Student Affairs

August 10, 2020: Important Information for Fall Semester

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Dear students,

As our staff makes final preparations for students’ arrival to campus only two weeks from now, we look forward to the start of the semester with a mix of excitement and anxiety. Most of us have longed for the day when we can be together again on campus since we were abruptly forced apart by the pandemic last spring, yet the worsening public health conditions in much of the country are deeply troubling. Thankfully, Connecticut continues to fare well with decreasing COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths—largely thanks to the continued diligence of our state’s residents in following the rules meant to keep the public safe.

Like the state, Wesleyan has its own set of rules and expectations that all students, faculty, and staff will be required to follow. We write today to remind you of these policies and practices, as well as to drive home how serious we will be about enforcing them.

August 3, 2020: Updated State Guidance on Arrival Plans

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Dear students,

In response to Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont’s recent Executive Order/Travel Advisory, Wesleyan has been advised to make changes to our arrival plans. The University is thus updating information we previously provided, and it is possible we will need to make further changes as the public health context or state guidance evolves.

July 17, 2020: Residential Life: Update on Move In Schedule and Plans

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Dear students,

One part of the current testing plan is for all undergraduate students to be tested upon arriving to campus, followed by a self-quarantine in their student residence until they meet the following criteria: Students who are from New York, New Jersey and New England until they receive a negative test result, and all other students, including those coming from another country, until they receive two negative test results (which will likely mean a seven day quarantine). These students can shorten their quarantine period by having a test done on their own within 72 hours prior to coming to campus and bringing proof of the negative result to campus, which will be considered their first of two negative results.

May 9, 2020: Follow-up to International Student Zoom Forum

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From: Mike Whaley Subject: Follow-up to International Student Zoom Forum Date: May 9, 2020 Dear Wesleyan International Students, I hope this email finds you all safe and well! Thank you to those who were able to attend the forum hosted by President Roth on May 1. If you were not able to attend, a recording of … Read more

May 6, 2020: Commencement Update

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From: Michael S. Roth
Subject: Commencement Update

Dear friends,

I begin by saying (again) how impressed I am, though not surprised, by how Wesleyan has stepped up in the face of current challenges. Ours is a strong and caring community indeed. 

Every year we celebrate Wesleyan as an empowering community when we confer degrees upon graduating seniors. This year, at noon onSunday, May 24, the Commencement ceremony will be (as it must) virtual. We have arranged for the honorary degree recipients and our student speaker to deliver their remarks in a series of pre-recorded videos. My remarks and the conferral of degrees will be live…

May 1, 2020: Campus Update

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From: Michael S. Roth
Subject: Campus Update

Dear students,

I hope that you are staying safe and healthy in these challenging times. I write today to share our current thinking on the fall semester and our response to COVID-19.

I want you to know that while we are planning for a number of different scenarios, we remain hopeful that we will return to the full residential experience that we treasure so much this fall. Of course, the welfare of our students, faculty and staff is paramount, and Wesleyan will not resume normal operations until all proper public health precautions have been taken. These include building capacity to test people who study or work on campus, provide supportive isolation to those who fall ill, and minimize opportunities for the spread of any illnesses. 

We are working hard on this now and, rest assured, we will do our utmost to make our campus safe. That said, there are many uncertainties, some of which should be resolved in the next two months or so. For this reason, we will update you all in early June and expect to make a decision about a residential fall term in early July. We hope it will be a traditional semester, but we also expect to offer robust remote alternatives, should they be helpful for some students. When we announce our decision about fall offerings, it will be crucial for our planning to hear quickly from you—within two weeks of our announcement—if  you intend to ask for a leave for any part of the academic year…

April 29, 2020: Zoom Forum with President Roth for International Students

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From: Michael S. Roth and Rob Rosenthal
Subject: Zoom Forum with President Roth for International Students

Dear international students,

Greetings from Middletown. Wherever you are in the world, we hope that this finds you safe and well.

First, we’d like to invite you to join us for a Zoom forum on Friday, May 1 at 11 a.m. Eastern time (see Time Zone Converter), where any questions you have will be addressed. Please feel free to email questions in advance to presoffice@wesleyan.edu.

This is a time of great stress and uncertainty for everyone, but we know that as international students, you may be dealing with distinct challenges—whether it’s being separated from loved ones due to travel restrictions, trying to keep up with online learning from a different time zone or, for seniors, seeking employment in the U.S. and around the world. We understand that tensions between the United States and other countries might also increase anxiety and uncertainty.

All of this is a lot for anyone to handle, and we encourage you to reach out and seek support. There are many people here at Wesleyan who stand ready to help you, whether you remain on campus or are currently elsewhere in the world…

April 14, 2020: Summer Programs Announcement

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From: Rob Rosenthal and Andy Tanaka
Subject: Summer Programs Announcement

Dear colleagues,

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have decided not to hold any programming on campus this summer. This decision was made first and foremost to protect the safety of the Wesleyan community, as well as the safety of others, including minors, who would typically live in our residential setting over the summer. Making this decision now provides sufficient time to convert programs to online offerings, when possible. It also allows staff to focus on preparing for New Student Orientation and the fall term, which…

March 19, 2020: Refund of Residential Comprehensive Fee

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From: Robert Mirabal and Chris Olt
Subject: Refund of Residential Comprehensive Fee

Dear Students,

The Student Accounts Office has started to process adjustments to Residential Comprehensive Fees (RCF) for students who have turned in their keys to Residential Life. Please review the student FAQs for more information regarding turning in your key, which will initiate the RCF process.

As a reminder, students who have been approved to remain on-campus will not receive an RCF adjustment.

March 9, 2020: Important Update on Wesleyan Travel and Events Due to Coronavirus/COVID-19

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From: Rob Rosenthal and Mike Whaley
Subject: Important Update on Wesleyan Travel and Events Due to Coronavirus/COVID-19

To the campus community:

We are carefully monitoring the evolving coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak, paying particular attention to the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and other leading federal agencies and organizations. In the interest of keeping our community as informed as possible, we will continue to update Wesleyan’s coronavirus/COVID-19 information page as new information becomes available.

The health and safety of our campus community remain the University’s top priorities. To this end, and because…