Whipper To Address First Graduating Class SC School Of Human Services Charleston Campus
SPRINGFIELD, Mass., Jan. 5, 2005 -- State Rep. Jackson Seth Whipper will address the first graduating class of the Charleston Campus of the Springfield College School of Human Services at commencement ceremonies Friday, Jan. 7, 2005, at 7 p.m. at the Charleston Museum Auditorium. Robert J. Willey, dean of the School of Human Services based in Springfield, Mass., will award diplomas.The Charleston Campus is the newest of 10 Springfield College campuses around the country dedicated to educating human services professionals. Opened in Sept. 2003, it offers the only bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in human services in South Carolina. This Friday, the college will award bachelor’s degrees to 13 graduates and master’s degrees to eight graduates. The bachelor’s degree candidates entered the school with academic credit for prior learning at other accredited institutions of higher education.
With an educational program designed for working adults, the School of Human Services structures classes two weekends a month for bachelor’s degree candidates and one weekend a month at the master’s level. The curriculum focuses on building the leadership skills of human services professionals while they are serving their communities. Currently, 86 students are enrolled.
A hallmark of the SHS education is that students identify a community need and design and implement a program to address it. Members of this graduating class completed service projects with Trident Area Boys and Girls Club, Medical University of South Carolina, South Carolina Department of Mental Health, South Carolina Continuum of Care, Trident Technical College, Family Resources, Inc., Governor's Office of Continuum of Care, South Carolina Department of Social Services, The Fatherhood Initiative Program, You First Programs, North Charleston Youth Court, St. James Presbyterian Church, Charleston County Transitional Housing, Florence Crittenton Day Program, NIA Child Development Center, Heritage Foundation, Trident Literacy Program, Calvary Baptist Church, Islamic Center of Charleston, and The Charleston Center.
Charleston Campus, Springfield College School of Human Services
The School of Human Services offers concentrations in criminal justice and early childhood development for undergraduates, as well as concentrations in organizational management and leadership and community counseling psychology for graduate students. It also conducts an executive master’s degree program in which human services executives from throughout the United States study together in a cohort towards their master’s degrees in human services.
Most students complete their degrees in 16 to 24 months. There is a process for undergraduate students to claim a limited number of academic credits for college-level learning gained through life and work experience. The school follows standards of the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning in awarding course credit for prior learning. In addition, the school has agreements with Midlands and Trident Technical colleges to transition their graduates with associate’s degrees in human services into the SHS baccalaureate program.
Springfield College chose the North Charleston site at 7410 Northside Drive for its newest campus, adjacent to Interstate 26, because of its statewide accessibility and high quality facilities. The college’s space in the building, with a central solarium, includes four classrooms, a video conferencing center, a fully equipped computer laboratory, and an academic success center for tutoring, library support and other services. There is ample free parking.
Other SHS campuses are located in Boston, Massachusetts; Los Angeles and San Diego, California; Manchester, New Hampshire; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; St. Johnsbury, Vermont; Tampa, Florida; and Wilmington, Delaware, in addition to the main campus in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Springfield College was founded in 1885 to train YMCA directors and, since then, has broadened its programs and developed an international reputation as a pioneer in physical education, the allied health sciences, and human services. It is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges through its Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. The Charleston Campus is licensed by the South Carolina Commission of Higher Education.
At its main campus, Springfield College offers bachelor’s degree programs in 50 majors, master’s degree programs in 14 concentrations and a doctoral program in physical education. There are more than 5,000 students at its main campus and satellites, and 34,000 alumni in 60 nations. Academics and student life are characterized by the college’s humanics philosophy that emphasizes educating the whole person, consisting of spirit, mind, and body, for leadership in service to others.
Information on the Springfield College School of Human Services is available in Charleston by calling (843) 569-7003.
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