Note from Dean Brown: Housing & Pre-registration

Hey Class of 2013,

From meeting with so many of you recently, I know that you are back in the full swing of school after spring break.  There is much to be done as we look toward the end of the semester and next fall (already!).

HOUSING:

The housing lottery can generate a good deal of excitement as well as anxiety as you decide where you would like to live and with whom.  Just remember that whether you will be moving solo or with others, this is a small campus and everybody is close by.  Wherever you end up, be open to the opportunity to meet new people and make new friendships.  Since this is your first-time participating in the housing lottery, you may have a ton of questions.  As part of First-Year Focus, Melissa Powers, the associate director of residential life, will be available to answer them all this Thursday, April 1 in Usdan 108 from 7-8 p.m.  Stop by, get an answer, grab a snack!

PRE-REGISTRATION:

thumbnailCA66YGAZThe planning period begins on April 1 (no kidding) and closes on April 15; scheduling runs on April 16; and the adjustment period goes from April 19-23.  Make an appointment with your faculty advisor NOW, if you haven’t done so already, and be prepared for your meeting with at least eight different course preferences to discuss.

 Besides keeping in mind the balance between kind of work, days and time across the week, and course diversity, it is a good idea to include a course from a discipline in which you might want to major.  Explore these possible majors-of-interest online by going to http://www.wesleyan.edu/acaf/dept.html and clicking on the appropriate departments to get a better understanding of the major itself and a handle on major requirements.  You do not want the door closed next spring because you did not, for example, get the pre-requisite grades on two courses in PSYC or FILM, fulfill Stage 1 for GOVT, take Drawing I or another gateway course.  In your course planning, keep an eye on these kinds of things.  You also may want to consider taking some of the intro or gateway courses over the summer at Wes’ summer session.

 If you are thinking about studying abroad in your junior year and have an ambitious course agenda or are interested in a more structured major, tentatively sketch out what courses you would need to take over the next six semesters, including while abroad, to complete a potential major.  This should give you a better idea of what is feasible and also what is important to you.  However, just as the opportunity to experience living in another culture is compelling to some, the opportunity to do research on campus, work more closely with Wes faculty, take on campus leadership roles or play varsity sports is as compelling to others.   The point is to begin to think about these things now.  While it may seem a bit early to do so–it’s only your second semester!–you need to take yourselves seriously as student-scholars and plan accordingly.  Thinking ahead can enable you to formulate and realize your goals.

At the same time, keep exploring the curriculum!  You never know when you are going to discover your intellectual passion–or another one.  There is so much to learn at Wes!

IN CLOSING:

As always, check the class blog out at http://www.classof2013.blogs.wesleyan.edu for information about academics, events, announcements, and other information, and come see me if you have any questions or concerns.  My drop-in hours and other contact info are below.

Best, Dean Brown

202 North College   860-685-2758 (office)

Drop-in Hours:  M–2-3 p.m.   T–3-4 p.m.   W–5-7 p.m.   Th–11 a.m.-noon   F–2-4 p.m.

Workers needed for Reunion/Commencement

Hey First-years–

For those of you who are unaware, the best way to end your first year at Wesleyan is to work during Reunion & Commencement 2010 (May 20-23).  Work for University Relations, and aside from getting paid, you’ll also receive thumbnailCATQCIBShousing, have the unique opportunity to help out with Wesleyan’s biggest event, make lasting connections with alumni, and get the chance to say a final farewell to your graduating friends.  Potential jobs include working at the Registration site, hanging out with kids at Camp Cardinal, and, if you’re over 21, driving the shuttle vans.  The Office of Alumni and Parent Relations is now accepting applications.

Applications will be accepted until Friday, April 9 at 5:00 PM.  We will notify you of your employment status no later than Wednesday, April 14. 

There will be a mandatory student worker meeting on May 18 in Science Center 150, at 5:30 PM.  We will provide your schedule for the weekend at that time, among other things. 

If you are employed for Reunion and Commencement, University Relations will provide housing past the move-out date, which you will be required to vacate on May 24 at 5:00 PM.  Please note—if you do not show up for your shifts, University Relations will no longer provide housing, and it will be billed to your student account. 

Please apply at www.wesleyan.edu/rc/2010/students/students.html

 If you have any questions, please contact us at interns@wesleyan.edu or x2418.  Thanks for your interest!

 Best, Carolyn Szaiff ’11 and Cuong Nguyen ’12–Interns, Office of Alumni and Parent Relations

Time Management Workshop — Today at noon!

time_management
With exams and end-of-the-semester papers and projects rapidly approaching, managing your time well is more important than ever. This workshop will help you begin to organize your time and prioritize your academic and co-curricular activities so that you can finish the semester stress-free.

When:  Today, March 30, 12 noon – 1 pm
Where:  Usdan 108 (Taylor Room)

First-Year Focus: General Room Selection Info Session Thurs., April 1

FYF GRS

Have questions about the General Room Selection Process?  
Want to know about bookmarking & splitting/merging?

Asst.  Director of Res. Life, Melissa Powers, will do a short presentation and

be available to answer YOUR questions!

STOP ON BY!

