kmdunn

Using GenAI in Academic Coursework

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Dear Students,

At Wesleyan University, the rapid advancement of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) offers both promising opportunities and significant challenges within our academic community. While tools like Google Translate have already become a part of our educational landscape, the emergence of more sophisticated GenAI technologies necessitates a reexamination of our policies and practices.  

Students are encouraged to approach the use of GenAI tools with a clear understanding of the boundaries set by their faculty. It is essential to review the course syllabus, collaboration policies, and learning objectives to ensure compliance with academic standards. Before incorporating AI into any assignment, students should seek explicit permission from their instructors and understand the limitations and proper citation practices. Unauthorized use of GenAI could be considered a violation of the Honor Code, especially if the work generated is not appropriately cited.  

A team of faculty and staff recently drafted a Statement on the Use of AI in Academic Coursework, which the Office of Academic Affairs has encouraged all Wesleyan faculty to consider when teaching their courses this semester.  In light of this new statement, we are encouraging all Wesleyan students to do the following: 

  • For each of your classes/assignments, review the syllabus and/or assignment instructions for guidance around use of GenAI. Remember that each class will likely have different policies, as may different assignments in the same class.   
  • Talk with your faculty members about the limitations, approved use, and how to appropriately acknowledge GenAI use early and often. Ask questions of your faculty members about the use of GenAI for all stages of your work process (brainstorming, researching, writing, revising, etc.). Let them know when you are confused. 
  • Be aware of the presence of GenAI in various tools on which you may rely (e.g., Grammarly). Talk with your faculty about how you use these tools and help them understand how GenAI may already be a part of your workflow. 

The use of GenAI tools does not mean that you have automatically violated the Honor Code. If you are going to use AI tools to complete your assignment, please make sure you have permission and remember to cite your work. If you don’t cite your work, you may be violating the Honor Code.  

Finally, the library maintains a list of resources on Generative AI, located here and you can review the Honor Code here. We also encourage you to consult the Student Guide to Artificial Intelligence, produced by Elon University. 

Fall 2024 Writing Mentor Application

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Are you enrolled in writing intensive courses or working on extensive writing projects?
Are you interested in developing a relationship to writing through weekly, one-on-one meetings with a trained peer writing mentor?

If you answered yes to one of the above questions, apply today to the Fall 2024 Writing Mentor Program<https://www.wesleyan.edu/writing/Resources%20for%20Students/mentor-program.html>! Students are expected to meet with their mentors at a same agreed-upon time once each week for 45 minutes, and will be registered for WRCT 115. Weekly attendance is required for students to be selected and earn the .25 course credit.

Apply by 9/08 at 11:59PM!

Peer Academic Group Coaching

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Peer Academic Group Coaching

Peer Academic Group Coaching provides targeted academic support (study strategies & accountability) to enhance your academic readiness and help you get work done! Each group coaching series consists of one planning meeting and three group coaching sessions led by a peer coach. In a small group of 3-5 students, you will:

  • Learn and practice new skills & strategies
  • Apply new skills & strategies to your work and life
  • Receive support from a coach to set goals, boost accountability, and stay on task
  • Connect with other students in your group

Sign up to participate in one or more of the group coaching series below. Once we’ve gathered enough interested students to form a coaching group, a coach will reach out via your Wes email to schedule the sessions.

  • “College 101” & transition to Wes
  • Time management & organizational skills
  • General study skills (note-taking, effective reading, active studying…)
  • Exam prep & test-taking strategies
  • Success in STEM courses
  • Success in Social Sciences/Arts/Humanities
  • Weekly Study Hall: I just want to get my work done!

Additionally, we offer Weekly Drop-in Accountability Sessions posted on Wesnest throughout the semester. It’s a great way to get work done in a supportive environment. Simply meet with one of us to set a timer and goal for the block, do your work in a quiet space, and “check out” with us at the end.

Apply to be a Peer Tutor Today!

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The Deans’ Peer Tutoring Program would like to invite you to apply to tutor for courses offered in the Fall 2024 semester. Students who earned at least an A- in a course or received a faculty recommendation are qualified to be peer tutors. If you’ve worked with us in the past, we’d love to have you tutor again this semester!

Complete the following steps to be considered for the position:

1. Hit Apply on Handshake (https://app.joinhandshake.com/emp/jobs/9095522)

2. Fill out the Tutor Enrollment Form (https://forms.gle/UFMTMLTwUsabwab46) to let us know which course(s) you would like to tutor

3. Prepare to complete payroll paperwork: if you have not completed payroll paperwork at Wesleyan before, upon being hired, you will need to complete payroll forms online and meet with Human Resources to verify your IDs in person. For more information about the payroll onboarding process, see the Campus Employment website > “Payroll Information for First-Time Student Employees.”

