Dean’s Note
We’re getting closer to the start of the term, so I wanted to highlight a few things this week.
Remember: your Common Reading response is due tomorrow at 5:00 p.m.; submit it here. This opinion piece by Kennedy Odede ’12 will help to inform your reading. Also, please read how the work of SHOFCO was enabled by Wesleyan’s Patricelli Center and the Office of Study Abroad:
Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) began with a 20-cent soccer ball and a passion for community organizing. Under the leadership of Kennedy Odede ‘12 and Jessica Posner ’09, SHOFCO developed the Kibera School for Girls, the Johanna Justin-Jinich Memorial Health Clinic, a community theater initiative, housing for students in crisis, and a water sanitation initiative. Kennedy and Jessica’s collaboration sparked a successful movement to transform the lives of vulnerable girls and the urban poor.
This remarkable work was cultivated on Wesleyan’s campus. Kennedy and Jessica used Wesleyan’s resources to leverage their passion and make connections with other change-makers. The Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship and the Office of Community Service are proud to have been partners in SHOFCO’s development. Many Wesleyan students, faculty, and staff have contributed to SHOFCO by working on behalf of their on-campus awareness campaigns, supporting fundraising efforts, and building the relationship between Kibera and Wesleyan. Learn more about Wesleyan’s resources for change-makers at the Allbritton Center – the hub of civic engagement at Wesleyan. You can learn more about Service-Learning course offerings, volunteer opportunities, and pathways for innovators here.
One crucial step in Kennedy’s and Jessica’s journey was Jessica’s decision to study abroad; Find Me Unafraid opens with Jessica’s first days in Kenya during her junior year. As the book makes clear, she learned a great deal from the experience, not least about the value of seeing the world through others’ eyes. Jessica arrived at college without any plans to study abroad and was nudged into exploring the myriad possibilities by a friend. To find out more about your own opportunities to engage with the world, visit the Office of Study Abroad in the Fries Center for Global Studies, on-line at https://www.wesleyan.edu/cgs/ or on-campus in Fisk Hall.
On the class of 2023 blog this week, please find:
Bicycle registration information from Public Safety
Don’t Be Nervous: Tips and Tricks for how to make the most of New Student Orientation (NSO)
Finally, look over the Academic Highlights section of this week’s newsletter for insights into preparing for a productive academic advising meeting with your faculty advisor.
Have a great week,
Dean Wood
Academic Highlights
As the Faculty and Student Advising Handbook states:
The objective of the pre-major advising program is to help first-year students and sophomores think seriously about their educational objectives in the context of the liberal arts education offered at Wesleyan. Together with your faculty advisor, you should develop a challenging and coherent educational plan for the first two years, one that achieves curricular breadth while preparing for the depth that the major will bring in the last two years.
Here are some guidelines for preparing for your first meeting with your advisor:
Preparing for the meeting:
Have a plan
Formulate goals
Study the course offerings
Work out alternative course schedules
Identify specific questions for your advisor
Familiarize yourself with the basic nuts and bolts of the course registration process
The Advising Meeting:
Discuss course choices and your academic interests in the context of long-range goals
Be receptive to questions and suggestions
Share concerns that may affect your success in the upcoming semester
Ask for any needed referrals
Arrange additional meetings during the semester
For more information, please see the Faculty and Student Advising Handbook.
Message from the Orientation Interns
Hey everyone!
Check out the links below to stay in the loop on all Wesleyan Orientation related information. There are only a handful of Orientation emails remaining, as we are nearing the start of the Fall 2019 semester. With this in mind, ensure you are going through these updates thoroughly to have fewer things to worry about before embarking on your college journey!
Also, make sure you download Guidebook on your smart device if you have one available or browse the schedule via the desktop link. You’ll inevitably need the schedule during Orientation, so you might as well get a head start!
After Orientation is Wesleyan’s Week of Welcome (WesWOW)! It’s a week full of welcoming events for new and returning students, including a Vendor Fair, Club Fair, Student Employment Fair, and much more. We’ll see you there!
Wesleyan Orientation Highlights
Meet Your Orientation Leaders!
Orientation Info for Transfer Students
International Student Orientation
Good luck with everything! GO WES!
The Orientation Interns
Naraa Altai ‘22
Ivanie Cedeño ‘22
Michelle Lei ‘21
Ariana Baez ‘22
Anya Kisicki ‘22
orientation@wesleyan.edu
(860) 685 5666
Summer Sendoffs
Thursday, August 15, 6-8pm: Seattle, WA (last one!)
More information is available here.