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BSU Family Hub Newsletter - The Stretch Run

Justin McCauley - Monday, March 31
 Events 
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Hello, [FIRST_NAME]! 

Spring has sprung! The BSU Bears are back from their spring break hibernation, and there are less than 40 days until the start of the final exam period.

It’s an exciting time to be on a college campus. The weather is getting warmer, the flowers are blooming, and there are many accomplishments to celebrate. Your BSU Bears are preparing to wrap up a long semester that has tested their knowledge and pushed them to work hard.

This month’s newsletter focuses on finishing the school year strong while also taking time to stop and smell the roses. We’re sharing valuable resources and stories about the experiences of some of Bridgewater State University’s students.

This newsletter is full of impactful links that will bring you directly to helpful resources, events, and information about BSU.  Please use them to help maximize your student's BSU experience.

 

UPCOMMING ACADEMIC CALENDAR DATES
 

  • Tuesday, April 22nd - Senior priority class registration day
  • Wednesday, April 23rd - Junior proirity class registration day
  • Thursday, April 24th - Sophomore priority class registration day
  • Friday, April 25th - Freshmen priority class registration day
  • Tuesday, May 5th - Last day of day classes
  • Wednesday, May 6th - Reading Day
  • Thursday, May 7th - Tuesday, May 13th - Final Exams
  • Wednesday, May 14th - Residence halls close at noon
  • Thursday, May 15th - Graduate School Commencement
  • Friday, May 16th - Undergraduate Commencement
  • Tuesday, May 27 - Summer Session 1 begins
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Spring Milestones

Justin McCauley
Director of Family Relations

The weather is warming up and many students are already starting to think about the summer and what lays ahead for them in the next couple of months. 

While summer planning and dreaming is important, there are still a few important milemarkers that BSU students need to hit before the end of the semester.  With so many things happening all at once, the late-spring semester can be a stressful time to navigate.

Please make note of the following helpful tips, so you can help guide your BSU Bear through the important happenings that occur during this busy time of year. Follow the many helpful links in this article directly to the resources your student will need.

2025-2026 Housing Selection Process

If your student is hoping to live on campus for the 2025-2026 school year, then they will want to make sure that they have completed everything needed in order to fully participate when the room selection process goes live on Monday, April 7th.  

Be sure the following steps are completed:
  • Housing Deposit was completed
  • Verify that any financial or academic account holds are resolved
  • Residence Hall License Agreement completed online
  • Roommate matching or mutual requests completed in system
  • View all available spaces online
  • Received room selection date and timeslot (Sent out on 4/2)
  • Choose your room!  (April 7th - 11th)
If you have any questions at all, please contact the Office of Residence Life & Housing at ResLife@bridgew.edu or at 508-531-1277.

Fall 2025 Course Registration Process

If your Bear is not graduating this spring, then check in to make sure that they are getting ready for online course registration for Fall 2025.  Registration is right around the corner. Help your Bear navigate their course registration experience by making sure that they are prepared.

Be sure that your student is mindful of the following in preparation for registration: If you have any questions about course registration, please contact the Registrar's Office at registration@bridgew.edu or at 508-531-1231.

Commencement Preparations

If your student is preparing to walk across the big stage at Gillette Stadium this May, then you'll definately want to make sure that they have completed everything needed leading up to Commencement day.

Commencement ceremonies will be hosted on May 15, 2025 (graduate) and May 16, 2025 (undergraduate). The BSU campus is fully decorated from April to late May in honor of our graduating students, who might wish to take photos prior to the big day.

Be sure that your graduate-to-be has done the following in preparation: Be sure to encourage your student to check out the Graduation Central website for all of the most up to date information about Commencement.  A BSU username is necessary in order to view this website.

Make Memories and Have Fun

Be sure to encourage your students to reward their hard work by taking some time to enjoy all of the fun campus events and, of course, quality time with their friends and classmmates.  

Encourage your student to log into Engage BSU to check out events like these: The above events are just a sampling of the many events that will be occuring over the next few weeks.  Check out the Engage BSU website for even more events and activities!
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BSU's Simard Dives into History


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BSU's Cailey Simard, a junior diver on the Swimming & Dive team, took part in the NCAA Division III Women's Swimming & Diving Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Simard took part in the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events at the NCAAs competition after placing sixth on the 1-meter board at the Northeast/North Regionals.

Simard also won Little East Diver of the Year honors for a third straight season and broke the conference championship meet records for each event.

BSU Summer Course Registration is Open!
Summer course information Link.

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A BSU Junior's Journal: Transfer Student Edition

*Editor's Note: Check out D'Ana's student journal for an account of what a typical BSU student is navigating around this time of year.

D'Ana Levy
Student Life, Media Assistant

Ever since I transferred to BSU back in January, life has been different. I no longer wake up every day to my cat like I used to. Now I have a set time where I share a bathroom with others and rush together with the crowd to our next classes.

