Residence Life

Schedule Changes Due to Severe Weather Forecast – 8/27

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The following is the repost of the email sent to all students by Dean Rick Culliton on August 27th.

To the campus community,

Due to expected thunderstorms and high winds forecast for later today we are alerting you to the following changes to scheduled activity on campus today.

Student Dining

Today for lunch and dinner, each of the outdoor dining stations will be moved indoors for everyone’s safety.  Dining will still be grab and go and we ask that if it is safe to return to your residence hall, please do not congregate indoors at the dining pick-up locations for extended periods of time.

Please pick up your meals at your assigned locations with the following modifications:

Summerfields Patio will move inside the Summerfields dining room.

Pi Cafe patio will move indoors at the Exley Science Center Lobby (Enter through the Church Street side).

HiRise will be in the entry way of the HiRise building.

Usdan/Labyrinth will move to the inside on the first floor of Usdan (Enter through the West entrance by Fayerweather).

COVID-19 Testing

There are over 700 scheduled appointments at the testing tent today. For those of you who are able to come to the testing tent earlier this morning before the weather deteriorates, please do so. No need to reschedule online, simply arrive on site and we will work to accommodate you.

If you are scheduled for later today and IT IS NOT YOUR FIRST TEST, please go online and reschedule for tomorrow or Saturday. You can click the link sent to you with your confirmation email and cancel/reschedule as needed.

If you are arriving today and have not yet been tested on campus, you may proceed to the testing tent.  As long as it is safe to operate we will be conducting testing under the tent. If it is determined that we need to suspend operations, we will close the tent. You may wait nearby in the adjacent Fayerweather Building/Beckham Hall (second floor) or in the Exley Science Center (lobby) until the weather passes or you may proceed directly to get your key at your assigned key pick-up location.

If the weather clears we will resume the testing today under the tent up to our scheduled closing at 5:45PM this evening. If you miss your scheduled appointment this afternoon you may return to the testing tent later this afternoon (weather permitting) or early tomorrow morning.

Residential Life Key Pick-Up Locations

Please review the information that has been sent to you about checking in to Residential Life and picking up your keys. Due to the inclement weather, the key pick-ups have been moved under cover as follows:

Butterfield check-in moved to Butterfield B Lounge.

Clark Hall check-in moved to Clark Hall Lobby.

HiRise check-in moved to the HiRise Lobby.

Rear of Hewitt 8/Mocon Circle check-in moved to Hewitt 9 Lounge.

Foss Hill Drive check-in moved to Fauver Lounge.

We’ve made all of these changes in the interest of safety. Thank you for your understanding. Please pay attention to any additional weather advisories issued later today.

Best,

Rick Culliton

Dean of Students

Wesleyan University

Important Move In Process Information: Check In Locations and More!

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The following is a repost of the email sent from Kieran Duffy of Residential Life on August 21st.

Hello!

The move in process is quickly approaching and we want to make sure you have as much information as possible so that you are prepared for how the process will work this semester.

Please take some time to read through the Move In Overview at this link:

https://sway.office.com/5Z6vKEReuoAUUZtu?ref=Link

It covers the Move In process step-by-step and includes details for where you should check in.

We look forward to welcoming you back to campus!

Best,

Kieran

Kieran J. Duffy ( He, Him pronouns)

Assistant Director of Residential Life

Wesleyan University

237 High Street

Middletown, CT 06459

(860) 685-3429

Pre-Arrival Checklist – Fall 2020

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The following is repost of the message sent by VP Whaley on 8/15/20.

Dear students,

We are looking forward to welcoming you back to campus.  As you know, your arrival to campus this year will be quite different than usual. In addition to packing your bags (which we’d advise keeping light), please remember to complete the following steps:

