Each incoming student is assigned a faculty member who serves as the academic advisor. Advisors assist students in relating their interests and abilities to career goals and in developing decision-making skills. They also provide information about College policies, procedures, and requirements, and make referrals to campus support services. Another of the advisor’s primary roles is to guide students in designing their academic program, making course selections, and completing degree requirements.

It is recommended that students meet with their faculty advisors during their office hours on a regular basis. Advisees are encouraged to become familiar with the policies and degree requirements published in the College Catalog and to keep records of their course progress. During the pre-registration period, students must meet with their advisors to obtain approval for course selection prior to registering for the following semester. Students should prepare for the advising session by planning a tentative schedule to be discussed with the advisor.

CENTER FOR ACADEMIC SUPPORT AND ADVISING

The Center for Academic Support and Advising (CASA) addresses the diverse academic needs and interests of the College community with programs, services, and facilities designed to promote academic achievement. All students at the College are encouraged to make use of the tutorial services, seminars and workshops, resources, and individual study accommodations offered at CASA. In addition, CASA provides special admissions opportunities and academic support for persons with physical and/or learning disabilities.

Among the resources offered at CASA are:

The Advising Center is a resource for information on academic programs and support services. Students who have not declared a major or who are contemplating a change of major are especially encouraged to visit the Center. Staff members are available for individual conferences on choosing a major, academic planning in course selection and graduation requirements, and strategies for remaining in good academic standing.

Academic Enrichment Program

Each year, Framingham State College selects a group of students who have demonstrated the potential to succeed at Framingham State College, but who are identified as likely to benefit from academic support services to achieve their educational objectives. These students are admitted to the College through PLUS (Program Leading to Undergraduate Success). Program participants enroll in the same courses and satisfy the same graduation requirements as all undergraduates at the College.

The Math Center offers free drop-in tutoring in math to students who need help with the quantitative requirements for any course in which they are enrolled. Workshops and organized study groups are routinely scheduled for math and math-related courses. The Center also offers videotapes and computer-assisted learning modules for student use.

The Writing Center provides free drop-in tutoring in writing to students seeking assistance with written coursework. Writing workshops, computer-assisted instruction, individualized writing skills assessment, and course-specific writing support groups are also featured.

Students at Framingham State College read proficiently enough to have graduated from high school and to have satisfied admission requirements of the College. However, reading is a skill that develops over a lifetime, and some students may not process information derived from text at the level demanded for excellence in college-level courses. The Reading Center offers course-related seminars and general reading workshops, as well as computer-assisted modules for individual students.

CASA maintains a computer lab with personal computers linked to the "hemhall" student network, and is a wireless laptop access site. In addition, CASA offers workshops that help students prepare for the Massachusetts teacher tests, retakes of the College's placement tests, and writing and mathematics labs for students enrolled in certain courses.

Limited hours for drop-in tutoring in biology, chemistry, economics, Spanish, French, computer science, and history are available during regular daytime hours. Visitors are invited to drop in during the week at CASA, located in South Peirce Hall, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. During the academic year, CASA is also open in the evenings, Monday - Wednesday until 9:00 p.m. and Sunday from 4:00-8:00 p.m.

Framingham State College, in compliance with the mandates of Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, offers opportunities to all students without regard to disabilities. No qualified person shall, on the basis of his or her disability, be denied the benefit of, or otherwise be subject to discrimination under any of Framingham State College’s educational programs, activities, and employment opportunities.

Framingham State College is committed to making such reasonable modifications and accommodations as are necessary to ensure that its programs and activities do not discriminate, or have the effect of discriminating, on the basis of disability. Prior to matriculation, students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Disability Services Coordinator, College Center 510C, telephone (508) 626-4627 (V/TTY), to discuss specific accommodations and to request a Disability Services registration packet that includes the Disability Services handbook.

Students who have documents that support their request for academic and co-curricular support services, such as untimed tests, extended time for tests, notetakers, sign language interpreters, computer transcribers, and textbooks on tape are required to submit their documentation to the Center for Academic Support and Advising (CASA). The file is maintained in the confidential Registry for Students with Disabilities located at CASA. The Coordinator of Academic Support for Students with Disabilities schedules individual conferences with each student to arrange for the appropriate support services. Inquiries regarding academic support should be directed to the Coordinator of Academic Support for Students with Disabilities at (508) 626-4905.

