Springfield College Welcomes New and Returning Students for Fall Semester

Work to repair International, Reed, and Massasoit halls has proceeded steadily. Also lost during the tornado were hundreds of century-old trees on Naismith Green, along the lakefront, and near the three residence halls. Those trees have been cleared away, and the green spaces resodded.

Within hours of the tornado, our alumni, students, faculty, and staff rallied to do what they know best: Leadership in service to others. Volunteers participated in clean-up efforts on the campus, and worked to support those in our neighborhood who also suffered tremendous damage. Additionally, members of the College and local communities made monetary contributions to the Spirit of Renewal, a fund which is designated toward the College’s tree replanting program.

Springfield College is grateful to these individuals and groups, including a number of local and regional colleges (American International College, Bay Path College, College of Our Lady of the Elms, Western New England University, Westfield State University Foundation, Inc., as well as Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith colleges, the University of Massachusetts, and Five Colleges, Inc.) that donated more than $14,000 to be applied to the cost of replacing those magnificent trees.

“Restoration and repair have been the recent focus, but they do not diminish the tremendous achievements of the past year,” said President Richard B. Flynn. “The College’s recent ten-year reaccreditation by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and the addition of the newly opened Stitzer YMCA Center and Springfield College Museum were bright moments in the past year. We look forward to the coming year and the many new achievements we know it will bring.”