Commencement

Commencement Photos and Follow Up

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Wesleyan partnered with GradTrak® Graduation Images and professional photographers  to take a candid photograph of each graduate present at the ceremony. You will receive a free passport-sized digital proof of these photos on an order card within 5 to 7 days following the ceremony. Questions may be emailed to service@gradtrak.com.

You may order online at www.gradimages.com or call (800) 261-2576. To pre-register your permanent email address and receive a $5.00 coupon towards a purchase of $25.00, please visit www.gradimages.com and click on Pre-Event Registration. You may add contact information for up to six additional relatives and/or friends. GradTrak® will never sell or share the address/email information provided to them.

Oak Hall Regalia Pre-Orders Available for Pickup at Tomorrow – 5/21 at 10am

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Students may pick-up their Oak Hall pre-ordered regalia from WRJJ Bookstore starting Friday, May 21st, at 10 AM. Only regalia pre-ordered via the Oak Hall website will be available for pick up tomorrow. Note that the bookstore cafe opens at 9am, but the store will not be open until 10am.

More information is forthcoming for students who still need to purchase regalia.

Please contact WRJJ Bookstore with any questions. (860-685-3939).

Important Commencement Updates – 4/20

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Dear Wesleyan community,

We are all excited and eager to celebrate the 189th Commencement and the accomplished and persevering Class of 2021 in person next month. I write to share important details and updates about Commencement. Our condensed Commencement exercises will take place on Andrus Field beginning at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, May 26, rain or shine. Graduates and guests will be in a celebratory mood, but we must adhere to all COVID-19 safety precautions—wearing masks and maintaining appropriate distance.

Other important updates:

–All graduating students—including remote students, December 2020 completions, and graduate degree candidates—may participate in Commencement. Diplomas will be mailed to all graduates after Commencement. December completions and graduating seniors who are studying remotely are permitted to return for Commencement day or may opt to stay on campus Tuesday, May 25, through noon Thursday, May 27. Graduates planning to return to campus for Commencement should inform the University by April 30 by completing the Commencement Plans form.

–While the University would prefer to welcome more guests to campus, we are limiting our numbers to two guests per graduate to ensure the safety of all of our attendees. Graduates will be asked to register themselves and their two guests through the University Box Office. A separate email with the registration link will be sent when registration opens the week of April 26. Registrations are nontransferable.

–All guests should be vaccinated or have received a negative PCR test result three to five days prior to arriving on campus. Guests will enter through designated areas near Andrus Field, and contactless guest check-in will be outside the Usdan University Center.

–Guests will be seated together in groupings of two. All groupings will be spaced to ensure proper social distancing. Guest access to campus will be for Commencement day only. (Other Commencement-related events and activities will be virtual or limited to graduates.)

–For those who cannot attend in person, the Commencement ceremony will be live streamed on the Commencement 2021 website and Wesleyan Facebook page beginning at 11:00 a.m. on May 26.

For more information about Commencement please visit the Commencement 2021 website or email rc@wesleyan.edu.

Finally, these plans are subject to change if conditions warrant. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in making sure we all can mark this milestone safely. We are really looking forward to this!

Sincerely,

Mike Whaley

Vice President for Student Affairs

Notes from the Class Dean – 4/15

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Dear members of the class of 2021,

I hope this message finds you doing well. We’re entering the final month of the semester, and I know many of you are anxious for more information to help you prepare for what is to come. The following information should help you finish up required paperwork as we look towards the end of May. I anticipate that you will receive more announcements about commencement from university leadership sometime next week.

Major/Minor/Certificate Certification Forms

This is a final reminder to complete your major/minor/certificate certification forms if you haven’t already done so. You may access instructions here. Class Deans and the Registrar’s Office staff use information provided on these forms to help confirm whether graduation candidates will be cleared for their degrees at the end of the semester.

Honors Thesis Registration/Uploads

Honors candidates may upload their thesis submissions starting at 8:00am, EST on April 20th; the link for thesis submissions will close at 4:00pm, EST on April 21st.

