Fire Safety…or What Not to Bring

Throughout the year, Campus Fire Safety and Res Life staff will conduct health and safety inspections in all student residences.  As you begin packing your belongings and prepare to depart for Wesleyan, it’s important to keep the following in mind:

  • Candles, incense, used smoking materials and cooking appliances in student rooms are the most commonthumbnailcaj53hej fineable offenses
  • Students should review the list of prohibited items on the fire safety website
  • Campus Fire Safety will confiscate and fine $100 for each prohibited item
  • Campus Fire Safety will notify Public Safety if any weapons or drugs are found during room inspections
  • Campus Fire Safety will notify the Dean’s Office if any alcohol is found in rooms of students presumed to be under 21

Please email firesafety@wesleyan.edu, with any questions.

Your Meal Plan: August 1 Deadline

thumbnailcav225dvChoosing your meal plan…seemingly an easy decision, but make sure you have all the facts before you decide.  Your Wesleyan dining experience is run by Bon Appétit, which earned this past year the highest dining satisfaction rating (almost 80%!) ever at Wesleyan University, so you can be sure you are getting a great product! For specific information about them you can go to: http://www.cafebonappetit.com/wesleyan/

When selecting your meal plan, be sure to pick the plan that you really think will meet your needs.  Pay attention to the number of meals each plan averages per week and, based on your usual eating habits, pick the one you think meets your style.  Unused meals do not roll over to the next semester, so you want to use meals before points whenever possible.  You can always add points on, but unused meals are lost so pick the plan that will allow you to get the most out of your dining experience.

Here is a summary of the meal plan information for 2009-2010:

Block 210 — MEALS/$100 POINTS PER SEMESTER (averages 14 meals per week)                                                                            

Block 165 — MEALS/$275 POINTS PER SEMESTER (averages 11 meals per week)

Block 135 — MEALS/$475 POINTS PER SEMESTER (averages 9 meals per week)

*Block 285 — MEALS/$50 POINTS PER SEMESTER (averages 19 meals per week)  *Additional cost of $300 per semester

Make your meal plan selection in your electronic portfolio by August 1!  Have a safe and enjoyable summer!  Michelle Myers-Brown, Director, Usdan University Center

Waste Not’s Campus Tag Sale

FURNISH YOUR DORM THE WESLEYAN WAY WITH ITEMS FROM THE WASTE NOT TAG SALE!

Waste Not! is an EON (Environmental Organizers Network)-sponsored effort run by the Sustainability Interns to reduce unnecessary waste during move-out and encourage items to be recycled from year to year.  At the end of the thumbnailca661rsbspring semester, EON collects unwanted items and then, in the fall, we hold a HUGE tag sale to sell those items back to the community, thereby keeping valuable items out of the landfill and in circulation. Proceeds from the sale will go to local charities and Sustainability at Wesleyan.  We’ll be holding the sale September 5, 6, and 7 from 2-5 p.m. each day at Mocon, the round building between the Nics and Hewitt.  It’s gonna be awesome. 

Check out our website for a complete list of items and price list and other related information:  http://www.wesleyan.edu/wsa/eon/wastenot/

If you have any questions regarding the tag sale or sustainability at Wesleyan, feel free to shoot us an email at WESustainability@gmail.com.  We look forward to seeing you all there!! 

Ali San Roman ’11 & Nora Christiani ’11, Sustainability Interns

To Bring…or Not To Bring

thumbnailcaby1u5cIf you are looking for guidance on what items to bring with you to campus besides your clothes, toothbrush and computer, check out the links below for suggestions. Naturally, you may pack items we have not listed here due to your unique, personal needs. You also may want to check with your roommate to see what items can be shared. Pay close attention to the “prohibited items” list; possession of these items in your room can result in fines and confiscation of the item.

Note about Wescard Photo

thumbnailcasgwwbnFor all those calling with questions, please note that once the photograph has been uploaded, “sucessfully uploaded” will appear.  You will not be able to view your photograph again.

If you did not upload your photograph before the July 19 deadline, then you must mail it to the following address, so that your ID can be ready for you on arrival day:  Wesleyan University, WesCard Office, North College Room 111, 237 High Street, Middletown, CT  06459.  Please include your name and WesID and mark the outside of the envelope, “Photo Enclosed.”  Do not write on the photograph.

Thank you!  Cathy-Lee Rizza, WesCard Coordinator

ResLife: Meet the Area Coordinators!

 Jonathan Connary — Clark, Fauver & West College

jon1Jonathan Connary joined the Wesleyan University Office of Residential Life team in the fall of 2007.  He is the Area Coordinator (AC) responsible for Clark Hall, Fauver Residence Hall, and West College.  Jon holds a Master of Education degree from Ohio University and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of New England.  Students will often see Jon in the halls of Clark Hall, where he lives with his partner.  He enjoys traveling when he can and is a fan of HBO’s “True Blood.”  His best advice for first year students is to “take advantage of all the campus has to offer.”  Jon is always interested in getting to know the students in his area, so feel free to stop by his office in the basement of North College and say hello!

