Advising

Welcome Back, Class of 2013

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I hope you had a good break and are ready to undertake the last two weeks of classes, which end on Monday, December 14.  The Final Exam Period begins the next day with two reading days, followed by two exam days on December 17 and 18, with two more reading days followed by the last two exam days on December 21 and 22.  If you are unsure of the exam schedule, talk with your instructors and check out http://www.wesleyan.edu/registrar/exam.htt.

thumbnailCA7HWN7RNow is a good time to plan out your coursework and study schedule for the next four weeks so that you can work at a good pace (i.e., not cram) to stay on top of course material, finish up papers and projects, and prepare for exams.  It also is a good time to review past exams with instructors and TAs, get a tutor, review class notes on a consistent basis, and head to the various academic skills sessions and Writing and Math Workshops. Check out the Peer Advisors’ blog at http://peeradvisor.blogs.wesleyan.edu/ for further tips and information.

We want you to be successful and to perform at your highest level!

Any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Again welcome back!  Best, Dean Brown

Academic Regulations: Academic Standing

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thumbnailCA2KQXR2It is important that you are familiar with Wesleyan’s academic regulations.  Among the many things that these regulations address is that of academic standing.  They tell you what level of academic probation a student will be on if an unsatisfactory grade is earned or if not enough credit is earned per semester or cumulatively. 

To review the regulations on academic standing, click on http://www.wesleyan.edu/registrar/ARNew.html#ACADEMIC%20STANDING.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Dean Brown by e-mail  (lsbrown@wesleyan.edu) or by coming into the office for drop-in hours.

New NSM GenEd Course

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MBB/Dance 108

Body Languages: Choreographing Biology  Spring 2010
Tuesday/Thursday 1:10-2:30 p.m.

MB&B and Dance, 1 Credit, NSM
Instructors: Manju Hingorani, Associate Professor, MB&B
Katja Kolcio, Associate Professor, Dance

The course will present an introduction to human biology from the cellular to organismal level.  This subject will be examined through scientific and choreographic perspectives.  Students will have the opportunity to practice movement awareness and learn basic principles of choreography, and will apply these skills to exploration of human biology.  Each class will involve lecture, discussion and movement components.

Required Texts:
Alberts et al., Essential Cell Biology ,3rd Edition, Garland Science Press.
Foster, Susan, Reading Dancing: Bodies and Subjects in Contemporary Dance, Wesleyan University Press.
Select additional readings and video viewings.

thumbnailCABFMIXMInterpretation: This course requires students to develop their ability to interpret, investigate and communicate the subject of biology through physical movement study and choreographic composition.

Designing, Creating and Realizing:  This course requires students to actualize their understanding and investigation of biology through the completion and performance of a series of movement studies and dance compositions.  Their work will culminate in a final choreographic project that demonstrates thorough comprehension and analysis of course material. Students will learn various methods and paradigmatic approaches to movement invention, composition and performance as a medium for the investigation of biology.

Exams and Assignments: Short papers, movement studies, 1-2 written exams and a final performance project.

First-year Focus: Pre-registration

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Thinking about what courses to take in the spring  semester?

Trying to figure out possible majors and gateways?

Have questions about FYIs?  General Education? Essential Capabilities?  

Exploring the curriculum?

 First-year Focus

Drop by Usdan 108 on November 11, 2009

6:15pm-7:15 p.m.

 Get YOUR questions answered by

Dean Brown, Registrar Anna van der Burg, and Peer Advisors.

Snacks provided with an opportunity to win a gift card to Broad Street Books!

Pre-registration begins today

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thumbnailCA66YGAZAmazing that it is already time to be thinking of courses for next semester!  The planning period begins tomorrow and runs through Mon., Nov. 16 at 5 p.m.  Scheduling is the next day and the adjustment period starts on Wed., Nov. 18 at 8 a.m. through Tues., Dec. 1 at 5 p.m. 

As you think of your program of study, keep in mind the importance of exploring new areas of the curriculum and choosing courses that will stretch your mind, get you thinking and engaged in your work.  At the same time, keep an eye on gateway courses needed for possible majors, GenEd courses, and courses that emphasize Essential Capabilities you would like to strengthen. 

Take advantage of WesMaps’ categories to help you navigate the curriculum in anything from FYIs to  intellectual clusters to departmental descriptions to anything in the above paragraph.

Remember to spread your courses throughout the week and the day, and seek variety in the kind of coursework you will be doing. 

Any questions?  Talk with your professors, your faculty advisor, me as your class dean, Dean Lazare, and any other person with curricular expertise who you think will be helpful in your decision-making process.

First Day of Class: Attendance & Course Level

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If you are enrolled in a course, you must attend the first class or else the instructor can give your seat to another student.  You must either confirm through your portfolio that the instructor has dropped you from the course or go through the process of dropping it from your schedule yourself through your portfolio.  This is good information for you to know, especially if you want to check out another course that meets at the same time.  You risk losing the seat that you do have.

thumbnailCAG0PBU6If you are unsure about which level of course to attend, check out the course textbooks at Broadstreets Bookstore.  That, in conjunction with reviewing the course syllabus, talking with the instructor when the course meets, and consulting again with your faculty advisor should help you make a decision.

Creating a Course Schedule

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thumbnailCA7Z1T6RAs you think about developing your fall semester course schedule, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.  Overall, you want to think about how your courses relate (or not) to one another and to think about taking courses across divisions (H&A, SBS, NSM) and within a division rather than loading up on several courses in one department, so that you get both breadth and depth.  Your first year is a time to explore while keeping connected to areas of interest and possible majors.  Other suggestions are to: 

  • challenge yourself in a new subject area—maybe in a course unique to Wes—as well as in a subject you love;
  • choose courses with different kinds of work: analytic, creative, quantitative, experiential, written (not all thumbnailCAYAHNW0reading and writing);
  • enroll in courses with means of evaluation that differ from one another (papers, tests, labs,  performance, etc.) and that come at different points in the semester;
  • get courses that vary in size (seminar and an intro);
  • begin fulfilling General Education Expectations;
  • strengthen your Essential Capabilities;
  • distribute your courses throughout the week (not all Tues./Thurs.);
  • spread your courses throughout the day (three in a row is a killer!); and
  • make sure you schedule time for lunch!

For each of the four courses in your ideal schedule, you should identify a back-up course (in case you do not get in due to classes being full, schedule conflicts, etc.).  Then you should identify a back-up for each of your back-ups (for the same reasons), keeping in mind your overall educational goals.  This strategy will generate good course options to discuss with your faculty advisor in your individual meeting on Thurs., Sept. 3.  In this focused discussion, it is important to stay open to your advisor’s suggestions as well.  Your peer advisor will be available to work with you on Wednesday, if you would like help in your planning.   

This “back-up” strategy also will help you stay organized and on track during adjustment and drop/add.  While you may not get all four of your ideal courses, you will certainly get some of the twelve you have identified, and will continue to find new course possibilities through this process.   With the permission of your faculty advisor and the course instructor, you also may drop and add classes during the first two weeks of classes.

Faculty and Student Advising Handbook

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This summer, as you think about which courses you will be enrolling in after you arrive at Wesleyan in September, please take time to carefully review the Faculty and Student Advising Handbook. The Handbook is designed to help you achieve your educational goals by providing advice on how to get the most out of your relationship with your faculty advisor as you build your program of study over the course of your Wesleyan career. The Handbook also provides information about academic departments and programs, graduation requirements, study abroad, the major declaration process, academic support services for students, and the procedures of the Honor Board and the Student Judicial Board.