Dear Parents and Families of the Class of 2028,
The Wesleyan campus is gearing up to start the 2026-2027 academic year. The Class of 2028 is halfway to graduation now! University housing opens for returning students at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, 9/4, and classes begin on Monday, 9/7. Fall Break occurs from the end of the day on Friday, 10/26 with classes resuming on Wednesday, 10/28. We celebrate Homecoming & Family Weekend from Friday, 10/16 through Sunday, 10/18.
Juniors are now settled into their new academic homes after declaring their majors last semester; however, before getting too comfortable, I’ve encourage our juniors to recognize time will pass quickly between now and graduation. The more effort one puts into making plans for graduation and beyond at the beginning of the junior year, the more fruitful one’s senior year will be. If your student plans to undertake an honors thesis next year, it will benefit them to line up an advisor and narrow their research topic before the end of this semester. Students should consider a visit to the Gordon Career Center to contemplate life beyond college whether that includes plans for employment or graduate school. If they have not already done so, juniors should consider reviewing and applying to appropriate fellowships. Encourage them to schedule an appointment with our Fellowships advisor or to attend upcoming Fellowship Events to learn more.
This fall more than 200 members of the Class of 2028 will participate in study abroad programs in countries including but not limited to Brazil, Denmark, and South Africa! For many parents and guardians, having a student enrolled in study abroad provides an opportunity to travel vicariously and share in the joys of discovering the nuances of a foreign culture through their student’s eyes. While most students are well-prepared for their travels, life in a foreign county can present unforeseen challenges which may seem especially daunting to family members who learn about them from half a planet away. Please take comfort knowing that every study abroad program provides support resources to help students meet the cultural and academic challenges they may face while studying in a foreign country. Please take a look at the resources listed for parents and families on our study abroad page.
Over the summer, Wesleyan moved to some new software for student academic planning and records. The program is called Workday. We encourage parents to ask their students if they have uploaded their picture into the new system and submit parent(s) email contacts in case we need to reach out. If you will encourage your student to do so, it would help tremendously!
I will write to you again before the end of the fall semester. If you plan to be on campus for Homecoming & Family Weekend, I hope you will find some time to drop by and say, “Hi!” on Saturday.
Sincerely,
William M. Bisese, Ed.D.
Dean, Class of 2028
wbisese@wesleyan.edu