Oct 7th and 8th  | 7-8:30pm In an effort to help you explore all nine Massachusetts State Universities we invite you and your family to our Virtual College Fair and College Panel. During this two night event, you will have the opportunity to meet with, hear from, and ask questions of the Admissions Staffs at Bridgewater State University, Framingham State University, Fitchburg State University, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Salem State University, Westfield State University, and Worcester State University.  Day-one will be an open style college fair, where visitors can move at their own pace, in and out of virtual rooms to meet with admission reps from each campus. Day-two will be a 45-minute college panel, followed by a brief Q&A segment. Following the Q&A, admission reps from each campus will be available for campus specific Q&A. Register Now Back to News

Fitchburg State University will observe National Latinx Heritage Month with a series of events that celebrate Latinx culture and the diversity of our community. “Celebrating National Latinx Heritage Month is about bringing people together in community as we lift the voices and experiences of Latinxs at Fitchburg State and beyond,” said Melisa Alves, director of the Career Services and Advising Center at Fitchburg State and advisor to the Latin American Student Organization (LASO) on campus. “The month is about introducing others to the rich history, traditions and culture that Latinxs bring to Fitchburg State. Our hope is that Latinxs see their voices and experiences represented while at the same time sharing the beauty, strengths and many contributions that Latinxs share at Fitchburg State on a daily basis. “Additionally, we must remember that celebrating the voices and experiences of Latinxs doesn't end on October 15^th,” Alves continued. “Each day we should value and appreciate our Latinx falcons, and remember that representation matters. The celebration of Latinx voices and experiences needs to happen year long. We invite others to join the planning committee in the future and support the Latin American Student Organization as they continue to do the work of elevating Latinxs experiences at Fitchburg State.” "I hope our events bring a lot if not most students on campus together to learn about each other's different backgrounds or even learn more about their own culture," said Jalin Paulino Diaz, president of the Latin American Student Organization (LASO) at Fitchburg State. "If they're not of Latinx heritage, they can see how diverse Fitchburg State can be. Also, those who are of Latinx Heritage to be more proud of it because they can get lost in a country that is a melting pot, and with LASO, they can get their voices heard. Our attendees can look forward to learning in a non-formal way with information, food, music, difficulties, and advice from peers, that they will surely find interesting especially for our similarities." The programs begin at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, with “We Are Here: Latinx Voices at Fitchburg State.” To participate, visit meet.google.com/ctw-jfcv-ahk. The events continue at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, with “LASO Cerrado,” a student-led discussion with a focus on topics including anti-blackness within the Latinx community, mental health, and the nomenclature of Latino/a versus Latinx. To join that program, go to meet.google.com/rat-aozd-dft. At 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, there will be a Cooking with LASO demonstration on Instagram live, viewable by following  @LASO_fitchburg_state on Instagram. Novelist, essayist and Javier Avila will present his acclaimed show “The Trouble with my Name” at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23. Avila has presented his one of a kind performance about the value of diversity to more than 50,000 people across 150 performances in dozens of cities across the U.S. With its blend of education and entertainment, the show is a transformative experience. To join, please go to meet.google.com/jay-dfnv-ysg or view the livestream at http://bit.ly/JA_LIVESTREAM. The Career Services and Advising Center will co-sponsor a session called Marketing Yourself at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24.To participate, visit https://bit.ly/Marketing_Yourself. The Latin American Student Organization (LAS) will present a slam poetry night at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30. To participate, go to meet.google.com/pwu-qwde-bxj. Programs continue in October, starting with Café con Leche: An Intro to Afro-Latinidad at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 1. To join, go to meet.google.com/dnq-cuze-qsc. Also in October, check out “Si Se Puede: Latinx Alumni and Student Voices at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 8. To join this panel talk, go to meet.google.com/tpz-osno-cgc. A celebration of cultures will occur the next week with the Rep Your Flag Virtual Celeration at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13. To take part, go to meet.google.com/qui-zjas-etv. The events will conclude with a display planned for Thursday, Oct. 15, about which details will be shared soon. Back to News

