Bulldog Families,
October has brought a slight decrease in daylight and temperatures but has not dimmed the energy here on campus. Students recently took part in our Involvement Fair, showcasing our numerous student organizations, with now many underway. Engagement in college life often has a direct effect on a student's overall satisfaction and success. Talk with your student about their on-campus participation in social life and academic coursework. It's certainly okay if they haven't totally found their stride; the important part is encouragement from home and continuing to sample new things.
Every summer at New Student Orientation, we discuss how most students, regardless of an introvert or extrovert status will experience homesickness at some point in their college career. This has been especially difficult for many on the heels of spending so much time at home during the pandemic. Remind students of their strengths and how each new day brings a great opportunity for growth and independence. In this day and age of social media, students often spend far too much time comparing themselves to others instead of placing a priority on building their own brand! A college campus is filled with creativity, passion, and talent; there is nothing that compares with viewing and celebrating that success. Please see below for important information, upcoming events, and great resources here in Bulldog Nations.
Let's Go Bulldogs!
Dave Drucker, M. Ed.
Assistant Vice President, Student Life & Dean of Students
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Homecoming for Families and Alumni
It was wonderful to see and connect with so many of our Bulldog families and alumni for all of the Homecoming festivities at Longley Athletic Complex. From the athletic events to the talents of our dance teams, to the historic campus tour, it was a memorable weekend for all. Be sure to visit www.dean.edu/homecoming for the recap and to see the image gallery.
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Fall Break- Monday, October 11- No Classes
Classes will resume on Tuesday, October 12
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Calendar Planning
When seeking information about Dean College calendar dates, please use the Official Academic Calendar that is listed on www.dean.edu under the Academics tab. Please do not use Google or other internet search engines for the calendar as it is likely to produce outdated and incorrect information.
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Robbins Family Center for Advising and Career Planning
- In September we welcomed two new Success and Career Advisors in the School of Business, AnnMarie Sweetsir and Joe Merullo! (pictured on left)
- We are in Round 2 of Academic Course Monitoring. Be sure to ask your students about their classes, and feel free to reach out to their Success and Career Advisor if you want to talk more!
- Has your student activated their Handshake account yet? Handshake is our hub for internships as well as on or off-campus jobs. Additionally, we partner with many other colleges to gain access to online career fairs. Encourage your student to log on and check out the events section of the page to see what is up and coming!
- Did you know that Dean has graduate program articulation agreements with schools such as Endicott College, Bryant University, Boston College, and more? Information sessions for students interested in pursuing an advanced degree are scheduled throughout the fall semester on Today@Dean.
- Believe it or not…course registration for Spring 2022 is right around the corner! Your student will receive communication from their Success and Career Advisor and the Registrar’s Office towards the end of the month.
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Office of Residence Life
It’s never too early to work with your student on traveling home for semester breaks. The Office of Residence Life has published the following important dates for students and families. The residence halls will close on Tuesday, November 23rd at 6:30pm for Thanksgiving Break. The halls will re-open on Sunday, November 28th at 12 noon. Students with a late departure or that need to stay on campus during the break must submit their request to Residence Life by Wednesday, November 17th.
The residence halls will officially close for the fall semester on Thursday, December 16th at 6:30pm. Students are aware of their final exam schedules so check with them before coordinating travel plans. More to come on semester closing in the November Newsletter.
Please note that as we are quite full this fall there is not a lot of room for movement. We have received several recent requests for single rooms, but unfortunately all are currently occupied. Students are welcome to visit us in Chapman House and we are happy to add them to our single rooms wait list.
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Morton Family Learning Center- Spring Academic Coaching
The Morton Family Learning Center offers a wide variety of academic supports. Subject matter tutoring, study labs, academic study partners, workshops as well as the Berenson Math and Writing Centers are among the many services offered. All tutoring now occurs on the ground floor of the Green Family Library Learning Commons. Be sure to stop by to check out our newly added Presentation Center, which is also located on the ground level. We encourage students to head over to the Learning Center page on Today@Dean for more information and/or to reserve times.
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Student Activities and Leadership Development
The Student Activities and Leadership Development produce an active first month of the semester with several campus engagement opportunities. Our newly rebranded student programming board, Dean Activities Board (DAB) hosted 1125 students over the course of ten events in September, including Bulldog Bash (glow in the dark mini golf, caricatures, ice cream bar & roller rink), they also hosted off-campus trips, watch parties, novelties, and our first Spirit Week leading into Homecoming which included give-a-ways, free food, and everyone’s favorite, Stuff a Bulldog.
SGA Sponsored Student Organizations thrived as well, Esports averaged 130 students at their various gaming events including a Mario Kart tournament and Super Smash Bros. The Dean News Network hosted an open mic night with 167 students in attendance, showcasing their talents. Criminal Justice concluded the month of programming with Operation Taco, collaborating with esports for a night of gaming and socializing in the campus center atrium.
The SALD office hosted their fall Involvement Fair on September 14th on Awpie way. More than 30 student organizations were present to showcase their offerings including Speakeasies, the Collaborative Authors League, AMGT, Project Green, and more!
Finally, Campus Recreation is keeping the campus active. The Kokes Fitness Center is busy, our wellness classes of Zumba and Yoga are keeping students centered and Intramural basketball and football are just starting their seasons.
