Course Registration

Note from Dean Brown: J-transfers, Major Declaration, Oversubscription, Study Abroad & Musical Madness

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Hey Class of 2013–Welcome back!  I hope that you all are looking forward to a great spring semester!  With the snow and sleet today, I’m sure you’re looking forward to sunny warm weather as well!

  J-TRANSFERS:  There are 14 January transfers joining the Wes community, 11 of whom are in the Class of 2013.  They are coming from places as diverse as Bowdoin, USC, the University of Iowa, Bunker Hill Community College, and Washington University.  Please WELCOME THEM and make them feel at home as part of your incredible, smart, talented and capable class (really, truly).

DROP/ADD:  This period begins with the start of classes on Thursday, January 20 and concludes on Wednesday, February 2.  Make sure your grading mode selection is correct!

 MAJOR DECLARATION:   As you look at your course schedule for the spring, make sure that you have the courses and pre-requisites needed to declare your major between Thursday, February 3 and Friday, March 4.  Departments and programs will sponsor Open Houses between February 7 -25.  I will send you the schedule once that has been confirmed.  The Open Houses are a great opportunity to check out a major, meet the faculty, and ask questions.   Also, Jim Kubat of the Career Resource Center will be doing another workshop on “Choosing Your Major” on February 2 at 7 p.m . in Usdan 108.  Check out as well http://www.wesleyan.edu/deans/major_declaration/ .

OVERSUBSCRIPTION:   One thing to keep in mind is the University’s regulation about oversubscription.  In order to promote a liberal arts education, the faculty put into place a regulation that limits the number of credits in each department that can be counted towards graduation.  The maximum number of credits is 16.00.  If you have over 16.00 credits in any one department, you will be “oversubscribed” in that department and those additional credits (not necessarily those particular courses) will not count towards graduation.  If courses are cross-listed, i.e., listed in more than one department or program, they will count towards oversubscription in all departments in which they are listed.  This means that if you enroll in an AMST course that is also cross-listed as a HIST course, it will count in the HIST department as a credit for purposes of oversubscription.  See the academic regulations at http://www.wesleyan.edu/registrar/AR.html .  As long as you have as many credits over 32.00 as you are oversubscribed in a department, you are okay.  However, you need to remain alert to where you are vis a vis the 16.00 credit limit in a department.   Any questions?  Come see me, and you will be hearing more about this from me as time goes on.

STUDY ABROAD:   Check NOW for programs and deadlines that you have the slightest interest in.  Due dates for apps are sooner than you think and it takes TIME to investigate all your options for the fall and/or spring of next year.  Think about how where you go and how the courses offered may play into your potential major.

MUSICAL MADNESS:  Yes, 2013 rocks and will prevail over all others at the third annual musical competition between the classes on Thursday, February 24 at 7 p.m.  The entry forms are on the class blog–http://classof2013.blogs.wesleyan.edu/.   Enter solo or as an ensemble for an acoustic, electric or a capella set with an original or cover of any musical genre—from jazz to opera, from rock to hip hop.  A faculty/staff/student panel of judges will award prizes for Best in Class and Best in Show.  Get your act together and feel the love!  Entry deadline is February 17.

COME SEE ME!:  As always, don’t hesitate to come see me with any questions or concerns you may have—or just to chat—as you move forward into your fourth semester—or  fifth semester for those of you who are December Completions 2012.  I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to and what you have been thinking about.

Glad you are back!  Best, Dean Brown

Finalize Schedules today by 5 p.m.!

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Tuesday, November 16 is the last day to finalize your course plan.  You faculty advisor must finalize it by 5 p.m. today.  Wednesday you will be able to review your course schedule.  The adjustment period begins on Thursday, November 18 and goes through November 23.  You will get a message about what day you may begin to adjust your schedule.

The last day to withdraw from first semester and second quarter courses is Friday, December 3.

The Planning Period and Majors

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The planning period for the Spring 2011 semester  runs from Tues., Nov. 2 through Tues., Nov. 16 at 5 p.m.   Because you will be declaring your major next semester, you want to think carefully about the courses you choose (and do not forget there is drop/add in case you change your mind by then!).  Talk with your advisor or professors in whose department/program syou have some interest to get a better idea of the major and what courses you might take.  And definitely check out on Wesmaps descriptions of the major and courses offered, including in the “Archives.”

  • If you are still exploring major possibilities, try out the gateway courses so you get a taste of what the discipline is about and have the prerequisite for advanced courses. 
  • If you are deciding between two majors, consider taking a course in each department/program to help you decide and  to move you forward at the same time. 
  • If you know exactly what you want, well then, go for it.  

If you’re still uncertain, you should know that students change majors even after the major declaration period, which runs from Feb.  3 to Mar. 5, 2011.  Depending on the major and your own academic history, you may have some flexibility to drop or add a major after March 5.  In other words, you still have time to explore next semester. 

Also, remember that your major does not necessarily determine what you will do with the rest of your life.  To get some perspective on this, talk with a CRC staff member and check out what Wes alums have done with their majors—see the amazing range of jobs that you wouldn’t even think of—by accessing MyCRC.

If you have questions, concerns or angst, please do not hesitate to talk with your faculty advisor and/or me .  We want to help you make the decision that is right for you.  

2013 rocks, Dean Brown  (x2758, lsbrown@wesleyan.edu)

Confirm Your Schedule

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Now that Drop/Add is over, we are asking you to confirm your Fall 2010 schedule by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, September 27.

Please click on http://quicklink.wesleyan.edu/ccs or log into your EPortfolio and navigate to “Current Classes & Schedule” under “Wesleyan Career”. If you agree that our records correctly show the courses that you registered for during Drop/Add, click on “Schedule is Correct”.