BSU is like a city of it’s own. And I have this new independence helping me to understand what it is like to live on my own away from home. It’s not as hard as I originally thought. I clean my room whenever I can, I do my own laundry, I go to quiet spaces in my free time, I go on little adventures around campus from time to time. I’m thriving alone. 

I was worried about how I’d connect with people around me. But the people here are better than I thought. Everyone shows basic respect. And making friends here is surprisingly easy. 

At my old school, there was not much engagement because everyone was busy working off campus. There just wasn’t a lot things to do. Now I go to the RSU (the student union) often to the Lewis & Gaines Center for Inclusion & Equity room and hang out with fellow students who look like me. C.A.S.A (the Caribbean Ancestry Student Association) is another group that I’ve enjoyed visiting.

There are students with stories similar to mine. Being someone who has family from the islands, I struggled to stay in touch with my roots because of so many factors like religion and upbringing. But in this club, I feel like I am surrounded by others like me, who want to keep in touch with their roots and together we celebrate our culture.

Even though I just got here, I am a junior, my time at this school is coming to an end after next year. There are so many things I’m worried about. How am I doing in my classes? Will I pass my American Government course?

I've prepared multiple copies of my resume and signed up for so many 
events that are happening this week. A salary and negotiation workshop for women in the workforce, so I can make sure I get a job that can pay me my worth, Resumania – to ensure the resumes I’m handing out are hiring worthy. It wouldn’t hurt to go to the dress to impress event either. I can improve my style and be workforce ready.

As overwhelming as all of this sounds, I want to be prepared for the Career fair that is taking place on campus on April 3rd.  That followed by a Communications majors networking event two weeks from the fair. I just want to get my foot in the door before my anticipated graduation next year.

April will be a busy month for sure. I really have to buckle down and make sure I am prepared. That includes getting my medical records as soon as possible, so that I can register for next semester's courses as soon as I can. Time is winding down. But with all this pressure, I've got to have fun in between! I’m doing karaoke this week and I know what song I’m going to 
sing, hands down.

The masquerade ball next month will be a great chance for me to let go of this working student persona for a night and become a mysterious princess. I’m hoping the whole outfit comes together. No: it will be amazing! I can’t wait to see how the end of the semester plays out.

SIGN UP TO GET GRADUATION PHOTOS WITH PRESIDENT CLARK!

*Use the links below to view each individual event.

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End of the Semester On-Campus Dining Tips

With the end of the spring semester only a few shorts weeks away, many BSU students are navigating how to best use their meal plans though the end of the semester.

Here are a few tips that you can use to help guide your hungry Bear:

Each meal plan is different, so make sure that your student knows the difference between dining dollars, meal swipes, and flex dollars and what they have available on their account.
  1. Dining Dollars are a declining balance that can be used up fast because of how widely they can be used.  If your student is running out of dining dollars, encourage them to eat at locations that utilize meal swipes.
  2. Meal Swipes are used to gain entrance at the Flynn Dinnig Commons or the East Campus Commons (ECC).  Once you student has used a swipe at one of these locations, then they can eat all that they care to eat during that meal period.  
  3. Flex Dollars are not technically part of the meal plan but are a flexible means of making purchases at on-campus and some off-campus vendors.  Flex Dollars may be used in all of the dining halls and at campus vending machines.  Family members can add flex dollars to their students account via the Connect Card Online website.
End of the Year Campus Events often feature free food!
  1. The Engage BSU network advertises all kinds of events and programs.  Many of which feature free food and givaways!
  2. Many academic departments, colleges, centers, host end of the year celebrations that feature dinner.
If your student has specific questions about their meal plan, don't hesitate to reach out to Bridgewater Dining for support.

 
 
 

March Madness for BSU Women's Basketball

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The Tinsley Center was jam-packed with BSU Bears for the MASCAC championship game.

The BSU Women's Basketball team (19-7) brought home both the regular season and the MASCAC tournament championship to kick off the month of March.

The Bears were able to cut down the nets after defeating the Framingham State Rams 76-65 in the MASCAC championship game.  Junior Haley Burchhart netted 26 points with 18 of those points coming on her six 3-pointers.  Burchhart, who was named the game's Most Outstanding Player also tallied 11 rebounds.  

The MASCAC championship punched the Bears ticket to Baltimore, Md, where they would be battling Carnegie Mellon in the first round of the Division III NCAA Tournament.  BSU put up a valient fight but ultimately fell in their first round matchup.  

In addition to winning the MASCAC championship, the 2024-2025 season also featured a couple other notable milestones.  Senior Kylie Grassi, who was named Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year for a third straight season, broke the BSU scoring record and finished her career with a total of 1,649 total points. 

Coach Bridget Casey joined the 400-wins club in January with a win over Framingham State and now sits at 411 wins at the close of the season.  
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