Orientation

Weekly Round-Up – Class of 2025

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Welcome back from Spring Break! Whether you took time to rest and relax, meet up with family and friends, or get ahead on work due later in the semester, my hope is that you maximized your time and have returned refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the semester.

Here are some important dates and/or upcoming events that may be of interest to you:

  • Student Leadership Employment Opportunities: Recently the offices of Student Academic Resources (SAR) and Student Involvement and Leadership (SIL) posted open leadership positions. Some positions are academic-year, some are summer positions, and some are both. Visit Handshake on WesPortal to learn more. For positions that require an updated resume, be sure to stop by Gordon Career Center for assistance with resume writing, interview skills, and more.
  • Housing Selection: Housing selection is here! You can explore Program Houses and Community Based Living (CBLV) mission statements here. Apply through your WesPortal by noon on April 1st for these living options. For more information, talk to your RA or attend an information session. Program Houses and CBLVs will be showcased at the Community Housing Fair on March 25th and during House Hopping Day on March 26th.
  • Leadership Awards: Want to celebrate a classmate, a campus organization or even yourself? Check out the leadership awards nominations – submissions due no later than 4/8 by 5pm.
  • Pre-Registration: Pre-registration for Fall 2022 course selection begins on 3/29. Be sure to visit the Registrar’s page to review resources such as the Student User Guide to Pre-Registration and more to help you maximize course selection. If you haven’t yet, be sure to connect with your pre-major advisor to discuss your anticipated course load.

As always, feel free to reach out, schedule an appt or drop by my office hours to chat; you can find my contact information here.

Welcome from Cardinal Tech!

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The bookstore has all your dorm and school supplies stocked and ready for arrival day! Make your first day on campus easy by purchasing items like linens, command hooks, and appliances ahead of time and picking up your order at Cardinal Tech in Usdan. The Cardinal Tech Campus Store (a branch of the RJ Julia Bookstore) is a required stop during the initial orientation check in. Our linens come with a 4 year warranty through the manufacturer, so if your sheets get damaged or worn, you’ll receive a replacement for free from the company! Shop online here and choose Pick Up At Cardinal Tech for a stress-free dorm shopping experience.

First Year Matters Common Reading “The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together”

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Dear New Students,

Each year the First Year Matters (FYM) Committee selects a common reading for the incoming class as an intellectual introduction to Wesleyan. Last fall we solicited from the community, texts and other media addressing the issues of race, ethnicity, or nationality. I’m pleased to announce that the committee has unanimously selected The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee. McGhee is a Distinguished Senior Fellow and immediate past president at Demos, a non-profit progressive US think tank.

Intertwined with poignant personal stories, and meaningful conversations with Americans from across the United States, “The Sum of Us” offers a wide-ranging perspective about economic and sociological issues and how money influences policy making in Washington. “McGhee examines the role that greed and racism play as it relates to the zero-sum game paradigm—the idea that progress for some comes at the expense of others” (Random House). From the diminished stature of unions to the inability of the wealthiest nation on earth to embrace universal healthcare, McGhee explains that ultimately the “solidarity dividend”—the gains that are realized when people come together across race to accomplish what we simply can’t do on our own—is one surefire way to move us forward…together.

You will receive the ebook through your portfolio in the coming weeks as well as your first assignment–4 questions that you are required to answer. The Common Reading response is designed as a tool for you to begin articulating your synthesis of the book and will be made available to the faculty, staff, and student leaders that will be leading the group discussions during orientation. The submission deadline for the Common Reading responses is 5:00 pm on Friday, August 20. You will need to read the book and submit your response by this date in order to be fully prepared to engage with the material and get the most out of orientation.

If you have any questions, please be in touch with Tanesha Leathers, Dean for the Class of 2025, via classdean2025@wesleyan.edu or the Orientation Interns via orientation@wesleyan.edu. We hope that you enjoy this summer “reading” and we very much look forward to discussing the film with you. We are thrilled that you will be joining this wonderful community.

Sincerely,

Nicole Stanton
Vice President for Academic Affairs

Kevin M. Butler
Assistant Dean & Common Reading Chair

Notes from International Student Orientation 7/21

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If you plan to attend ISO, please fill out this form by TODAY, Wednesday, July 21, 2021. Wesleyan needs to keep track of students’ vaccinations records to determine the plan of our Fall orientation activities. This information will not only help us anticipate the logistics needed for orientation but it will also inform your decisions on (1) when you should be arriving to campus, (2) when you should be buying your ticket if you haven’t done so yet, or (3) make changes to your travel arrangements if necessary/possible.

If you have any questions, email them to iso@wesleyan.edu.

Attention All Pre-health Students: Preliminary Advice to Prepare for the Fall and Beyond

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Hello to all of you first-year students considering careers in health professions!

As you get yourself ready to prepare for your future application to a health professions program such as medicine, dentistry, optometry, physical therapy, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, physician assistant, nursing, occupational therapy, and any other fields; you need to consider the different facets of your preparation and work on a plan.

To start begin setting goals related to the pre-requisite courses you need to complete alongside the courses for your major. To view a short video on the course selection for health professions go to: http://www.wesleyan.edu/careercenter/students/health/index.html

Here are some other goals you might want to consider:

 Draft a tentative four-year plan for courses and include a study abroad experience if that is something you are hoping to incorporate into your educational experience and your future summer experiences

 How do you plan to explore your health profession? Consider doing some research online but also starting to volunteer in a clinical setting that involves your health profession

 How will you maintain balance in your life and stay healthy?

