Bridgewater State College
Encyclopedia
Bridgewater State University is a public liberal-arts college
in Bridgewater
, Massachusetts
, in the United States
. It is the largest college in the Massachusetts state university system outside of the University of Massachusetts
system. The school's mascot is the bear.
and Jarrod Neilan as a normal school
styled Bridgewater Normal School. One of the first normal schools in the nation, its initial mission was to train school teacher
s. Since the 1960s, the school has expanded its program to include liberal arts, business, and aviation science. Throughout its history, it has also been known as Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater Teachers College, Bridgewater State Teachers College, and State Teachers College at Bridgewater.
As of July 22, 2010, the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate have voted to change BSC to University status and its name to Bridgewater State University. The measure was signed into law by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick on July 28, 2010.
Samuel P. Gates House (1876) (6,138 ft²) is a small woodframe structure that was once the dwelling 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 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 was converted into the current art center in 1974, and 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 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, on Shaw Road, 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 (heavily used) 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
kiosk.
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 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 home to the world premiere
of Drakula
: The Rock
Opera
.
The Marshall Conant Science Center (2011) , named after one of the Normal School's early principals, is 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. This replaces the original Conant Science Building from 1964. 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 large and small gyms and a swimming pool; it is 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 from the campus in the woods off of 400 Summer Street is the Observatory
(1973) (500 ft²).
John Joseph Moakley. This facility features 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 connected to the Moakley Center. Hart Hall has 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 Hall (1979) (70,650 ft²) is a former elementary school run cooperatively by Bridgewater State University and the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District, connected to Hart Hall. This was a 400 student elementary school PK-6. It served 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 moved to other schools in the town of Bridgewater, and Bridgewater State College re-appropriated the building for its own use. It also currently houses the campus daycare center. Located on Hooper Street.
East Campus Commons (2002) (32,000 ft²)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.
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 BSU campus. It is located on East Campus near East Hall. This is the Middleborough/Lakeville Line
, which runs from Middleborough
to Boston's South Station
.
Scott Hall (1960, renovated and re-opened Fall of 2009) (41,436 ft²), located behind the Campus Center and across from the Davis Alumni Center, is a co-ed residence hall housing over 250 students.
Pope Hall (1960, renovated and re-opened Fall of 2009) (36,360 ft²), in front of the Campus Center, across from the Art Center, and next to the science building, is a co-ed residence hall housing approximately 350 students.
East Hall (2002) (84000 sq ft (7,803.9 m²)), a new co-ed dorm that houses 300 students, is located across a small courtyard from the East Campus Commons. It is one of two dorms with full climate control.
Great Hill Student Apartments (1978) (51000 sq ft (4,738.1 m²)), located up Great Hill from East Hall, is a series of apartment buildings for upperclassman. It is the only location on campus where alcohol
is allowed. It houses 192 students.
Shea and Durgin Halls (1967) (64344 sq ft (5,977.8 m²)) occupy a symmetrical building up Great Hill from the apartments. These buildings are home to freshmen and together house 620 students (before tripling). The field located directly in front of Shea and Durgin houses the Dr. Henry Rosen Memorial Tennis Courts.
Crimson Hall: (2007) (130000 sq ft (12,077.4 m²)) 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 two dorms with full climate control. Crimson Hall is the only dorm that contains a dining facility.
Additions to Pope and Scott Halls opened in fall 2009, increasing their capacity by 150 beds each.
The College has constructed a new 600-space parking area, the Tower Lot, behind the Operations Center. The lot where the new residence hall is being built was a 1,000-spot parking lot. The new building has taken 400 of those 1,000. The Tower Lot has been built in an attempt to regain some parking spots lost during the construction, however available parking on campus continues to be a tremendous issue for both resident and commuter students.
There has been a discussion of building a fine and performing arts center in the distant future.
The building of more residence halls has been proposed.
