News and Information for the Class of 2013
lsbrown 
The deadline of July 15 is fast approaching for submission of health forms. The forms can be downloaded at www.wesleyan.edu/healthservices/geninfo/forms/healthforms09.pdf . Requirements include a physical exam and documentation of certain immunizations mandated by the State of Connecticut. Please email mschukoske@wesleyan.edu or phone 860-685-2470 if you need an extension.
Sonia BasSheva Mañjon, Vice President for Diversity and Strategic Partnerships, came to Wesleyan from California College for the Arts <http://www.cca.edu/> in July, 2008. At CCA, Mañjon served as a member of the president’s cabinet, director for CCA’s Center for Art in Public Life, chair of its community art major and Diversity Studies Program, co-chair of campus diversity initiatives, and a member of the faculty. Mañjon developed the country’s first bachelor of fine arts program in community arts, which stresses student civic engagement and diversity issues. In addition to her positions at CCA, Mañjon also served as executive director of the City of Oakland’s Craft and Cultural Arts Department <http://www.oaklandculturalarts.org/main/> , director of the Community Arts and Education Program for the San Francisco Art Commission <http://www.sfartscommission.org/CAE/> , and executive director of the San Francisco National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences <http://www.grammy.com/Recording_Academy/Chapters/San_Francisco/> . Mañjon earned a Ph.D. in humanities, transformative learning and change in human systems and an M.A. in cultural anthropology and social transformation from the California Institute of Integral Studies <http://www.ciis.edu/academics/sca.html> , and received a B.A. in world arts and cultures with a dance emphasis from the University of California, Los Angeles <http://www.ucla.edu/> .
The Office of Diversity and Strategic Partnerships was created to provide leadership on civic engagement and cooperation with private and public organizations and to collaborate with Wesleyan’s administrative and academic offices and departments to develop programs to attract, retain and inspire students, faculty and staff from groups currently under-represented on campus. As Wesleyan’s vice president for diversity and strategic partnerships, Mañjon is charged with enhancing the university’s outreach and engagement with the greater Middletown community. As Wesleyan’s chief affirmative action officer, Mañjon directs the Office of Affirmative Action and serves as an advocate for the interests of students in such areas as recruitment, curriculum development, campus culture and career planning.
In her free time, Mañjon enjoys spending time with her sons Zyan, 11, and Ezra, 8. A true soccer mom, she can be found cheering them on at basketball, football, soccer and baseball games. At home, she enjoy singing and dancing with her boys around the house and playing basketball in the back yard. During mommy-free times, she enjoys salsa dancing and reading a good book in front of the fireplace — which she will have lots of time to do when the snow comes.
The Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development (S.A.L.D.) is a great asset to all students on campus. It is our belief that learning occurs both inside and outside of the classroom and it is our job to enhance the out of the classroom experience. The office works with the student body on event planning, which includes conferences, workshops, speakers, bands, parties and a number of other student-led initiatives on campus. In addition to helping students with their event planning from start to finish, the office also supervises three interns: the queer student intern, the student of color coalition intern and the leadership intern. Each of these interns is in place to provide students with opportunities to have their voices heard, be trained on various topics specific to the intern’s title, and create change across our campus community. The office has many services to provide not only to student groups, but also to individual students and is a great resource for all students to familiarize themselves with. Check us out at www.wesleyan.edu/stuact .
Elisa Del Valle
Assistant Director
Student Activities and Leadership
Don’t let this deadline whoosh by you!
Tonight at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time is the deadline for summer registration (course selection, academic interests, etc.) and the Academic Skills Assessment Survey! Don’t miss this opportunity to get into two courses now for the fall or spring semester and get assigned a faculty advisor in your general area of interest. Make sure you submit the skills assessment survey too, so that you will not have a hold on your enrollment in the fall.
Tonight also is the deadline for Disabilty Services notification and to sign up for the Chinese and Japanese language placement tests that will be given on campus in the fall.
Congratulations to all those who had late high school graduations in the past couple of weeks! Congrats too to those whose graduations were much earlier and have been “alums” for the last month or so! It’s a big deal finishing up 13 years (more or less) of schooling and you all accomplished much during that time. I’m sure you are taking the summer to work or volunteer, to hang out with friends and family, and are making the most of this time as you gear up for your move to Wesleyan. We are thrilled that you have chosen Wesleyan as the place to spend your next four years, but we also recognize that thinking about leaving the familiar for something new can bring on a mix of feelings.