The American Moot Court Association, whose tournament brings top students from more than 200 colleges and universities across the nation, has ranked Fitchburg State University’s program 14th in the country. Professor Paul Weizer, a member of the Economics, History and Political Science Department, founded Fitchburg State’s moot court program in 2000 with four students, and the team advanced to the final round of the national competition in its first year. “We were hooked after that,” he said. The competition pits teams of students against one another on opposing sides of a legal case, as in an appellate court proceeding. Students must argue both sides of the case in the course of the competition, making timed arguments as well as fielding questions from a panel of legal experts, as well as submitting written briefs. The American Moot Court Association’s Top Program Scores recognize schools based on their performance in both the AMCA National Tournament Oral Advocacy competition and the AMCA National Tournament Written Brief competition. The scores are weighted at 67 percent for the oral advocacy competition and 33 percent for the written brief competition. Weizer estimates 200 Fitchburg State students have competed during its years in the national program. Many graduates of the program return to campus each year for the regional tournament on the Fitchburg State campus. Their ranks include police officers, lawyers and court clerks, though Weizer said the skills developed through moot court are applicable far beyond the legal profession. “They learn public speaking, to stand up and answer questions under duress, to think on their feet, and they develop strong writing skills,” Weizer said. “The ability to speak well and write well are transferable to any career they go on to.” Weizer said he remains especially proud that Fitchburg State students have excelled in the national tournament every year against larger, more expensive institutions. The national rankings echo that point. “I tell my students, they’re competing against students who are paying 10 times as much as they are,” Weizer said. “It just shows we have really good students. I can take my best students and they can compete with anybody’s best, and they have, consistently. We have a lot of very talented students, and it’s great we can give them the opportunity to compete on a national stage.” Fitchburg State will host the regional tournament this November, which will be conducted virtually for the first time. Back to News

Twenty new police officers took the oath of honor at Fitchburg State University’s third recruit officer course (ROC) graduation exercises on Friday, Sept. 11. Fitchburg State’s groundbreaking police program, believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, graduates officers in five years with bachelor’s and master’s degrees and certification to serve as municipal police departments in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The third ROC graduates completed their bachelor’s degrees in May and this summer completed an arduous, 15-week academy including defensive tactics, firearms qualification and emergency vehicle operations. Now they begin their online master’s degree program. University President Richard S. Lapidus noted most of the graduates already have jobs with area police departments. “This speaks highly of the character and the quality of the students in this program,” he said. “The university is proud of this program and its graduates.” Municipal Police Training Committee Interim Executive Director Robert J. Ferullo congratulated the new officers on entering a meaningful profession, and encouraged them to be safe and to embrace the changes in their field. “We need to protect our integrity,” Ferullo said. “Don’t ever tarnish the badge.” Academy Director Lisa Lane saluted the graduates for their ability to thrive during unique challenges. “The police academy is a grueling course of training which demands a full physical and mental effort by all who go through it,” she said. “It is stressful, it is demanding. It is not easy under normal circumstances, and these were far from normal circumstances.” Between the COVID-19 pandemic and national tumult surrounding the police profession, Lane said, new police officers are entering the profession at a unique time. “Always make sure that you go out there and serve with honor, integrity and pride,” Lane said. “Be a force for good. Be an agent for change. Treat everyone you encounter with dignity, equity and empathy. Be honest with yourself, be self-aware, be self-reflective, and then make any changes that you need to make to be better.” Class Leader Grant Jensen addressed his classmates at the ceremony. “Policing right now is in a state where most people are questioning us and asking why we think it’s still worth being a police officer,” Jensen said. “These changes to a profession that we thought we were getting into has not stopped any of us from our end goal of becoming police officers. What I’ve seen from the 3^rd ROC is that there is a passion and drive to serve the communities we are going to, that we aren’t just your normal 21- and 22-year-old new college graduates most people believe we are. Instead, we are a group of eager, passionate, and resilient men and women who want to make a difference within our communities we are going to serve. That none of us here are satisfied with being average and that we were always willing to listen and learn to fix our deficiencies. “Don’t forget how hard you’ve worked to get this opportunity in your life,” Jensen continued. “The badge you wear is to help individuals who need you the most in their time of need. Take pride in what you do and honor in who you serve.” The members of the third recruit officer course are:Cameron Amaral of Middleboro William Bento of Medfield Michael Brito of Sagamore Beach Shannon Dawson of Hudson Joshua Folmer-LaFleur of Fitchburg Nicholas Girard of Leominster Grant Jensen of Fitchburg Alyssa King of Groton Matthew Krikorian of Groton Sean Malone of Dedham Allison McCann of Westminster Kelly McCusker-Brown of Watertown Cody Normandin of Uxbridge Keegan O’Donnell of Danvers David Pratt of South Hadley Abigail Robinson of Weymouth Courtney Soares of Dartmouth Jared Taje of East Taunton Benjamin Torrence of Bradford Cody Walter of Westminster Back to News