 Plan on gaining some shadowing experiences to observe a provider interacting with patients on a day-to-day basis

 Set goals for getting involved with community service here in Middletown

 Join a student organization and engage within your campus community

 Take advantage of the wonderful and diverse courses available to you

 Build relationships with faculty and staff

 Personal growth and becoming more resilient

 Critical thinking, ethical responsibility, teamwork, cultural competence and scientific inquiry grounded in research

 Engage in self-assessment along the way and set goals to comport yourself as a future pre-professional for the health career of your choice

 Read the Health Professions Newsletter and attend as many HP Events as you can

 Visit with the Health Professions Advisor at least once per semester

 Preparing for the health professions is a long process and there are so many other goals I could list here but instead I encourage you to think about any goals you may have that are not listed and incorporate them into your plan

Once you set your goals, begin developing your action plan. As you move forward and have questions, please come see me. I would be happy to meet you and help in any way I can. Once you are on campus, you may set up an appointment on HandShake, or call our reception at (860) 685-2180 or just drop by the Gordon Career Center in Boger Hall (across from Usdan).

There will be an Overview of the Health Professions Coursework on July 27 and a Health Professions Overview for First Years during New Student Orientation (NSO) week. I will also be at the Academic Forum and will have 30-minute drop-in appointments for the first two week of classes. Enjoy the rest of your summer and I hope to see you this fall!

Take care,

Mildred Rodríguez, Ph.D.                                                              
Health Professions Advisor
mrodriguez01@wesleyan.edu
Scroll down this webpage and read my short bio at: http://www.wesleyan.edu/careercenter/advisors.html

Notes from International Student Orientation – 7/2

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• Complete the ISO Registration Form by Thursday, July 15, 2021

• Follow us on Facebook to find biweekly releases of the My Wesleyan Journey video series

• Subscribe to the Wes and the World newsletter to stay up to date on intercultural events and activities, study abroad, global opportunities, international updates, and more!

Starting later this summer, the Fries Center for Global Studies will send out the Wes and the World Newsletter every other week. The newsletter features a wide range of global or international themed information and resources, such as intercultural events and programs, study abroad, global opportunities, language resources and opportunities, and international updates.

Past content that was published through the newsletter can be found on our blog. Here is the link to subscribe to the newsletter. For additional information and questions, please contact Zijia Guo, Global Marketing Specialist, at zguo@wesleyan.edu.

Free Coursera Course for New International Students at Wes: Academia, Culture and Campus Life – Opens 7/1

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International students can enroll in Academia, Culture and Campus Life: What to Expect at Wes starting on July 1st. This five-week course will be offered for free on Coursera. It introduces you to people that work with and resources for international students, shows you around campus, talks about academic life at Wesleyan, and gives you an opportunity to meet each other. You can find more information about the course on the OISA Facebook page. 
https://www.facebook.com/WesleyanOISA

Notes from International Student Orientation – 6/18

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The ISO Registration form is live since Wednesday, June 16, 2021. The deadline to fill it out is Thursday, July 15, 2021. You can find the form on your WesPortal under your checklist. If you have any questions, email them to iso@wesleyan.edu.

We have extended the registration for the International Buddy Program from Sunday, June 20, 2021 to Sunday, June 27, 2021. Please make sure to fill out the sign up form so you can be matched with current international students who can help answer all your questions about the Wesleyan experience.

Notes from International Student Orientation

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The ISO Registration Form will be live next week on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. You can access it on your Wesportal and the deadline to fill it out is Thursday, July 15, 2021.

We want to remind you to sign up for the International Buddy Program. The sign up form is due on Sunday, June 20, 2021.

Follow the OISA Facebook Page for more communications and content to enjoy over the summer!

Important Information for International Students from Your Orientation Interns

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Congratulations Class of 2025!!!

We are your Orientation Interns and we will be working with you to ensure that you are feeling excited and prepared for your first year at Wes! If you have any questions specific to Orientation or student life, feel free to contact us at Orientation@wesleyan.edu. We are currently working remotely from our homes, but will be back on campus in July!  We will be sharing more information on the Orientation Program at that time.  We can’t wait to meet you and learn more about you! If you are interested in learning a bit about us, watch our Meet the Interns video introducing ourselves and parts of campus to you! You can also read more about us and the Orientation Leaders on the Orientation Program Website.

Some important information for international students:

  • Sign up for the International Buddy Program! The sign up form is due by Sunday, June 20 at 11:59 PM EST.
  • Tune in and watch Episode 1 and Episode 2 of our new video series titled “My Wesleyan Journey” that showcases personal, academic, and social experiences of returning international students at Wes! New episodes will be released on a weekly basis on our Facebook page.  
  • Follow the OISA Facebook page for general information, advice, pre-departure orientation sessions, and future videos of the My Wesleyan Journey.
  • Visit the OISA ISO webpage for more information.
  • Questions on immigration and paperwork: oisa@wesleyan.edu 
  • Questions exclusively about ISO (including travel arrangements): iso@wesleyan.edu 

Enjoy your summer and GO WES!
Follow us on Instagram @ wes.orientation

New Student Orientation Interns
Chaiyeon Lee ‘22
Olu Oladitan ‘24
Jose Pagan ‘22
Jade Monique Tate ‘22
orientation@wesleyan.edu

International Student Orientation Intern
Fatoumata Gaye ‘24
iso@wesleyan.edu