of their communities.

“We are excited to be partnered with BSU once again and we look forward to our Leadership Conference in 2018,” said the retired offensive tackle, who played his entire 11-year career in New England.

“Bridgewater State University has a number of initiatives to address the educational needs of children in the region’s Gateway Cities, such as the Bridge Program, an in-residence summer program for rising seventh and eighth graders, so the partnership with Matt Light and his foundation was a natural for us,” said President Frederick W. Clark Jr.

Light Up BSU offers the Amazing April raffle of high-end sports tickets that offer the four winners the ultimate Boston sports experience. The four prizes are:

Two tickets to a first-round Celtics playoff game featuring seats located 10 rows behind Coach Brad Stevens and access to The Legends Club before, during and after the game.

Two Bruins first-round playoff tickets located at center ice in the loge section of TD Garden with access to The Putnam Club and a $200 gift certificate to Ray Bourque’s North End restaurant, Tresca.

Two tickets to the April 10 Red Sox, Yankees matchup that features access to the private Wheels Sup Clubhouse prior to the game.

Exclusive finish-line passes to the Boston Marathon on April 16 complete the raffle offerings.

Donations of the Celtics, Bruins and Red Sox tickets were made possible by a Bridgewater State University alumnus.

For more information about the raffle, visit www.lightupbsuraffle.com.

Orson Kingsley, BSU Head of Archives and Special Collections, discusses his exhibit "The Art of Propaganda: Posters of World War I and II." Read more at The Sun Chronicle.

Professor Madhavi Venkatesan provides advice about aiming for the highest credit score. Read more at WalletHub.

Dr. Elizabeth Englander, BSU professor of psychology and founding director of the Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center, spoke to Radio Boston about what communities can do to prevent school shootings. Listen to the interview.

How can schools become more diverse? Why does bullying occur? Does standardized testing help level the educational playing field? Those are some of the questions that will be explored as the Martin Richard Institute for Social Justice presents two weeks of programming dubbed #edjustice. The free series, which runs from March 12 to 23, is centered on the theme of justice and injustice in the American education system.

The series is free and open to the public and features talks, film screenings and a spoken word poetry contest.

“The events we have are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this topic,” said Dr. Kelly Brotzman, the institute’s executive director.

The series fits well into Bridgewater State’s long history of training educators, she said. The programming is “going to bring a justice perspective to debates about education in Massachusetts and beyond.”

Dr. Brotzman added that teachers and administrators also need to work to close disparities in test scores, graduation rates and other factors among people of different racial, economic and geographic backgrounds. Bridgewater State looks to reduce achievement gaps and improve access to education in the region and on campus, she said.

Discussion topics that are part of the series include how to help urban teens successfully transition to adulthood, and how perceptions about school quality drive people to specific neighborhoods.

Richard Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, will discuss during a March 22 program ways districts can create schools with racially and economically diverse student bodies. And speakers with varying perspectives on whether standardized testing helps foster justice in education will share their views at a March 13 town hall forum.

On March 23, poet Donovan Livingston, who delivered a 2016 convocation address to the Harvard Graduate School of Education that went viral, will perform. He will also judge a spoken word poetry contest that challenges participants to share experiences with justice or injustice in the American education system.

Other activities include screenings of the films Bully, a documentary that chronicles the consequences of peer-to-peer bullying, and Starving the Beast, which explores funding for public higher education. 

“We were going with variety with the events,” Dr. Brotzman said. “We didn’t want just talks.”

Registration is required for some programs. For more information and a complete list of events and their times and locations, visit the institute’s Facebook page. (Story by Brian Benson, University News) 

With the midterm elections on the horizon, an ongoing campus campaign is making it easier for students to register to vote. 

The effort is led by the Student Government Association, the Center for Multicultural Affairs and the GLBTA Pride Center. 

“We’re trying to get as many people to register and give them a head’s up that the elections are coming up soon,” said Erin Hennessy, SGA administrative assistant. 

On Feb. 23, representatives for the effort set up a table at the Rondileau Campus Center with Chrome Books available for students to register online.  

Freshly popped popcorn, bottles of water and handouts with information regarding the Massachusetts and Rhode Island ballot questions were distributed to those who signed up. 