Diploma Name and Address

This Sunday, April 18th is the deadline to submit the name that should be reflected on your diploma. Also submit the correct mailing address for the Registrar to send your diploma when it’s ready; you may submit this information through the Diploma Name and Address link in WesPortal as well. Note: undergraduate students will not receive their diplomas at commencement. The Registrar will mail diplomas for students who have completed all degree requirements and have been cleared to receive their diplomas (i.e. do not have any holds).

Diploma Holds

Students planning to graduate in May must have a student account in good standing to receive their diploma. Please contact the Student Accounts Office with questions. Additionally, eligible graduates with disciplinary holds will not receive their diplomas until those holds are removed. You may contact the Dean of Students Office with any questions.

Upon Completion Policy

I only had two students attend the Upon Completion Q & A I hosted on April 8th, and I didn’t receive many questions for the session. I’ll take that to mean that my clarifying email about the upon completion policy was helpful! You may access the content from that email here.

Change of Grading Mode

The Registrar sent out confirmation that the change of grading mode deadline is 5pm, EST, Thursday, April 28th. Remember, this change only impacts courses with the student option.

Withdrawing from Courses

Some of you have already opted to withdraw from a course with a “W” on your academic history/transcript. A “W” is not punitive in nature; it just means you withdrew from a course after the drop/add deadline.

You may request to withdraw from a course by completing the withdrawal form and emailing it to me, your instructor, and your faculty advisor. I will not send forms to the Registrar for processing without hearing from your faculty advisor and instructor. Wednesday, May 5th by 5pm EST is the deadline to withdraw from full semester and/or 4th quarter courses. Check with your faculty advisor(s), Credit Analysis Report, and Gen Ed Report (where applicable) before you request to withdraw from any courses.

2021 Commencement Regalia Updates

  • Pre-ordered caps and gowns will not be delivered to the WRJJ Bookstore until mid-May.
  • You must call Oak Hall (not the bookstore) if you wish to make a change to your order: 800-456-7623. Please tell Oak Hall that you are a Wesleyan University student from Middletown, CT and need to make a change. You’ll need to give them your order number.

Don’t forget the following resources for the final stretch of the semester:

Academic Peer Advisors (APAs)

Accessibility Services

CAPS (remember CAPS offers an after-hours service you may access with the same phone number for business hours: 860-685-2910)

Digital Learning Resources

Gordon Career Center (Check out Cardinals Helping Cardinals)

Math Workshop

Office of Religious & Spiritual Life

Peer Tutoring

Scientific Computing and Informatics Center (SCIC)

Student Academic Resources including Academic Support Services

WesNest (see WesPortal)

WesWell

Writing Workshop

Take gentle care,
Dean Leathers

2021 Commencement Regalia Reminder – 4/13

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2021 Commencement Regalia 

Students, please note: 

–Pre-ordered caps and gowns will not be delivered to the WRJJ Bookstore until mid-May. 

–If you want to make a change to an order you must call Oak Hall (not the bookstore) to make a change to your order: 800-456-7623. Please tell Oak Hall that you are a Wesleyan University student from Middletown, CT and need to make a change. You’ll need to give them your order number. 

Apply to be Senior Commencement Speaker by 4/9

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Would you like to share your Wesleyan experience at graduation?  If so, simply submit a 200-250 word essay answering the following question:

What has your Wesleyan experience meant to you?

The essay should be roughly the equivalent of the speech you wish to deliver at graduation. Completed essays should be submitted to Dean Leathers by 12:00 noon EST on Friday, April 9th; you may access the form here. Contact Dean Leathers with any questions about your submission.

All essays will be reviewed anonymously by the Senior Commencement Speaker Selection Committee, which will select several finalists for interviews from the pool. Interviews will be conducted in mid-April, after which the speaker will be announced.

