Senior Year

Post-Commencement ITS Resources

by

Now that you are on to the next phase of your life, please be aware of the Wesleyan account access changes that are in store.

What Stays the Same

  • You retain your Wesleyan.edu account and it will stay on Google as long as we continue to use their services.  You may continue to use your Gmail, Google Drive and OneDrive space. Be sure to login to your email at least once a year to keep it active.  For security purposes, we disable email accounts inactive for more than one year. You will receive advance notification if that gets close.
  • You retain access to WesPortal where you can access resources such as JSTOR, HathiTrust, Project Muse, SensusAccess, Mango Languages, transcripts, and student information.
  • Should you need support regarding your account or alum access, you can continue to request support in your WesPortal ITS Help > Report an Issue.
  • Additional information about alumni resources are available here: https://www.wesleyan.edu/alumni/resources.html

What Changes 

  • June 15, 2020

    • Wireless Access changes.  Your wireless network access changes to WesGuest unless you are continuing on in a staff capacity or Graduate student here at Wes.  If so, your access would adjust with your new role.  If you will still be at Wesleyan in another capacity and lose any of the access mentioned above, please open an incident at ServiceNow.
    • Library database access ends except for JSTOR, Project Muse, HathiTrust, and SensusAccess. Alumni may access these library resources through WesPortal.
    • VPN access ends
    • Note on Research. Occasionally there are individuals who are neither continuing studies at Wesleyan nor formally employed, however are doing ongoing research that requires extended access.  If you need this access, create an incident at ServiceNow.  Please include the faculty for whom you are working and for how long you need to retain your access.
  • July 31, 2020

    • LinkedIn Learning access ends.  LinkedIn Learning access will no longer work through your Wesleyan login.  However, alum can convert to a consumer subscription or access content via a LinkedIn Professional subscription.  As long as you have your LinkedIn Learning account associated with your LinkedIn profile, all of your completed course history will be maintained.  You can connect your LinkedIn profile at any time. From any course, click the Q&A tab for step by step instructions.
    • WesCreates Access ends.  WesCreates is NOT available after July 31.  If you would like to migrate your website to a full hosting account, please visit Migration Information to determine options to have your domain and website content automatically migrated to a full hosting account at Reclaim Hosting.
    • WesFiles Access ends.  WesFiles is NOT available after July 31.  You must download and move any data you wish to keep prior to this date.  As of August 15, your files will be purged from the system and will no longer be recoverable.If you require an extension, please submit an incident via ServiceNow, provide your username and be sure to provide the date you are requesting to retain access.  You must do this prior to July 31.
    • Microsoft Office Pro Plus installations retired.  Wesleyan’s Microsoft Office licensing for local installations on student computers does not persist beyond graduation. Once you become an alumnus, your access to Microsoft Office continues with the online version only. Your version of Office installed on your computer will give you 30 days notification before it will no longer be available to you. You will continue to be able to log into the Office 365 online portal.
    • Zoom Professional licenses end.  Students who have a professional version of Zoom will revert back to the Basic version.

Commencement Cap and Gown Update

by
Here is the latest information on cap and gown orders
  • All commencement regalia that was designated to be shipped to the Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore has been cancelled.
  • All questions regarding reimbursement for these cancelled gowns should be directed to Oak Hall, our commencement regalia resource. They may either contact customer service at 800/456-7623 or customerservice@oakhalli.com. Students must make sure Oak Hall understands they’re talking about a cancelled gown from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT.
  • Students who want a cap and gown as a souvenir can still order one from the Oak Hall website and have it shipped to their home. They have until Friday, May 22nd, to order a cap and gown package. Please note, however, that gowns purchased after Friday, May 15th, might not make it to their homes in time for the virtual graduation on Sunday, May 24th….Here is the link to the Oak Hall website: https://wesleyan.shopoakhalli.com/purchasewizard/SelectEvent
  • The Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore will not sell or loan caps and gowns this year.
  • Students can order an $8 tassel from our Wesleyan RJ Julia website.
For more information, please contact:
Paula Page
Wesleyan RJ Julia
ppage@wesleyan.edu
860-685-3939