If your schedule is not correct (for example, a course is missing from your schedule or an additional course is appearing), click on “Schedule is Incorrect” and you’ll be given further instructions and a link to the petition form. Later, if your petition is successful and your schedule is corrected, you should return to your schedule page and click “Schedule is Correct”.  The schedule confirmation buttons will remain on the page until you have resolved all issues and click the “Schedule is Correct” button.

If a course enrollment is “Advisor Pending”, please ask your advisor to email pturenne@wesleyan.edu requesting that the course be “Advisor Approved” in the database.

If you fail to confirm your final fall schedule, you will not be permitted to participate in the planning phase of November Pre-Registration.

REMINDER: Grading mode and cross-listing changes were due before the end of the Drop/Add period and can no longer be made.

Please let me know if you have any questions.  Paul H. Turenne, Associate Registrar, 860-685-2352

Note from Dean Brown: Adjustment, MM Videos, 2013 Mural Painting, Housing

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Hey Class of 2013—

 Can you believe it?  Counting today—April 23, there are only nine more days of classes left in the spring semester!   Amazing….   

Adjustment & Ranked Enrollments:  And speaking of classes, today is the last day of adjustment.  Make sure you have four courses and have submitted all of your ranked enrollment requests.

MM Videos:  Up on the class blog (scroll below) are the videos (in order of performance) from Musical Madness 2010.  Check them out !  The Class of 2013 rocks! 

Mural Painting:  Stay tuned for info this weekend or next regarding the creation of the 2013 mural.  You bring the imagination; the 2013 Class Council supplies the paints, brushes and ice pops. 

Housing:  As you know, room selection will take place over two different nights next week.  Groups 319-450 will select on Monday (4/26) and groups 451-548 on Wednesday (4/28).  Students should report to Exeley Science Center 150 at 6 p.m.  You may only select a room that fits your group size.  So if you are a group of two, and you would like to select single rooms, you will need to split your group before you can be placed.  There will be plenty of opportunity to do splits that night, once you know whether or not single rooms are available.  Should you want to select a double room, and you are currently in a group by yourself, you will need to merge with another individual.  The new group is assigned the “worst” rank number of the two.  Rising sophomores may only form groups of one or two.  You will have the opportunity to merge groups that night as well.

Please be sure to bookmark all rooms in which you have an interest, as you will not be able to select a room that you have not bookmarked.  Know your preference of your bookmarked rooms, so that you can quickly choose from among those that are still available when it is your turn to select. 

If no one from your group is able to attend room selection night, please contact the Office of Residential Life about assigning an agent to select for you.  Feel free to contact ResLife with any additional questions at 860-685-3550. 

In Closing:  Be organized for GRS, for your end-of-semester papers, projects, and exams, and for some healthy down-time.  Don’t hesitate to come see me with questions or concerns or to strategize about workload.  You will soon have one year of college under the proverbial belt!

Best, Dean Brown

Creative Writing Course open to rising sophs

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ENGL241 is designed especially for frosh and sophs, but is listed incorrectly on WesMaps as only an FYI.  This course is not only designed for rising sophomores, but also will count toward the Creative Writing Concentration.

ENGL 241: SPECIAL TOPICS: MERGING FORMS — PROF. CLIFFORD CHASE

Students will explore, both in the readings and their own work, forms of writing that don’t fit neatly into traditional genres such as fiction, essay, or criticism. Readings will include Maxine Hong Kingston’s THE WOMAN WARRIOR (which combines fiction and personal essay), Eduardo Galeano’s MEMORY OF FIRE: GENESIS (historical writing combined with fiction), and selected short works by Donald Barthelme, Rebecca Brown, Wayne Koestenbaum, and others (all playing with genre in various ways). Brief weekly creative writing assignments keyed to the readings, two of which students will develop into longer pieces.

New Course: Prison Theater Outreach Course

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How many classes have changed your life? 

How many classes have let you change someone else’s?

“The class demonstrated the power and life of theater. Through visits to different community centers I witnessed the way in which theater goes from text to touching the lives of people- from the old to the young”  – Joelle Minott, ’09

Prison Outreach Through Theater  (Thea 205)

Taught by Professor of Theatre, Dr. Ron Jenkins

Offered in Fall 2010 Wednesdays from 1:10-4:00 &  Tuesdays from 1:10 to 4:00

Students will have the opportunity to put social activism into practice by working with incarcerated women on the writings of Shakespeare, Dante, and other writers. Readings will include Shakespeare Behind Bars by Jean Trounstine and Theater of the Oppressed by Agosto Boal, the Brazilian actor/activist who has pioneered techniques advocating theater as a force for social change. Students need no theatrical experience but can use whatever artistic interests they possess (acting, puppetry, drawing, writing, story-telling, vocal and instrumental music)

There are no prerequisites for this course, and non-Theatre majors are encouraged to join! Anyone with an interest in bettering the community,

Check out the class on a WesMap Near You!

New course in Film Studies

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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

Note from the Registrar: 4th quarter classes; withdrawal deadline

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The Registrar’s Office would like to remind students of the following deadlines:

  • The fourth quarter will begin on Monday, March 22. Students have five days from the start of the class to add or drop a fourth quarter course. Drop/Add forms are available at any of the windows in the Registrar’s Office and require the signature of the instructor, your advisor, and your Class Dean.
  • The deadline for submission of leave of absence applications for Fall 2010 is Thursday, April 1.  All thumbnailCAFQ0QJCcompleted applications are due in the Registrar’s Office by 5 pm that day.
  • The last day to withdraw from full-semester and fourth-quarter classes is Thursday, April 15.  Completed forms are due in the Registrar’s Office by 5 pm and must include the following signatures: instructor, faculty advisor, and class dean.

Please contact the Registrar’s Office at Ext. 2810 if you have any questions concerning these deadlines.