Dear Parents and Families of Students in the Class of 2025:
As winter closes in on New England, it’s hard to believe members of the Class of 2025 will walk across Denison Terrace to receive diplomas in just six months! Thanksgiving recess begins on Nov 27; I’m sure the seniors will enjoy the downtime the break provides. When students return, there is one week of classes, four days of reading period and five days of exams until winter break. Housing closes at noon on Dec 15.
By now, senior students should understand how they have met or will meet Wesleyan’s graduation requirements by May 25, 2025. Those requirements are: 32 credits without oversubscription, a minimum of 16 Wes credits, completion of a major, residency (six semesters for entering first-years; four or five semesters if a junior or sophomore transfer, respectively), and a GPA of at least 74.00. If your student has questions about their ability to graduate, please have them schedule an appointment with me immediately.
As graduation approaches, you may sense a bit more excitement, a bit more stress, or a combination of both in your conversations. Good questions to ask right now might include:
- “What courses are you planning to take in order to complete your major?”
- “How is your senior thesis, essay or capstone project progressing?”
- “Since you have one last semester and are nearly done with all your requirements, what courses would you like to take before you leave Wesleyan?”
Some seniors have post-Wesleyan plans while others are still unsure about life following Commencement. Here is where a bit of family support can go a long way. Encourage a visit to the Gordon Career Center (GCC) for one-on-one appointments and events focused on employment and graduate school. Additionally, the GCC hosts information on alumni who might be employed in the field your student wishes to pursue. Urge your student to connect with their faculty advisors and campus mentors to discuss next steps.
In addition to completing requirements for graduation, I’ve encouraged your student to think deeply about their plans for life after Wesleyan. Understandably we want students prepared for employment and graduate school; however, many students articulate anxiety about the life skills expected of them once they graduate college. In response to these concerns, we created a program appropriately named the Senior Send Off Series (SOS). Please encourage your student to join these sessions to help prepare for important post-college milestones.
I will write again in the new year. I hope you and your loved ones have a safe and enjoyable holiday season. To those of you who have a Cardinal completing their studies this December, I share with you a special congratulations and hope that your student intends to participate in the student-only reception (held in December) as well as the commencement activities (held in May).
Take care,
Kelly Dunn, Ed.D.
Dean for the Class of 2025
kmdunn@wesleyan.edu