There are three TTY's (telecommunications for the deaf) on campus: Admissions Office at (508) 626-4500 (V/TTY); Disability Services Office at (508) 626-4627 (V/TTY); and Public Safety and Police Services at (508) 626-4911 or (508) 626-4008 (TTY).

Career Services offers a wide range of career planning and job search resources. The office provides individual career counseling and an extensive Career Resource Center collection. Students are advised to use the office early and often during their studies.

Some of the office’s programming includes an annual job fair, a professional and graduate school fair, career panels, networking with alumni, and on-campus recruiting. Job and internship listings are also available. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in at least one internship, and many departments offer credit-bearing courses for these experiences. Career counselors are available to assist with career planning, graduate school decisions and the preparation of resumes and cover letters.

To connect with Career Services, visit the Career Resource Center in the D. Justin McCarthy College Center, Room 507, or visit our Web Site at http://www.framingham.edu/careerservices.

The Counseling Center enhances learning and personal development through its professional services which include individual, couples, family, and group counseling as well as outreach programs. Staffed by clinical social workers and a consulting psychiatrist, the Center assists students in exploring and coping with personal concerns. Confidentiality is assured to the fullest extent of the law. The Counseling Center is located in Room 517 of the D. Justin McCarthy College Center.

Health Services functions as a walk-in center for the treatment of episodic illness and health maintenance. A staff of nurse practitioners, nurses and consulting physicians provides the management of acute and chronic illness, health education, and preventive medicine. In addition, the department sponsors and coordinates health education programs in cardiopulmonary fitness, weight management, women's health, CPR, substance abuse, skin cancer, integrative health, sexual assault and rape prevention.

Every student must submit the Framingham State College medical form. All students prior to class registration must meet the pre-entrance immunization requirements, based on Massachusetts Law No. 5871. The Medical History and Physical Exam portions must be completed in order to utilize Health Services and obtain resident housing. Specific requirements are detailed in the medical forms. The department also coordinates the Student Health Insurance Program. Questions regarding this state-mandated program may be directed to this office. The Health Services Office is located in O'Connor Hall.

Religious services, educational programs, and volunteer service opportunities are made available through the Campus Ministry Office. The office also provides spiritual guidance and counseling for members of the Framingham State College community who are dealing with issues of faith or morality.  The Campus Ministry Office is located in Room 410B of the D. Justin McCarthy College Center.

The Public Safety and Police Services Department is committed to providing protection for the lives and property of the College community. The Campus Police also enforce state statutes, town ordinances and the rules and regulations of the College in an effort to promote a secure and safe campus. Additional services provided by the department include emergency transportation to and from medical facilities, unlocking cars for staff and students, investigation of incidents on campus, traffic control, court appearances, parking, and escort service. The Department also provides personal safety-related programs throughout the year. Any group wishing to have a safety program for their organization, club, or class may contact the office in the College Center, West Lounge.

The Framingham State College Child Care Center provides quality care for the children of students, faculty, staff, and the community. The program provides a safe, warm, supportive environment where children learn through their play to enjoy the world around them, to be creative and constructive, and to feel good about themselves. Child care is open to children ages 2 years, 9 months to 6 years, from 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., and follows the academic calendar. Those interested in enrolling their children should direct their inquiries to the Child Care Center, Hemenway Hall, Room G11, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA 0170, telephone (508) 626-4741.

The Henry Whittemore Library provides a combination of traditional and modern resources and services to the College’s students, faculty, and staff. Local holdings include approximately 200,000 volumes of print materials, 900 periodical titles and 600,000 units of microforms. This basic core of resources supports the curricula of all academic departments of the College and is systematically kept current with new acquisitions as selected by specialized staff and requested by faculty and students.

As a member of the Minuteman Library Network (MLN), the Library’s holdings are supplemented by an on-line catalog (OPAC) accessing more than 2.5 million volumes held in the combined collections of 41 regional libraries. MLN also provides access to journals on-line, including many full-text databases. Inter-library loan requests may be placed electronically, and shuttle delivery moves 3000 or more such items to and from the Henry Whittemore Library annually. A similar volume of materials is electronically accessed and requested as needed from among the 600 member libraries of the New England Library Information Network (NELINET) and the 13,000 member libraries of the On-line Computer Library Center (OCLC).

