In Brief

Trophy Case Dedicated in Steitz’s Name

The trophy case in Blake Arena recently was dedicated to former head men’s basketball coach and athletic director Edward S. Steitz, G’48, DPE’63, in recognition of his many contributions to basketball and to Springfield College. The dedication was made possible by a gift from Tony Skolnick, G’64, DPE’68. Skolnick was assistant coach of Steitz’s 1965 men’s basketball team that traveled the world promoting basketball and goodwill.An inductee in the Naismith Memorial Basketball and Springfield College Athletic halls of fame, Steitz served as an administrator, teacher, and coach at Springfield College for five decades.

Department Hosts Physical Education Program

Department of Physical Education and Health Education faculty members and students are delivering a physical education program that provides home-schooled children an opportunity to receive developmentally appropriate physical education instruction.
Throughout the academic year, the program will focus on three separate age groups, 5 to 8, 9 to 11, and 12 to 16 years of age. Held each Friday morning in the Field House, the program focuses on the improvement of fundamental motor skills and movement concepts.

Physician Assistant Students Receive White Coats

The Springfield College Physician Assistant Program hosted the annual White Coat Ceremony at Fuller Arts Center on Friday, Oct. 9. The ceremony commemorates the formal presentation of the white lab coat for physician assistant students as they begin working with patients in hospitals. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the physician assistant students take the Physician Assistant Professional Oath.
Springfield College Physician Assistant graduates have had a 100% percent pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) in their first attempt to become certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants for the past eight consecutive years.

Coaches Association Recognizes Office of Sports Communication

The Office of Sports Communication has been recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) for its successful efforts in the advancement and promotion of the sport of volleyball. The College earned NCAA Division III Sports Information Director Women’s Volleyball Regional Honors for the New England area, and also NCAA Division III Sports Information Director Men’s Volleyball Conference Honors during the announcement of the annual AVCA Grant Burger Media Award.

Led by Director of Sports Communication Brian Magoffin and Assistant Director of Sports Communication Jonathan Santer, Springfield College was the only institution in the country across NCAA Division I, II, and III as well as the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics, to be recognized by the AVCA in both men’s and women’s volleyball.

Professor Gets National Film Award

A documentary film by Jody Santos, an associate professor of communications at Springfield College, “No One Left Behind,” earned a 2015 Telly Award in the film-video category. The documentary was selected from nearly 12,000 entries from all 50 states and five countries. The Telly Awards honor the very best film and video productions, groundbreaking online video content, and outstanding local, regional, and cable television commercials and programs.

Santos’ film chronicled the work of Disability Rights International, the first human rights organization to bring international attention to the millions of children and adults with disabilities who are locked away in orphanages, psychiatric wards, and other facilities around the world.

Springfield College On the Rise Again in U.S.News Top Tier

Springfield College has again moved up the list of highest ranked colleges in the influential U.S.News & World Report’s latest edition of “Best Colleges.” In the 2016 report, Springfield College is ranked 29 in the first tier in the category of Best Regional Universities–North. There are 138 colleges in the first tier and 180 overall in the category.

This marks the fifth consecutive year that Springfield College has moved up in the U.S.News & World Report rankings. This year’s ranking of the College is up 38 spots from five years ago.

Springfield College Receives AmeriCorps Grant Funding

Springfield College has received more than $800,000 in AmeriCorps grant funding to support the College’s efforts with the Massachusetts Reading Corps and the School Turnaround Initiative throughout the city of Springfield. Funding for both programs allows 78 Springfield College AmeriCorps members to serve as PreK literacy tutors, academic coaches, school counselors, and academic support specialists in 17 public schools in Springfield, in HeadStart and Square One Programs, and in YMCA PreK classrooms. The grants are administered by the Massachusetts Service Alliance with funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Springfield College Collaborates with Chinese Olympic Committee to Host Chinese National Softball Team

Springfield College collaborated with the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) to host 16 players and two coaches of the Liaoning National Chinese Softball Team at the College in June. The team’s visit to Springfield College was part of a training partnership between the College and the COC to allow Chinese athletes an opportunity to learn the different methods of athletic training in the United States. As a result of a strong relationship between the College and the COC, this trip marks the Chinese softball squad’s only visit to the United States to train.

Sport Psychology Expert Speaks on the Campus

The department of Exercise Science and Sport Studies hosted sport psychology expert Costas Karageorghis who presented, “All About That Bass: The Power of Music in Exercise and Sport.” The lecture focused on his research and applied work in the area of music-related interventions in exercise and sport.

Karageorghis’ interactive presentation explored the structured use of music as a means by which the mindset and outcomes for those involved in exercise and sport can be optimized.

Karageorghis is a reader in sport psychology in the department of life sciences at Brunel University London and has worked with many United Kingdom national governing bodies of sport as a consultant psychologist. He also has collaborated with several multinational companies including Nike, Red Bull, Sony, Spotify, Speedo, and the International Management Group.

2015 William Beckett Scholarship Recipient Begins Classes

Deja Ware is in her first year as an English/elementary and special education dual licensure program student after receiving the 2015 William Beckett Teacher Preparation Scholarship last spring. The scholarship provides full tuition and fees to a graduating Springfield Public Schools student of color who is preparing for a PreK through 12th grade teaching profession and plans to teach in the area.

Recipients of the scholarship are recommended by the Springfield Public Schools Guidance Department and the Springfield College Office of Admissions following a comprehensive assessment of the student’s academic record.

Trustees Rescind Cosby Degree

The Springfield College Board of Trustees has revoked the honorary doctor of Humanics degree that was conferred on William H. Cosby, Jr. in 2002, saying that Cosby’s conduct was not consistent with the Springfield College values for which he was honored. This action was taken at the Board’s annual fall meeting in October. The Board’s action was supported by the Springfield College Faculty Senate, which passed a resolution advocating the rescission of the degree.

“I believe that, by his own admission, he has shown a lack of the character and integrity that are consistent with our Humanics philosophy, which are the foundation of a Springfield College education,” said President Mary-Beth Cooper. “I am in full support of this decision.”

The tradition of granting honorary degrees has a distinguished history at the College dating back more than 100 years. Our honorary degree recipients are selected based on their service in their field and whose character reflects the integrity and values of the Humanics philosophy—educating the whole person in spirit, mind, and body, for leadership in service to others.