Showing: Administration

Tuition to Rise 5%; Financial Aid 11%

Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees voted last weekend to increase tuition and residential comprehensive fees by 5% percent for the 2010-11 academic year. Tuition will be $41,814 for all students in 2010-2011. For freshman and sophomores, the residential comprehensive fee will be $11,592. For juniors and seniors, the fee will be $13,176.

“Although we are mindful of the difficulties inherent in annual tuition increases,” says President Michael S. Roth, “in order to maintain our high quality liberal arts programs and our scholar-teacher model we must increase tuition in the coming year.”

Roth went on to say that “Wesleyan is financially stable and has a balanced budget because we have significantly reduced expenditures over the past two years. We are raising student charges by the smallest amount needed to maintain our fiscal stability.” After consulting with the Board of Trustees, Roth emphasized the importance of minimizing expenditures that do not directly affect the experience of students so as to reduce the need for significant tuition hikes in the future.

Posted by rshenker on March 12, 2010 at 2:13 PM | Comments (0)

We Have to Protect the Children: Beta Edition

So I just read the campus-wide email (dang, crash beat me to it) sent by Deans Rick Culliton and Mike Whaley about Beta’s independent status on campus. I would like you all to join me in a resounding “WTF?”

Not that I keep up with frat news or anything, but I haven’t heard of anything really out of the ordinary happening at Beta in the 3.75 years that I’ve been here. I think a lot of us already knew that the house was privately-owned. And I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that 100% of us knew that people drink a lot at the frat. So what’s the point of this email?

Apparently, the Deans are simply worried about our safety and have taken Beta’s reluctance (failure?) to regain official recognition from the university as a sign that Beta bros don’t care about underage drinking in their house. [They mention "safety concerns and behavioral issues" and "illegal and unsafe behavior" but I think that's just referring to the drinking, right? Is there something else we should know about, Deans?] And the worst part of it all is this: “Beta has chosen not to enter into an affiliation agreement with the University and to continue to prohibit Public Safety from addressing behavioral and/or safety concerns on its property.” That’s right, Psafe can’t bust Beta parties!

Read More »

Posted by whatshername on March 5, 2010 at 1:57 PM | Comments (29)

Wesleyan Health Study

Take a few minutes out of your day to reflect on your sex, drug, and health habits (or lack thereof); participate in the Wesleyan Health Survey. Check your inbox for the email from the NCHA for the link:

The National College Health Assessment Web survey (NCHA-Web) sponsored by the American College Health Association (ACHA), would still like to hear from you. The NCHA-Web is a survey designed to assess student health behaviors in order to provide better services and support for Wesleyan students. You may benefit by knowing that you have assisted in providing accurate information regarding health behaviors on your campus.

Survey results will be used to develop health programs for Wesleyan. We encourage you to complete the survey in one sitting, which typically takes about 20-30 minutes. There may be some personal discomfort with the content of certain questions. For example, there are questions regarding illegal behaviors such as illegal substance use and sexual behavior. Your participation is completely voluntary and confidential. Your name or email address will never be associated with your responses. You may answer only some questions, or you may choose not to participate in the survey at all.

Read More »

Posted by Sheek on February 22, 2010 at 3:22 PM | Comments (0)

MOCONAUGHGEDDON!! Mococalypse Now

*This post has been stickied to the top of the page. Check below for new posts.*

Last semester Michael Roth revealed that the Board of Trustees was considering demolition the likeliest option for McConaughy Hall.  But now that it looks like that will actually happen! Soon!

According to Physical Plant VP Joyce Topshe, Mocon is scheduled for demolition this summer, and is already being stripped down for hazardous material this week in preparation for that larger project.

And we are overcome with nostalgia! As a member of the graduating class of 2010, I am part of the last generation of Wes students to remember what is was like to eat in that giant spaceship, and it is so bittersweet. And we’re not alone – the Save Mocon Facebook group, created last week, already has over 500 members.

So, what to do, if anything? On the one hand, pressing financial concerns and logistical issues limit any further usage of the building. On the other hand, there is overwhelming sentimentality calling for… something… to be done.

According to the Argus, Physical Plant’s assessment of Mocon is that it is “unsound for contemporary purposes” – after almost 50 years of use, it fails to meet standards of environmental friendliness, is expensive to heat and cool, and apparently costs up to $20,000 to maintain when in use; it also has more limited accessibility to people with disabilities and a much smaller seating capacity than Usdan.

Which are all valid points – clearly, there’s no viable way to use the space in anything near its former capacity. The administration has written it off because any renovation of the structure would be costly and inefficient, and wants to do away with it sooner rather than later because it “presents a safety risk” if left standing. Eventually, presumably after a lot more money comes through, new student dorms will probably be built on the location.

