Deans’ Office

Campus Update from 5/5

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To the Wesleyan community,

I want to sincerely thank you all for your tireless efforts toward making Wesleyan a safe place to be this academic year. Because of your care, diligence, and cooperation in following the community guidelines, we have been able to maintain COVID-19 positivity rates well below the level predicted by our modeling. I am pleased to report that we are planning for a return to normal campus operations and residential education in the fall.

Toward that end, I want to share important campus updates from the Pandemic Planning Committee. In the coming months, we will begin to relax some restrictions in preparation for fall. Employees should continue to consult with their Cabinet members on work plans. The following changes will take effect:

Effective immediately: Small gatherings permitted

  • Academic and administrative departments are permitted to host meetings and gatherings of 20 people or less. For the remainder of this semester, these gatherings should be outdoors, limited to members of the Wesleyan community and all attendees must wear masks. Limited catering is available from Bon Appetit. Please contact John Kehoe at jkehoe@wesleyan.edu for more information

June 1: Student vaccinations required; some services reopen to campus community

  • All students on campus will be required to be vaccinated and staff and faculty are encouraged to be vaccinated. Students must upload their information to the Davison Health Center and faculty and staff should share their information via WesPortal.
  • Visitors to campus are permitted in outdoor spaces and will be expected to wear masks. This change allows prospective students and their families to participate in campus tours hosted by the Office of Admission. The size of tour groups may be limited and all activities will be outdoors. Additional details about visitors to campus will be provided as part of the fall operations plan.
  • The Olin and Science Libraries will be open daily to the campus community from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Marketplace will be open daily through August 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m. for summer meal plans or walk-up traffic. Marketplace will remain cashless. All other dining services on campus will be closed until September 1.
  • Usdan will be open Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and weekends from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • WesStation will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mail delivery to departments is still suspended.

July 1: Travel guidance

  • University-funded travel for fully vaccinated faculty, staff, and students will be permitted. This includes domestic locations as well as international locations that are considered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to be at COVID risk level 1 (low) or 2 (moderate). If a country rises above risk level 2 before the trip takes place, it should be postponed or cancelled.

Despite these upcoming changes, I want to call your attention to an important policy that has not changed: the wearing of face coverings. While we are aware that the CDC recently eased its guidelines on the wearing of masks outdoors among fully vaccinated individuals in small groups, there is no change to Wesleyan’s policy requiring the wearing of masks and face coverings on campus. As many members of our campus community have yet to complete their vaccinations, the Pandemic Planning Committee believes it is important to maintain this guideline. For more details on this and other safety guidelines that our campus community will continue to follow, please visit Keep Wes Safe and review our Community Agreement (for faculty and staff) and Code of Conduct (for students).

We are very much looking forward to seeing our campus return to its full vibrancy and in the coming months we will share more details about fall operations. Thank you again for your cooperation and patience over the past year, as well as in the coming months. We truly appreciate your efforts.

Sincerely,

Rick Culliton

Dean of Students

Chair, Pandemic Planning Committee

Reminder: Last Day to Change Grading Mode – 4/28

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This is a friendly reminder that the last day to change the grading mode for courses with the student option is Wednesday, April 28th by 5pm, EST.

The deadline to withdraw from full-semester or 4th quarter courses is Wednesday, May 5th by 5pm, EST. Please see the details below for instructions.

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 course.

Take care for now,

Dean Leathers

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

UPDATE: Wesleyan/CHC Vaccine Clinic for Students

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Dear students,

I write with an update regarding the University’s partnership with the Community Health Center (CHC) to host vaccine clinics on April 24 and 25. Due to the Federal Drug Administration’s current review of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, CHC will now administer the two-dose Pfizer vaccine.

Students who choose to be vaccinated at this clinic will receive the first dose on their originally scheduled date and the second on May 15 or 16, three weeks after the initial dose. Parking Lot V at 75 Vine Street will serve as our walk-through vaccination site. All Wesleyan students—both undergraduate and graduate—enrolled in the spring 2021 semester and studying on campus may receive the vaccine.

If you have already registered, you do not need to register again. However, if you registered and have been vaccinated at another location, please cancel your appointment. For students who need to cancel or modify their appointment, you may do so by using your confirmation email (CHCvaccineclinic). Please make any changes to your vaccine appointment by Friday, April 16.

Please note that students who are studying remotely are not eligible to receive the vaccine at this clinic. In addition, students who have already been vaccinated or who are in isolation or quarantine at the time of the clinic will not be vaccinated at this clinic.