More information on enrolling as a peer tutor

Contact: deans_peer_tutoring@wesleyan.edu

Senior Year Requirements

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Welcome to your final year at Wesleyan! Whether you conclude your studies in December or May, be sure you take a moment to reflect on how much you’ve accomplished! 

Important Steps:

  • Senior Packet: Review it carefully. If you have questions, schedule an appointment with me.
  • Credit Analysis Report: Ensure you meet all four graduation requirements.
  • Major Certification Form(s): Submit for every declared major, minor, and certificate. Available 7 days after Drop/Add in your final semester.
  • Spring 2025 Commencement: Keep track of ceremony details and share info with your guests.
  • Post-Graduation Move: Plan where you will live after your final semester. Students cannot stay in university housing once they’ve completed their studies.

If you have any questions, please schedule a meeting with me or your faculty advisor as soon as possible.

I look forward to supporting you in your final year at Wes!

Take care,
Dean Dunn

WesPass/Xtra Mile

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Students ride XtraMile and local buses for FREE!

Dear Students,

Getting around Middletown can be tricky, but WesPass makes travel affordable and easy. WesPass allows students to ride River Valley Transit (RVT) buses and RVT’s XtraMile on-demand shuttle service for FREE just by showing your Wesleyan ID.  

River Valley Transit is expanding its popular XtraMile shuttle service starting August 30! XtraMile lets you travel around downtown Middletown and to and from 17 additional stops. including CVS, Aldi, Price Chopper, Chipotle, and Main Street. Links to downtown the XtraMile app and a current map of stops are available at rivervalleytransit.com/xtramile-middletown/. XtraMile Middletown operates during the Wesleyan fall and spring semesters, Monday – Wednesday 12 – 8 PM and Thursday – Saturday 12 – 10 PM. 

Want to get out of the XtraMile service area or need to travel when XtraMile isn’t running? You can pick up a River Valley Transit (RVT) bus in front of Usdan or at the corner of William and High Streets. Buses arrive on campus approximately 3-4 minutes after the hour Monday – Friday 6 AM to 11 PM, Saturday 8 AM to 11 PM and Sunday 8 AM to 5 PM. Popular destinations include Washington Street, Walmart, Meriden Train Station, and Rich Farm Ice Cream. To view all RVT schedules, go to rivervalleytransit.com/schedules/. Want to see buses in real time and view upcoming schedules? Download the Transit app at rivervalleytransit.com/real-time-bus-tracking/. 

More information on XtraMile, buses, and other transportation options is available at bit.ly/wesleyantransport.  

Want to try out riding the bus? Join the Sustainability Office on two guided bus trips leaving from Usdan (CFA side of the street):

  • Saturday, September 7 (12:30-3:15 PM) – Walmart 
  • Friday, September 13 (1-3 PM) – Rich Farm Ice Cream – the first 10 students get free ice cream on the Sustainability Office!

Still have questions? Stop by our information table on Friday, September 13 (11:30 AM – 1 PM) at Usdan table 4 or email sustainability@wesleyan.edu.  

Sincerely,

Jen Kleindienst, Sustainability Director

Scott Rohde, Director of Public Safety

December 2024 Completer Info

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PLEASE NOTE THIS MESSAGE IS FOR MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2025 WHO WILL COMPLETE THEIR STUDIES IN DECEMBER 2024. Though this information will be helpful to those completing studies in Spring 2025, the deadlines below do not apply to those completing in Spring 2025.

If you can believe it, you are about to embark on your final semester of undergraduate study at Wesleyan; I am so excited for you! 

I recognize this news may arrive with lots of emotions for you and the folks in your support network who have championed you along the way. You have accomplished so much! I hope you are very proud and plan to set an intention to reflect and relish in this final semester. It will go by quick, so be purposeful with how you spend it. 

Prior to the start of drop/add on 8/26, you need to confirm (or be working towards confirming) that you have everything you need to finish your final semester successfully. Some important tasks require you to:

  • Review and understand the Senior Packet. If you have questions, schedule an appt with me immediately. 
  • Confirm now both how and where you will move to as of noon on Sunday, 12/15/24 (when housing closes). Once graduated, students are not permitted to reside in university housing. 
  • Certify your Major Certification Form(s). You will submit a form for every declared major, minor and certificate. Note: you can submit your form(s) starting 7 days after Drop/Add ends (around 9/20).
  • Make note of Spring 2025 Commencement ceremony information. Share this website with the friends and family you plan to invite to the celebration. More details about graduation will be shared as the Reunion & Commencement committee plans the weekend’s events.   