People have been throwing around ideas for alternative uses for the structure – what about only sometimes, for events? Yes, Mocon was a much better venue for Halloween dances, and Foss Cross, and Queer Prom, and the B’nei Mitzvah party, than Beckham Hall or the hockey rink. But however inadequate those venues may seem in comparison to those who remember, the novelty factor of keeping Mocon around as a sporadically used event space is likely outweighed by the administration’s concern for the bottom line.

Miles Bukiet ‘11, creator of the Save Mocon group, suggests that the expense of temperature control is the biggest kink in the works regarding the possible salvation of Mocon – if we find a use for it that avoids the energy issue completely, perhaps saving it would be worthwhile. Maybe so, but it’s unlikely that we’ll figure out such a use without a large groundswell of support from current students and alumni.

In fact, the University has already considered other options for use of the space which might have been acceptable to current students and alumni attached to the building, even drawing up estimates for how much each one would cost.

Read More »

Posted by Sheek on February 16, 2010 at 1:05 AM | Comments (26)

WSA’s Meal Plan Analysis, Revisited

A couple of weeks ago, the Argus printed a story titled “WSA Targets Meal Plan: Unused Meals and Points Estimated at $1 Million,” along with an editorial (cache) about the usefulness of the WSA’s analysis of meal plan usage. Despite the potential for serious reflection on the meal plan and student dissatisfaction with their options, the Argus went the way of criticizing the mathematical limitations of the analysis and defending the current system as the administration’s best possible effort. If someone had told me that Dean Rick Culliton himself wrote the editorial then the Argus’ stance would make a little more sense to me. As it is, I’m going to have to assume that whoever wrote/approved of the article and editorial either did not understand what was presented in the memorandum sent out to members of the administration or simply missed the point.

Wesleying has gotten a copy of the analysis (available here, courtesy of the WSA) and, after a conversation with WSA President Mike Pernick ‘10*, I think I have gotten a pretty good handle of  the key points and implications of the analysis. Quite a few of you must agree with the perspective the Argus took, but I am taking this as an opportunity to look at the data from the perspective of a frustrated student.

*Our conversation clarified the analysis itself and what the WSA’s biggest concerns were. Opinions in this post are entirely mine.

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Posted by whatshername on February 15, 2010 at 4:00 PM | Comments (57)

Roth’s public response to the Kannam legal situation

roth smirkRe: the Thomas Kannam lawsuit. In a campus-wide email and on his blog, President Roth briefly lays out the case against Kannam and says he’s got this.

Key details in boldface:

Many of you are aware that Wesleyan has commenced litigation against former Vice President and Chief Investment Officer Thomas Kannam. For those of you hearing about this for the first time, here are the basic facts: On September 30, 2009, Wesleyan received a report through its Whistleblower Policy concerning Mr. Kannam’s potential violation of Wesleyan’s Conflict of Interest Policy. This report was fully and promptly investigated. We believe that Mr. Kannam was a principal in one or more other substantial business ventures and that his work was potentially in conflict with his responsibilities at the University. As a result of this activity, Wesleyan believes that Mr. Kannam had, at a minimum, violated the Conflict of Interest Policy and his employment agreement with the University. Mr. Kannam was terminated on October 13, and on November 24 Wesleyan brought suit in Connecticut Superior Court against him and related parties.

An unpleasant matter like this one, touching a community like ours, stimulates questions and speculation as a matter of course. In this case our strong desire for transparency must be weighed against both legal interests and institutional policy regarding personnel issues. Given the pending litigation, it would be inappropriate for me to comment at length. What I can say is that the situation, while disappointing, is no cause for alarm. However, the University has an obligation to all those who have supported it over the years to hold members of the campus community to the high standards expected of them, and this litigation reflects just how seriously the University takes its fiduciary responsibilities and adherence to its policies. Once the nature and scope of Mr. Kannam’s activities were revealed, we acted quickly and judiciously.

Wesleyan’s endowment is being overseen by the Treasurer’s Office in close consultation with the Portfolio Subcommittee of the Board of Trustees. A search process is underway that will result in new leadership for endowment management, and I will be able to report on this in the spring. In the meantime, I am gratified by the continuing support the University has been receiving from its alumni and others.

Michael S. Roth
President

An assertive statement, yet tactful, considering the situation. I don’t suppose we’ll be hearing a rebuttal from the other side anytime soon.

In the meantime, things are heating up.

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Posted by Sheek on January 15, 2010 at 8:32 AM | Comments (4)

Wes sues former VP Tom Kannam for $3 million

Cue populist rage!!

Unless you’re a particularly keen watchdog of the administration, you probably paid little attention to the departure of former Vice President of Investments and Chief Investment Officer Thomas Kannam back in October, via a vaguely worded all-campus email stating that he had “left Wesleyan University to pursue other opportunities.”

