AFAM: The African American Studies (AFAM) Program at Wesleyan offers a dynamic interdisciplinary approach to the study of people of African descent in the Black Atlantic world, especially in the United States and in the Caribbean.
Argus: The student newspaper on campus which can be found online at http://wesleyanargus.com/.
Building codes: Acronyms for campus locations explained
Butts: The Butterfield student residences on Lawn Avenue that are home to both first-year and upper-class students, as well as Summerfields dining.
CAPS: Counseling and Psychological Services provides comprehensive short-term mental health. Their goal is to assist students as they navigate through life's challenges within the context of a highly rigorous and demanding academic environment.
CEAS: College of East Asian Studies was established in July 2014 through the merger of three academic units: the Asian Languages and Literatures Department, the East Asian Studies Program, and the Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies.
CCP/JCCP: The Jewett Center for Community Partnerships brings together the different offices and programs that work on university-community initiatives.
CFA: The Center for Fine Arts serves the technical and production needs of the departments of dance, music, theater and art and art history, and serves as a cultural center for the campus.
CGS: The Center for Global Studies is committed to helping all members of the Wesleyan community achieve the knowledge, language skills, and sensitivity each person will need in order to exercise effective and responsible citizenship in an increasingly inter-dependent world.
CHUM: The Center for the Humanities provides high level academic programming to energize the campus and promotes innovative research and scholarship through their faculty and visiting fellows program.
CIS: The College of Integrative Science is dedicated to equipping Wesleyan students with creative, quantitative and integrative skills.
COE: The College of the Environment seeks to develop informed citizens who can discuss environmental issues from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, understand their connections to social or political issues, and derive well-formulated independent conclusions
COL: The College of Letters is a three-year, interdisciplinary major for the study of European literature, history, and philosophy, from antiquity to the present.
Credit Analysis: The credit analysis is a review of the academic record that monitors progress towards meeting graduation requirements. You should start looking at it closely in your junior year, if not earlier.
CSB: The University utilizes a peer-based judicial system—the Community Standards Board—to address alleged violations of the Code of Non-Academic Conduct. Please contact the Dean of Students Office for information and advice if you are documented for a violation of the Code.
CSPL: The Center for the Study of Public Life brings together students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners through support of cutting-edge scholarship, high-impact teaching practices, rigorous debate, and broad dissemination of work pertaining to public life.
CSS: The College of Social Studies is a rigorous, multidisciplinary major focusing on History, Government, Political and Social Theory, and Economics.
DFC: Daniel Family Commons is primarily a faculty /staff dining space. Students are encouraged to join their faculty and staff mentors to engage in intellectual discourse over lunch.
DAC: Davison Art Collection holds Wesleyan's collection of more than 24,000 works of art on paper, chiefly prints and photographs.
Davison: The Davison Health Center is the primary care facility on campus for illness and injury.
Dean’s List: Wesleyan acknowledges high academic achievement at the end of each semester. Students who earn a semester GPA of 93.35 or better on three or more credits taken at Wesleyan will be named to the Dean's List.
Drop-add: Drop/add begins on the first day of classes each semester and is ten class days in length. Students submit their drop/add requests via their WesPortal class schedule.
FCGS: Fries Center for Global Studies coordinates myriad opportunities for students to study broad (usually for one semester during junior year). Wesleyan considers a study abroad experience as an important contribution to the liberal arts education for students majoring in any subject. A meaningful cross-cultural experience sharpens our understanding of ourselves in relation to the world in which we live and is, for most, the best path toward true intercultural expertise and multilingualism. Wesleyan Financial Aid can support approved study abroad programs so this may be more affordable than you think.
FTF/First Things First: The pre-orientation for first-generation students.
FGSS: A major program focusing on Feminist, Gender and Sexuality Studies.
Foss Hill: Foss Hill is one of the main spots on campus for hanging out, reading, sledding, etc.
FYM: First Year Matters is a program that provides new students with a common experience and introduction to intellectual life at Wesleyan. The typical components include a “common reading” of a book by all members of the class over the summer, a reflection essay that the student submits via their WesPortal, lectures and discussions during orientation, and the “Common Moment” program during orientation.