As exciting as it is to think about the new people you’ll meet, the new material you’ll be learning, the new activities in which you’ll be engaged, the new opportunities available to you, you also may find this “newness” (or the thought of it) to be a little overwhelming. At such a time, it can be helpful to think about balance—finding the balance that’s right for you between nurturing your relationships with family and friends from home and cultivating new friendships at Wes; taking a course in a subject you love at the same time that you are exploring a new area of inquiry; continuing your involvement in an activity you really care about while trying out a new one. Wesleyan too will soon become a familiar place as you begin to make it your own and build a life for yourself on campus.
Again, congratulations to all you graduates as you turn to become Wesleyan’s Class of 2013.
Mike Whaley serves as Vice President for Student Affairs and, together with the Student Affairs/Deans’ Office team, works to ensure that students have a successful experience both inside and outside of the classroom. “Dean Mike,” as most students affectionately know him, has one of the most important jobs at the University. “Everyone in Student Affairs–from RAs to class deans to Usdan Center staff to the medical and counseling staff at the Health Center–works hard to forge strong relationships with students. We strive to be aware of student issues and concerns and it is our responsibility to challenge and support them as well as advocate for initiatives that improve the student experience at this amazing institution.”
Dean Mike grew up in upstate New York and was the first member of his family to attend college. He graduated from Cornell University with a degree in microbiology, and earned a graduate degree in counseling and higher education administration from Central Connecticut State University. He is well known at colleges throughout the northeast as a consultant, particularly in the areas of student leadership development, wellness, motivation, LGBTQ issues and diversity education. He has presented entertaining and thought-provoking workshops on a variety of topics at both regional and national conferences.
Dean Mike lives on campus and frequently invites groups of students to his home for dinners or receptions. He is frequently spotted jogging or walking his dog, a yellow lab named Bailey, on campus. And, don’t be surprised to see him at sporting events, performances and other campus events. “I’m a full-time residential member of the campus community, just like our students,” he said.
Dean Sarah blogging here! I supervise the SARN peer advisors. Here is what one student thought about the peer advisors and they helped her succeed during her first year at Wesleyan:
The SARN Peer Advisors are the single most helpful academic resource we have on campus. Peer advisors have advice for their students about anything study-related; a few I can think of right now are reading habits, [and] note taking…. My peer advisor helped me shape my notebook to be neater and easier for organization, [and] taught me how to read an extensive amount while retaining the information…. I have adopted several strategies from my sessions with my peer advisor: I started using the Cornell method for note taking and I have consulted the Writer’s Workshop as per her advice. In short, my peer advisor has been a tremendous help to me and my grades.
Peer advisors can show you how to stay on track and prioritize your activities so that you can enjoy and complete your coursework while making sure you participate in co-curricular activities, too! Check them out at the Peer Advisor, a blog written by peer advisors to help address your questions about coming to Wesleyan.
Check your Summer Registration checklist! The July 7 deadline is approaching….
Go to your portfolio at https://wesep.wesleyan.edu/cgi-perl/session.cgi .
Beyond the many extracurricular activities that can be found on the Wesleyan campus, there are also many interesting things to see and do in the greater Middletown community. Middletown boasts the widest Main Street in the country, where you will find an eclectic mix of family-owned shops, restaurants representing different ethnic cultures and tastes, galleries, a laser-tag and video arcade, a movie theater, a roller-skating rink, and many venues for musical entertainment. In Middletown, you will also find recreational activities along the Connecticut River, at Crystal Lake, and at Miller’s Pond State Park. Lyman’s Orchard is a wonderful place to pick your own apples, pumpkins, peaches and the likes. Explore and become a part of this New England community. If you want more ways to deepen your engagement in town, consider volunteer and service opportunities or, just drop by the Center for Community Partnerships at the corner of High and Church Streets and we will connect you to your new home-away-from-home.
View Ten Things to Love About Middletown in a larger map.
The Class of 2013 has 52 international students from 31 different countries. The Office of International Student Affairs (OISA) is very excited and busy preparing for arrival day!
International Student Orientation (ISO) begins on Friday, August 28, 2009, and provides an opportunity for all new international students to meet before classes begin. International students are required to attend ISO. Additional information regarding ISO is located on the OISA website.
If you have questions regarding ISO, arrival day, or transportation to Wesleyan on arrival day, please email Meherazade Sumariwalla, the ISO intern for 2009, or call 860-685-5720.
If you have questions regarding immigration, please contact Janice Watson (860-685-3704) or Alice Hadler (860-685-2832).