As it turns out, Kannam is now being pursued by the University in a $3 million lawsuit, for civil theft, fraud, statutory forgery, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment, among other charges.

Thomas Kannam, via FacebookThere’s been no public announcement of this, but according to a late scoop by the Argus,the University filed its suit in the Middletown Superior Court on November 24. Kannam’s employment was terminated on October 13th, presumably soon after his misconduct was brought to light. The basic details of the suit are available here on the State of Connecticut’s Civil Inquiry website – Kannam is listed at the top of a list of about twenty other defendants.

Kannam oversaw a period of steady growth of the Wesleyan endowment, which peaked above $700 million in 2007, but dropped significantly after the stock market bust in 2008. He was the second-best paid employee on campus, with a $460,000 paycheck in 2007, but clearly that wasn’t enough.

According to the Argus, Kannam violated his contract with the University by spending more of his time on “personal entrepreneurial ventures” than his duties at Wesleyan, which involved presiding over investments and the growth of the University’s endowment. The University’s complaint states that Kannam had been improperly profiting from his position since 2001, by exploiting his privileged access to Wesleyan’s financial information with several outside investment ventures, including the Cross Border Capital Advisors (CBCA) and the Belstar Group.

He is also accused of sitting on several corporate boards without letting the University President know of his involvement with them, as his contract required him to do. Among the corporate boards he sat on were his father’s company, Advance[d] Device Technology Inc., which supplies infrared devices to the United States military, and Vietnam Capital Partners – sure to further enrage anyone (SEWI, SDS) who supported the University’s divestment from weapons contractors like Raytheon two years ago.

Despite receiving healthcare benefits and pension from the Belstar Group, and being named their “critical endowment asset” because of the secret financial information he was able to leak to them, Kannam apparently still took business trips on their behalf at the University’s expense. The University also accuses Kannam of fraudulently and routinely using Wesleyan funds for personal expenses, such as golfing outings, international travel, and a trip to the 2008 Super Bowl (!!), among other things.

Kannam allegedly used non-financial University resources for his personal ventures as well, by offering to have staff at the Wesleyan Investment Office handle Belstar projects, and using the services of Wesleyan’s Quantitative Analysis Center (QAC) for Belstar without paying any fees.

According to the University, Kannam was perfectly aware of the conflicts of interest and tried to hide them, especially in the wake of the post-Enron-scandal Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which set higher standards for oversight by corporate boards. He was also worried that he’d have to “lay low” after the arrival of new president Michael Roth in 2007, whose oversight would presumably not be as conducive to fraud and theft as former president Doug Bennet’s was.

The Investment Office was in North College when Kannam first started working at Wes, but the University claims that he lobbied to have his office moved into its current location at 74 Wyllys Avenue, which Kannam called “The Taj” and used mainly to conduct his personal non-Wesleyan business away from the prying eyes of colleagues.

The University released some of Kannam’s email correspondences from his personal work computer at “The Taj”, which include these somewhat implicating statements:

Read More »

Posted by Sheek on January 5, 2010 at 4:19 PM | Comments (30)

Vote Aubrey Hamilton ‘12 for the SBC

Aubrey Hamilton ‘12 writes…

london2


I love being a part of the SBC, and here’s why you should re-elect me:

  • I have sat on the Student Budget Committee for 3 semesters.
  • In addition to allocating funds for hundreds of student groups on this campus, I have worked extensively with many of them to make their events and programs run as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
  • I will keep working to make sure that SBC funds are distributed evenly and fairly in a way that supports all of the diverse student interests on campus.
  • I will continue working to make the SBC more accessible and efficient, so that all students can easily access SBC funds and so campus events and programs continue to grow in quality and in number.
  • In addition to the WSA and the SBC, I currently sit on the Committee for Investor Responsibility (CIR). I have also served on the Fountain Avenue Policy Commission, the Social Event Policy Committee , and the Wesleyan Emergency Medical Services Working Group.

Vote for Aubrey Hamilton at http://wsa.wesleyan.edu/voting/

Thanks!
Aubrey Hamilton

Posted by rshenker on December 15, 2009 at 11:56 PM | Comments (5)

“Are You Wesleyan” para-admissions campaign

Hey remember that terrible “Are You Wesleyan?” thing on the new admissions page? The one that’s still up despite the overwhelmingly negative student response to it in the month since it launched?

Judging by the initial reactions of the people in the administration who were involved (defensive irritation from Assistant Dean of Admissions Tara Lindros, ambivalence from President Michael Roth), they assumed that our vehement outrage would naturally simmer down to latent resentment over time.

It seemed they were right, but NO MORE.

At least, Aural Wes finally posted the initial results of their LOL-based alternative admissions project, intended to display a more revealing side of the student body. Some results below, click through for the full AW write-up.