The Library offers access to approximately 80 electronic journal and newspaper databases with over 15,000 titles in full-text. These databases, as well as Internet Communications, are available within the library and throughout the campus-wide network.

CD-ROM indexes and abstracts provide both broad and specialized coverage of subjects and materials most intensively sought, such as Medline (medicine) and MLA Bibliography (literature). Services such as Disclosure and Pro-Quest provide current Business information. Reference services, basic and course-related library instruction, and point-of-use guidance support effective delivery of computerized resources, while traditional library skills and research methods are taught as integral to the continuously evolving information technology.

Also administered within the Library are the units of Archives/Special Collections which include historical materials unique to the College, and the Curriculum Library - a large, separate collection of model K-12 materials supporting studies in Education.

Framingham State College provides extensive computing capabilities to its students. The student network consists of a combination of computer classrooms, general labs, residence hall labs, and departmental local area networks. In addition, many students have been issued laptops as part of a program to introduce wireless computing technology to the campus. Beginning in Fall 2002, all entering freshmen will be required to own a wireless laptop.  In total, there are over 600 computers available to students. Students living in the residence halls are encouraged to bring their own personal computers, as each residence hall room is equipped with two data jacks, enabling students to connect to the campus network.

The computer classrooms and general labs contain Windows 2000 professional workstations, which feature 600 MHz Pentium III processors, 128 MB of RAM, and 12 GB hard drives. Each workstation has CD-ROM and zip drives and audio capability. Many of the classrooms are equipped with smart technology, featuring interactive whiteboards, distance learning capability, and other advanced technology. The primary student server is a dual-processor Compaq Proliant 3000, featuring a 600 MHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, and 72 GB of storage space, running Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server Operating System. There are also Compaq Alpha and Sun Microsystems UNIX servers available to students enrolled in the Introduction to UNIX course. Macintosh computers are available to students enrolled in certain art, communications, and education courses. The campus has a fiber optics backbone, which runs at 100 M Bits.

A vast array of software is available to students in classroom buildings. Among other applications, each workstation in the computer classrooms and general labs has Microsoft Office 2000 Professional, Microsoft Publisher and FrontPage, Internet Explorer, Netscape, and SPSS and Minitab statistical research packages. In addition, departmental-specific software is available in departmental labs and on selected workstations in the computer classrooms and general labs.

All students are given basic and e-mail accounts which remain active for the entire academic school year. The general labs are available to students 24 hours a day, seven days a week. During the fall and spring semesters, the Student HelpDesk, located in Hemenway Hall, Room G17, is open Sunday - Thursday from 8 a.m. until midnight; on Friday from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.; and on Saturday from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. The user consultants are there to assist users and to answer general computing questions. Assistance is also available from the Help Desk, located in Hemenway Hall, Room G17, open year-round from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Athletics offers a broad intercollegiate and intramural program for men and women throughout the academic year. On an intercollegiate level, for women, Framingham State sponsors field hockey, cross-country, volleyball, soccer, basketball, and softball. For men, the following competitive teams represent Framingham State College: soccer, football, cross-country, hockey, basketball, and baseball. The Athletic Office is located in Room 111 of the Athletic and Recreation Center.

STUDENT INVOLVEMENT AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

The Office of Student Involvement and Leadership Development coordinates, in conjunction with student clubs and organizations, a full program of social, cultural, recreational, and educational activities. The department emphasizes involving students in the planning process to provide valuable first-hand experience. There are also several leadership development opportunities available for beginning to advanced student leaders. The Office serves as a resource for information about on- and off-campus activities and is located in Room 406 of the D. Justin McCarthy College Center.

An orientation program is offered for new first-year and transfer students prior to the beginning of classes in the fall and spring semesters. The orientation program is designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to the academic, social and cultural dimensions of Framingham State College and to prepare students for a successful first year on campus. Through meetings with faculty, students and administrators, information is presented on academic requirements, registration, student services and campus life. Special orientation activities are offered for students in the Adults Returning to College Program and the parents/guests of entering students. Information about the orientation program will be mailed a month before the program to incoming freshmen and transfer students after they have sent their deposit to Admissions indicating their intent to attend the College.

Programs for new students at Framingham State College are offered throughout their first year to support the transition of students into the College community. These include academic support for students living on the First Year floor in Larned Hall and First Year Learning Communities. The Orientation and First-Year Programs Office is located in Room 508B of the D. Justin McCarthy College Center.

