Supporting the Athletic Department mission of providing opportunities for student-athletes to succeed academically and athletically, and to grow in the area of leadership, social responsibility, and citizenship, Student-Athlete Affairs sponsors an array of programs geared towards student-athlete needs.
ACADEMICS
AD Honor Roll
Each spring, qualified student-athletes are recognized into the AD Honor Roll for achieving a 3.0 or higher cumulative grade point average. During the last reception, over 60% of student-athletes were recognized for achieving this milestone.
Chi Alpha Sigma
Chi Alpha Sigma is the first national scholar-athlete society to recognize college student-athletes who excel both on and off the field of competition. Each spring, student-athletes that have reached junior status by their 5th semester, who have achieved a 3.4 or higher grade point average, and who have earned a varsity letter in an intercollegiate sport are inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma. In the first year of induction for Westfield State (2017), sixty-four student-athletes were recognized and in 2018, twenty-seven student-athletes were recognized.
Faculty Mentors
The faculty mentor program strives to enrich the campus environment of co-curricular learning. Faculty members volunteer to serve as team mentors, and ultimately integrate academics and athletics by becoming an ambassador of the team by gaining an understanding of the pressures faced by student-athletes and their lives outside of the classroom. Student-athlete benefit from connections with faculty mentors, and retention may be enhanced.
Study Hall
First year student athletes attend study hall for a minimum of seven weeks to assist them in establishing healthy study habits. Study Hall is offered five days per week and students are required to log four hours per week. The Athletics staff monitors the academic progress of student-athletes using Westfield State 360, a program endorsed by the Academic Affairs.
LEADERSHIP
Captains Leadership Training
VictoryHUB, (Nashua, NH) has been contracted since 2013 to provide leadership training to student-athletes. Through a series of programs called the Westfield State University Victory Academy, the workshops strive to instill a cultural of leadership amongst student-athletes. Annually, there are two workshops offered for team captains and SAAC members, one for aspiring sophomores, one for seniors, and a session for coaches. The leadership model is about inspiring leadership to empower the emerging generation to maximize their potential and lead others to victory. The final session, titled “Professional Brand”, targets thirty seniors and five Professional Friends of WSU or Alumni who networked with the students while discussing career visions, core values, goals, and establishing a personal professional brand.
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)
Student-athletes have the opportunity to serve on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Two student-athletes represent each team on this leadership committee.
MASCAC SAAC
Student-athletes have the opportunity to serve as a member of the Mass. State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Participants collaborate with student-athletes from the eight MASCAC institutions and to perform community service and to participate in educational programs. Recent programs include a diversity and inclusion panel and a domestic violence program.
SERVICE
Service is an important emphasis within the Athletics Department. Student-Athletes annually participate in the following programs:
o Special Olympics
o Holiday gift giving to disadvantaged children
o Alzheimer’s Awareness
o Cancer Awareness
o Read Across America & Athletes Love to Read programs
o You Can Play program
o WSU Move In Day Assistance
o Sport Clinics
o Nestor the Owl in the community
Special Olympics football tournament
Secret Santa Program
New Student Move-In
EDUCATION
Student-athletes participate in educational programs in a myriad of ways. The following topics have been addressed in team sessions, as part of a campus initiative, or in department wide sessions.
o Suicide Prevention
o Diversity & Inclusion
o Alcohol and Drug Prevention
o Sexual Assault Prevention
o Multicultural Awareness
For questions regarding Student-Athlete Affairs, contact Nancy Bals, Associate Athletic Director/Senior Women’s Administrator at 413-572-5515 or nbals@westfield.ma.edu