Bridgewater State College

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Bridgewater State College
Motto: Not to be Ministered Unto but to Minister
Established: 1840
Type: Public
President: Dana Mohler-Faria, Ed.D.
Faculty: 264
Undergraduates: Approximately 7,000
Postgraduates: Approximately 1,800
Location: Bridgewater, MA, USA
Campus: Suburban
Campus type: Commuter majority
Colors: Crimson and White
Mascot: Bears
Website: http://www.bridgew.edu/

Bridgewater State College is a public liberal arts college located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. It is the largest of the state's nine state colleges outside of the University of Massachusetts system. The school's mascot is the bear.

Contents

[edit] History

BSC was founded by Horace Mann as a normal school styled Bridgewater Normal School. One of the first normal schools in the nation, its initial mission was to train school teachers. On April 14, 1900 Kappa Delta Phi National Fraternity was founded at Bridgewater State. Since the 1960s, the school has expanded its program to include liberal arts, business, and aviation. Throughout its history, it has also been known as Bridgewater Teachers College, Bridgewater State Teachers College, and State Teachers College at Bridgewater.

[edit] Buildings and layout

[edit] West Campus

Boyden Hall, Bridgewater's trademark structure.
Boyden Hall, Bridgewater's trademark structure.

Samuel P. Gates House (1876 - 6,138 ft²) is a small woodframe structure that was once the dwelling house of Samuel Gates. Today, the building is used as the Admissions Office. Boyden Hall (1924 - 63,248 ft²) was constructed as the main building of Bridgewater Normal School following the campus fire of 1924. It now houses the Registrar's Office, Financial Aid services, Student Accounts, the President and Vice President's offices, administrative offices, the department of Information Technology, and several classrooms. On the lowest level, School Street side, is the Horace Mann Auditorium.

Harrington Hall (1926 - 26,640 ft²) was named in honor of Lee F. Harrington. Formerly it was the Burnell Campus School (see below). The building houses the School of Business.

Tillinghast Hall (1916 - 51,760 ft²), known as "Tilly," is located at the corner of School and Summer streets. Named after the first principal of Bridgewater Normal School, it houses faculty offices, department offices, a dining hall, the campus Post Office, and Health Services.

The Art Center (1904 - 14,924 ft²) was originally constructed as the Boyden Gymnasium (an indoor track remains on the second floor). It now houses the Art Department and the Anderson Art Gallery.

Hunt Hall (1936 - 25,500 ft²), formerly the Dr. Albert F. Hunt Junior High School, is located on School St. It houses the parking clerk and student ID services in the basement, and classrooms on the upper floors.

Summer Street House (1925 - 3,831 ft²), a former home near the Alumni Center and Maxwell Library, houses the Political Science Department.

Davis Alumni Center (1990 - 6,492 ft²), another former home, houses the alumni services office.

Christian Fellowship Services building, located on Shaw Rd., is another former house.

The Clement C. Maxwell Library (1971 - 172,580 ft²) is a four-story cement and brick structure located on Shaw Road with secondary entrances on Park Street. It is named for former college president Clement C. Maxwell. The facility has over 300,000 volumes, an assorted collection of music and videos, and several classrooms. The third floor Special Collections features a small museum and specialized collection of Abraham Lincoln. Located on the ground floor by the IT Support Services office is a Starbucks coffee stand.

The Adrian Rondileau Campus Center (1970 - 161,000 ft²) was constructed over land that was once Boyden Park on Park Street. It was known as the Student Union until the retirement of then-president Adrian Rondileau. The center boasts several ballrooms and conference rooms, a large cafeteria (featuring a Dunkin' Donuts), several common areas, an open access computer lab, and a small dining room. It also houses offices for the Center for Multicultural and International Affairs, the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership, the Program Committee, the Student Government Association, Visitor Information, Career Services, and Conference and Events Services. A semi-annex to the building is the Bridgewater State College Auditorium, which has two levels of seating and a number of classrooms and offices below it for the Communications, Theatre, and Music departments. The Beach Boys once held a live performance in the auditorium, and it was also home to the world premiere of Drakula: The Rock Opera.

The Marshall Conant Science Building (1964 - 99,700 ft²), named after one of the Normal School's early principals, is located on Park Street, and is home to the school's science departments (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Earth Sciences and Geography). The land separating it from Pope Hall (see below) contains a small park, memorial area, and a greenhouse. Behind the science building, adjacent to the park and to athletic practice fields, is the campus power plant.

