Dear Class of 2019,
I write as your class dean to welcome you to Wesleyan! You might be wondering what a class dean does. My most important function is to support your academic success at Wesleyan over the next four years. I monitor your progress towards graduation; work with faculty and staff members across the university to support student success in the classroom; facilitate access to academic and non-academic support services; and support students as they transition from high school through the undergraduate years to life post-Wesleyan. I will also be working closely with our class council to plan events for the class. In short, I am here both to celebrate your accomplishments and help you through any challenging moments that might arise. I am thrilled to be your class dean and I am looking forward to coming getting to know you, both as a class and as individuals.
In July you will be selecting four courses in order to arrive on campus with a schedule that you will discuss with your faculty advisor. Class deans and academic peer advisors (APAs) will be available to work with you throughout that month to answer any questions that you might have. We will be available via phone and email during business hours, and will host a list-serv beginning July 1 in order to answer academic questions. In addition, I will be posting information to our class blog and the APAs will post on their blog.
To better prepare you for your arrival, it is important that you respond on time to all the items on the Orientation News & Checklist. This checklist is located in your portfolio, which is a personalized tool that serves as a gateway for relevant information. The checklist references many important action items, such as the registration process itself, listing your housing preference, and the first-year matters reading. It is organized chronologically by deadlines. Some of the academic action items for June are discussed below.
As part of your registration, it is highly recommended that you select a first-year seminar, of which there are many offered in the fall and spring semesters. Three of these in the fall term are Learning and Living seminars, which are designed to facilitate an intellectual community by housing first-year students in the same residence halls as their first-year seminar classmates. Registration for this unique and immersive opportunity is in June.
Another checklist item is the online Academic Reflection Essay, which is intended to help you think about your academic experiences thus far as well as to consider what your intellectual pursuits might be at Wesleyan. Your essay will be available to your class dean and faculty advisor.
Another checklist item is the Academic Interest Questionnaire, which is designed to get you thinking about your academic areas of interest while also introducing yourself to your faculty advisor. This will help us to assign your advisor in the areas of study that you list (your advisor might also be one of your course instructors). Advising assignments will take place in August and you will meet with your faculty advisor when you arrive on campus to discuss your course selections and larger academic objectives. In consultation with your faculty advisor and with me, you can make changes to your schedule during the Drop/Add period, which will take place during the first two weeks of classes.
It is best to take your placement exams in June, not only because the material is fresh in your mind from high school, but also because the results of the exams will guide your course selections in July.
There is also a four-course registration website available to guide you in your course selections. This site features advising guidelines as well as advising videos done by long-time faculty advisors. Be sure to look this site over as you begin to plan your course schedule. The site will also link to the Faculty and Student Advising Handbook, which features information on building a program of study, academic resources, and the registration timeline. I will be writing to you with more information about this as we approach July.
Again, I’m very excited to serve as your class dean and to answer any questions that you might have at any point. Please do not hesitate to contact me.
Welcome!
Best,
Dean Wood