Early planning now will save you a lot of stress come the end of your final semester. Though you will complete your degree requirements this December, you will not graduate and receive your diploma until May 2025 (since Wesleyan only hosts one graduation ceremony per year). If you need proof of degree completion prior to the May 25 graduation date, please be in touch directly with the Registrar’s Office.  

There are many on-campus supports that may have guided you on your path to this moment; Wesleyan supports will be here for you as well in your final semester. Do not hesitate to reach out to me or your faculty advisor if you have any questions or concerns about your ability to complete your studies this December. If you do not believe you will complete your studies this December, schedule an zoom appt with me immediately: calendly.com/deankellydunn.

You are so close – sending you so many well wishes this semester as you close out your Wesleyan undergraduate experience.

Dean Dunn

Class of 2025 – Summer Send Off

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Greetings, Class of 2025 – 

Welcome to the last summer of your undergraduate career! I’m confident this statement conjures many emotions – maybe even some of the same emotions you experienced when you first arrived at Wes. 

My hope is you’ve created a plan this summer that sets you up for success post-Wesleyan. Summers often provide students time to earn money for school, update their resume and cover letter, or catch up with family and friends. Some of you may participate in internships, research, or thesis preparation while others may travel or volunteer. Regardless of what you do this summer, please take some time to reflect on your Wesleyan experience. I’ve written to you before about how reflection is an important part of any journey. I share some questions below that may help you consider your experience. There are no right or wrong answers; however, take note of your feelings as you navigate these questions:

  1. What experiences have brought you the most joy at Wesleyan? 
  2. Where have you grown intellectually?
  3. What academic, professional or cocurricular experiences do you wish to explore in the final year of your undergraduate studies? 
  4. If you met up with a hometown classmate or professor, how would you explain Wesleyan’s role in shaping you into the person you are today? 
  5. If you could give one piece of advice to an incoming student, what would it be? Is that advice applicable for you to consider your senior year or for your life post-Wesleyan? 
  6. Who are your favorite faculty and/or staff members? Do those folks know how much you appreciate them? If not, consider how you will communicate this to your support team in your final year. Don’t forget to identify faculty who may be willing to write you a recommendation or serve as a reference in the future. Asking this favor at the beginning of the academic year will pay dividends in the long run.  
  7. What are your plans after graduation? Will you work? Go to grad school? Volunteer? Take care of family? Where and with whom will you live? 
  8. Senior year classes tend to be the most rigorous as you’re nearing the completion of your major(s)? Are you aware of the many resources on campus to support you through your studies? 

These are just a handful of reflection questions and there are so many more to consider. 

Your senior year will go by quick; it will feel even faster for those who finish their studies in December. If we have not yet had a chance to meet one on one, I encourage you to come in and chat. I’ve enjoyed getting to know and work with your class these past few years. I too am feeling many of the same emotions of those in your class; I’m very excited, a bit sad, and overwhelmingly curious about what comes next for you. This has been quite a journey we’ve gone on together – I’m so grateful to be a part of the Class of 2025 and I can’t wait to see what great things come from you in this next year. 

Before I close, I want to share a video that our Academic Peer Advisors created titled ‘What I Wish I Knew Before Senior Year.’ 

Sending you lots of well wishes for a restful summer. I’m here if you need anything!

Take care, 

Dean Dunn

Session on Consulting Careers

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The Consulting Pathways Club is hosting a virtual information session “What is Consulting?” this Friday May 3rd at noon. The event will be led by our alumni at McKinsey Catherine Cheng ’22 and Eunes Harun ’20 and will provide a great opportunity for students to network and learn more about the industry and recruiting.

Watson Fellowship: Info session and Virtual Visit

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Watson Fellowship: Info session and Virtual Visit from Jocelyn Velasquez Baez ’23, Watson Fellow
12:15-1:15pm Thursday April 18, Fisk 201 or Zoom

At this event, we will introduce the Watson Fellowship and hear directly from Jocelyn Velasquez Baez ’23, who will be Zooming in from her world travels as a Watson Fellow. Her project, “Ethical Understandings of Traditional Medicine” focuses on how traditional medicine perceived within indigenous and ethnic communities. Engaging with traditional medicine practitioners, knowledge keepers, and community members around the world, Jocelyn is spending a year exploring their understandings of traditional medicine, and its future in the wider healthcare system.

Hybrid event: in person in Fisk 201, the Fries Center for Global Studies, or join remotely via Zoom. Pizza & salad will be served.
Register through WesNest if you’re coming in person, or if you want to attend online register here for the Zoom link.

The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship is open to all Wesleyan students; the deadline comes in the fall of senior year and candidates work on the application over the summer. Students of all class years are welcome to attend this event to learn about the Watson Fellowship (it’s never too early to learn!).