Fitchburg State University’s Career Services & Advising Center will hold a virtual career and internship fair from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, creating opportunities for students and area employers to learn about one another. The program, to be run on the virtual platform Handshake, will let students meet with employers to discuss their career interests and goals. The program will let students explore internship, full-time, and part-time opportunities that meet their career goals through video chats, break-out rooms and opportunities for one-on-one interviews. Employers will have the opportunity to schedule five 30-minute group meetings that accommodate up to 50 students each. Multiple recruiters can attend, talk with students, and share their screens. The program will also include opportunities for 10 one-on-one meetings with students hosted by up to 15 recruiters, each of whom can set their own schedule and choose the qualifications students must meet to attend. Employers will also be able to see profiles and public resumes, as well as message the students they engage at the fair, making it easy to prepare for and follow up on all of their sessions.  Employers interested in participating should visit http://bit.ly/FSUFallFair2020 or contact Fitchburg State Associate Director for Internship Coordination and Employer Relations Lindsay Carpenter Connors at lcarpen7@fitchburgstate.edu. Back to News

Fitchburg State is welcoming nine new members of its faculty and librarians, spanning eight departments. They will be serving students in the following departments: Behavioral Sciences, Business Administration, Computer Science, Education, Biology and Chemistry, Earth and Geographic Sciences, Nursing, and the Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library. Read about them here. Back to News

Each year, Fitchburg State publishes "A Community of Scholars," honoring the creative, community and scholarly work of our faculty and librarians. The booklet offers an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the intellectual and creative achievements of our faculty and librarians. These activities both spring from and feed our central teaching mission. Reflected in these pages is the dedicated work of a community of scholars. Read it here. Back to News

Fitchburg State University will welcome students back to campus this month with an operational model designed to protect the health and safety of the community while honoring its commitment to students’ educational objectives. “This will be a very different semester for our campus community, but the accommodations will serve our students as they pursue their degrees and assist with public health,” Fitchburg State President Richard S. Lapidus said. “Our faculty, who shifted gears so rapidly this spring to accommodate a remote semester, have taken advantage of training and resources to begin the fall strong. And our student support services stand ready to assist by in-person and remote avenues.” While there will be time periods this week for students to drop off their belongings in advance (by appointment), the main move-in for new students will take place Monday, Aug. 31. Residence halls are opening at approximately 65% of capacity, with most rooms being used for single occupants. North Street between Pearl and Ross streets will be closed to traffic during the move-in (approximately 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.) on Monday, and portions of Highland Avenue and Cedar Street may be closed at times as well. The university is restricting the number of guests accompanying students during move-in. Classes will begin Thursday, Sept. 3. Other steps the university is taking to be safe during the pandemic include:All members of the campus community are required to take a training course on COVID-related hygiene and prevention before the semester begins. New student orientation is being offered in a virtual model. The university will offer COVID testing to all students, faculty and staff beginning this week. Once the semester begins, the university will be testing a random sample of 425 members of the campus community each week. Any positive results will be shared with the city’s Health Department and a contact tracing regimen will be enacted. Classes will begin Thursday, Sept. 3, with approximately half of courses offered in a hybrid model mixing in-person and remote sessions. Many courses will be completely remote, and there will be a small number of exclusively face to face classes, including labs All spaces on campus have been de-densified to allow for social distancing and advisory signage has been posted throughout campus. Students on campus meal plans will be served at a number of takeout stations. No seated dining options will be available this fall. As announced earlier this summer, the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference has canceled all sports competitions for the fall. The university has canceled its annual Homecoming events. For additional details on the university’s plans for the fall, please visit fitchburgstate.edu/reopening. All campus communications related to the pandemic are being posted to fitchburgstate.edu/coronavirus. Back to News

Fitchburg State University recently received a federal grant for $293,000 to continue its TRIO Student Support Services program, which for over 20 years has helped first-generation, lower-income and high needs students excel in their collegiate studies. The competitive federal grant program awards funds to institutions of higher education to provide opportunities for academic development, assist students with basic college requirements, and to motivate students toward the successful completion of their postsecondary education. The goal of the student support services program is to increase the college retention and graduation rates of its participants. At Fitchburg State, the program—formerly known as Expanding Horizons—has been supporting students since 1997. Fitchburg State’s grant will support services to 160 undergraduate students who qualify as low-income, first-generation, and/or have a disability, according to Interim Director of TRIO Student Support Services Beth Swartz. “This program helps students succeed by offering proactive advising and individualized support plans, along with cultivating a sense of belonging,” said Swartz. “These experiences help enhance students’ connection to the wider campus community and show them pathways to meeting their potential and finding success.” Swartz also noted the work of Karen Frank Mays, who died earlier this year after a lengthy tenure as director of grants and sponsored programs at Fitchburg State. She is remembered for her talent and her unwavering commitment to students and her colleagues. “Karen worked tirelessly to write and re-win this grant before she passed away. We will all miss her greatly and are thankful for her contributions.” Back to News