“It’s important for students to know the elections are coming up and to start thinking about it. If we can get them to register early, they might be more likely to vote,” Ms. Hennessy said. 

Students will have two more opportunities to register to vote online when tables are again set up on Tuesday, March 27 at the RCC from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and again on Wednesday, April 18 in the East Campus Commons from 5 to 7 p.m.  

Sophomore Kyleigh Morin is one of the student volunteers who will man the table. She reminds students that to register they will need an RMV ID, which can be a license. Those without ID on hand can pick up an application that can be mailed in. 

This September students plan to set up tables again. 

“There are many reasons to register to vote. There is a lot going on and it’s important to make sure you’re educated,” Ms. Hennessy said. 

GLBTA Pride Center Director Lee Forest gives credit to the students who are organizing the register-to-vote campaign, and highlighted the importance of voting in general: “A lot of change has happened, if you like the way things are going, you should vote. If you don’t like what’s happening, you should vote." (Story by Heather Harris Michonski, University News)

On the bathroom mirror on the second floor of Boyden Hall, Post-it Notes with positive affirmations greet those staring at their reflection.

“Everyone deserves to feel beautiful,” reads one. Another: “You’re super cute!”

Other notes sharing similar sentiments were scattered throughout campus as part of the BSU Peer Educators and Outreach Education’s Love Your Body week.

Outreach Education Coordinator Ann M. Doyle started the Love Your Body initiative in 2011. Since then, each February, different activities are offered during the week-long campaign to encourage overall health.

“The week is about promoting self-care, helping students learn to take of themselves and their bodies, including both the physical and emotional,” said Ms. Doyle, a certified health promotion specialist.

The Post-it notes were inspired by Operation Beautiful, an online campaign that encourages the display of positive anonymous notes in public places.

“The Post-it Notes always get good responses,” Ms. Doyle said. “We had a parent who was here for a meeting and saw the notes, and then sent (a message) to thank us.”

Other events during Love Your Body week included setting up a “Portion-Sized Pitfall” informational table that displayed healthy portion size visuals and tips.

For example, Ms. Doyle said, “At many restaurants, you should only eat half the meal.”

Students were invited to make self-care jars filled with affirmations to be used later as motivation to stay positive. A “Sugar Shock” table was also set up to educate students on the amount of sugar found in many of their favorite snacks and drinks.

Love Your Body week may be over, but Ms. Doyle said Outreach Education continues to offer programs throughout the year to help students with self-care tips and ideas.

Coloring for Calm is offered on Wednesdays through April 25 from 3 to 4 p.m. in Weygand 1048. The coloring workshop’s goal is to help relieve stress and anxiety.

Walk for Wellness kicks off Wednesday March 14 at 4:30 p.m. Those interested can meet at the front doors of Weygand Hall. Once gathered, the group will venture off to walk nearby trails.

Maintaining overall health is crucial to helping students find success, Ms. Doyle said. 

“Our students understand the importance of maintaining wellness,” she said. (Story and photo by Heather Harris Michonski, University News)

Bridgewater State faculty and librarians are often so busy teaching, preparing for classes, grading assignments and addressing other demands that their own scholarly work takes a backseat.

“It’s really hard with the amount of courses we teach each semester to find the motivation and the time to do our research and write articles and produce the scholarly work we need to produce,” said Dr. Nicole Glen, an associate professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education.

But, Dr. Glen, who is also a research fellow at BSU’s Center for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship (CARS), hopes a recent initiative showed faculty and librarians they can set aside time for these projects. Fifty-seven people participated in the 30-Day Challenge for Creative & Scholarly Work from Feb. 1 to March 2. The program, which was also held last year, challenged faculty and librarians to set aside 30 minutes each day to tackle projects such as writing articles, making sculptures and composing music.

Research shows frequently engaging in creative and scholarly work for short periods of time can help people accomplish more, Dr. Glen said.

“Thirty minutes is short enough that it seems feasible to most people, but long enough that they can get a good amount done,” she said.

Participants connected and posted updates on their accomplishments on a social networking platform. And, Dr. Glen, who took the challenge herself, sent out inspirational emails to participants.

“You feel like you’re a part of a bigger group,” said Dr. Simone Poliandri, an assistant professor of anthropology. “We all feed off each other’s success and energy, and that helps.”