You will need to bring your Wesleyan ID card and the completed prevaccination questionnaire with you to your appointment. Because the clinic needs to prepare and plan for a specific number of vaccine doses, it is critical that you arrive promptly at your scheduled appointment time. To avoid congestion, please do not accompany your friends to their appointments if you do not have an appointment at that time. 

Wesleyan will require all students to receive the vaccine prior to returning to campus for the fall semester. Every student (with the exception of those who have approved medical or religious exemptions) will need to verify with the University that they are fully vaccinated prior to their arrival. Students can upload their vaccination record to the Davison Health Center.

Rick Culliton

Dean of Students

Chair, Pandemic Planning Committee

Testing Reminder

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Dear students,

I hope that you are settling into campus and getting back into your coursework!  First, let me offer a sincere thank you for your cooperation with our return to campus protocols.  I know, for many of you, getting a pre-arrival test was challenging but we believe the extra effort will help us get off to a safe and successful semester.   We had over twenty students isolate at home after receiving a positive pre-arrival test and conferring with Davison Health Center.   Despite high rates of positivity around the country, after almost a week of testing early indications are encouraging in that our on-campus positivity rate is under .30%.  The state mandated two-week arrival quarantine assists us in continuing to identify anyone who may have been exposed to COVID-19 prior to arriving on campus and reducing the likelihood of spread.  Wearing face coverings and maintaining physical distancing is critical to our success again this semester so please continue to pay careful attention to these measures particularly when getting meals around campus.

Each student is expected to test twice each week on either a Monday & Thursday or Tuesday & Friday schedule. Because frequent testing is critical to preventing the spread of COVID on campus, it is your responsibility to adhere to this schedule.  Please test either today or tomorrow and then starting next Monday, you will be allowed only 3 missed tests during the course of the semester after which you will be required to immediately leave campus for the rest of the term.  The importance of keeping to the testing schedule should be as important as attending your classes as we rely on everyone to keep the campus safe. If you must miss a test (for a reason such as a medical emergency or illness), it is your responsibility to alert the University to an upcoming lapse in testing via this form.

Please refer to the Testing web pages for the link to schedule your tests and the hours of operation. For the spring semester, the testing site will operate on Monday, Tuesday, Thursdays, and Friday from 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. It will be closed on Wednesdays and weekends.

Finally, the community standards board (CSB) compiled a report from the fall semester cases, many of which were related to COVID agreement violations.  The members of the CSB wanted to be sure that everyone was aware of the kinds of cases and associated outcomes during the fall semester in the hope that we can collectively work together to reduce the kinds of incidents that put the campus community at greatest risk. Thank you in advance for all of your efforts to Keep Wes Safe for all of the students, faculty and staff who make up this community.

Sincerely,

Dean Rick Culliton

Dean of Students

Wesleyan University

Notes from the Class Dean – 2/5

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Dear members of the Class of 2021,

I hope that all of you have taken the time to rest and enjoy winter break. Classes begin on Tuesday, February 9th, 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. You may also access this message on our class blog.

Enrollment

Starting on Saturday, February 6th you are required to enroll in the University. To enroll, login to WesPortal, click through the yellow alert banner at the top of the page, then click on the “Enroll Me” button. Please be aware that you will not be able to participate in drop/add until you have enrolled in the University. You must enroll in the University by Monday, February 22nd, at 11:59pm, EDT. You must do this regardless of whether you will attend classes in-person or remotely this spring.

In addition to enrolling, you must resolve any holds in your list of Action Items. To access your list, go to:

WesPortal > Enrollment Checklist & Addresses > Hold/Enroll

Instruction(s) on how to resolve each action item are provided on the page. Many action items can be resolved with a simple click of the mouse.

All action items must be resolved within the first week of classes. Please be aware that you will still be able to participate in drop/add even if you have unresolved action items (as long as you have already enrolled in the University using the “Enroll Me” button).

Change of Grading Mode

The last day to change the grading mode for courses with the Student Option is Tuesday, March 2nd by 5pm, EDT.

Digital Learning Tips for Classes and Drop/Add

Remember there are resources to help you navigate our online and hybrid learning environments. You may access a set of tips and resources to navigate the upcoming drop/add period and online learning through our class blog.

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 Spring 2021 semester. This includes attending in-person classes, events, practices, meetings 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 Spring 2021 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.

Senior Paperwork & Resources

I will begin sending reminders within the next few weeks to help you prepare to finish your last semester at Wes.

