4th Quarter Add/Drop Began Today – 3/25

Greetings!

The 4th quarter drop/add period began today. You may submit 4th quarter drop/add requests by completing the 2nd/4th Drop/Add Form and emailing it to me, your instructor, and your faculty advisor. Ask your instructor to provide a WesID if they sign off on the form electronically. They also have the option to email me directly with their consent if that is easier for them. Note: I will not send forms to the Registrar for processing without hearing from your faculty advisor and instructor. Additionally, 4th quarter classes may be added or dropped during the five working days following the first class meeting of the specific course(s) you request to add or drop.

Take care for now,

Dean Leathers

Senior Packet 2021: Preparing for Graduation

Greetings Class of 2021!

This post contains important information about the graduation process and Wesleyan’s graduation requirements. As you continue to choose courses and build a program of study for the rest of your senior year, it is essential that you know exactly where you stand in terms of fulfilling Wesleyan’s graduation requirements so that everything goes smoothly when degree certification takes place in the spring. Students completing their degrees this fall have already addressed or accessed much of the information provided here. Please review the contents carefully and contact Dean Leathers immediately (tleathers@wesleyan.edu) if you have any questions or concerns.

Graduation does not just happen; you must make it happen! It is important that you fully understand Wesleyan’s graduation requirements and that you are able to interpret your academic record in light of these requirements. Remember, you are responsible for your own graduation and must fulfill all graduation requirements by the end of the Spring 2021 semester in order to earn your diploma.

  • Preparing for Graduation: This explains Wesleyan’s graduation requirements, the Major Certification Form, the Credit Analysis Report, oversubscription, December Completion, and honors.  Read it!
  • Frequently Asked Questions about the Senior Year: Answers to common questions about graduation requirements and the graduation process.
  • Academic History: Can be found in your WesPortal in the “Student Toolbox–>Academics” bucket.
  • Major Certification Form: Used to identify and track the courses you have taken and will be taking to complete your major, must be approved by an authorized advisor in your major department. Can be found in WesPortal in the “Student Toolbox–>Academics” bucket.
  • Credit Analysis Report: Reviews your academic record in light of oversubscription and monitors your progress towards meeting graduation requirements. Can be found in WesPortal in the “Student Toolbox–>Academics” bucket.
  • General Education Report: Reviews the courses taken and applied towards General Education expectations. Can be found in WesPortal in the “Student Toolbox–>Academics” bucket.
  • Honors and Thesis Information: Deadlines and other important information for students undertaking honors theses.

-Dean Leathers

Fall 2020 Drop/Add: CLOSES TODAY Friday, September 11th 5:00pm ET

Please note that Fall 2020 Drop/Add ends TODAY Friday, September 11th at 5:00pm (ET).

Failure to resolve issues before the deadline will require students to use the petition process via their class dean.

STUDENTS MUST take the following actions before 5:00pm (ET) Friday:

  • Submit any additional enrollment requests, including tutorials
  • Accept any pending TA Tutorials (491) via the Teaching Apprentice Tutorial Link in WesPortal
  • Drop an enrolled course if they don’t plan to continue in the course
  • Change a Crosslisting for courses with crosslistings
  • Select GenEd designation for courses with dual GenEds
  • Change a Grading Mode for Student Option-graded courses in the Drop/Add system
    • After drop/add closes, you can continue to adjust the grading mode for student option courses in your Class Schedule through 5pm, November 24th.

SCHEDULE CONFIRMATION FOR STUDENTS:

  • If your schedule is correct, you can confirm your schedule in WesPortal by clicking on the link in the Drop/Add page or going directly to your Class Schedule.
  • If you’ve confirmed your schedule and now want to adjust your spring classes, you can un-confirm your schedule by clicking on the link in Drop/Add or marking your schedule as “Incorrect” in Class Schedule.

STUDENT FORUMS:

  • Student Forum leaders must follow the directions provided by Mrs. Tracey Stanley (tstanley@wesleyan.edu) to create the class enrollments.

INSTRUCTORS MUST take the following action before 5:00pm (ET) Friday:

  • Approve student enrollment requests, including tutorials
  • The status of pending TA Tutorials (491) can be viewed in the Teaching Apprentice Program link in WesPortal

CHAIRS/DIRECTORS and ADVISORS:

  • Please note that chairs/directors and advisors will be able to take action on pending student transactions through 5pm (ET) Monday, September 14th.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Karri Van Blarcom
Senior Associate Registrar
Wesleyan University
kvanblarcom@wesleyan.edu

Notes from the Class Dean – 8/30

Dear members of the Class of 2021,

I hope that all of you are well and settling into your plans for the fall semester. Classes begin tomorrow, Monday, August 31st, and I’m writing to follow up with some additional information/resources to help you start the semester well and successfully complete the drop/add period.

Digital Learning Tips for Classes and Drop/Add

Attached is a set of tips to help you navigate the remainder of the drop/add period, along with digital learning resources. You may also access this information through our class blog.

Refunds (RCF refunds and transitioning to remote study status)

Students have asked about RCF refunds with any transition to remote study moving forward. Remote study status entails pursuing courses entirely online from outside of campus, Middletown, CT (and the U.S. if a student is studying at Wesleyan on an F-1 visa).