Across from the library and next to the science building is the John J. Kelly Gymnasium (1957 - 56,640 ft²). This gymnasium succeeded the Boyden Gymnasium and preceded the Tinsley Center (see below) as the main athletic building for the campus. It features both a large and small gym and a swimming pool, and is also home to the Team Bridgewater Olympic Weightlifting Club coached by American Masters record holder Dr. Ellyn Robinson. The bottom floor houses classrooms used primarily by the School of Education and Allied Studies. Near the gymnasium is the Catholic Center.

A short distance away from the campus located in the woods off of 400 Summer Street is the Observatory (1973 - 500 ft²).

[edit] East Campus

An early morning view of the East Campus Clock Tower.
An early morning view of the East Campus Clock Tower.

The John Joseph Moakley Center for Technological Applications (1995 - 49,000 ft²) is named for the late former US Representative John Joseph Moakley. This state-of-the-art facility features multiple computer labs and a large technologically-enhanced auditorium/lecture hall. The faculty union, MSCA, occupies a small house on Burrill Avenue, across from the Moakley Center.

Walter and Marie Hart Hall (1979 - 25,500 ft²) is a building located behind, and adjacent to, the Moakley Center - the two buildings are connected. Hart Hall houses classrooms and offices for the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, the Department of Secondary Education, the Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education, and the Psychology Department.

Martha Burnell School (1979 - 70,650 ft²), located behind, and adjacent to, Hart Hall, is an elementary school run cooperatively by Bridgewater State College and the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District. This is a 400 student elementary school PK-6. It serves as a model school and an area for student teaching and pre-practica experiences. It replaced the former Martha Burnell school in Harrington Hall. In 2008, the elementary students will move to other schools in the town of Bridgewater, and Bridgewater State College will reappropriate the building for its own use.

East Campus Commons (2002 - 32,000 ft²) is one of the newest buildings on campus. It houses a large dining facility, the campus bookstore, and a new Dunkin' Donuts. It is located across a small courtyard from East Hall (see below), a new co-ed dorm constructed at the same time as the Commons.

The Adrian Tinsley Center (2002 - 84,000 ft²) was constructed at the same time as East Campus Commons and East Hall. It is located behind the Great Hill Student Apartments and Swenson Field, and is the new home of the college's athletic programs. The building contains a modern fitness center as well as a large partitioning gymnasium, a running track on the second floor, and several classrooms. The facility is named after the college's immediate past president, Dr. Adrian Tinsley. On very rare occasions, one may spot Dave Bevans picking dandelions on the hillside path leading up to the Tinsley Center. If this rare occurrence presents itself, photographs are highly encouraged.

Also constructed at this time was the Operations Center (2003 - 30,632 ft²), located slightly downhill from Shea and Durgin Halls (see below). This facility houses the Campus Police Headquarters and the offices of carpenters, custodial services, electricians, mechanics, groundskeepers, a locksmith, painters, plumbers, recycling, and transportation.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority runs a commuter rail train station on the BSC campus. It is located on East Campus near East Hall. This is the Middleborough/Lakeville Line, which runs from Middleborough to Boston.

[edit] Residential areas

Students living on the campus live in one of a variety of residential areas.

[edit] West Campus

Woodward Hall (1912 - 57,920 ft²) was also constructed in the early 20th century following the campus fire. It was formerly the only all-girls dormitory on campus, but as of the 2007-2008 school year, it is a freshman co-ed dormitory and will house 231 students.

Scott Hall (1960 - 41,436 ft²), located behind the Campus Center and across from the Davis Alumni Center, is a co-ed dorm housing 143 students.

Pope Hall (1960 - 36,360 ft²), located in front of the Campus Center, across from the Art Center, and next to the science building, is a co-ed dorm housing 160 students.

[edit] East Campus

Frankland W. L. Miles, Jr., Hall (1989 - 56,700 ft²) and the V. James DiNardo Hall (1989 - 56,700 ft²) are co-ed dormitories located on the East Campus, separated from the above buildings (West Campus) by a MBTA rail line (see above). They were constructed in the late 1980s and have a small center courtyard. Together they house 399 students.

East Hall (2002 - 84,000 ft²), a new co-ed dorm that houses 300 students, is located across a small courtyard from the East Campus Commons. It is one out of the two dorm swith full climate control.