We are looking forward to an active month of October……
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Welcome to the Dean College Bookstore!
We hope your student has settled in nicely and is enjoying their campus experience. Reminder with the holidays coming to get all your Bulldog apparel from our online store. Browse our selection at deancollegeshop.com.
Jackie Calderone, Bookstore Manager
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On September 24th Dean College hosted the 4th annual Fresh Check Day.
Fresh Check Day is a suicide prevention initiative started by Ernie and Marisa Porco. In 2011, their son, Jordon, died by suicide during his first year of college. In their grief, Jordan’s parents learned the unacceptable statistics surrounding mental health and suicide in the young adult population and decided they needed to turn their grief into action and founded the Jordon Porco Foundation.
The Porco Foundation is committed to preventing suicide in the high school, college, and college entry student population. Through awareness, education, and innovative programming, JPF is challenging the stigma around mental health and help-seeking by creating open conversations about the prevalence of suicide and mental health issues in the young adult population, and saving lives.
Fresh Check Day is a campus-wide event that creates an approachable atmosphere where students are encouraged to engage in dialogue about mental health, learn about the warning signs of suicide, and access campus and community resources.
Fresh Check Day utilizes student groups, clubs, and organizations, in addition to college staff and faculty to develop and run interactive booths that deliver mental health information and resources in a fun and engaging way! This year we had over 235 students participate in Fresh Check Day! It was a fun day filled with a “push up” competition, education through beer goggles, spinning the wheel to learn more about the warning signs of suicide, creating a tree of hope for survivors of sexual violence….and of course, Ruger and Annie the visiting comfort dogs were a huge hit!
Here are some of the student testimonials!
“Thank you for this amazing event it really made me feel better and less alone (:”
“It was nice to talk with people about mental health and do some fun activities”
“It was a positive and educational experience shedding light on everything
important about mental health”
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The 2022-2023 FAFSA is now available!
The 2022-2023 FAFSA opened October 1st and is available for parents and students to complete. Submit the FAFSA online or use the myStudentAid app to begin your application today. The earlier you submit the FAFSA the better as some aid is limited and awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. Your FSA ID and password and your parent FSA ID and password (if dependent) will be needed to electronically sign the FAFSA. As always, if you have any questions you can contact the Center for Student Financial Planning and Services at sfp@dean.edu or via phone at (508)-541-1518.
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COVID Testing- All Students must Test!
Remind your student that they must test weekly at our testing center in Thayer Barn. All tests can be pre-scheduled via the CoVerified App on their mobile device. Students with a medical or religious exemption or those that are in-season athletes must test twice per week. Any student that has recently tested positive for COVID would be exempt from testing for 90 days from their original positive test. We have experienced a very low positivity rate here on campus which is terrific and we greatly appreciate everyone's diligence with testing and indoor mask wearing. Click on the banner above for our weekly and cumulative fall testing results.
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Health Services- Tips for Staying Healthy and a reminder to get your Flu Shot Earlier this YEAR!
- Get 8 hours of sleep each night.
- Clean your living space weekly, especially high-touch surfaces like doorknobs & keyboards.
- Have common over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol, allergy medicine, ibuprofen, cough drops, and a thermometer in your dorm.
- Eat healthy & stay hydrated with at least 8-10 glasses of water per day.
- Stay active with regular physical activity.
- Wear your mask according to Dean College policies.
- Get your flu vaccine from your local pharmacy or primary care provider as soon as possible.
- Wash your hands frequently especially after being out on campus, after using the bathroom, and before eating.
Influenza vaccine is always important to receive to reduce the risk of getting sick with influenza, reduce the severity of disease if one does get sick (including the risk of hospitalization) due to influenza, as well as preventing the spread of influenza to others.
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Free Shuttle for Students |
Don't forget to have your student download the Gatra Go United app for a free rideshare service available to them Monday thru Saturday from 9am - 6pm.
There is a three-passenger maximum for each trip. Students can use the service for Franklin and the neighboring towns of Foxboro, Wrentham, Norfolk, and Bellingham. Students have the opportunity to visit grocery stores, retail shopping centers, restaurants, and movie theatres.
Additionally, there is an evening shuttle (with a 24 person maximum) most Saturdays from 8pm- 1am with service to and from Patriot Place in Wrentham.
Students that choose to leave and return to campus before and after the hours provided by Gatra Go must obtain their own transportation (friend, rideshare, etc.). Campus Safety cannot leave campus for non-emergent transportation needs.
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Help Your Student Be Part of the Dean Ring Tradition! |
Presenting the Official Rings of Dean College. This time-honored tradition evokes memories of the special occasions and traditions of your student’s alma mater. It’s a symbolic link with their classmates, friends, and generations of alumni, and their chance to wear the official Dean College ring is now. Visit balfour.com for customization options.
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As always, please feel free to reach out to any of our offices if we can be of further support to you or your student.
Advising and Career Planning: 508.541.1536
Athletics: 508.541.1816
Campus Safety: 508.541.1888
Dining Services: 508.541.1564
Morton Family Learning Center: 508.541.1768
Residence Life: 508.541.1838
Email: deanofstudents@dean.edu
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