Class of 2025

Student Ombuds Program

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We are proud to launch the second year of the Student Ombuds program at Wesleyan, which is an initiative inspired and informed by student voices.

The Student Ombuds are available to talk with students about their concerns related to experiences in the classroom, with your athletic team, or within other parts of your academic and campus life at Wesleyan.  Each Ombud serves as a resource focused on empowering students to successfully navigate the institution and advocate for themselves in moments of conflict, particularly when there are power dynamic considerations. 

Here’s just a few of the ways Student Ombuds can offer support:

  • Serve as a thought partner for students considering their options for resolving an issue, especially when the other party is in a position of power in relation to the student
  • Hold a safe and supportive conversational space, simply listening and serving as an impartial sounding board
  • Provide insight and tools on how to manage challenging conversations
  • Share information about campus resources
  • Communicate any patterns of concern to university leadership

The Student Ombuds partner with and are supported by Dr. April Ruiz, Dean for Academic Equity, Inclusion, & Success.

Learn more about the Student Ombuds by:

Our Student Ombuds stand ready to support you!

MMUF/McNair Info Session

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MMUF/McNair Info Session | Monday 10/10 | 5:30 – 6:30pm in Boger 114

The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program (link) and the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program (link) are national programs supporting underrepresented students as they work toward applying to graduate school. Both programs serve juniors and seniors, providing summer and academic year funding, mentorship and training, as well as a community of students of similar backgrounds who are all striving toward the same goals.

Students are eligible to apply to these programs during their sophomore year.

First-years and sophomores are invited to join us for this session to learn about eligibility, the application process, and additional details about program benefits!

Major Open House Schedule (10/3 – 10/14)

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Happy Friday, Class of 2025 – 

As promised, I’m sending along the most up to date Open House schedule for the next two weeks. To see the full schedule, please visit the Major Open House website here.

Even if you have the slightest interest in a department, I encourage you to attend. Some Open Houses offer refreshments/lunch and it’s a great way to get to know other community members at Wes. I look forward to seeing you at some of these Open Houses.

DepartmentDateStartEndLocationNotes
Romance Studies10/5/202212:00 PM1:00 PM300 High Street MiddletownFood/refreshments
Feminist, Gender, & Sexuality Studies10/6/202212:00 PM1:00 PMAllbritton 311
College of Integrative Sciences10/7/20222:30 PM3:30 PMLabyrinth TentIce cream sundaes
College of Letters10/10/202212:15 PM1:15 PMBoger 114
Psychology10/10/202212:20 PM1:10 PMJudd Hall Rm. 116
Philosophy10/10/202212:00 PM1:00 PMLabyrinth TentPizza
Latin American Studies10/12/202212:10 PM1:00 PMRomance Languages 300 High St.Pizza
Religion10/12/20224:30 PM5:30 PMWoodhead LoungeCider/donuts/fall treats
American Studies10/12/202212:00 PM1:00 PMAmerican Studies  255 High StreetRefreshments
Physics10/13/202211:50 AM1:10 PMExley 058Lunch
History10/13/202212:00 PM1:00 PMLabyrinth TentPizza
Data Analysis10/13/202212:00 PM1:00 PMAllbritton 103Refreshments
Molecular Biology & Biochemistry10/13/202212:00 PM1:00 PMWoodhead LoungeLunch
History10/13/202212:00 PM1:00 PMLabyrinth Tent

Choosing Majors and Careers for F-1 Visa Holders

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Intended Audience: Classes of 2025 and 2026 F-1 visa holders

Join us for this session to learn about important factors (personal interests, career prospects, immigration-related benefits/regulations) to consider when choosing a major as an F-1 visa holder. Class Deans from the Office of Academic Advancement and staff members from the Office of International Student Affairs (OISA) and Gordon Career Center will lead this informational workshop, which will include an overview of the major selection process, post-completion employment as an F-1 visa holder, and STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) Extension-eligible programs of study at Wesleyan. You will also have the opportunity to hear from upper class international students who will share their own academic major and career decision making experiences.

Co-sponsored by the Office of Academic Advancement, Office of International Student Affairs and the Gordon Career Center

Accessibility Q&A

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This event is for anyone who is curious about learning about a resource that can potentially help with your journey at Wesleyan! 

Curious about accessibility services? Want to learn about the accommodation process? Do you want to learn how to support your peers? 

Come learn about the accessibility and accommodation process with the Student Accessibility Interns on September 29th at 4:30-5:30 pm at Usdan 136. A peer advisor and peer technology specialist will be at the event if you have questions about accessibility that they can help with. This event is for the purpose of helping understand the accommodation process and is open to anyone who is interested in learning. Come learn for yourself, learn to support a friend or a classmate, learn to advocate for fair accommodations, or just meet us! There will be resources available at the event to grab. Feel free to come and go at any time! SNACKS PROVIDED!

Class of 2025 – First Week of Classes

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Greetings, Members of the Class of 2025!

My hope is that your first week of classes has been enjoyable and you are excited for the remainder of the semester. As many of you recall from last year, I often send emails with information I believe you will find important (similar to the email I sent last week welcoming you back to campus).