Verify your Diploma Address

by

Dear Seniors,

Congratulations on finishing your final classes during these unusual times!  I know this has been a huge adjustment for all of us.  Since we will not be able to personally distribute diplomas to the Class of 2020, we plan to mail them instead.  In preparation for this, I ask you to verify your diploma address in WesPortal.  The diploma address is your home address by default, but you can opt to have your diploma sent elsewhere.  Please take a moment before May 25 to review and/or update this address.  There is an alert box in your WesPortal that links to the diploma address application or it can be found in the “My Information” bucket.

Congratulations again!

Sincerely,

Anna C. G. van der Burg
University Registrar
avanderburg@wesleyan.edu

Cap and Gown Refund Update

by

Due to Oak Hall’s reduced hours and staffing, refunds for “ship to bookstore” orders will not show up on credit cards until approximately May 1st. We apologize for the delay. Please be assured that you will be refunded for your original purchase.

For more information, please contact

Paula Page
Wesleyan RJ Julia
ppage@wesleyan.edu
860-685-3939

Commencement Regalia Update

by

Please note that all students (Bachelor, Masters, PHD) will be able to order a “Ship to Home” package until May 15th. Oak Hall will make the ordering change to their website by Thursday, April 9th. The same rules will apply regarding returns: Students may open the box the the order came in but CAN NOT open the individual cap and gown packaging if they want the option to return the regalia. Students have 30 days to return the regalia from the day the package was shipped from Oak Hall. Students must take note of the shipping date from Oak Hall.

For more information, please contact Paula Page at Wesleyan RJ Julia at ppage@wesleyan.edu or 860.685.3939.

Commencement Regalia Update

by

What happened to my web order and how can I have a gown shipped to my home?

All “Ship to Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore” orders have been cancelled. Students should see a refund on their credit cards in about a week.

Should students want a gown, regardless of the nature of this year’s graduation, they can order one for home delivery, using the following link:

https://wesleyan.shopoakhalli.com/purchasewizard/SelectEvent

Please note the following regarding returns:

Oak Hall will accept returns 30 days from the ship date – only if the cap and gown is in its original packaging. This means students can open up the box it was shipped in, but can’t open the cap and gown packaging itself. It’s imperative that students note the ship date from Oak Hall.

What happens if we do have an on campus Commencement?

The Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore will have Commencement Regalia available for purchase in the store as well as on their website in May. If this were to happen, we’d publish details at that time.

If you have any questions, please contact

Paula Page
Wesleyan RJ Julia
ppage@wesleyan.edu
860-685-3939

Deadline Extended–Apply to be Senior Commencement Speaker

by

In light of recent events, and although no final decision has yet been made on Commencement, the deadline to apply to be senior speaker has been extended by two weeks to Wednesday, April 8.

If you would like to apply, simply submit a 200-250 word essay answering the following question:

What has your Wesleyan experience meant to you?

The essay should be roughly equivalent of the speech you wish to deliver at graduation. Completed essays should be emailed to Dean Phillips (dphillips@wesleyan.edu) by Wednesday, April 8.

All essays will be reviewed anonymously by the Senior Commencement Speaker Selection Committee, which will select several finalists for interviews from the pool.  Interviews will be conducted  in mid-April, after which the speaker will be announced.

If you are interested in becoming the senior speaker for Commencement, please don’t hesitate to submit an essay!

Good luck and all the best!