Sharise Brown — Butterfields, 200 Church & 156 High Street

Sharise Brown is the AC for the Butterfields, 200 Church and 156 High Street.  Originally from the Washington D.C. sharise_brownarea, Sharise completed her undergraduate degree in Communications at Simmons College in Boston.   Prior to coming to Wesleyan, she worked in student services at both Smith College and Penn State University.  Sharise has been a member of the Wesleyan ResLife team since August 2005.  She also is the proud mom of Christian, C.J. and Shalaya.  They live here on campus so don’t be surprised to see them at various events.   Sharise’s words of wisdom for new students:  “Try to be open-minded and respectful of yourself and others!  College is a place of education, compromise and communication.  Make sure you master all aspects throughout your time here.  We are all looking forward to helping you every step of the way!”   Visit Sharise in her office off the Butterfield A lounge.

Alex Cabal — Nicolson and Hewitt Halls

alex_jpgAlex Cabal joined the Wesleyan University Office of Residential Life team in August 2007 and is about to start his third year at Wesleyan.  Alex is the AC for Nicolson and Hewitt Halls, as well as some of our program housing communities.  He finished his graduate studies at Springfield College and earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Hartford.  Alex is a fan of the arts and has spent several summers working with the Center for Creative Youth, a summer pre-college program that offers talented high school students five weeks of intensive study in the arts here at Wesleyan. His words of wisdom for all students: “You always have choices.  It’s important to understand the consequences of them.” Students will often see Alex perusing the halls, and talking to residents. Always up for a good conversation, feel free to stop him in the halls or visit his office on the ground floor of Hewitt 8.

Roommates: Thriving Together

When you arrive on campus, your RA will give you and your roommate(s) Thriving Together, a workbook to help you determine ground rules for your room.   During the first week or two of the semester, set some quiet time aside thumbnailcajzm6xkwith your roommate(s) to go through the workbook together.  Establishing guidelines early in the semester and resolving the issues in the Roommates’ Agreement Form will help prevent minor problems from escalating into major problems later in the year. If you need assistance completing the agreement, ask your Resident Advisor for help. RAs are trained in conflict mediation and can offer an impartial perspective. Whether you are already best of friends or just cordial acquaintances, a healthy roommate relationship requires open communication, compromise and respect.

What’s an RA?

A Resident Advisor (commonly shortened to “RA“) is an integral member of the Residential Life staff.  RAs are trained student leaders charged with managing a residential community.   They live in their community and are expected to provide personal and social support for their residents.  RAs undergo intensive training to ensure that they can effectively address community issues, be a resource for their residents, and respond in crisis situations.  RAs rotate being “on duty” every night from 8 p.m. to 7five-ras a.m. to provide assistance to students in their area, ensure policies are being observed, address maintenance issues, and perform lock-outs.  RAs plan several programs throughout the semester to help students get to know one another, learn more about the campus, or just explore a new idea.

You will meet your RA on Arrival Day.  Be sure to attend your floor meeting that night where you will receive much more information about Orientation, campus resources, and the ResLife staff.   Take time to get to know your RA and the other RAs in your building.  They all have been students for at least one year at Wesleyan and are on campus to help you!

Quiz:   What famous persons were RAs at NYU, U-VA, U-Pittsburgh, Wellesley, SUNY-Purchase, and U-MO?  Actor Jerry O’Connell, broadcaster Katie Couric, coach Mike Dikta, Sec. of State Hilary Rodham Clinton, actor Wesley Snipes, and musician Sheryl Crow, respectively.

Check Wes e-mail & class blog daily!

thumbnailca0j9pac1Make it a habit to check your Wesleyan e-mail on a daily basis, especially once you arrive on campus, but even now.  E-mail is a medium for official University communications through which you will receive important messages from offices, such as the Registrar, Student Accounts, and Financial Aid, from class deans and administrators (& the President too!), and from your faculty advisor and instructors.   As the Student Handbook states, “[T]he University’s primary means of communicating with students is through their Wesleyan e-mail accounts. Students are responsible for reading and responding to e-mail from University officials.” (P. 21) 

Also get in the habit of checking out this class blog on a daily basis.  It too will serve as an important source of information for you not only this summer, but also throughout your four years here.  Check out as well President Roth’s blog at http://roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu for his thoughts and insights about issues on campus, nationally, and around the world. 

Checking your e-mail and class blog on a daily basis is a good habit to acquire!

Rick Culliton, Dean of Students

Rick Culliton is the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and the Dean of Students at Wesleyan.  Dean rick1Culliton graduated from Boston College with a degree in English and Philosophy before earning his masters in higher education administration and his doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Vermont. Prior to his work at Wesleyan, Dean Culliton worked in various student life positions at the University of Vermont. 

The dean of students at Wesleyan oversees many of the offices responsible for student life outside the classroom, including Residential Life, Health Services and Behavioral Health, Health Education, the Usdan Center, Student Activities and Leadership Development, and University Events and Scheduling as well as the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, International Student Services, and the Student Judicial Board.   Dean Culliton works with the directors of these offices and programs to provide important and needed services for students.  Together with students, they create a rich array of programs and events that provide an exciting, engaging, and intellectually stimulating student life.      

When you arrive at Wesleyan, feel free to stop by Dean Culliton’s office on the first floor of North College or contact him at rculliton@wesleyan.edu, if you have questions about student life or the offices with which he works.