Office of Advancement

Alumni & Parent Relations
55 High Street
Middletown, CT 06457
parents@wesleyan.edu
860-685-2200
Please contact us with any questions, or if your contact information needs to be updated, let us know.

Dear Parents and Families of Students in the Class of 2027,

Welcome to Wesleyan!

This is the first of many letters that I will send to you over the next four years. As your student’s class dean, my job is to provide information, guidance, and support to students. While my primary concern is with student academic growth and intellectual development, this concern naturally extends to personal growth within the context of the residential liberal arts environment. This is the essence of the Wesleyan educational experience. If you sense that your student has academic concerns or may need personal support, please encourage your student to contact me. I have daily drop-in hours both in person and via Zoom.

The following are four other key resources that can guide your student through the start of classes and getting settled at Wes:

  • Liberal Arts advisors are faculty members who provide guidance regarding academic plans and authorize their advisees’ course schedules each semester.
  • Academic Peer Advisors are fellow students who have undergone training regarding academic resources and skills (such as time management and test preparation, for example) to help new students navigate the Wesleyan support structures.
  • There are also student and professional staff members in the residence halls who are trained and knowledgeable about Wesleyan’s co-curricular resources and who can provide new students with opportunities for personal growth and community engagement in the residential spaces. Residential Life has put together information for family members of new students.
  • Student Academic Resources coordinates programs for intellectual enrichment and academic support, such as peer tutoring and accessibility services, and their site offers valuable information regarding the range of academic resources available on campus.
August 30 is Arrival Day for first-year students and marks the start of the New Student Orientation Program which is designed to equip students with valuable information about academic, health, co-curricular, and community resources that will help them to make a smooth transition to Wesleyan. There will be events and workshops for parents to attend on that day.

Over the summer, your students have pre-registered for fall courses. Each student is slated to meet with their liberal arts advisors to review and confirm their course selections. Additional adjustments to course schedules may continue to take place within the drop/add period.

The drop/add period will begin on August 28, one week before the start of classes, and will end on September 15. Classes will begin on September 4. Fall break will take place from October 23-24, while Thanksgiving Break will begin on November 22 and end on November 26. Classes will end for the fall term on December 8 followed by reading period from December 9-12 and final exam period from December 12-16, with housing closing on December 17.

College is also a time of transition for parents, as it is reasonable that many parents still feel a need to remain involved in the lives of their students while also respecting their agency and autonomy. Below are a few of the resources that have been designed to address the specific concerns of parents:

  • The Parent and Families Programs site provides valuable information and a community of support.
  • Parents’ Questions for Students is a guide to the kinds of academic, co-curricular, and personal challenges that students typically face during their time at Wesleyan.
  • The Class of 2027 blog features important academic and Wesleyan-focused notifications shared with students about campus events, upcoming deadlines, and opportunities.
  • Family Weekend (October 27-29) provides an opportunity for families to experience life at Wes by attending classes and WESeminars, enjoying campus meals, cheering on our teams, and much more. I will be holding drop-in hours for parents on Saturday, October 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on a first-come first-serve basis. Feel free to stop by and say hello if you have a chance.

Please remind your students not to make plans for breaks or end of semester travel until they have checked with their professors about exams and finals as faculty are not obligated to accommodate student travel plans. Once schedules are finalized, students should know when their exams will be administered.

Although your student will soon relocate to Middletown, Connecticut, your continued love, and encouragement will only further enhance your student’s college experience. We welcome you into the Wesleyan family. If you have any concerns over the semester, please do not hesitate to contact me. In the meantime, enjoy the remaining weeks of the summer with your soon-to-be college student!

Sincerely,

Jennifer Wood
Dean for the Class of 2027 
860.685.2774 | jpwood@wesleyan.edu
https://classof2027.blogs.wesleyan.edu/