Pre-Arrival 

  • Self-quarantine during the two weeks leading up to your arrival on campus. (You should already be doing this!)
  • Complete your COVID-19 test within 72 hours of returning to campus, if possible, and upload a negative test result to the CoVerified app (more on that in a moment). If your test comes back positive, if you have symptoms, or if you have a known COVID exposure, please stay home until medically cleared.
  • Read and acknowledge the student Code of Conduct in your WesPortal. (This must be done in order to pick up the key to your campus residence). This document clearly states expectations for student conduct, and non-compliance will result in a student being immediately asked to leave campus in order to protect the health and safety of others.
  • Read and consent to participate in COVID-19 testing on campus via your WesPortal as a condition of returning to campus for the fall semester.
  • Download the CoVerified app. (You will receive an email prompting you to do so). Wesleyan will use this app to manage scheduling of COVID testing appointments on campus, deliver test results, facilitate reporting of symptoms, and enable contact tracing when cases arise.
  • Update your personal contact information and emergency contact information in WesPortal. We need to be sure that the mobile number we have on file is correct.
  • Be sure to pack your thermometer and fever-reducing medications to monitor your temperature or in case you become ill.
  • Bring your Wes ID. If you have lost your ID, email wescard@wesleyan.edu to request a reprint. The WesCard Office will have your replacement ID available with your residence keys upon your arrival.


Arrival on Campus

  • Plan to arrive on campus on your assigned day and time. We are staggering arrival days in order to minimize crowds and allow for appropriate physical distancing. Only students may enter residences during move-in.
  • Visit the COVID-19 testing site (in a tent near Fayerweather) before proceeding to your assigned residence. Every student must be tested the day they arrive on campus and again a few days later.
  • Pick up your keys from ResLife at your assigned key distribution site and move into your residence.


Arrival Quarantine Specifics

  • Wesleyan must observe a state-mandated, campus-wide quarantine between August 24 and September 7. During this period, students may only leave their residences for these purposes:
    • To pick up meals from conveniently-located sites near residences.
    • To visit the COVID testing tent.
    • To retrieve mail/packages at WesStation.
    • To go for a walk/jog (solo or with others in your family unit) outside on campus property.
    • To do laundry on campus.
    • To sit outside your residence for class.
  • Once a student receives two negative on-campus test results, students living in residence halls will be able to interact with others living on their residence hall floor or with similar-sized groups of neighbors, as designated by the Office of Residential Life, for the remainder of the quarantine period.
  • If you are coming from an affected state or from outside of the U.S. and arrive on campus after August 24, you must remain in campus quarantine for a full 14 days.
  • The first week of classes will take place virtually due to the campus-wide quarantine. Faculty members are aware that some students may need to quarantine longer, and are prepared to accommodate them.
  • The drop/add period has been extended to run from August 24 to September 11. Details are available here.

For additional information on preparing for arrival, please visit this webpage. With any additional questions, you may call (888) 675-2011 between noon and 4 p.m. EDT, or email Covid-19Info@wesleyan.edu.

 

Wishing you safe travels!

Dean Mike Whaley, Vice President for Student Affairs

Move-In Timeslot Sign Up Available Now

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The following is a message from Residential Life.

Please use the following link to access the tool for signing up for a timeslot for the move-in process.
A few important notes:
  • Please only sign up for 1 timeslot
  • Incoming first-year students will have housing assignments visible by the end of the day tomorrow, July 22nd, and can use that information to sign up for the appropriate move in event.
    • Please do not sign up for a timeslot without a room assignment.
  • Students traveling from NY, NJ, or New England states should sign up for the later dates if possible in order to leave the earlier dates open for students traveling from farther away.
Additional information about the move-in process can be found on our FAQ page here: Residential Life Fall 2020 Opening FAQ

 

Best,
Kieran

Kieran J. Duffy ( He, Him pronouns)
Assistant Director of Residential Life
Wesleyan University
237 High Street
Middletown, CT 06459
(860) 685-3429

Update for Move-In Plans for Fall 2020 – Zoom Webinar on 7/21

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This is a message from Dean Fran Koerting, Director of Residential Life.

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.

Therefore, Residential Life is adapting its arrival and move in plan as follows:  All undergraduate students may sign up for a day and timeslot between August 24 through August 30.  The number of timeslots is limited by hour and location in order to facilitate physical distancing as students are moving in.  We ask that students who will only require one negative test result sign up for the latter half of the week, leaving the earlier days for students who need two rounds of testing.  Students living in program houses, wood frame houses and apartments (other than Fauver, Low and High Rise) do not need to sign up for a day and timeslot, but should plan to arrive between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on one of those days.  Any student whose travel plans have them arriving after 7:00 p.m. should email reslife@wesleyan.edu  and we will leave their keys at Public Safety for them.

We are hosting a webinar on Tuesday, July 21 at noon to review the move-in process and answer questions students might have related to housing.  The link is listed below.  The platform for move-in sign-ups will be available on Tuesday, July 21 at 2:00 p.m., following the webinar.   If flight arrangements need to be made prior to this time, students may email reslife@wesleyan.edu with the day and time they anticipate arriving on campus and we will reserve that timeslot for them.