, MASCAC
, Little East
, and the NEFC
. Traditionally the Bears are very competitive in the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference, winning the Smith Trophy for the best overall Athletic Department.
The Bridgewater State University Department of Athletics currently sponsors Men's Intercollegiate Basketball
, Baseball
, Football
, Wrestling
, Cross Country
, Soccer, Indoor Track, Swimming
, and Tennis
and Women's Intercollegiate Basketball, Lacrosse
, Indoor Track, Softball
, Volleyball
, Cross Country, Field Hockey
, Soccer, Tennis, and Swimming. The school colors are Red, Black and White and the school mascot is the Bears.
The school sponsors Club Sports in Men's ice hockey
, Women's Rugby Union
, Ultimate, Men's Lacrosse, and Men's Rugby Union. They most recently qualified (2009) for the Sweet 16 in Men's Basketball under head coach Joe Farroba as they recorded the most victories in the school's history: 22. Student athlete's Roland Millien, Nik Motta and Judah Jackson were named to the all-MASCAC team.
The college recently renovated the Football Field and the Track Course, adding a FieldTurf
surface and re-surfacing the track. The field was officially dedicated on October 16, 2010, and was named Swanson Field. Bridgewater defeated conference rival Worcester State University by a score of 25 to 9 on the newly christened state-of-the-art field.
The mascot is nicknamed Bristaco Bear and sometimes appears for sporting events and other public events. In order to demonstrate the university's urge toward an increased awareness about the potentially disastrous effects of global warming, Bristaco Bear may be changed from a red bear to a white bear, out of respect to the growing polar bear diaspora inspired by climate change.
Bridgewater baseball team was mentioned on ESPN for beating Newbury College 57 to 1.
; it was recognized as a wired school by Yahoo! Internet Life
magazine. The college was also named the 6th most unwired (i.e., wireless) campus in the USA by Intel. Nearly 100% of campus floorspace 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 laptops, or students may purchase their own. Support (by fellow BSU students) and "loaner" laptops are provided at the Moakley Center and the Maxwell Library.
Bridgewater State University 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 Driver's License
. 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 community, on and off campus grounds.
Bridgewater State University has a student-run radio station, 91.5 WBIM FM.
Bridgewater State University has had its own student-run newspaper since 1927, called The Comment.
The Bridge, Bridgewater State University'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 2006 and 2011 National Pacemaker Award award for collegiate magazines from the Associated Collegiate Press
.
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
in Bridgewater
Bridgewater, Massachusetts
For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Bridgewater, please see the article Bridgewater , Massachusetts.The Town of Bridgewater is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, 28 miles south of Boston. At the 2000 Census, the population was 25,185...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the largest college in the Massachusetts state university system outside of the University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
system. The school's mascot is the bear.
History
BSU was founded by Horace MannHorace Mann
Horace Mann was an American education reformer, and a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1827 to 1833. He served in the Massachusetts Senate from 1834 to 1837. In 1848, after serving as Secretary of the Massachusetts State Board of Education since its creation, he was...
and Jarrod Neilan as a normal school
Normal school
A normal school is a school created to train high school graduates to be teachers. Its purpose is to establish teaching standards or norms, hence its name...
styled Bridgewater Normal School. One of the first normal schools in the nation, its initial mission was to train school teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s. Since the 1960s, the school has expanded its program to include liberal arts, business, and aviation science. Throughout its history, it has also been known as Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater Teachers College, Bridgewater State Teachers College, and State Teachers College at Bridgewater.
As of July 22, 2010, the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate have voted to change BSC to University status and its name to Bridgewater State University. The measure was signed into law by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick on July 28, 2010.
West Campus
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
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
, and several classrooms. On the lowest level, School Street side, is the Horace Mann
Horace Mann
Horace Mann was an American education reformer, and a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1827 to 1833. He served in the Massachusetts Senate from 1834 to 1837. In 1848, after serving as Secretary of the Massachusetts State Board of Education since its creation, he was...