Hardcore posturing Wes, from Will Tomlinson. DO OR DIE:

I am Wesleyan (bleed cardinal red)

Stupiddrunk Wes, from Adam Schlesinger ‘10. Empty PBRs, A; dashiki and boxers, A+.

are you wesleyan

BougieWes, from Ben Bernstein ‘10. We’re so civilized, you guys:are you wesleyan2

Synesthetically-hallucinating-Wes, from Andrea Neustein ‘09:

are you wesleyan3

Add to the glory: make your own para-admissions photo and send it in. You could stay up all night making friends for life, or you could do this. Find out how after the jump.

Read More »

Posted by Sheek on December 15, 2009 at 6:07 PM | Comments (12)

A brief history of Fire Safety violations

Damn, that agreement caught fire...

Damn, that agreement caught fire...

As Sahm noted, David Goldman ‘12 of the WSA sent out a mass email notifying the student body that the administration consciously broke a previously established agreement between the WSA and Fire Safety that inspections (known to some as thinly veiled drug raids) would only happen during a specified “Fire Safety Awareness Month.” This agreement was made to protect student privacy, and was a benchmark in ongoing negotiations with Fire Safety.

Here’s a little history for those (Freshmen) who don’t know:

Fire Safety has had a long and contentious relationship with the Wesleyan student body. Inspections in previous years have resulted in arrests when marijuana was found in the rooms of a few students. Also check out the Argus article on the arrest in 2007. Students have also protested the harsh penalties that used to be charged for minor infractions (My roommate and I were charged $100 my freshman year because we left a stick of incense in the room), especially since the money was being used in ways that didn’t seem to make sense. The most notable was a proposal during the spring of 2007 to construct a model dorm on Foss Hill and then burn it down, either as a scare tactic or to show students how fire works. Check it out. Although Fire Safety seriously considered this, it never happened as the result of student protest and public shaming. Another project, which was actually carried out, was the donation of many of the items confiscated from student dorms for being fire safety risks to families in Portland (across the river) who had just lost their homes to fire. (I find it hard to believe that I was the only one to see the irony in this, but there was little discussion of the matter.)

Midway through last semester, the Argus  announced that Fire Safety said that they had completed their inspections for the year. In a move that was either a simple reversal of the administration’s word or an honest remedy of a miscommunication between the administration and the Argus Fire Safety sent out a campus wide email refuting the Argus’ claim. Check out the our post on it here.

After this controversy, the WSA worked with administrators to reach the recently violated agreement. Now, just when we thought a somewhat acceptable compromise had been reached, we get this.

Right: Students look on in horror as an administrator, clad in camo and a helmet for fire safety reasons, literally cuts up the agreement with the Student Body using a power saw.

Left: Image taken from www.firefighternation.com.

Firefighter641x635

Students look on in horror as a camo clad administrator cuts up the WSA/Fire Safety agreement with a saw.


Posted by Avocado on December 14, 2009 at 11:50 PM | Comments (4)

Wes ED Decisions Tomorrow

scared teen

ZOMG! Future members (and rejects hopefuls) of the Class of 2014 get their admissions decisions tomorrow (Friday, that is), according to an email sent to all ED 1 applicants:

Early Decision Round One applicants to Wesleyan are invited to participate in our online notification. The online decision notification page will be available from 3:00 pm EST Friday, December 11 through 5:00 pm EST Friday, December 18. During that period applicants will be able to log on to the link below to access their admission decision letter.

Totally makes me nostalgic for college admissions (not). Wes applications somehow magically grew 10% this year, which is even more absurd given last year’s highly publicized 20% jump. From Roth’s blog last week:

Last year our applicant pool was as strong as ever, and it was more than 20% larger. Most university observers expected us to have some decline in apps this year, which is the normal rhythm at schools like ours. But the latest figures show that we have continued to grow—this year by more than 10% over last. The geographical and cultural diversity of the pool continues to improve, and the academic credentials of our applicants are truly impressive. I’m glad I don’t have to read the files!

If you know any ED applicants, be sure to wish them luck and give that whole “everything will work out in the end and you’ll be happy no matter what” speech. That one never gets old.*

College_App_cartoon*Actually, yes it does.

Posted by Zach on December 10, 2009 at 1:07 AM | Comments (4)

Attention Juniors!

Junior year is almost halfway over… can you believe it? To make your life easier, we’re bringing together all the resources you need to succeed. Thursday night at 7pm, stop by the Hi-Rise Lounge for dessert from a local bakery and to talk to:

- The Peer Advisors, who will be answering questions about time management and studying for finals
- The CRC, who will be giving an overview of when to start thinking about GREs, LSATs, MCATs, grad schools, and internships
- The Writing Workshop Ford fellows, who will explain how to start planning for a senior thesis or essay
- Dean Garrett, who will talk about GenEds, graduation credits, oversubscription and planning for senior year.