April 1, 2010

USDAN 108   7 pm – 8 pm

*SNAC KS will be provided*

Sponsored by The Deans’ Office & The Office of Residential Life 

New course in Film Studies

Documentary Advocacy (FILM 150)

This is a film production course aimed at serving non-majors who wish to make a documentary in support of a cause thumbnailCAR61NXOor an organization.  Students will learn the fundamentals of documentary film production while studying examples in which documentary films have been used to advocate on behalf of groups and individuals seeking to make social change.  Production lessons include shooting verité footage, lighting interviews, the use of wireless microphones, and documentary editing techniques.  This course is especially designed for seniors with specific interests in social issues that can be addressed by shooting in the immediate Middletown area.  Documentary filmmaking experience is not required.

 Jacob Bricca, Film Studies

The Census 2010

As you know, the U.S. Census Bureau is in the midst of the 2010 Census efforts to count every person residing in the Census 2010United States.  Since you spend the majority of your year residing at Wesleyan, you will complete your survey here, rather than through your parent or guardian.  You will receive your census form in your mailbox in Usdan during the first week of April, and Census representatives will be at a table in Usdan on April 7 and 8 to collect your form.  It will only take you a few minutes to complete, as it is seven basic questions.  Your response will assist Middletown in getting its proper share of federal and state funding for schools, employment services, health assistance, services for elderly, etc.  Should you have any questions, please contact me at fkoerting@wesleyan.edu.  Thank you.

Fran Koerting, Director of Residential Life

Library Services — Research Paper & Project Support

It is time to dive into those research papers that are due next month. If you thumbnailCAOHEWPXneed help finding resources, remember that librarians are available for personal research sessions to assist you in finding what you need in the library or on the Internet. Rather than figure out which of our 260 or so databases we subscribe to would be most useful for your project and dig through them on your own (or worse, rather than be unaware that so many resources are available to you), just visit us at http://www.wesleyan.edu/libr/services/personalresearch.html (or click the link on the library home page), tell us what you are working on and when you can meet one of us, and we will make a list of appropriate resources and show you how to use them effectively. Then you can spend more time writing than researching (or, use the time saved on some other activity of your choice).

 

 – Kendall Hobbs, Library Instruction Coordinator (khobbs, x3962)

Financial Aid Info

Dear Returning Student:

This email contains important information on reapplying for financial aid for the 2010/11 academic year. Detailed thumbnailCAI1BMYBinstructions are now available, please sign onto your E-Portfolio (EP) and log into SIMON for individual application procedure.

It is very important to meet the May 15th deadline.  This will ensure that you receive your eligibility determination before the fall billing and prevent you from being assessed a reduction in grant aid (if applicable). Failure to meet the May 15th deadline will result in a $1,000 scholarship penalty, and a $2,000 penalty if after July 15th.  The loss of scholarship will be replaced with available loan funding.  The recommended date to have all documents in process is April 24th.  Wesleyan reserves the right not to award any institutional funds if an application is completed after August 1, 2010. Our office is here to help you in any way we can; feel free to contact us with any questions. 

Sincerely, Jamie Seadeek, Department Assistant

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

•           It is your responsibility to reapply for aid each year. Visit our website at www.wesleyan.edu/finaid for important updates and application information.

•           On-line access to your financial aid information via SIMON: https://cardinal.wesleyan.edu/NetPartnerStudent use your Wes ID and 8-digit date of birth to log in.

•           To avoid important correspondence being considered “junk mail”, please be sure to approve finaid@wesleyan.edu in your email account(s).

•           You must make satisfactory progress towards your degree as outlined in the Wesleyan University Student Handbook.  Failure to make satisfactory progress may result in ineligibility for financial assistance.

•           Note, if you receive a revised award anytime during the year, you will be directed by email to view the changes on SIMON, an updated paper award letter will not be generated- Go Green!

World Music Performance — March 25

Stan Scott: Wesleyan World Music Instructor will perform Irish, Bengali and Original Music

March 25, 2010 7pm, Daniel Family Commons

thumbnailCAY2MT16Dr. Scott, who teaches guitar, banjo, mandolin, and North Indian vocal music in Wesleyan’s Music Department has performed in Ireland’s Willie Clancy Week and Clare Festival of Traditional Singing, Calcutta’s Rabindra Sadan , and Mumbai’s National Centre for the Performing Arts.  This evening is sure to be enjoyable and will be topped off with an Irish themed reception.

Sonneblick Evening with film critic Molly Haskell — Tonight!

Announcing the Writing Programs’

2010 ANNIE SONNENBLICK EVENING
with film critic MOLLY HASKELL
Introductions by Michael Roth and Jeanine Basinger

Molly Haskell

Wednesday, March 24
8 PM
Memorial Chapel

Molly Haskell has served as film critic for The Village Voice, New York Magazine, and Vogue, and written for many
publications including The New York Times, The Guardian, Esquire, The Nation, The New York Observer and The New York Review of Books.

Her books include From Reverence to Rape: the Treatment of Women in the Movies; a memoir, Love and Other Infectious Diseases; and a collection of essays and interviews, Holding My Own in No Man’s Land: Women and Men and Films and Feminists.

Her newest book, part of the Yale University Press’s American Icon series, is Frankly, My Dear: Gone with the Wind Revisited.