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 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
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, 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 was converted into the current art center in 1974, and 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 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, on Shaw Road, 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 (heavily used) 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
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
. Located on the ground floor by the IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
Support Services office is a Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
kiosk.
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
Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts is an international doughnut and coffee retailer founded in 1950 by William Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts; it is now headquartered in Canton...
), several common areas, an open access computer lab, and a small dining room. It 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
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
once held a live performance in the auditorium, and it was home to the world premiere
Premiere
A premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
of Drakula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
: The Rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
Opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
.
The Marshall Conant Science Center (2011) , named after one of the Normal School's early principals, is on Park Street and is home to the school's science departments (Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, and Earth Sciences and Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
). The land separating it from Pope Hall (see below) contains a small park, memorial area, and a greenhouse. This replaces the original Conant Science Building from 1964. 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 large and small gyms and a swimming pool; it is 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 from the campus in the woods off of 400 Summer Street is the Observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
(1973) (500 ft²).
East Campus
The John Joseph Moakley Center for Technological Applications (1995) (49,000 ft²) is named for the late former US RepresentativeUnited States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
John Joseph Moakley. This facility features 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 connected to the Moakley Center. Hart Hall has 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 Hall (1979) (70,650 ft²) is a former elementary school run cooperatively by Bridgewater State University and the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School District, connected to Hart Hall. This was a 400 student elementary school PK-6. It served 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 moved to other schools in the town of Bridgewater, and Bridgewater State College re-appropriated the building for its own use. It also currently houses the campus daycare center. Located on Hooper Street.
East Campus Commons (2002) (32,000 ft²)houses a large dining facility, the campus bookstore, and a new Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin' Donuts is an international doughnut and coffee retailer founded in 1950 by William Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts; it is now headquartered in Canton...
. It is located across a small courtyard
Courtyard
A court or courtyard is an enclosed area, often a space enclosed by a building that is open to the sky. These areas in inns and public buildings were often the primary meeting places for some purposes, leading to the other meanings of court....
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.
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
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
runs a commuter rail train station
Bridgewater (MBTA station)
Bridgewater is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Bridgewater, Massachusetts on the Middleborough/Lakeville Line. It is located in the middle of the Bridgewater State University campus. Bridgewater Station was built on a line that was once part of the original Fall River Railroad.-References:*. MBTA....
on the BSU campus. It is located on East Campus near East Hall. This is the Middleborough/Lakeville Line
Middleborough/Lakeville Line
The Old Colony Lines are branches of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, connecting downtown Boston, Massachusetts with the South Shore and cranberry-farming country to the south and southeast...
, which runs from Middleborough
Middleborough, Massachusetts
Middleborough is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,117 as of 2008.For geographic and demographic information on the village of Middleborough Center, please see the article Middleborough Center, Massachusetts....
to Boston's South Station
South Station
South Station, New England's second-largest transportation center , located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in Dewey Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest train station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston, a prominent train station in the northeastern...
.
West Campus
Woodward Hall (1911) (57,920 ft²) was constructed in the early 20th century following the campus fire. It was formerly the only all-female 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, renovated and re-opened Fall of 2009) (41,436 ft²), located behind the Campus Center and across from the Davis Alumni Center, is a co-ed residence hall housing over 250 students.
Pope Hall (1960, renovated and re-opened Fall of 2009) (36,360 ft²), in front of the Campus Center, across from the Art Center, and next to the science building, is a co-ed residence hall housing approximately 350 students.
East Campus
Frankland W. L. Miles, Jr., Hall (1989) (56700 sq ft (5,267.6 m²)) and the V. James DiNardo Hall (1989) (56700 sq ft (5,267.6 m²)) are co-ed dormitories located on the East Campus. They were constructed in the late 1980s and have a small center courtyard. Together they house 399 students.East Hall (2002) (84000 sq ft (7,803.9 m²)), a new co-ed dorm that houses 300 students, is located across a small courtyard from the East Campus Commons. It is one of two dorms with full climate control.