Date: Thursday, Dec. 10
Time: 7pm
Place: High Rise Lounge

Posted by Heather on December 8, 2009 at 4:20 PM | Comments Off

Other Stephen Morgan Sues Wes

stephen morgan - cornellLast spring, in the immediate aftermath of the Broad Street shooting, the Middletown Police provided the Wes Public Affairs office with a photo of the suspect, Stephen Morgan…and we all noted how it looked nothing like the man in the surveillance camera footage.

After some finger-pointing between Wes and MPD, it was discovered that the initial photo was actually of a Cornell sociology professor by the name of…Stephen Morgan. That Stephen Morgan has now filed suit against the University, claiming he suffered “humiliation, mental anguish and emotional distress” because of the mix-up:

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Posted by Ben on December 2, 2009 at 4:25 PM | Comments (34)

Adorno and America: a Symposium

Many of the major works of the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory were written in the USA during the Second World War. Critical Theory’s dislocation from its European origins is significant not only historically but also philosophically: the exiled intellectuals were convinced that an effective theory of culture and society could be realized only in America, where capitalism had reached its most advanced state. The symposium will reflect on how the American experience of the Frankfurt School’s most prominent representative, Theodor Adorno, informed the evolution of Critical Theory. Against the cliché of Adorno as a detached high-culture mandarin, the symposium will offer a more intellectually and factually accurate investigation of the American dimension of his thought.

2:15: Coffee and Cookies
3:00: Welcome and introduction (Ulrich Plass)
3:15: Adorno’s American Reception (Joshua Rayman, Savannah College of Art and Design)
3:45: No Man’s Lands: Refuse and Refuge in Adorno’s American Experience (Matt Waggoner, Albertus Magnus College)
4:15 Questions
4:30 Coffee Break
4:45 Devices of Shock: Adorno’s Aesthetics of Film and Fritz Lang’s Fury (Ryan Drake, Fairfield University)
5:15 Adorno Unplugged: The Ambivalence of the Machine Age (David Jenemann, University of Vermont)
5:45 Questions and final discussion

A symposium hosted by the Center for the Humanities and the Theory Initiative. Co-Sponsored by College of Letters, German Studies, Sociology, College of Social Studies, Philosophy, History, American Studies, and the Dean of Arts and Humanities

Date: Dec. 4
Time: 2:15pm – 6:00pm
Location: Russell House (corner of Washington and High Street)

Posted by Heather on December 2, 2009 at 2:10 PM | Comments Off

Yo WesPilgrims, Diversionary Mirth At Hand

129037711750731786

0))) ‘10 just posted something brilliant over at AuralWes. I think you should go and participate. There are some dark, hilarious places in the picture-bowels of facebook…. I will summarize/ copy paste here:

here’s the deal: if you think the new admissions site is totally fucking stupid, condescending, and more than a bit disingenuous, you can create your own alternative! find your favorite wasteyface, shit-disturbing, or otherwise seedy photos of yourself and then head on over to icanhascheezburger.com. once there you can use their “advanced lolbuilder” to caption anything you want…however you want…in that iconic lolcat font we all love. SO, AURALWES IS HAVING OUR FIRST CONTEST EVAAR!!!11! (omfg)
Make your BEST para-admissions picture and send it over to auralwes@gmail.com

(on a side note, is anyone starting to think that, far from being a misguided attempt at making our HAWT SCHOOL look good, the new admissions website is actually some kind of guerilla genius instigation of this kind of mockery? they are getting so much play out of this.)

Posted by Braille on November 27, 2009 at 12:28 AM | Comments (1)

Dinner and Discussion on Sexual Violence at Wes

Sent in by Ari Tolman ‘10:

The administrators who were involved in putting on this fall’s Anti-Violence Symposium are interested in hearing from students about what Wesleyan needs to do around issues of sexual violence prevention and response on campus.

Come hang out in WOODHEAD LOUNGE on THURSDAY, NOV. 19TH at 6:30 pm for DINNER and a student discussion space. Share your thoughts and needs! Learn about what resources Wesleyan has and what activism has been happening around these issues.

Facebook event here. Invite your friends, this should be a very important discussion for the campus community.

Date: Nov. 19
Time: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Place: Woodhead Lounge

Posted by Heather on November 18, 2009 at 12:58 AM | Comments Off

Jay Cantor’s Great Neck: Martyrdom, Mirth, and Mayhem in Middle-Class Politics

Jay Cantor Event Poster

A conversation between writer Jay Cantor and President Michael Roth, Wesleyan University. A MacArthur Prize Fellow, Jay Cantor is the author of two previous novels, The Death of Che Guevara and Krazy Kat, and two books of essays, The Space Between: Literature and Politics and On Giving Birth to One’s Own Mother.