The Residence Life and Housing program, through programmatic and staff support, strives to facilitate an on-campus community environment fostering student learning, personal development, and valuing diversity. All residents must share the responsibility for creating and maintaining positive living and learning environments. These goals require residents to be open to living cooperatively and working actively to cultivate a climate conducive to academic pursuit and respect for all. The Residence Life and Housing Office is located in Suite 508 of the D. Justin McCarthy College Center.

In recognition of the many social issues facing young adults and the effect these issues have on their ability to learn and succeed academically, Framingham State College has established a Social Issues and Wellness Education Program. Located in room 509 of the D. Justin McCarthy College Center, the Social Issues and Wellness Education Program sponsors campus wide events, residence hall and peer education programs, and provides resources on several topics related to alcohol and wellness issues. This campus- wide prevention effort is dedicated to a holistic philosophy of wellness and encourages staff, faculty, and students to visit the office and learn more about the issues that shape their decisions and choices.

CAPS is a program for the sharing of academic facilities by the students attending Massachusetts State Colleges. The primary purpose of this program is to offer the opportunity to students registered at one state college to take up to 30 semester hours of college credit at another state college without going through formal registration procedures.

CAPS gives students an opportunity to look at more than one state college, thus affording them a broader educational experience within a wider range of newly available faculty and courses. Information is available from the Registrar. Interested students must file this request by June 1 for the fall semester and by December 30 for the spring semester. NOTE: Priority of seating availability is given to students at the host institutions.

ARC is a unique program, established in 1982 to recognize the enriching presence of the adult student in the College community. The campus recognizes that the talents, perspectives, learning styles, and needs of the adult student differ from those of the more traditional student.

The ARC Program collaborates with Commuter Programs in the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership Development in providing a newsletter; study lounge; PINNACLE, an honor society; and the Commuter Task Force, a "voice" for commuter student concerns.

The purpose of the Framingham State College Arts and Humanities Program is to enrich the student community by establishing a broad based variety of programs that will give the total College community the opportunity to meet prominent artists, authors, entertainers, historians, philosophers, politicians, and scientists, and to encounter their works.

In addition to supporting the featured advertised series of events, the Arts and Humanities Program financially supports visiting speakers, performers, and artists, hosted by academic departments, student clubs and organizations. The program also supports funding for the Mazmanian Art Gallery program, the International Film Series, and multiple subscriptions to the Museum of Fine Arts for Framingham State College students. All Arts and Humanities events are free for the students of Framingham State College. The Arts and Humanities Office is centrally located in Room 313-F of the D. Justin McCarthy College Center, and additional information regarding the program may be obtained by calling (508) 626-4985.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AND STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS

The Office of International Student Programs is responsible for all international student programs and activities. The Office provides international students with answers to questions and assists them in addressing and resolving issues and concerns which are unique to their status at the College. Support is available for these students from the time they are accepted at the College throughout their academic experience. Students receive assistance with the many forms required by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and are kept informed of INS regulations as they apply to F-1 visa students. The Office encourages international students to share their culture and customs with other students, faculty, staff, and area schools and organizations. It sponsors informal gatherings and information sessions, hosts special events, and provides the community with volunteers.

The Study Abroad Office provides information on a wide variety of opportunities for students who are interested in studying abroad, participating in exchange programs throughout the United States and Canada, or obtaining internships in Europe, Washington, D.C. and other locations. It helps students with program selection and applications, and has many catalogs and reference books available for their use. The office provides students with information that facilitates approval of the courses for continued matriculation at the College and credit toward graduation. The Office is located in Dwight Hall, Room 207. Additional information on international students and study abroad programs can be obtained by calling (508) 626-4585.

PARTNERSHIP WITH U.S. ARMY SOLDIER SYSTEMS CENTER, NATICK

In 2000, the College and the Soldier Systems Center, formerly known as Natick Labs, entered a joint venture that promotes collaborative research and shared facilities.  Faculty members conduct research at the Center, and students in Biology, Chemistry, Food Science, Clothing and Textiles, Food and Nutrition, Psychology, Economics, and Business Administration may enroll in credit-bearing internships at the Center.  The Center also provides employment opportunities to Framingham State College graduates who attain a B.A. or B.S. with a QPA of 3.50 or higher and are recommended by the College President.