Last year I sent weekly communications; however, during your sophomore year, I will send less frequent emails. You have completed at least one semester navigating Wesleyan and/or the college experience, so I do not want to crowd your inbox with the same type of content shared last year. This is not to say you won’t still need assistance from me or others on campus. In fact, the sophomore year may create even more questions than you’ve asked before; however, I imagine your questions will be more focused on your academic and personal goals. For these types of questions, please schedule a meeting with me or your liberal arts advisor. Additionally, our Academic Peer Advisors are a great resource for conversation.

I want to share with you the link to our university’s academic calendar which outlines important dates for you to mark down (e.g.: drop/add ends 9/16; grading mode deadline closes 9/30, etc.). The Student Academic Resources office created a nicely organized calendar you can download here. You can also access an electronic version you can import into your google calendar here (select ‘add the dates to your Google Calendar’ on the bottom right side of the webpage). If you wish to pick up a physical copy of this calendar, please stop by my office.

Sending you lots of luck as you get settled into the routines of this semester.

Take care! Dean Dunn

August Reflection

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Happy First Day of August, members of the Class of 2025!

My hope is that you are enjoying summer and getting excited to return to campus this fall. I’ve conversed recently with some of your peers about major declaration and career trajectory. If you are a student who knows exactly what you want to major in and what you want to do for a career when you graduate, that’s great! If you are a student who has no idea what you want to major in or what you want to do for a career, that’s great too! Wesleyan’s open-curriculum encourages you to explore courses in many disciplines; this course exploration can often lead students to their passion.

Reflection is an important part of any journey, so I share some questions below you may want to consider now before the hustle and bustle of the fall semester. These questions are intended to evoke personal reflection as you progress through Wesleyan. There are no right or wrong answers; however, take stock of your feelings as you navigate these questions.

Sophomore year can be both exciting and overwhelming as you approach major declaration. I encourage you to share your thoughts with those in available support networks – this may include me, your pre-major liberal arts advisor, a faculty mentor, one of our Academic Peer Advisors, your friends and/or your family.

  1. In what ways have you grown intellectually over the last 12 months?
  2. What are your academic strengths?
  3. Which classes have been most challenging, and how did you handle those challenges?
  4. Are you comfortable sharing your thoughts and ideas with peers in class?
  5. Have you taken advantage of opportunities to learn outside the classroom? What are some examples of this?
  6. Is there a topic on which you might like to do research? How did you become interested in this topic?
  7. What campus resources can you use to navigate the topics addressed in these reflection questions?

If you’d like to chat about these questions with me, I welcome it! Please schedule a zoom meeting with me here to chat more.

Sending you good vibes as we close out the summer – take care! Dean Dunn

Questions borrowed from NACADA, the global community for academic advising.

Final Weekly Roundup Email for the 2021-2022 Academic Year

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Good morning, Class of 2025 –

I hope this weekly email finds you well. If you can believe it, there are only 6 more days until the last day of classes! For many of us, this year has been filled with lots of excitement and challenges. I am confident you will continue to experience this fluctuation as you progress through your Wesleyan career; however, my hope is that you are now more aware of resources that can help you during any part of your time here at Wesleyan.

Some upcoming dates and/or events that may be of interest to you:

  • Wellness Resources: End of the semester can cause stress as due dates quickly approach. Make yourself aware of both in and out-of-the-classroom resources to finish the semester strong. This includes but is not limited to meeting with your professors, talking with your course assistants, scheduling an appointment with an Academic Peer Advisor, reviewing resources offered through Student Academic Resources (SAR), meeting with me, visiting CAPS, WesWell and/or the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life. If you need assistance navigating resources, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.
  • Wes Day (5/5 from 12pm – 5pm): WesDay is a great opportunity to interact with the entire campus community. In addition to free carnival food, we’ll enjoy carnival rides, games, music, therapy dogs, wellness activities and novelties such as stuff-a-bear and pot your own succulent plant. Fried dough, popcorn, ice cream, and cotton candy provided at no charge to the first 1500 attendees. Food Trucks include Los Mariachi’s, Jackie’s Pizza the Pie, and Fryborg. Food truck tickets must be purchased at the Box Office in Usdan for $5 before the event and $10 on the day of the event. More info on Wes Day as well as other end of the year events can be found on WesNest on WesPortal.

You have what it takes to finish this semester strong. Pushing yourself to be successful academically does not have to happen alone. Take stock of the resources shared with you on this weekly email and think about what resources you used this year that worked to your advantage. If you didn’t use any resources, think about ways in which you can utilize resources in the future to get even more out of your courses.

You should be proud of how far you’ve come as you complete your first year of study at Wesleyan. I look forward to supporting you as you continue on this journey. If you’re up to it, feel free to send me an email sharing with me your favorite part about your first year at Wesleyan. I’d be delighted to celebrate with you all of your wins and successes this year.

Take care! Dean Dunn

Fellowships and Scholarships – 4/25

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Are you thinking of going to graduate school? Did you know there are fellowships and scholarships that pay for US students to pursue graduate degrees abroad? At this info session, Assistant Director for Fellowships, Dr. Erica Kowsz, will give an overview of the opportunities available, including fellowships for graduate study in the UK, Ireland, China, and more! Students from all class years are welcome to attend. We will meet on Monday April 25 at 4:30pm in Fisk 201 for snacks, a short presentation, and plenty of time for Q&A!