Date: Nov. 18
Time: 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM
Place: Albritton Center 311 (The Shapiro Creative Writing Center)

Posted by Heather on November 17, 2009 at 10:13 AM | Comments Off

Are We Wesleyan? Thoughts about the new website

The Wesleyan website has been needing an overhaul for awhile, and after yesterday’s unveiling, it clearly got a major one. It seems more functional than it used to be, and it looks easier to find things than before. It’s more interactive – this Academic Sampler thing is cool.

But why is the entire site now an Admissions brochure? I wasn’t aware that we need to recruit new talent this desperately.

wesleyan new homepage2

The real big problem is the ill-advised “Are You Wesleyan?” series on the Admissions page, a series of trite rhetorical questions that are supposed to define our exceptional Wesleyan character. Or reveal our gloriously unique lack of definition, or something.

It’s more than a matter of taste. Yes, it’s clearly lame and makes Wesleyan students sound like tools. But moreover, it’s just trying way too hard. Why are you trying so hard, Admissions? It’s unseemly.

Applications are at a record high, and we already have a bigger draw than our peer institutions. Over the past few years Wesleyan has somehow greatly increased its cachet among applicants, without marketing itself as aggressively (and, well, desperately) as this Admissions page does.

Don’t mess with that! Whatever we’ve been doing has clearly been working. Advertising this blatant and un-self-aware will definitely not make Wes any more desirable than it already is to prospective students, and may well turn away those interesting, intellectually engaged applicants whose sensibilities are assaulted by the infuriatingly eager tone this site is trying to hustle them with.

Read More »

Posted by Sheek on November 13, 2009 at 8:40 AM | Comments (26)

Do you take it… in the Butts?

TwitterSuspended_540x512Twitter-bound Wesleyanites have started a sweet hashtag based on our brilliant new redesign and the very, very dramatic slogans encapsulated therein. (nano twitter tutorial: hashtags are essentially a way of categorizing tweets based on a common feature or meme.) the hashtag is #iamwesleyan.

Some choice examples:

Would you stay up all night…. just to read an anonymous confession board?

Do most of your contacts…. have hyphenated last names?

Are you prepared…. to change your sexuality?

Do you contemplate infinity…. just for the fun of it? Do you contemplate infinity…. just for the fun of it…. ON WEED?

Would you like to know more? -> linkkkkkkk

Posted by Braille on November 12, 2009 at 7:06 PM | Comments (4)

New Wesleyan Website

wesleyan new homepage

So the Wes homepage (including “About, Academics, Campus Life, Alumni, Parents, and Offices & Services pages”) got a major makeover. It launched today, and it looks . . . different.

Some semi-coherent observations from the ACB:

I appreciate the efforts to revamp the website, and totally respect the amount of time and work that went into making the changes, but those “Are you Wesleyan?” “surprise-ending” questions…yeah….pretty effin hysterical.

And:

Worse is the front page, where it says “the liberal arts university” (with “the” in italics) next to a picture of kids in a science class laughing and using the latex safety gloves like balloons.

It might as well say “don’t respect us” (with “don’t” in italics)

Thoughts?

Posted by Zach on November 12, 2009 at 12:48 PM | Comments (17)

Roth on HuffPost: “Remember the Maine Elections”

Spoiler alert: Michael Roth doesn’t like systemized discrimination any more than you do. And he’s not afraid to say it.

In a powerful new piece on the Huffington Post, President Roth responds to Maine voters’ repeal of gay marriage this week:

When two people in love decide to tie the knot, the community around them is filled with joy and support, right? But then on Election Day the voters of Maine decreed that Joan and Mary shouldn’t be able to save the date, plan the meals, send the invitations, hire the band, and join with family and friends in affirming their commitment to one another. On Election Day, under the paranoid banner of defending marriage, the voters of Maine decided that Joan and Mary were not welcome to come with family and friends to the beautiful coastline. Maine voters would protect marriages between men and women in their state by excluding my friends who thought to bless their own union on Maine soil.

Say what you will about HuffPost, but I’m giving kudos to Roth for putting a personal face on the people who are, y’know, actually affected by gay marriage. When a state as historically progressive as Maine still can’t embrace equality, then these stories clearly aren’t being broadcast enough.

Read the whole thing here.

Posted by Zach on November 6, 2009 at 1:23 PM | Comments (1)

College of the Environment likely to be officially unveiled this weekend

Environment-12440631231Wesleying sources have revealed that the long-heralded College of the Environment is likely to be officially unveiled this weekend, amidst 50th anniversary celebrations for the College of Social Studies and the College of Letters.  Just how similar the COE will be to the notorious work-intensive CSS and COL remains to be seen.

Environmentallly-minded frosh and pre-frosh, rejoice.