Since the sign-ups are based on residence, we hope to have housing assignments for first year and transfer students completed by Wednesday, July 22, so that they may begin making their travel plans.  We are working on assignments for students who do not yet have one and for those who have requested changes.  These students will be able to see their assignment in their WesPortal on August 7, and should wait to sign up for a timeslot until then.

Students who live within a few hours driving distance of campus may drop off their belongings the weekend of August 22-23.  They will be given access to their residence, but will not receive their key until they return the following weekend.  More details regarding this option will be sent next month.

Webinar information: Residential Life:  Move in and Reactivation of Campus
Jul 21, 2020 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Please click the link below to join the webinar:
https://wesleyan.zoom.us/j/92524848848?pwd=SXRtTDk0VzlsdThyNTErWVpCajFEUT09
Password: 597042

We hope you are able to join us next Tuesday.  Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any additional questions or concerns.  We look forward to welcoming those of you who are able to be on campus this fall.  If you are not able to be on campus this fall, please notify us as soon as possible so that we can finalize housing assignments for those who do not yet have one.

Sincerely,

Fran Koerting
Associate Dean/Director of Residential Life

Work for Res Life on Campus This Summer! Priority Deadline is 3/27

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The office of Residential Life is currently accepting applications for the upcoming summer.  Specifically, we are looking to fill the following positions:

  • Central Office Assistant
  • Summer Housing Community Advisor
  • PreCollege Fellow

The priority deadline for all three positions is Friday, March 27th at 12 noon, EST.  Applications are available in the Residential Life bucket in the student portal.

Questions can be sent to misleib@wesleyan.edu

Advice from a Peer Advisor: What to Bring to Wes!

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SO, WHAT SHOULD YOU BRING TO WESLEYAN?

The month before college starts is a great time to begin thinking about what to bring to school. Wesleying, the student-run blog, posts an annual packing list for first-year students. This is their one from last year, but keep your eyes out for the most current post.

Wesleying’s post is extensive, and honestly I don’t have everything on their list (what even are drawer liners?), but just make sure, at the bare minimum, you bring: sheets/blankets/pillows, medications, a towel, shampoo/soap, shower shoes, and clothes appropriate for all seasons (you’re going to need shorts, but also a warm winter coat/snow boots). If you were assigned to one of the dorms with no air conditioning, such as the Butterfields or Nicolson, a fan is a must. It can be hot in Middletown in both September and May.

The school supplies you should bring to college are much more flexible. Think about what type of materials you used in high school. Did you like using notebooks? Three-ring binders? Your computer? I personally prefer a cheap 1-subject notebook and folder for each class. Walmart sells notebooks during school supply season for 19 CENTS! But if you know that you prefer binders, journals, composition books, the back of napkins, by all means, bring those. Also, this year I have discovered the wonderful uses of multicolored pens for studying, and it changed my life. You can get a pack of eight different colors for $2.35 (also at Walmart). I have been using these for the past year and none of them have run out yet!

If you know that you prefer to take notes on your computer, it would still be a good idea to bring a few notebooks and folders just in case you change your mind. Also, occasionally professors will not allow you to use your laptop in class.

Additionally, keep in mind that a planner is a must for college, whether it’s on your phone or a physical one. Every year Wesleyan supplies free planners to students. Last year you could just pick one up at Usdan (the main dining hall). The free ones are usually nice and have both weekly and monthly calendars.

If you are working on a tight budget, or just prefer to be more sustainable, consider going to Waste Not, the annual sale of lightly used items. The sale usually occurs the weekend before classes start. They have mini-fridges, microwaves, chairs, rugs, etc.

If you forget anything, no worries, you are within walking distance of Rite Aid, as well Weshop, and you can order things from Amazon/wherever to the package center. But keep in mind that the package lines can be absurdly long the first few days of classes, so try and avoid ordering too much stuff online in those first few weeks unless you like chilling in lines.

Lastly, Faisal wrote a PA blog post about packing a few years ago that may also be helpful to read. He suggests investing in a three-hole punch if you like to use binders, which I concur is smart.

Those are my quick tips for packing. If you have any questions about what to bring to Wesleyan, feel free to email me at jleete@wesleyan.edu.

Jackie Leete ’19, Academic Peer Advisor