FYS: First Year Seminars are small courses intended for first-year students on a wide array of topics that feature a focus on writing.
Gen Eds: Students take courses across the curriculum to fulfill the General Education Expectations. Gen Eds are required for entrance to certain majors, Phi Beta Kappa, university honors, etc.
Grading Mode: A student's academic performance in individual courses taken at Wesleyan will be evaluated either by letter grades (A-F) or by the designations credit (CR) or unsatisfactory (U). The final choice of grading mode must be made by the designated deadline.
Hir/Ze/They: Alternative gender pronouns, hir/ze are often used by the Argus. The pronoun “they”, as well as singular and plural pronouns, are used by students on campus. Although not universal, it is fairly common to indicate your preferred pronouns when introducing yourself to others.
Incompletes: Students can request incompletes at the end of the academic term. If approved, the student will have additional time beyond the end of the semester to submit outstanding work or take the test. See your class dean for more information.
ISO: International Student Pre-Orientation is held prior to new student orientation to assist students coming from across the the globe with the transition to college and American culture.
ITS: Information Technology Services provides technical services and support to students, staff and faculty.
Jobs/Student Employment: The Student Employment Office is committed to giving students the opportunity to satisfy the work-study component of their financial aid package and assist students that are not eligible for work-study to gain employment.
La Casa: La Casa de Albizu Campos is a program house that aims to serve as a resource on issues pertaining to the Latino culture by hosting social, educational, traditional, and political events on campus.
LAST: Latin American Studies is an interdisciplinary program that is designed to provide an integrated view of Mesoamerica, South America, and the Caribbean.
Leave of Absence: Many students take a leave of absence—either academic or non-academic—at some point during the undergraduate career. Some take a leave to work or travel or to be at home with family. Others enroll at another college or university to experience a different campus environment or to take courses not offered at Wesleyan. Some students need to take a medical leave because a medical and/or psychological issue temporarily prevents them from successful and productive participation in the University.
LRT: The Language Resource & Technology Center provides support for students, faculty and members of the Wesleyan community involved in the study of languages and related areas. Course related audio and video materials are available.
MB&B: Molecular Biology and Biochemistry focuses on the molecular basis of biological processes, i.e., on mechanisms by which cells process, integrate and act on information to constitute living organisms.
Moodle: Wesleyan faculty use Moodle to manage a wide variety of digital communications with their students offering documents for download, hosting discussion forums, managing digital assignments, and more.
Neon: A local deli across from the Freeman Athletic Center.
Nics: Student residences on Foss Hill (Nicolson 5, 6, and 7) that are home to both first-year and upper-class students.
ORSL: The Chaplains from Wesleyan’s Office of Religious and Spiritual Life have been appointed by the University to ensure and promote the spiritual and religious well-being of the campus community by providing leadership, counseling, and programming that promotes holistic student development and by nurturing many diverse and vibrant religious communities at Wesleyan.
Oversubscription: The oversubscription rule is designed to prevent a student from building a program of study that is too narrow. Any credit above the academic subject or category limit will not count toward the 32.00 credits required for graduation, although the credits will be recorded on the transcript and grades will be factored into GPA calculations.
PBK/Phi Beta Kappa: The oldest national scholastic honor society, Phi Beta Kappa at Wesleyan is limited to 12 percent of the graduating class each year. Election to the society is based on grades and fulfillment of the eligibility requirements and nomination by the major department.
P-Safe: Public Safety interacts with students in academic buildings, residence halls and campus neighborhoods every day. It is their goal to maintain a close partnership with the campus community as well as those responders that assist us in keeping everyone safe.
Peer Advisors: Peer advisors act as an informed resource for all students regarding matters related to registration and study skills. They also prepare and facilitate individual sessions and workshops focusing on metacognitive learning strategies, time management, public speaking, studying and exam preparation strategies.
Peer tutors: Peer Tutors provide supplementary course-content instruction for students who request them. Tutors are employed by the University and paid by the Deans’ Office. Tutees are self-identified, or are referred to the program by professors, departments, interdisciplinary programs, the tutoring program coordinator, or their class dean.