Great Hill Student Apartments (1978) (51000 sq ft (4,738.1 m²)), located up Great Hill from East Hall, is a series of apartment buildings for upperclassman. It is the only location on campus where alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
is allowed. It houses 192 students.
Shea and Durgin Halls (1967) (64344 sq ft (5,977.8 m²)) occupy a symmetrical building up Great Hill from the apartments. These buildings are home to freshmen and together house 620 students (before tripling). The field located directly in front of Shea and Durgin houses the Dr. Henry Rosen Memorial Tennis Courts.
Crimson Hall: (2007) (130000 sq ft (12,077.4 m²)) 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 two dorms with full climate control. Crimson Hall is the only dorm that contains a dining facility.
West Campus
The college had planned to undergo a $100 million renovation and expansion of the Marshall Conant Science Building (1964) (99,700 ft²), but the plans changed; what was to be the new wing became the new science center, and the original science building was demolished.Additions to Pope and Scott Halls opened in fall 2009, increasing their capacity by 150 beds each.
East Campus
Crimson Hall, a new 400-bed dorm on the East Campus opened in the fall of 2007. It includes a swimming pool, co-ed dorms, and a 300 seat theater.The College has constructed a new 600-space parking area, the Tower Lot, behind the Operations Center. The lot where the new residence hall is being built was a 1,000-spot parking lot. The new building has taken 400 of those 1,000. The Tower Lot has been built in an attempt to regain some parking spots lost during the construction, however available parking on campus continues to be a tremendous issue for both resident and commuter students.
There has been a discussion of building a fine and performing arts center in the distant future.
The building of more residence halls has been proposed.
Athletics
BSU competes at the NCAA Division III Level. The Bears compete in 21 intercollegiate sports. They are a member institution in the ECACEastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
, MASCAC
Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference
The Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division III...
, Little East
Little East Conference
The Little East Conference is an NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletic conference. The member institutions are located in the U.S...
, and the NEFC
New England Football Conference
The New England Football Conference is an athletic conference which competes in football in the NCAA's Division III. Member teams are located in New England...
. Traditionally the Bears are very competitive in the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference, winning the Smith Trophy for the best overall Athletic Department.
The Bridgewater State University Department of Athletics currently sponsors Men's Intercollegiate Basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, Baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, Football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, Wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
, Cross Country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, Soccer, Indoor Track, Swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, and Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and Women's Intercollegiate Basketball, Lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, Indoor Track, Softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, Volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, Cross Country, Field Hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, Soccer, Tennis, and Swimming. The school colors are Red, Black and White and the school mascot is the Bears.
The school sponsors Club Sports in Men's ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, Women's Rugby Union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, Ultimate, Men's Lacrosse, and Men's Rugby Union. They most recently qualified (2009) for the Sweet 16 in Men's Basketball under head coach Joe Farroba as they recorded the most victories in the school's history: 22. Student athlete's Roland Millien, Nik Motta and Judah Jackson were named to the all-MASCAC team.
The college recently renovated the Football Field and the Track Course, adding a FieldTurf
FieldTurf
FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
surface and re-surfacing the track. The field was officially dedicated on October 16, 2010, and was named Swanson Field. Bridgewater defeated conference rival Worcester State University by a score of 25 to 9 on the newly christened state-of-the-art field.
The mascot is nicknamed Bristaco Bear and sometimes appears for sporting events and other public events. In order to demonstrate the university's urge toward an increased awareness about the potentially disastrous effects of global warming, Bristaco Bear may be changed from a red bear to a white bear, out of respect to the growing polar bear diaspora inspired by climate change.
Bridgewater baseball team was mentioned on ESPN for beating Newbury College 57 to 1.
Information technology
Bridgewater State University has aggressively upgraded its technology in the last decadeDecade
A decade is a period of 10 years. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek dekas which means ten. This etymology is sometime confused with the Latin decas and dies , which is not correct....
