Intimate classroom settings and lasting relationships between students, faculty, and staff is what SLIS West is known for. While the program is not situated within a metropolitan area like Boston, students will find plenty to do in the surrounding Pioneer Valley and a strong community to support them during their stay. Many times through out the year the SLIS West student group, LISSA West, hosts social events both on and off campus throughout the Pioneer Valley.
- Housing
For questions about local housing, please feel free to contact SLIS West Coordinator Eric Poulin.
Housing for students can also be found on Craiglist or rental sites such as RentNoho and Eagle Crest Management.
- Transportation
Public Transportation
The Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA) runs public buses all over the region. Check the schedule and fare information carefully; bus service stops at night and does not run during holidays and school breaks. The FRTA site also includes a trip planner.
There are also a number of available taxi services available including Uber.
Parking on Campus
No permits are required for student parking. Students may park in Lots A through F from 7am to 11pm any day.
- Where to Eat
The Greenfield Community College cafeteria is open for breakfast and lunch, Monday to Friday. Students will often gather in the SLIS West office for lunch
Twice a semester on the first and last day of classes LISSA West hosts a lunch. Several other lunch events take place on campus throughout the semester.
- The Pioneer Valley
Ringed by mountain ranges and bisected by the meandering Connecticut River, the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts consists of Franklin, Hampshire, and Hamden counties.
Less than two hours from Boston, less than three from New York City, and one hour from the heart of the Berkshires, the Valley is home to more than 25 colleges and universities, as well as writers, musicians, artists, artisans, and hundreds of nonprofits. The Pioneer Valley is also known for the Five College Consortium — Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith colleges, and UMass Amherst, the flagship of the state university system. The New York Times has called the Pioneer Valley “arguably the most author-saturated, book-cherishing, literature-celebrating place in the nation.” Resources of all sorts await discovery by those who live and work here, or simply attend classes.
For more on what to do in the Pioneer Valley and Franklin County, please visit moretofranklincounty.com