Program Elements

What To Expect as Part of WellesleyPlus?

1. Enhanced Academic Opportunities

Students choosing to accept the invitation to participate in WellesleyPlus will be pre-registered for one of two designated First Year Seminars in the fall semester: POL111 Freedom of Speech with Professor Tom Burke and SOC 137 Reading Sociology: Using Literature as a Sociological Window with Professor Peggy Levitt. You can see the detailed course descriptions in the First Year Seminar listings here. Both of these seminars will help you work with both quantitative and qualitative materials in innovative ways. Both are excellent introductions to College. (As you consider these options, see the schedule information here.)

The WellesleyPlus students will also participate in our "Success Seminar", a series of classes designed to teach students the skills of being successful college students. These sessions will be led by Lori Tenser, Dean of First-Year Students, Roberta Schotka, the Director of our Learning and Teaching Center, and John O'Keefe, the Director of Advising. Topics to be covered will include setting good goals for college, learning and teaching styles, time mamagement, using electronic resources, reading and study strategies, working with faculty members, and preparing for internships. These may seem like simple things, but they are actually things that all college students need to master in order to be successful. Students will not earn credit for this part of their experience, but will benefit in very tangible ways. You can see the schedule for the Success Seminar here.

In the spring, all students will take a First-Year Writing course designed to solidify their grasp of the skills needed for success as a college-level writer. Two courses have been designated for WelleselyPlus students, allowing their shared academic experience to continue into the spring semester. Writing 124 The Spectacle of Gender will be taught by Professor Wini Wood, the former director of our writing program and Writing 123 The Wire and the American City will be taught taught by Professor Lynne Viti. Both of these courses will help students develop their writing skills as they work with a wide range of texts, including visual texts. You can see the full course descriptions here.

2. A Supportive Advising Team

At Wellesley, we believe that establishing a relationship in the first year with at least one faculty member is critical to success in college. Mentoring relationships provide support to students as they build on their existing academic strengths, set new goals, and develop new strategies. Students in WellesleyPlus also will work closely during their first year with a designated advising team including connecting with one of four faculty advisors, two First Year Mentors, an Academic Peer Tutor, the Director of the Writing Program, and with the Dean of First-Year Students and the Director of Advising as Student Life Advisors. Regular meetings with these advisors will assist students in making a successful transition into Wellesley and in connecting to campus resources easily and effectively. These advising meetings will also provide the basis for strong mentoring relationships to develop, particularly with the faculty advisors.

3. Shared Student Experiences

WellesleyPlus also will include enriching outside-the-classroom activities that will emphasize the importance of collaborative learning in your Wellesley experience. In addition to the bi-weekly meetings for discussion of what it takes to be successful at Wellesley, occasional outings together during the year, and regular interaction with a variety of faculty and staff members throughout the fall semester will complement the classroom work the students are doing in their seminars and writing courses, as well as the more individualized work being done with the advising team. Additionally, we hope to offer an opportunity for WellesleyPlus students to participate in an off-campus service project during a portion of our wintersession (as we have in some past years), since this kind of work is an important way to connect our academic and civic lives.