Dr. Poliandri used this year’s challenge to prepare a presentation about contemporary Native American nation building.

“It reminds you that you have the time,” he said of the challenge. “Nobody is so busy they can’t find 30 minutes.”

Dr. Jeanne Carey Ingle, an assistant professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education, used the program to further her writing about serving academically talented children in economically disadvantaged schools. She also began research on closing the achievement gap for immigrants after reading an article about Canada’s success on this front.

“What’s magic about this 30-day challenge is that it helps you find and dedicate time to this part of your life that is important,” she said. “We all want to write about what interests us and what we think is important in our discipline.”

Dr. Glen drew inspiration for the challenge from her alma mater, Syracuse University, which ran a similar program focused on writing. At Bridgewater State, Dr. Glen sought to involve people from a variety of departments. 

“It was a way for me to get a lot of people involved and motivated toward their scholarship and research,” she said. (Story and photos by Brian Benson, University News)

Climate change is affecting the world, but effective responses to it can happen at a local level.

That was the key message Dr. Rob Hellström, a Bridgewater State University geography professor, shared with social studies teachers on Friday.

“This is a global problem,” Dr. Hellström said. “There are no political boundaries for global warming.”

But, people can more effectively push for change on a local rather than just a national level, Dr. Hellström said, during his address at the Massachusetts Council for the Social Studies conference, which was held in the Dana Mohler-Faria Science and Mathematics Center.

Dr. Hellström shared an array of graphs and maps and illustrated natural and human causes of climate change during his keynote address. Volcanic eruptions, for example, create temporary cooling while burning of fossil fuels leads to warming – were other key takeaways from his address.

About 65 people came to campus for the conference. Attendees selected from sessions on Hinduism, teaching with primary sources, how geography helps people understand historical events and other topics. Educators also learned about proposed revisions to the state’s history and social science curriculum frameworks.

The conference, geared to 6th- through 12th-grade teachers, was part of the council’s efforts to offer more professional development and create programs on a specific topic. This event’s theme was “Going Global,” said Dr. Kerry Dunne, the council’s president.

Bridgewater State stood out as a location for the conference because of its well-regarded geography department, said Dr. Dunne, who works for the Weston Public Schools.

In his keynote speech, Dr. Hellström said evidence of “climate chaos” is visible in heatwaves, droughts and extreme storms. Communities need to improve infrastructure and do more than just respond to events. They need to prepare, he said.

“To deal with this, we need to become more ready especially in vulnerable areas to these increased extreme events,” he said.

Dr. Hellström also highlighted the importance of young people, who can effect change by sharing their vision for the future.

“Young people will make a difference,” he said. (Story and photo by Brian Benson, University News)

The women’s equestrian program has been elevated from a club sport to full varsity status beginning with the 2018-2019 academic year.

Women’s equestrian will become the University’s 22nd varsity athletic program and 12th women’s varsity team. Bridgewater will also become the first Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference member to offer women's equestrian as a varsity sport.

“Elevating the women’s equestrian team to varsity status,” said President Frederick Clark Jr., “expands exciting opportunities for our student-athletes to compete in NCAA Division III, and also reflects BSU’s historic commitment to equity for our women athletes.”

The addition of women’s equestrian marks BSU’s first expansion of varsity athletics programs since men’s and women’s indoor track and field was added in 1995.

“Our equestrian club is very strong both in membership and talent,” said BSU Director of Athletics Marybeth Lamb. “After our recent athletic program review completed in the spring of 2017, it became apparent that equestrian was the obvious choice for elevation to varsity status.”

“Equestrian represents a sport that is rising in popularity in college athletics throughout both New England and the nation.” Dr. Lamb noted. “As our athletics program continues to grow, BSU is committed to finding new and innovative opportunities for our student-athletes to challenge themselves personally and competitively.”

She expressed her gratitude to Lou Ricciardi, ’81, both an alumnus and former chair of the BSU Board of Trustees, for leading the efforts to raise significant private funds to provide this opportunity to the women of BSU equestrian.

Reunion Farm in Plympton is the home barn for the BSU women’s equestrian team. Geraldine Burnet will continue to serve as the team’s head coach. Burnet has guided the squad since January of 2014.