Please review the resources to help you prepare for completing your last semester and graduation. You may access the Senior Packet and more useful information on our class blog.

As of now, you should review your Credit Analysis Report, General Education Report, and Major/Minor Certification Forms in WesPortal. You may have already received an email from me about oversubscription. You may access more information about this here.

Check to make sure your full legal name is spelled correctly for your diploma. You may access information on how to confirm your diploma name here.

Additionally, don’t forget about programs and services offered by Gordon Career Center and the Cardinals Helping Cardinals program.

Commencement 2021

Commencement is scheduled for May 30th. Additional details about the format (e.g. in-person and/or virtual) will be available later this spring.

Class Dean Office/Appointment Hours

I am still working remotely until further notice, but I am accessible through email, appointment hours, etc. I will continue to conduct appointments through Zoom or Google Meeting, and my calendar is available through the following link for the duration of the Spring 2021 semester: https://tinyurl.com/deanleathers. I look forward to speaking with you soon!

Last year was difficult for so many of us, and we’re clearly not out of the woods yet. I’m hopeful for what is in store for us this year. And while uncertainty appears to be a hallmark of our present time, the love and care that we show for one another can be as well.

I wish you a wonderful start to spring classes, and do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns moving forward.

All my best,

Dean Leathers

Arrival Day Testing – Spring 2021

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Dear students,

We are looking forward to seeing many of you back in Middletown this week! As you work through your final preparations to return to campus, I write with important information on testing.

As you know, all students are required to take a COVID-19 PCR test within 5–7 days before leaving home and upload a negative test result to WesPortal. This is an important step to keep the campus community safe as people are returning for the second semester. We understand that some students have encountered difficulty with their test as a result of the winter weather. For those who are unable to get a pre-arrival PCR test result, at this point a rapid antigen test will suffice. In addition, Wesleyan will have limited capacity to administer a rapid COVID-19 test in addition to the required PCR test upon arrival.

If you find yourself without a test result prior to leaving home, please plan to arrive on campus at the time of your scheduled arrival test appointment and you will be directed to the West Dining wing in Usdan where you will first be directed to take a rapid test. If it is negative, you will go to Fayerweather to take a PCR test, and then will be directed to pick up the key to your residence. If the rapid test is positive, you will still take a PCR test but will need to immediately enter isolation for 10 days (per CDC guidance). More information on testing and isolation is available on the Keep Wes Safe website.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation as we all work together toward a safe start to the semester.

 

Sincerely,

Rick Culliton

Dean of Students

Chair, Pandemic Planning Committee

Updates to Dean’s List for Spring 2020 DELAYED

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Good afternoon,

This is a quick note about pending updates to the Dean’s List for Spring 2020. New additions to the Dean’s List were calculated and scheduled to be added manually to the roster by September 30th. Unfortunately, there were unanticipated delays, but they should be resolved soon.

I’ve provided the amended policy/guidelines for review in case you have any lingering questions about eligibility. Note: these amended guidelines are only applicable to the Spring 2020 semester.

Students who earn a semester GPA of 93.350 or better will be named to the Dean’s List and will have a permanent transcript notation of this achievement. To be eligible, a student must have earned the GPA on at least 2.0 letter-graded credits at Wesleyan during the Spring 2020 semester and have no unsatisfactory or failing grades. Students with incomplete grades or outstanding credit will be evaluated after the grade and/or credit is posted to the Wesleyan transcript and, if eligible then, they will be added retroactively to the appropriate semester’s list. 

Many thanks again for your patience, and don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns.

Take gentle care,

Dean Leathers

Updates to Dean’s List for Spring 2020 Scheduled for 9/30

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Good evening,

This is a quick note about pending updates to the Dean’s List for Spring 2020. The incomplete deadline was this past Monday, and the final few rounds of grades will be available soon. New additions to the Dean’s List will be calculated and added manually to the roster by September 30th. I’ve provided the amended policy/guidelines for review. Note: these amended guidelines are only applicable to the Spring 2020 semester.

Students who earn a semester GPA of 93.350 or better will be named to the Dean’s List and will have a permanent transcript notation of this achievement. To be eligible, a student must have earned the GPA on at least 2.0 letter-graded credits at Wesleyan during the Spring 2020 semester and have no unsatisfactory or failing grades. Students with incomplete grades or outstanding credit will be evaluated after the grade and/or credit is posted to the Wesleyan transcript and, if eligible then, they will be added retroactively to the appropriate semester’s list. 

Many thanks for your patience, and don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns.

Take gentle care,

Dean Leathers