QAC: Quantitative Analysis Center (QAC) coordinates support for quantitative analysis across the curriculum, and provides an institutional framework for collaboration across departments and disciplines in the area of data analysis.
RAs: Resident Advisors are responsible for the entire residence hall and play an integral role in establishing a community environment conducive to maximum academic, personal, and social development, and maintaining healthy and safe living conditions.
SALD: The Office of Student Activities and Leadership The Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development provides advice and guidance and acts as a resource for students and student organizations. The office enhances out-of-classroom experiences that promote personal development and leadership.
SBC: The Student Budget Committee of the WSA allocates the student activities fee to student groups and their activities/events.
Sci-Li: The Science Library, located in the center of the Science Complex on Church Street, is the divisional library for the natural and physical sciences.
STS: The College of Science & Technology Studies is a dynamic interdisciplinary major that examines the sciences, medicine and technology as integral to society and culture.
Summies/Summerfields: Summerfields is a dining space located in Butterfield C.
Syllabus: A description of a course and its readings, deadlines, and assignments throughout the semester.
The Marketplace: The dining facility on the second floor of Usdan.
The Ride: Catch the RIDE at locations throughout campus and make the trek across campus both quick and safe. The RIDE runs every night during the academic year from 7:00 pm until 4:00 am, and there is a free local grocery shuttle service every Sunday.
University Major: The University Major affords first and second-semester sophomores the opportunity to design a rigorous academic program that responds to their individual interests and aptitudes, that provides the excitement and the challenge of using the methodologies of two or more disciplines, and offers the chance to work independently on an entire program, developing the necessary background and integrating the courses chosen in order to achieve the objectives that are set.
Usdan: The Usdan University Center is a focal point of activity and central programming space for the campus community.
WesStation: Located in the lower level of the Usdan University Center, WesStation is here for all of your postal needs.
WesCard: Your WesCard is your Wesleyan ID and is used for meals, access to buildings, etc.
Wesleying: Wesleying is a 100% student-run and student-generated blog about all things Wesleyan—what goes on at Wes, what Wes students are doing, what Wes students care about.
WesMaps: WesMaps is a full listing of courses for a given academic year, searchable by time, major requirements, Gen Eds, etc.
WestCo: WestCo, or West College, is a residential hall that seeks to embody a respectful community where residents pursue group initiatives based on the interest of its residents and provides an atmosphere of tolerance, encouragement, and activity.
WesMASS: Wesleyan Math and Science Scholars Program The Wesleyan Mathematics and Science Scholars Program is a two-year program that begins the summer immediately prior to a student’s first year at Wesleyan. The summer program consists of several pre-matriculation activities to prepare students for the academic expectations in Wesleyan math and physical science courses. Over the two academic years, scholars participate in a variety of workshops and activities aimed at building sustained relationships with faculty and peers.
WesWell: WesWell, the Office of Health Education, understands the impact of student health on academic performance and is committed to providing services that are designed to develop healthy behaviors and prevent health concerns that may interfere with academic and personal success.
Wes Wings/Swings: Located at 156 High St, Wes Wings is a privately-owned campus dining venue loved for its wings (clearly), cookie dough, really everything. (Wes Wings can be a bit more expensive than other dining options on campus so watch your budget!)
Withdrawal from a Course: Students decide to withdraw from courses for any number of reasons, such as illness, family emergency, or an inability to fulfill the requirements for the course. Students have until a week before the last day of classes to determine whether they need to use this option. If you withdraw from a course, you will receive a W, which will be recorded on your transcript. You would use this form.
Withdrawal from the University: Students may voluntarily withdraw from the university. This does not include withdrawal from courses if the withdrawal occurs after the course withdrawal deadline. Students who voluntarily withdraw from the university are eligible for readmission.
WSA: The Wesleyan Student Assembly, the main form of student government on campus, aims to empower student voices on campus to enact meaningful, impactful, and lasting change. They bridge the gap between students, administrators, staff, faculty, and other community members to illuminate needs and create solutions that will meet those needs.
X House: Malcolm X House is a residence for Wesleyan students who wish to live in an environment dedicated to the exploration and celebration of the cultural heritage of the African Diaspora, both for themselves and for the larger Wesleyan community. It is located at 345 High Street.