Campus Life

At Wesleyan, there’s celebration in difference. And during his WesFest welcome address, President Michael S. Roth ’78 encouraged students to listen to other perspectives to learn as much as possible so they can benefit from those differences. “You're not going to learn much from other people—faculty or other students—who share all your views or your experiences,” Roth said. “When we talk about the value of diversity, we don't just mean demographics—that's part of it, of course, life experience, that's part of it—we want you to encounter people whose views are different from your own.” At WesFest, admitted, and some committed,…

Foss Hill is the place for gatherings. Commencement, Spring Fling, baseball games, the first snow fall. They are all occasions for people to grace the grass. Some do it in the spirit of achievement and others in the name of pure, good ‘ole fashioned fun. On April 8, hundreds of Wesleyan students, faculty, staff, and local community members came together on the University green for a different reason—wonder—as a partial solar eclipse passed above them. The Astronomy Department hosted an eclipse viewing on Foss Hill and in the Van Vleck Observatory in partnership with the Russell Library. Organizers passed out…

By Rose Chen ’26 A long running campus tradition during Black History Month, students, faculty, and other community members came out for Jubilee, Wesleyan University’s celebration of Black art and talent. “I knew that Jubilee was an event I wanted to plan because the legacy of Black expression through music is really important to me,” Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality Intern for the Resource Center Alise Mackey ’24, who was the student liaison for the Black History Month planning committee, said. “Through playing music on campus I’ve been able to experience amazing community and meet great friends. Music has also had…

By Rose Chen ’26 “The Cry Is Always the Same: We Want To Be Free,” held in the Daniel Family Commons was this year’s Black History Month event organized to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Featuring protest songs and discussions about the civil rights issues that affect Black people today—and other groups across time—the Feb. 21 gathering was a participatory workshop that brought students and faculty together. The Resource Center, the Office for Equity and Inclusion, the Department of African American Studies, the Center for African American Studies, and Olin Memorial Library sponsored “The Cry is Always…

Wesleyan’s Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) chapter is inspiring the next generation of scholars to dig into the world of science and lend a hand to energize the young crop of students that will follow them. SACNAS, led by Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry Tere Padilla-Benavides and a group of student officers, is dedicated to supporting diversity and inclusion in the sciences and helps to foster the success of underrepresented groups in STEM. The group’s mission is to show students from underrepresented backgrounds that a career in science, or an adjacent path,…

Universities and colleges across the country are asking what the role of higher education is in supporting our democracy in the run-up to the 2024 election. This question will take center stage at Wesleyan University in February at the Democracy in Action convening, a two-day seminar seeking to make clear how students, faculty, staff, and alumni must all commit to defending democracy. Taking place Feb. 16 to 17, the Democracy in Action convening will feature a keynote address by author, academic, reverend, and activist Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, sessions led by faculty, students, and outside experts exploring topics that lie…

Herbert A. Arnold, Professor of German and Letters, Emeritus, passed away on January 7 at the age of 88. Herb completed his studies in Germany and the US, receiving his PhD from the University of Würzburg. He arrived at Wesleyan in 1962, and taught in the German studies department and the College of Letters for 41 years until his retirement in 2003. “Trained as a historian, Herb also had a spectacularly broad and deep knowledge of European literature and Western philosophy,” recalled Krishna Winston, Marcus L. Taft Professor of German Language and Literature, Emerita, “which made him a perfect fit for both…

Snow touched down on Wesleyan University's vast greenery and stately buildings for the first time this season on Jan. 6. A few brave residents slowly ventured out through the cold to the top of Foss Hill with plastic sleds in tow and slipped down its slopes—a must do for all snow-going Wesleyan folk. Photos by Meka Wilson.

It has been a consequential year at Wesleyan. The University announced the end of legacy admissions and loans, policy changes aimed at improving the access and affordability of its liberal arts education. It also launched the largest fundraising initiative in school history. While Wesleyan was focused on its mission to provide a diverse group of students with an expansive and broad education, its students continued to learn and create and faculty continued to make significant contributions in their fields of study. Throughout the year, the Wesleyan Connection has documented this creative and compassionate community hungry to have an impact on…

Willette Burnham-Williams’ goal in her new role as Wesleyan’s vice president for Equity and Inclusion is to be the best servant-leader she can be. She has recently been appointed after a nationwide search that included the input of faculty, staff, and students. Burnham-Williams will begin on March 4. “I come into this position to serve the students, but also to serve the faculty and my colleagues. For me, it’s about being someone who is there to support and advocate, and to collaborate and co-facilitate,” she said in a recent interview. Burnham-Williams comes to Wesleyan from the Medical University of South…

Students from high schools across the country are getting the chance to “live like a philosopher” thanks to a Wesleyan course taught by Tushar Irani, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Letters. The course is offered through Wesleyan’s partnership with the National Education Equity Lab—an initiative that seeks to democratize college access and advance education justice by providing college-level courses to students attending Title 1 high schools across the country. (The New York Times wrote about the program previously.) There are six high schools participating in the course—from Albuquerque to El Paso to the Bronx—with a total of over 75 students…

Wesleyan’s newest Phi Beta Kappa Society members plan to impact the world through service, research, policymaking, music, literature, and art. There were 15 high-achieving Wesleyan students inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society at a ceremony in the McKelvey Room on Dec. 6, joining over 500,000 members from 293 campuses across the country. They join former presidents, members of Congress, and Nobel Laureates as part of the nation’s oldest scholastic honor society. “It is really an impressive honor,” said Wesleyan President Michael S. Roth ’78, who is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. “It's not just your grades, it's not…

At WesFest, Admitted Students Share Opinions on Diversity of Thought, Open Curriculum

Gallery: Wesleyan, Local Communities Flock to Foss Hill for Eclipse

Wesleyan Celebrates Black Art and Artists at Jubilee

Students, Faculty Discuss Civil Rights at Workshop Honoring Martin Luther King

Wesleyan SACNAS Chapter Helping to Prepare Next Generation of Scientists

Anand Giridharadas to Close Democracy in Action Convening

Herbert A. Arnold, Professor of German and Letters, Emeritus, Dies

Gallery: First Snow of 2024

Wesleyan’s Year in Review 2023

Burnham-Williams Named VP for Equity and Inclusion

High School Students ‘Live Like A Philosopher’ Through Partnership

Fifteen Students Inducted to Phi Beta Kappa