The BSU women's equestrian team, which was founded in 2007 by current advisor Diane Nicol, will continue to compete under the umbrella of the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA). The Bears ride against both varsity and club programs from fellow Massachusetts colleges and universities within Region Four of IHSA Zone One. Throughout the fall and spring, the team competes in roughly five to seven shows during the regular season. Individual riders have the opportunity to qualify for the regional championships as well as the Zone One championships and ultimately the IHSA National Championship which is held in early May.

Prospective student-athletes interested in competing as a member of Bridgewater State’s varsity women’s equestrian team can contact Coach Burnett for further information at reunionfrm@comcast.net. (Story by Michael Holbrook for University News)

It’s March, and for the sports-minded that means it’s time for the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament. On Friday, March 23, Bridgewater is hosting its own 3x3 basketball tournament, Hoops for Homelessness.

The annual event is a fundraiser sponsored by the Friends and Mentors for Change Mentoring Program (FAM). The mission of FAM is to improve the academic achievement and social competence of young students, while at the same time helping them avoid high-risk behaviors, by providing influential relationships with caring mentors who work to help the mentees achieve their maximum potential.

This is the first year that Michael Walsh, assistant director for male initiatives, has organized the tournament, which raises money and collects donations to benefit Father Bill’s & Mainspring. According to its website, the organization’s mission is to end and prevent homelessness in Southern Massachusetts with programs that provide emergency and permanent housing and help people obtain skills, jobs and necessary services.

Aside from having fun during the Hoops for Homelessness tournament, Mr. Walsh said it’s important to remember the people whom the event supports.

“Don’t forget with a little effort, patience and time, we can make a difference,” he said.

Registration and donations are collected the day of the tournament, Friday, March 23, from 6-9 p.m. The cost is $5 per person. Donations needed include items such as: toiletries and bath items, clothing, linens, kitchen and household supplies, baby products and gift cards.

According to the tournament's rules, the first team to score 11 points wins. It is a two-game-elimination tournament, Mr. Walsh said. Teams can be co-ed. Student referees will officiate games with prizes distributed and light refreshments and snacks available.

“We hope to get some great donations and have a really good time, all the while remembering the folks who we are helping,” Mr. Walsh said. 

For more information about the Hoops for Homelessness tournament email Mr. Walsh at M6WALSH@bridgew.edu. (Story by Heather Harris Michonski, University News)

Helping students understand the context and history of how the #metoo movement evolved is covered in a new course taught by Dr. Jennifer Raymond, an adjunct faculty member in sociology.

The web-based course #metoo: Changing the Culture of Sexual Violence represents the first time the writing-intensive, second-year seminar course has been offered at Bridgewater State University. Twenty-one students enrolled for the initial offering.

“Often times these kinds of issues get seen as outside of what should be studied academically, but these issues are exactly what students should be studying,” Dr. Raymond said. 

The course examines the grassroots efforts that are emerging to combat sexual violence in the United States and across the globe. 

Dr. Raymond said, the course begins with a discussion about the rise of the #metoo movement, a campaign used on social media to spread awareness of sexual assault and harassment. It followed on the heels of many famous Hollywood actresses stepping forward and accusing film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct. 

“We first talk about how all these celebrities are talking, and how these things came together – how it connects, as well as what’s happening at Bridgewater and the rest of the world,” Dr. Raymond said. 

The class provides the opportunity for students to air their feelings regarding sexual abuse and harassment. 

“Some are angry, others are troubled and they want to know what can be done to bring about change,” Dr. Raymond said. 

Throughout the course, students cover topics such as sexual violence on college campuses and harassment in the workplace.  They also research global developments such as the 1995 Beijing Declaration, which was created to advance the goal of worldwide equality for women. 

Other areas discussed include: The factors that perpetuate sexual violence; ways activists and communities are trying to change; sexual harassment versus assault, and how do you define the two; and the efficacy of current harassment training practices. 

“There is a value to talking about these issues in an academic sense,” Dr. Raymond said. “Students have been really excited to talk about it, to connect academically to what’s happening outside of school, and to reflect on what the #metoo movement means and the connections it has to other issues.” 

Dr. Raymond said the course will be offered again during fall semester. 