; it was recognized as a wired school by Yahoo! Internet Life
Yahoo! Internet Life
Yahoo! Internet Life was a monthly magazine published by Ziff-Davis, which licensed the name from Yahoo!, the well-known web portal and search engine website. It was created and launched by G. Barry Golson, the former executive editor of Playboy and TV Guide.It dealt with the emerging Internet and...
magazine. The college was also named the 6th most unwired (i.e., wireless) campus in the USA by Intel. Nearly 100% of campus floorspace is covered by a 802.11g and 802.11a wireless network
Wireless network
Wireless network refers to any type of computer network that is not connected by cables of any kind. It is a method by which homes, telecommunications networks and enterprise installations avoid the costly process of introducing cables into a building, or as a connection between various equipment...
. Beginning in the fall of 2004, all freshmen
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
students were required to have a laptop
Laptop
A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit...
computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
. The college has a special arrangement with Dell Computers for laptops, or students may purchase their own. Support (by fellow BSU students) and "loaner" laptops are provided at the Moakley Center and the Maxwell Library.
Special features
Bridgewater State University is one of the few public colleges in the United States to have its own commuter train station (MBTA) directly on the campus grounds. The commuter station divides east and west campus while an underpass allows pedestrian traffic between, along with a railroad crossing on the edge of the campus.Bridgewater State University 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 Driver's License
Commercial driver's license
A Commercial Driver's License is a driver's license required in the United States to operate any type of vehicle which has a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 lb or more for commercial use, or transports quantities of hazardous materials that require warning placards under Department of...
. 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 community, on and off campus grounds.
Bridgewater State University has a student-run radio station, 91.5 WBIM FM.
Bridgewater State University has had its own student-run newspaper since 1927, called The Comment.
The Bridge, Bridgewater State University'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
Gold Circle
Gold Circle was a discount department store chain based in Ohio. Founded in 1967, it was a division of Federated Department Stores with 76 stores when the chain was sold and dismantled in 1988...
awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association
Columbia Scholastic Press Association
The Columbia Scholastic Press Association is an international student press association, founded in 1925, whose goal is to unite student journalists and faculty advisers at schools and colleges through educational conferences, idea exchanges, textbooks, critiques and award programs...
, and the 2006 and 2011 National Pacemaker Award award for collegiate magazines from the Associated Collegiate Press
Associated Collegiate Press
The Associated Collegiate Press is the largest and oldest national membership organization for college student media in the United States. The ACP is a division of the National Scholastic Press Association...
.
Alumni
- Warren G. PhillipsWarren G. PhillipsWarren G. Phillips was born in Weymouth, MA. He was inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in Emporia, Kansas in 2010. Phillips recorded and produced three CD’s of Science Songs entitled Sing-A-Long Science teaching the science standards...
, (B.A., M.A. in Teaching Physical Sciences, M.Ed. in Instructional Technology), teacher, inducted into the National Teachers Hall of FameNational Teachers Hall of FameThe National Teachers Hall of Fame is an American non-profit organization honoring exceptional school teachers. It was founded in 1989 by Emporia State University, the ESU Alumni Association, the City of Emporia, USD 253, and the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce...
2010 - Stephen CanessaStephen Canessa__FORCETOC__Stephen R. Canessa was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing the 12th Bristol District. He resigned to accept the position of executive director for government affairs at Southcoast Health Systems. He is a member of the United States Democratic Party.Rep...
, (Bachelor's degreeBachelor's degreeA bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
), former member of the Mass. House of RepresentativesMassachusetts House of RepresentativesThe Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
(served 2006-2011) - Robert CorreiaRobert CorreiaRobert Correia is an American politician who represented the 7th Bristol District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1977–2008 and served as Mayor of Fall River, Massachusetts from 2008–2010....
, (MEdMaster of EducationThe Master of Education is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in a large number of countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum and instruction, counseling, and administration. It is often conferred for educators advancing in...