Great Hill Student Apartments (1978 - 51,000 ft²), located up Great Hill from East Hall, is a series of apartment buildings for students aged twenty-one and over. It is the only location on campus where alcohol is allowed. It houses 192 students.

Shea-Durgin Hall (1967 - 64,344 ft²) "The Hill" occupy a symmetrical building up Great Hill from the apartments. These buildings are home to freshmen resident students and together house 620 students (before tripling). The field located directly in front of Shea-Durgin houses the Dr. Henry Rosen Memorial Tennis Courts.

Crimson Hall (2007-130,000 ft2)Opened in Fall 2007, this co-ed residence houses 408 upperclass students. This residence hall is located on East Campus next to the Lower Great Hill Parking Lot and East Campus Commons. Crimson is one of the two dorms with full climate control. Crimson Hall is the only dorm that contains a dining facility.

[edit] Future expansion

[edit] West Campus

The college will soon be undergoing an 88 million dollar renovation and expansion of the Marshall Conant Science Building (1964 - 99,700 ft²).

In an effort to increase the number of residential students that attend Bridgewater State College, the college will add 150 beds to Pope and Scott Halls. Construction should be completeed by Fall 2009.

[edit] East Campus

Construction is complete for a new 400-bed dorms on the East campus.

The College has constructed a new 600-space parking lot, the Tower Lot, behind the Operations Center. The lot where the new residence hall is being built was a 1000 spot parking lot. The new building has taken 400 of those 1000. The Tower Lot has been built in an attempt to regain some of parking spots lost during the construction.

There has also been a discussion of building a fine and performing arts center in the distant future [1].

[edit] Athletics

BSC competes at the NCAA Division III Level. The Bears compete in 21 intercollegiate sports. They are a member institution in the ECAC, MASCAC, Little East, and the NEFC. Traditionally the Bears are very competitive within the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference, winning the Smith Trophy for the best overall Athletic Department.

The Bridgewater State College Department of Athletics currently sponsors Men's Intercollegiate Basketball, Baseball, Football, Wrestling, Cross Country, Soccer, Indoor Track, Swimming and Tennis. They also sponsor Women's Intercollegiate Basketball, Lacrosse, Indoor Track, Softball, Volleyball, Cross Country, Field Hockey, Soccer, Tennis and Swimming. The school also sponsors Club Sports in Men's Varsity Ice Hockey, Women's Varsity Rugby, Men's Varsity Lacrosse, and Men's Rugby.

The college will be renovating the Football Field and the Track Course in the Spring. The Mascot, which is a bear, is nicknamed Bristaco Bear and sometimes appears for sporting events and other public events.

[edit] Information technology

Bridgewater State College has aggressively upgraded its technology in the last decade (it was recognized as a wired school by Yahoo! Internet Life magazine). The college was also named the 6th most unwired (wireless) campus in the USA by Intel. Nearly 100% of floorspace on campus is covered by a 802.11g and 802.11a wireless network. Beginning in the fall of 2004, all freshmen students were required to have a laptop computer. The college has a special arrangement with Dell Computers for purchasing the laptops, or students may purchase their own. Support and "loaners" are provided at the Moakley Center and the Maxwell Library.

[edit] Special features

Bridgewater State College is one of the few public colleges in the United States to have its own commuter train station (MBTA) located directly on the campus grounds. The commuter station divides east and west campus while an underpass allows pedestrian traffic between.

Bridgewater State College is one of the few higher education institutions in New England to have its own dedicated transit system (established in January, 1984). The system is student-operated with administrative support. Student supervisors train fellow students in their pursuit to obtain their Commercial Vehicle Operators License (CDL). The transit system operates transit buses, a coach bus, and a fleet of auxiliary vehicles. This service provides transportation for students, staff, visitors, and the surrounding Bridgewater community, on and off campus grounds.

Bridgewater State College has its own student-run radio station, 91.5 WBIM FM

Bridgewater State College has had its own student-run newspaper since 1927, called The Comment.

The Bridge, Bridgewater State College's student journal of literature and fine art, was established in 2004. The journal has won many national awards, including multiple Gold Crown and Gold Circle awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and the National Pacemaker Award award for Magazines for 2006 from the Associated Collegiate Press.

[edit] Notable

[edit] Alumni

[edit] Faculty

  • Richard T. Moore, Massachusetts state senator
  • Henry Shaffer, (film) art director, credited to The Exorcist III (1990) and Zits (1988)
  • Dr. Steven Young, professor of music and director of choral activities


[edit] External links

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