The Senior Commencement Speaker Selection Committee

Rebecca Greenberg
Maximo Lipman
Emily Litz
Emilio Weber
Professor Suzanne O’Connell (Faculty Marshal)

Updated Cap and Gown Ordering Information

by

Please note the following changes

  • Ship to Bookstore ordering has been disabled on the Oak Hall web site as of March 13th for both undergraduate and graduate students.
  • Ship to Bookstore orders that have already been placed will be on hold until March 31st (pending further instructions from the university).
  • Students who want to cancel a Ship to Bookstore order – for any reason may call Oak Hall directly to cancel the order and get a refund (800-456-7623). This must be done by Monday, March 30th. Oak Hall staff is very friendly and accommodating by phone. Students should give them either their order # or name and remind them they’re graduating from Wesleyan University in Connecticut.
  • Undergraduates who want to place a Ship to Home order will be able to place an order until May 1st. The Oak Hall website will be available for this type of ordering on Saturday, March 14th.
  • Undergraduates who want to cancel a Ship to Bookstore order and then place a Ship to Home order should: #1) Call Oak Hall to cancel their current order (800-456-7623); #2 Go on line to place the Ship to Home
  • Master’s and PHD candidates will still be able to place Ship to Home orders until May 10th.

For more information, please contact Paula Page at the Bookstore.

Apply to be Senior Commencement Speaker

by

Would you like to share your Wesleyan experience at graduation?  If so, simply submit a 200-250 word essay answering the following question:

What has your Wesleyan experience meant to you?

The essay should be roughly equivalent of the speech you wish to deliver at graduation. Completed essays should be emailed to Dean Phillips (dphillips@wesleyan.edu) by 12:00 noon on Wednesday, March 25.

All essays will be reviewed anonymously by the Senior Commencement Speaker Selection Committee, which will select several finalists for interviews from the pool.  Interviews will be conducted in mid-April, after which the speaker will be announced.

Speaking at Commencement is a unique responsibility which should be taken seriously.  If you are interested in becoming the senior speaker for Commencement, please don’t hesitate to submit an essay!

Good luck and all the best!

The Senior Commencement Speaker Selection Committee

Rebecca Greenberg
Maximo Lipman
Emily Litz
Emilio Weber
Professor Suzanne O’Connell (Faculty Marshal)

Certify your Majors, Minors, and Certificates

by

In preparation for graduation clearance it is time to certify all your majors, minors and/or certificates.

Go to your Academics bucket in WesPortal and click on the Major/Minor/Certificate Certification link. You will see a separate link for each major, minor, and certificate you have. You must first mark the courses you wish to offer in satisfaction of each requirement by checking the box next to the course.

Once you have offered the appropriate number of courses to satisfy each requirement, you must choose a Capstone Experience at the bottom of the form and click the Save button to update. Then return to the landing page where you clicked into the form and you will see a Final Submit button appear. Click it to electronically route your form to your faculty certifier.

If you wish to offer a course that does not appear on your form, you may click the “request override” link on the requirement line where you want the course to appear. Please note that you will not be able to submit your final form for certification until all override requests have been resolved, so you should submit those asap. The student deadline for submitting all Major/Minor/Certificate Certification forms is February 28, 2020. Faculty have until March 30th to certify you.

It is the student’s responsibility to submit their forms for certification. Majors, minors and certificates that are not certified will be dropped from your academic record at the end of the term.

If you have not already done so, please give this your immediate attention.  If you need assistance, please contact Susan Krajewski, Senior Associate Registrar, at skrajewski@wesleyan.edu.

Confirm your Diploma Name

by

To ensure that your full legal name is spelled correctly on your diploma, we are asking you to confirm your diploma name.  Please confirm your name as soon as possible.

In your WesPortal under ‘My Information’ click on Diploma Name. The name that we currently have on file will be displayed on this page.  If your name is correct, please click on Confirm/Update button at the bottom of the page.  If your name is not correct, please make any necessary corrections before selecting the Confirm/Update button.

Please note that you will only be able to update your name once per day – if you confirm your name in error, you will need to return to the page the following day to make any corrections.

If your name contains special characters or accents, please confirm the spelling of your name without the characters or accents.  In order to make sure that the special characters or accents appear correctly on your diploma, you will be asked to link to the Special Character Diploma Name Confirmation form and send it to the Registrar’s Office.

To make a correction to your legal name for all other university records, you will need to bring a form of legal identification (birth certificate, passport, driver’s license, or legal name change document if your name has been legally changed) to the Registrar’s Office.

The diploma name system will close on Sunday, April 19th at 11:59pm.