Posted by Jacon on November 4, 2009 at 1:44 AM | Comments (1)

More on Faculty Salaries

Ezra Silk ‘10 was inspired by our earlier post about Michael Roth’s salary to do a little digging through other people’s tax returns and provide us with some interesting research on faculty compensation. Thanks Ezra. Check out his article in the Blargus. Highlights include:

Thomas Kannam, VP & Chief Investment Officer: $460, 610

Barbara Jan Wilson, VP President for University Relations: $260, 334

John Meerts, VP for Finance and Administration: $240, 060

Jeanine Basinger, Chair of the Film Studies Department: $213,420

Many of those who commented on our earlier post bemoaned the fact that many of our program budgets have been cut while our president is paid so much money. Just to clarify the discussion, we are working on compiling a list of the programs whose budgets have been cut. (Any help in this effort would be appreciated.)

Posted by Avocado on November 4, 2009 at 12:44 AM | Comments (5)

Usdan Jack-o-Lanterns on display

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At the information desk on the 1st floor you can see jack-o-lanterns on display, made to showcase the Usdan administrative departments’ Halloween spirit.

I’m impressed by the matter-of-fact sincerity of Usdan Operations’ 2nd-prize-winning Usdan-o-lantern (above), but in a zeitgeisty move, the Wild Thing carved by University Events & Scheduling (below center) was given the grand prize.

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More after the jump.

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Posted by Sheek on October 31, 2009 at 9:03 AM | Comments Off

Wesleyan is Expensive!

Nobody is surprised! HuffPo listed the Top Ten most expensive colleges in the country (yearly tuition + room/board), and Wesleyan is #11 at $50,862.

The Top Ten:

1. Sarah Lawrence College — $54,410
2. New York University — $51,991
3. The George Washington University — $51,730
4. Bates College — $51,300
5. Skidmore College — $51,196
6. Johns Hopkins University — $51,190
7. Georgetown University — $51,122
8. Connecticut College — $51,115
9. Harvey Mudd College — $51,037
10. Vassar College — $50,875

Dredging up that old Gawker faux-battle with Sarah Lawrence, Jared Keller ‘09 muses:

“So hey, they may be our main competition for ‘most annoying liberal arts college,’ but they pay more to do study post-modern economics and grow beards like something a blind bird built.”

See the full Top 100 list at Campus Grotto.

Posted by Sheek on October 22, 2009 at 5:38 PM | Comments Off

It’s Getting Hot in Hurr… NOT

finished_chickenIn this unseasonably chilly weather, nothing feels better than snuggling up in your bed with your Wesleyan (TM) blanket, gently baking like a beautifully seasoned chicken. But lately I’ve felt more like the chicken in the freezer at the supermarket, cold and unloved by whomever is controlling the heat.

My woodframe has had to call Physical Plant 3 days in a row because we didn’t have any heat. And each time PPlant came in, did their thing, and left. The heat came back and we rejoiced until we slowly realized that we were wearing multiple layers INSIDE.

Anyway, that’s nothing to post about in and of itself, but it seems that this is not an isolated incident. Apparently Fauver (senior at least) has been having some heating problems as well.

And if you went to Usdan tonight, you might have noticed that there were only paper plates and plastic silverware and cups. My naive self thought it had something to do with trying out new eco-friendly options in the dining areas. But then a deductively-gifted individual suggested that it was because they had no hot water to wash the normal diningware. Anybody know the story? [EDIT (11:23 pm): The commenters have spoken, check it out below.]

But the worst part is this: a little birdie told me that budget cuts are responsible for at least some of these problems. According to this source, maintenance wasn’t done when it should have been this summer and now we’re dealing with the consequences. Hmmm….. somebody has some ’splainin to do.

In the mean time, let’s assess the situation. Commenters, help me out- are you feeling the heat?

Posted by whatshername on October 20, 2009 at 12:59 AM | Comments (18)

WSA Discussion Tonight: Budget Priorities Report from the Faculty

From today’s WSA email:

This week the WSA will be discussing the Budget Priorities Report from the Faculty. It will be a critically important discussion about the things that the faculty would like to see cut as we try and reduce our costs for the coming year, versus what we, as students, would like to see cut (or, rather, what we feel must be preserved during the next round of cuts)

We will also be discussing the possibility of a Green Fund to be used towards Sustainability.

So come out to Usdan 108, tonight at 7 PM.

  • What: WSA discussion: Budget Priorities Report from the Faculty
  • When: 7 PM, tonight, October 18
  • Where: Usdan 108
Posted by Zach on October 18, 2009 at 6:25 PM | Comments Off

Aural Wes on the Decline of the Wes Music Scene

Aural Wes, Wesleyan’s unofficial but well-pedigreed music blog,  has a very pointed editorial by senior contributor “O)))”, a.k.a. Max Lavine ‘10, who is pissed about Public Safety’s enforcement of the Code of Non-Academic Conduct in shutting down a show last weekend, and generally disappointed in a perceived decline in both the administration’s attitude and students’ enthusiasm towards student-organized music events on campus lately.

