Orientation

Feet to the Fire: H2O–Seeking Solutions

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waterdropThis year’s Feet to the Fire program explores the challenges we face as a result of global climate change with a focus on the increasing scarcity of water and its impact on cultures and ecosystems around the world.   The program begins with a set of readings that explore the issue of water scarcity from a variety of disciplinary perspectives that students must complete over the summer.  These readings will serve as a shared frame of reference during the Feet to the Fire seminars and discussions that will take place during your first week on campus.   The readings can be accessed by logging in to the Weleyan Blackboard system and include:

  • R.F. Service, “Delta Blues, California Style,” Science 317, (July 27, 2007), 442-445.
  • A. Bach, “Is Water the Next Carbon?,” Urban Land (October 2007), 78-85.
  • R.L. France, ed., Thoreau on Water, Reflecting Heaven (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001).
  • J. Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath (New York: Viking, 1939).
  • “Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty and the Global Water Crisis,” United Nations Human Development Report (2006), 9-37.
  • http://www.waterfootprint.org
  • http://www.theharrisonstudio.net/lagoon_cycle.html

Four seminars will be offered during orientation to discuss different aspects of the readings and these will be followed by smaller group discussions in the the residential halls. The entire class will come together for a “Common Moment” of drumming and performance that will cap off the week. More information about the seminars and Common Moment will follow throughout the summer.

Welcome from the Orientation Interns

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As high school comes to an end for you, we know that you are excited about coming to Wes, nervous about meeting new friends, and anxious about all the thrills that college will bring. Rest assured, we know exactly what you are experiencing because we all went through the same phenomenon. For some it will be an easy transition and for others a challenge, but regardless, it will be one of the greatest changes in your life. We, the five Orientation Interns, will be busy this summer preparing your summer mailings, planning your arrival, and coordinating events for Orientation. It will be a stimulating seven day program where you will get the chance to meet your future classmates, to mingle with your advisor, to explore Wesleyan and Middletown – all of which will lead to your first day of class. So the next time you have a question about preparing for your first year of college and give us a call, know that there are faces behind the generic email address or the random numbers you are calling. To learn more about us, click on the link below. Lastly, have a wonderful summer and we are very excited to see you in the fall!

Johanne Lin ’10
Meherazade Sumariwalla ’12
Yinka Taiwo-Peters ’12
Zachary Nguyen ’12
Liz Ling ’11

Academic Skills Assessment Survey

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The Academic Skills Assessment Survey is an opportunity for you to take stock of your study habits before hitting the books this fall at Wesleyan.  Not only does this survey ask you about your academic behavior, but, in many cases, it also gives you ideas of ways that you could, for example, better manage or track your time.  Done honestly and openly (you’ve already been accepted to Wes), your responses will enable us to refer you to particular workshops or make study suggestions that will facilitate and support your academic success at Wesleyan.  And hey, who doesn’t want academic success?

So among the other things you get to do this summer as you prepare for your arrival at Wes, login to your e-portfolio to make sure you complete the Academic Skills Assessment Survey.

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.

New Student Orientation

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New Student Orientation introduces new students to the Wesleyan community and assists with the transition to university life. New Student Orientation for the Class of 2013 as well as new transfer, exchange, and visiting students will take place September 1-7. As you get ready to arrive at Wesleyan, look through the New Student Orientation website to find more information about Orientation week activities. The Orientation office is staffed with five Orientation Interns who are happy to answer questions. They can be reached at 860.685.6667 or at orientation@wesleyan.edu.

Housing Preference and Placement Information

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Student housing at Wesleyan is designed so that first-year students live together in residence halls near the center of campus.  As they move through their years at Wesleyan, students have an opportunity to choose an increasingly more independent living option from residence hall doubles to singles to program houses, and eventually apartments or senior houses.  All of these options are within a 5-10 minute walk from the center of campus.  Residential facilities vary by size, room type, and ratio of first-year to upper-class students.  Smoking is not permitted in any of the student residences at Wesleyan.

If you haven’t already done so, be sure to login to the Residential Life online housing preference form so that you can indicate your level interest in the various housing options that Wesleyan offers to first-year students.  In addition to indicating your preference for living in a single, double, or triple room, the form seeks your input regarding a variety of community-based living opportunities.   Your housing preferences must be entered into the system by 11:59 p.m. on June 7, 2009.  Until the deadline you may login to the system as often as you like and make as many changes as you need to make.  No changes may be made after the deadline, however, so that the Office of Residence Life can begin the process of making actual housing placements.

On July 22, you will be able to find out about your housing placement and roommate assignment by logging in to your e-portfolio.  In the meantime, you are encouraged to check out the suggested packing list of things that you may want to consider bringing to Wes.  It is also important that you consult Physical Plant’s housing guidelines and fines that have been developed to maintain the safety and integrity of Wesleyan residential facilities.  Any questions you may have should be directed to the Office of Residential Life at reslife@wesleyan.edu or 860.685.3550.

June Mailing from the Office of New Student Orientation

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Any day now you should be receiving a mailing from the Office of New Student Orientation with important information to help you prepare for your arrival to Wesleyan on September 1 for New Student Orientation. In addition to the Faculty and Student Advising Handbook, which provides an overview of Wesleyan’s philosophy of liberal education as well as information concerning academic regulations and procedures, the packet contains information about the summer registration process, placement testing, and how to register with Disabilities Services if you have a physical or learning disability. Many of the items in the June mailing require a response from you, so be sure to review its contents thoroughly and be mindful of deadlines.

This year’s New Student Orientation program will provide you with multiple opportunities to interact with faculty, staff and other students and learn about Wesleyan and its many resources. If you have any questions, you should contact the student interns in the Office of New Student Orientation at orientation@wesleyan.edu.