“I want students to be inspired and think more critically about these issues,” she said. (Story by Heather Harris Michonski, University News)

Thirteen recreation majors recently participated in the 2018 Massachusetts Recreation and Park Association (MRPA) State Conference and Trade Show. They did so as part of their Organization and Administration Recreation class. But before heading to the conference, they had a little help.

In preparation for the three-day state conference, the two faculty members teaching this particular course reached out to the staff of Career Services. Nick Pirelli, an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Movement Arts, Health Promotion and Leisure, and Dr. Daniel Chase, an assistant professor in the department, arranged things so that on March 1 Bridgewater Career Counselor Kristina Feduik visited with students for a conference-preparedness workshop.

She provided tips such as: What to wear to the conference, how to build an online presence, and what sort of questions to ask when networking in person. 

Sending Bridgewater students to the MRPA event is, “part of practicing being a professional,” Professor Pirelli said. “It helps open them up to a professional organization that is directly related to their major.” 

Ms. Feduik also stressed the importance of following up with connections made at the conference and to consider the event a success if only one solid connection is made. She referenced a quote from the book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop by Susan Cain: “One genuine new relationship is worth more than a fistful of business cards.” 

Beccca Varney, ’19, said she found Ms. Feduik’s presentation helpful and looked forward to making genuine connections at the conference.

“I’m graduating next year and think this will help me figure out what I want to do,” she said. 

Following the conference, Mr. Pirelli said the event was incredibly successful, and credits the Career Services workshop for ensuring that the students were extra prepared. 

“It served as a trigger for these students to begin engaging with this great campus resource for resumes, cover letters and interview preparation,” he said. “The students looked sharp, made some valuable connections through networking and a few even landed jobs… I’m all about high-impact practices. We nailed it with this conference and with the collaboration with Career Services by imbedding both into the syllabus.” (Story by Heather Harris Michonski, University News)

Student athlete Josh Winsper, ’20, has his sights set on qualifying for the Summer Paralympics in Tokyo in 2020. 

Last year at the 2017 Paralympics Track and Field National Championships held at the University of California-Los Angeles, Josh earned a gold medal in the javelin and silver in the shot put. Next up is a trip to Ireland to compete in the 2018 IWAS World Games this summer, where Josh will gain international exposure as a member of team U.S.A. 

The Rochester native is majoring in physical education with a concentration on exercise science.

Josh, who has achondroplasia, a form of short-limbed dwarfism, started his track and field career as a freshman at Old Rochester Regional High School. That’s where athletic director and track and field coach Bill Tilden recruited him to join the track team. 

“He’s the reason I’m doing what I’m doing,” Josh said of his former coach. 

Coach Tilden was the first to encourage Josh to explore the possibility of competing at the Paralympic level. It’s a journey that started in 2016, when Josh competed at the Paralympic Trials in Charlotte, NC. 

Since then, he’s continued to train and improve as an athlete. Competition has made him better, and the expectations he has for himself have increased over time. 

“Knowing I have a decent opportunity to make the (U.S. Paralympic) team in 2020, knowing that opportunity is there—that is what drives me. Not everybody has the opportunity to make the U.S. team,” he said. 

Make no mistake, Josh said, the Paralympics are not to be compared to the Special Olympics. 

“It’s important for people to realize it’s competitive, there are no consolation prizes. These are elite athletes… It’s parallel to the Olympics,” he said. (In fact, in Sunday’s New York Times, a headline on the front of the Sports page read, “The Paralympics Go Pro.”)

Josh came to BSU last January after spending a semester at Merrimack College. He joined the BSU track and field team and trains under assistant coach Al Blaisdell. Josh credits BSU for helping him successfully reach his goals. 

“When I first came here, I was 100 percent supported. The athletic department, coaches, President Clark and the trustees have all been supportive as a whole,” he said. 

Josh also has the backing from his father Jim, a New Bedford firefighter, and mother, Karen, who works as a technology director for the Norton public schools. 

In all phases of his life, he said he has found a home at BSU. 

“I definitely prefer a public school over a private school…it’s more my cup of tea,” he said. “Bridgewater has done a lot for me. If you have goals, whether athletically or academically, you can find opportunities here to help you reach them.” (Story by Heather Harris Michonski, University News)