Last weekend, WESU’s 70th Anniversary show in WestCo Cafe was shut down by Public Safety after only one act played out of three scheduled punk/hardcore bands, for reasons unspecified by the author. Apparently people present thought this was a major overreaction to the offense, and the author is upset that the bands’ and student organizers’ time and energy in putting the show together were wasted.

bottle up and goThe editorial finds this incident symptomatic of an administration increasingly hostile towards the independent music scene at Wes:

[...] the point I want to make here is greater. I’ve been organizing shows regularly on this campus for a good while now and it has become increasingly clear to me that Wesleyan has rapidly made itself into an environment that is extremely inhospitable to any sort of independent music scene. The bureaucratic requirements for booking shows are as myriad as they are constantly shifting and dysfunctional; most of the time when bookers have succeeded in jumping through each flaming hoop provided by the multiple organizations (who don’t really communicate with each other) necessary to deal with in booking, something tends to go awry anyway. When you’re dealing with bands whose primary income is not their music (e.g. 99% of working musicians), its terrible for them and embarassing for us when they get paid late or don’t get to play their set because someone was in a meeting, anonymous noise complaints get called in, or PSafe decides to arbitrarily exercise their power to end a perfectly well-mannered show.

I don’t want to make this out to simply be some kind of administrative conspiracy though. It is pretty obvious at this point that, relative to my freshman year, the administration has sought to regulate and normalize ever greater swathes of campus and has tended to turn autonomous student community like that found at student-run concerts into a liability to be controlled instead of something to be fostered and celebrated. And surprise, surprise the number of concerts that go on here has STEEPLY declined since my freshman year. But that’s only half the story.

That’s nothing new – people have feeling this for awhile now (most vocally so in recent memory when Eclectic was banned from hosting shows last semester), and complaints  about the administration homogenizing Wes have been around forever.

This author also blames this year’s WestCo residents for being apathetic/lame, and implicitly wonders whether the WestCo we (at least, current upperclassmen and recent alumni) have always known is on its way out:

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Posted by Sheek on October 15, 2009 at 10:31 PM | Comments (15)

Day of Remembrance, Violence Prevention, and Healing: A Symposium

From Camara Awkward-Rich ‘11:

On Friday October 16th, there will be an anti-violence symposium to address varying issues of violence in relation to the Wesleyan community. It will include workshops, speakers, and a reception that deal with practical responses to, and systemic conceptions of, violence and healing. Please come, and invite your friends!

candle

1 pm – CONVOCATION (Beckham Hall)
Michael Roth, President, Wesleyan University
Dr. Karen Singleton, Director, Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Program,
Columbia University
Dr. Suriya Baluch, Director, Sexual Harassment/Assault Advising, Resources, and
Education, Princeton University

2 – 3:15 pm – SESSION I
- Personal Safety Awareness (PAC 022)
Former Police Chief of Middletown Lynn Baldoni
- Stalking Awareness and Response (PAC 004)
Middletown Police Department & Wesleyan Public Safety
- Relationship Violence Awareness and Prevention (Usdan 108)
Karen Singleton and Suriya Baluch (see convocation info above)
- Hate Crimes (2:00) and Cultural Awareness (3:30) (PAC 001)
Azekah Jennings, U.S. Dept. of Justice
- Conflict Resolution (PAC 125)
Alex Fernandez, Women & Family Center
- Healing (PAC 107)
Pastor Joan Burnett
- Calling Men: Being an Ally (Usdan 110)
Emily Rothman ‘94 and Marc Bergeron, Massachusetts Dept. of Public Health

3:30 – 4:45pm – SESSION II
All workshops will be repeated, with the exception of Hate Crimes (2:00) and
Cultural Awareness (3:30), both in PAC 001

5 – 6pm – “A Call to Action” Closing Reception (Daniel Family Commons)
Beth Ann Morhardt, Prevention & Training Coordinator, CT Sexual Assault Crisis Services

Posted by MV on October 12, 2009 at 12:10 AM | Comments Off

Give us money, or the tree gets it

Life may not continue after death, but you’ll be comforted to know that Wesleyan keeps the guilt trips coming after you graduate. This slip came in the mail today from the Wesleyan Fund:

The Wesleyan Fund Wants You(r Money, Or We'll Kill This Tree)

Text: “Wesleyan solicits approximately 24,000 alumni, parents, and friends via postal mail at least once each year. Many receive additional mailings. By making your gift early, you can help save resources and contribute to Wesleyan’s commitment to environmental sustainability. As an added incentive, the money saved on donor mailings can go where it counts: financial aid, teaching, and campus improvements.”

Layin’ it on thick, huh, Wesleyan Fund?

Posted by Holly on September 24, 2009 at 8:30 PM | Comments (9)