Please see the note below from Student Accounts:

“[Student Accounts] will refund the RCF in full for any students who update their enrollment status to Remote (i.e. all online coursework, not living on campus or commuting to campus] during the drop/add period who have not moved into on-campus housing. Those who do move into on-campus housing and then decide to leave and finish the semester as a Remote student will be eligible for a prorated RCF adjustment based on their change of status date/date they leave housing and meal plan usage.”

COVID-19 Campus Protocol for Students on Remote Study Status & Leaves of Absence

Students on remote study status are not permitted to visit campus for any reason during the Fall 2020 semester. This includes attending in-person classes, events, meeting or visiting with students on campus, etc.

Students on medical, academic or non-academic leave must also adhere to the COVID-19 mitigation protocol to not visit campus for any reason during the Fall 2020 semester.

Additionally, the state of CT has a mandatory quarantine order in place for those traveling to any part of CT from other states on their list. You may access that information here: https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/travel.

Honors Thesis Tutorial Registration

Some of you have asked how to submit your thesis tutorial form for registration. You may do this online through the end of the drop/add period. Instructions on how to submit the appropriate form online can be accessed on our class blog here.

Class Dean Office/Appointment Hours

I am working remotely until further notice, but I am still accessible through email, appointment hours, etc. I will continue to conduct appointments through Google Meeting and Zoom, and my calendar is available through the following link for the duration of the Fall 2020 semester: https://tinyurl.com/deanleathers. I look forward to speaking with you soon!

Academic Programming/Support Suggestions

I plan to offer a brief survey for you to make recommendations for academic programming that will suit your needs this fall. Details are forthcoming!

This year has challenged us all in myriad ways, but I’m heartened by the conversations I’ve had with so many of you and I’m hopeful for the days to come. I wish you a wonderful start to fall classes, and do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns moving forward.

 

All my best,

Dean Leathers

Tips for Drop/Add and Learning in A Digital Environment – Fall 2020

Some students have asked about approaches to managing attending classes remotely during the initial period of quarantine on campus. Specifically, students who share a room with a roommate have asked about how to best approach learning when both roommates have a class at the same time.  Several options exist for students who have these schedule conflicts. Some students will plan to use noise-cancelling headphones while attending classes, while others have asked about alternative spaces that may be available. While we expect students to remain in their residences during the two-week quarantine, you may use lounges or study rooms in your residence, or sit outside your residence by yourself when these conflicts arise.  We understand that this may be challenging during the first week of classes, we are hopeful that as campus opens up following the initial quarantine students will be able to manage these situations more easily.

Student Academic Resources has also put together some resources and tips for students specific to learning in a digital environment. We would like to highlight the recommendation that students pay attention to building a balanced schedule that includes no more than two Zoom lectures in one day. Be sure to be attentive to giving yourself breaks from sitting in front of a screen and build in time to move around.

Check out the Semester Planning Calendars that are available on the Student Academic Resources page!

DROP/ADD

Fall 2020 Drop/Add opens in WesPortal at 8:30am ET on Monday, August 24th and closes at 5:00pm ET on Friday, September 11th.

You must enroll in the University to participate in Drop/Add. Please do so even if you have holds. You can follow-up with the holds after you’ve enrolled.

Instruction Modes:

  • Be mindful of the instruction mode of your classes. If you are a remote student, be sure your classes are either: Online, Hybrid with Remote Students, or In-Person with Remote Students.

Full-credit course limit:

The four-credit course limit cannot be raised in the first week of drop/add. This will be an option starting on the first day of classes, Monday, August 31st. A full-credit course is any course with 1.0 or higher credit, excluding private music lessons.

Time Conflicts:

Drop/add ignores time conflicts. If a student plans to consider two courses with overlapping times, they will need to touch base with both professors to confirm they can meet all commitments and expectations of both classes.

Browsing Courses during Drop/Add:

For Online Courses: Faculty may allow students to browse their remote courses.

  • To do so, go to WesPortal > Courses > Drop/Add Course Access, then input the zoom or moodle link to your course.
  • Students can see these links in their WesPortal > Courses > Drop/Add Course Access.

For In-Person Courses: Students should not attend in-person classes they are not registered for unless they have retained explicit permission from faculty during drop/add. This is due to strict requirements for Covid classroom capacity compliance.

One-week grace period for student attendance:

Normally, faculty may drop a student who does not attend the first class meeting. For fall 2020, EPC has revised this policy: “Any registered student who cannot participate in the first scheduled class meeting must contact the instructor (in advance, or as soon as possible thereafter) to explain the absence. After the first week of classes, faculty may drop any student who has not done so. Browsing for other classes is not an acceptable reason for students to miss any class in which they hope to remain enrolled.”

Auditing of in-person classes:

The reduced classroom capacity due to social distancing means that it may not be possible to allow students to audit in-person class meetings. Community auditors may only participate in a class remotely; they may not come to campus.

For Instructors Meeting in Classroom Space:

Classroom assignments are based on strict Covid-capacities. Do not overenroll a course beyond your listed enrollment capacity, unless you have explicitly confirmed you will still be within the mandated Covid-capacity. The Covid capacities are available in EMS.

Detailed information is available on the Registrar’s website.

Drop/Add for Fall 2020 will open one week before classes begin