1968), member of the Mass. House of RepresentativesMassachusetts House of RepresentativesThe Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
(served 1976-present) - Denise Cormier, actor (B.A. Theatre ArtsBachelor of ArtsA Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
1983) - Jeff CorwinJeff CorwinJeffrey Scott Corwin is an American animal and nature conservationist, best known as host and executive producer of Animal Planet cable channel television programs, The Jeff Corwin Experience and Corwin's Quest.-Early years:...
, (B.S.Bachelor of ScienceA Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
), actor, conservationist, producer, popular TV host - Jeffrey DonovanJeffrey DonovanJeffrey Donovan is an American television, film and stage actor. He plays the lead Michael Westen on the American cable television series, Burn Notice. Notable starring roles in film include: Hitch, Believe in Me, Changeling, and Come Early Morning. He portrayed Robert F. Kennedy in Clint...
, actor - James H. FaganJames H. FaganJames H. Fagan is an American attorney and politician who represented the 3rd Bristol District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1993–2011.-References:...
, (B.A.Bachelor of ArtsA Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
1969), member of the Mass. House of RepresentativesMassachusetts House of RepresentativesThe Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
(1993-2011) - Rebecca FieldRebecca FieldRebecca Field is an American actress from Lenox, Massachusetts. She has played minor roles in various television shows and movies, including Monk. She played the role of 'Janet' on the ABC television series October Road. In R. Kelly's hip-hopera Trapped in the Closet, she plays the role of Bridget...
, part of the ensemble cast of October RoadOctober Road (TV series)October Road is an American television drama that debuted on ABC on March 15, 2007 following Grey's Anatomy. It follows Nick Garrett , who after a decade returns to his hometown, the fictional Knights Ridge, Massachusetts.The series is produced by ABC Studios and GroupM Entertainment; the latter is... - David L. Flynn, (B.S. 1958), member of the Mass. House of RepresentativesMassachusetts House of RepresentativesThe Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
(served 1998-present) - Amar GamalAmar GamalAmar Gamal is a well known Cuban dancer who practices the art of bellydancing. She lived in Florida as a teenager.At the age of thirteen, Gamal began performing as a bellydancer with the Mid-Eastern Dance Exchange company, based in Miami Beach...
, popular belly dancer, dance instructor - Mark GoddardMark GoddardMark Goddard is an American film actor who has starred in a number of television programs. He portrayed Major Don West, the space adversary of Dr. Zachary Smith in the cult 1960s CBS series, Lost in Space, and Detective Sgt...
, actor, film writer - Lou GormanLou GormanJames Gerald "Lou" Gorman was an American baseball executive, and the former general manager of the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball...
, (Master's degree), former general manager of the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(1988-1993) - Walter HardingWalter HardingWalter Harding was a distinguished professor of English at the State University of New York at Geneseo and internationally recognized scholar of the life and work of Henry David Thoreau. Harding was born in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and received his B.S. from Bridgewater State College in 1939,...
, (B.S.), distinguished professor, prominent scholar - Gayle McLaughlinGayle McLaughlinGayle McLaughlin is a California politician. She is a member of the Green Party and, since 2006, the mayor of Richmond, California and a member of Richmond's City Council. McLaughlin was elected on November 7, 2006 by a 279-vote margin over incumbent mayor Irma A. Anderson...
, Mayor of the city of Richmond, CaliforniaRichmond, CaliforniaRichmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California, United States. The city was incorporated on August 7, 1905. It is located in the East Bay, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is a residential inner suburb of San Francisco, as well as the site of heavy industry, which has been...
. - Peter McNeeleyPeter McNeeley"Hurricane" Peter McNeeley is a former heavyweight boxer, best known for his 1995 fight with Mike Tyson in which McNeeley had famously vowed to wrap Tyson in a "cocoon of horror." McNeeley fought aggressively and was knocked down twice within the first two minutes as a result...
