From: Nicole Stanton
Date: July 16, 2020
Subject: Wesleyan Fall 2020 Academic Experience
Dear Wesleyan Students and Families,
Last week Wesleyan announced its plans for the fall semester. President Roth and other members of the Wesleyan community hosted webinars and town halls to begin the process of answering all the many questions students and families have as they prepare for next year.
We write to you now with a focus on the academic experience—what teaching and learning will be like on our campus in these new and uncertain times. In this newsletter we’ve compiled important dates, contact information for further questions, and other resources to assist you as we move forward towards the fall semester.
2020–21 Academic Calendar
Like many colleges and universities, Wesleyan has developed its calendar for 2020–21 in accordance with the best public health guidance available. To maximize our time for in-person learning, we will begin fall semester classes on Monday, August 31—one week earlier than planned—and will alter Fall Break to occur on two separate days: Tuesday, November 3 (Election Day!), and Monday, November 30. Students will have the possibility of returning home at Thanksgiving and completing fall-term coursework, associated exams, and final projects remotely.
The complete Academic Calendar can be found online.
Registration
Registration will progress in essentially the same fashion as it has in the past, although some activities will occur online. The Registrar’s Office has comprehensive information on the registration process available online. This page also includes a New Student User Guide to Pre-Registration.
Please note: Drop/Add has been adjusted to allow returning students to make changes prior to the beginning of classes. It now opens August 24.
Advising
With the changes to the curriculum, Wesleyan is providing enhanced advising opportunities for all students.
The class deans are available over the summer to assist students with questions regarding their course selection for the fall semester. Please feel free to reach out to your class dean via email, or schedule a meeting time using the appropriate calendar link:
David Phillips, Class of 2024 Jennifer Wood, Class of 2023
Calendar: https://tinyurl.com/y9ur4bs3 Calendar: https://tinyurl.com/deanwoodcal
Class Blog: http://classof2024.blogs.wesleyan.edu/ Class Blog: http://classof2023.blogs.wesleyan.edu
Renee Johnson-Thornton, Class of 2022 Tanesha A. Leathers, Class of 2021
Calendar: https://tinyurl.com/yc8nxjoa Calendar: https://tinyurl.com/deanleathers
Class Blog: http://classof2022.blogs.wesleyan.edu Class Blog: http://classof2021.blogs.wesleyan.edu
In addition to the class deans, academic peer advisors (APAs) are also available to assist students with the pre-registration process. APAs are available to answer questions about the registration process and to discuss academic resources and campus life. They can be reached at peeradvisors@wesleyan.edu.
Academic departments will host advising and information sessions in which you can get information about courses, learn more about teaching modalities, and address any specific concerns you may have. Next Wednesday, July 22, we will send out another communication to students and families with dates for the departmental advising sessions.
On Wednesday, July 22, at 2:00 p.m., we will host an arts town hall. It will feature faculty from across the arts and CFA staff who will answer questions about how Wesleyan will continue its vital curricular and co-curricular arts activities this fall.
Support for International Students
These have been especially challenging times for Wesleyan’s international student community. Colleagues across campus have been working to adapt our offerings to best support these students’ individual situations and to respond to the changing health and immigration context. In particular, we have established new “home country study abroad” options for both continuing and new international students; we have arranged many 1:1 support and advising sessions for international students as needed; and we recently added two large Zoom sessions to answer questions from students and their families. We are doing our utmost to help these important members of our community to navigate unprecedented challenges. For specific questions please contact us at: oisa@wesleyan.edu and visit our webpage, Reactivating Campus for International Students.
Courses
Wesleyan is offering a range of courses online, in person, and in hybrid mode so that all students can continue to experience Wesleyan’s rich curriculum and make progress towards their degrees. We’ve compiled short video interviews of faculty across the divisions talking about their courses to assist you as you think about your classes and consider the different teaching modalities. In these videos, you’ll hear more about what a hybrid course might look like, how a fully online class has been enriched and developed, and what you can expect from an in-person experience. We hope this will help you as you imagine the new experience of teaching and learning this year at Wes.
Cameron Hill, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Makaela Kingsley, Director of the Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship
Maria-Christina Oliveras, Assistant Professor of Theater
Elise Springer, Associate Professor of Philosophy
Athletics
Wesleyan Athletics is committed to providing student-athletes with the most robust experience possible while adhering to safety protocols mandated by the NCAA and the State of Connecticut. If you have questions, we encourage student-athletes and parents to contact coaches directly. A directory can be found online at https://wesleyan.prestosports.com/information/directory/index.
Physical Education classes will be offered throughout the academic year both in-person and remotely. In-person class sizes will remain small to maintain physical distancing. Remote classes will have limited enrollment to ensure students receive more individualized instruction enriching the overall experience. If you have questions regarding Physical Education classes, please contact Coach Joe Reilly, jpreilly@wesleyan.edu.
Our commitment to the transformative power of a Wesleyan liberal arts education is stronger than ever and our dedicated team of faculty and staff will work with each student to ensure their continued academic success and overall health and safety.
Sincerely,
Nicole Stanton
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Professor of Dance
Professor, African American Studies
Professor, Environmental Studies
Wesleyan University
wesprovost@wesleyan.edu