Speaking at Commencement is a unique responsibility which should be taken seriously. Keep in mind that your speech should be appropriate for all commencement participants and guests. If you are interested in becoming the senior speaker for Commencement, please don’t hesitate to submit an essay!

Good luck and all the best!

The Senior Commencement Speaker Selection Committee

Fitzroy “Pablo” Wickham
Carolina Montano
Jake Kwon
Paulina Veliky
Professor Francis Starr (Faculty Marshal)

Class of 2021 Upon Completion Q + A – 4/8

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Greetings!

I know several of you read the email Provost Stanton sent out about the upon completion policy this evening and I want to provide an opportunity to address as many of your questions as possible. I’m offering a Q&A session this Thursday, April 8th, 5pm-6pm, EST; it will be recorded and Zoom details are offered below.

Class of 2021 Upon Completion Q&A

Thursday, April 8th, 5pm-6pm, EST

https://wesleyan.zoom.us/j/94516023008?pwd=MURWbjR4Q0k0RFZrd3UrbkhXYkttQT09

Meeting ID: 945 1602 3008
Passcode: 715730

Take care for now,

Dean Leathers

Reminder! 2021 Diploma Name Due by 4/18

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To: Candidates for Bachelor of Arts Degree
From: Rosie Villard, Administrative Assistant V

To ensure that your full legal name is spelled correctly on your diploma, we are asking you to confirm your diploma name. Please confirm your name as soon as possible.

In your WesPortal under ‘My Information’ click on Diploma Name and Address. The name that we currently have on file will be displayed on this page. If your name is correct, please click on Confirm/Update button at the bottom of the page. If your name is not correct, please make any necessary corrections before selecting the Confirm/Update button.

Please note that you will only be able to update your name once per day – if you confirm your name in error, you will need to return to the page the following day to make any corrections.

If your name contains special characters or accents, please confirm the spelling of your name without the characters or accents. In order to make sure that the special characters or accents appear correctly on your diploma, you will be asked to link to the Special Character Diploma Name Confirmation form and send it to the Registrar’s Office.

To make a correction to your legal name for all other university records, you will need to send a form of legal identification (birth certificate, passport, driver’s license, or legal name change document if your name has been legally changed) to the Registrar’s Office.
The diploma name system will close on Sunday, April 18th at 11:59pm.

Leona (Rosie) Villard
Admin Assit V
Registrar’s Office
Wesleyan University
237 High Street, North College
Middletown, CT 06459

Options for Regalia after 3/31 and Making Changes to Orders

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Bachelor candidates are no longer able to order a cap and gown on the Oak Hall website with WRJJ Bookstore delivery. You have the following options if you missed the March 31st deadline:

  1. Order on the Oak Hall website and have your regalia shipped home (deadline for this option: April 19th).  https://wesleyan.shopoakhalli.com/purchasewizard/Welcome
  2. Buy a cap and gown at the WRJJ Bookstore starting mid-May.

Also, Oak Hall just confirmed that they do international shipping. They charge $60 for international shipping but can’t guarantee a particular date for delivery. 

You must direct any questions about international shipping directly to Oak Hall at 800-456-7623.

Students choosing to cancel and/or change their cap and gown orders must also contact Oak Hall directly: 800-456-7623. 

They must have their order number and identify themselves as a Wesleyan University student in Middletown, CT wishing to make a change to an order.

Deadlines to Order Regalia – This Wed, 3/31 for Delivery to WRJJ Bookstore; (New) 4/19 for Home Delivery to Remote Students/December Graduates

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Dear Members of the Class of 2021:

The Oak Hall website has been updated, giving Bachelor candidates the following options:

  1. March 31st ordering deadline for delivery to the WRJJ Bookstore. March 31st is Wednesday!!!
  2. April 19th deadline for delivery to a home address. 

Masters and PH.D candidate information has not changed.

https://wesleyan.shopoakhalli.com/purchasewizard/Welcome

Please direct any inquiries to Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore.

Reminder about Regalia Orders for 2021 Commencement