, former professional heavyweight boxer - Joan MenardJoan MenardJoan M. Menard is a retired American politician who currently serves as the vice president for work force development, lifelong learning, grant development and external affairs at Bristol Community College....
, member of the Massachusetts SenateMassachusetts SenateThe Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
(served 1999-present), former member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives (served 1979-1999) - Cristina NardozziCristina NardozziCristina Nardozzi is a beauty queen from Seekonk, Massachusetts who has competed in the Miss USA pageant.In late 2004 Nardozzi won the Miss Massachusetts USA 2005 title in Quincy, Massachusetts. She represented her state at the Miss USA 2005 pageant held in Baltimore, Maryland in April 2005 but...
, Miss Massachusetts USAMiss Massachusetts USAThe Miss Massachusetts USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Massachusetts in the Miss USA pageant....
2005 - Ann Hobson PilotAnn Hobson Pilot.Ann Hobson Pilot is the Former Principal Harpist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops. She joined the BSO in 1969 as Assistant Principal Harp and Principal Harp of the Boston Pops. She was named Principal Harpist of the BSO in 1980. Prior to joining the BSO in 1969, she was the...
, (hon. D.MusHonorary degreeAn honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
), principal harpist of the Boston Symphony OrchestraBoston Symphony OrchestraThe Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
and the Boston PopsBoston Pops OrchestraThe Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in playing light classical and popular music.... - Frank Palmer SpeareFrank Palmer SpeareFrank Palmer Speare was the first president of Northeastern University, serving from 1898-1940. He began the evening program at the Boston YMCA that later became Northeastern...
, (1889), first president of Northeastern University - Robert StackRobert StackRobert Stack was an American actor. In addition to acting in more than 40 films, he was the star of the 1959-1963 ABC television series The Untouchables and later served as the host of Unsolved Mysteries.-Early life:...
, actor and former host of Unsolved MysteriesUnsolved MysteriesUnsolved Mysteries is an American television program, hosted by Robert Stack, from 1987 until 2002, and later by Dennis Farina, starting in 2008... - Ken StoneKen Stone (fighter)Ken Stone is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the bantamweight division of the UFC. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Stone had fought mostly in regional promotions on the east coast, before signing with Zuffa.-Background:...
, professional mixed martial artist - David B. SullivanDavid B. SullivanDavid B. Sullivan is a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, representing the 6th Bristol District. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
, (MEd), member of the Mass. House of Representatives (served 1997-present) - Ruth TurnerRuth TurnerRuth Dixon Turner was a pioneering U.S. marine biologist and malacologist who became the world's expert on Teredinidae or shipworms, a taxonomic family of wood-boring bivalve mollusks which severely damage wooden marine installations....
, pioneering marine biologist - Karl WiedergottKarl WiedergottKarl Wiedergott, born Karl Aloysious Treaton is a German actor. He is noted for his voice work on the long-running Fox sitcom The Simpsons since 1998, voicing background characters and some celebrities such as John Travolta and Bill Clinton...
, voice actor on the popular animated sitcom The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
Faculty
- Richard T. MooreRichard T. MooreRichard T. Moore Richard T. Moore Richard T. Moore (born is a Democratic politician from Massachusetts and a member of the Massachusetts State Senate.-Biography:Richard T. Moore was born in Milford, Massachusetts. He is married to the former Joanne Bednarz of Uxbridge, Massachusetts...
, Massachusetts state senator - Henry Shaffer, (film) art director, credited to The Exorcist IIIThe Exorcist IIIThe Exorcist III is a 1990 American supernatural thriller written and directed by William Peter Blatty. It is the second sequel of The Exorcist series and a film adaptation of Blatty's novel, Legion . The film stars George C. Scott, Brad Dourif, Ed Flanders, and Nicol Williamson...
(1990) and Zits (1988) - Richard Snee, Boston-area actor
- Dr. Steven Young, professor of music and director of choral activities