End of Travel Season

Hey everyone. Apologies for the lack of postings over the the travel season but it has been quite a last few couple of months. Counselors at WNE are wrapping up their last week out on the road. We have thoroughly enjoyed meeting prospective students and their families at countless high school visits, mini fairs, and college fairs during the fall. I know I have had a blast being in four different states over the past two plus months. I've enjoyed my usual territories of eastern Massachusetts and Pennsylvania as well as two additions to my schedule in the Catskills area of New York, as well as the state of Florida which I was fortunate enough to visit for two weeks.

Now that we are nearing the end of travel, it is important to revisit the application process! Counselors have already been desk-deep in application review for our incoming class of 2018. We eagerly await your application! As a reminder, WNE works on a rolling admissions process, so the sooner you apply, the sooner you will receive a decision from us! There also was a slight change to our admissions policy this year as we no longer require first quarter senior year grades for many of the majors at WNE. If a student is taking Pre-Calculus as a senior and is applying to the College of Engineering, Pharmacy, or some of our science and math majors, we will need to see your first quarter senior year grades. If you are applying to any of those programs and have already taken Pre-Calculus or if you are applying to other majors, first quarter grades are not required. The following items are the remainder of what is needed in your application:

1. Completed application (Common Application OR the Western New England University application)
2. Application fee of $40
3. Official high school transcript
4. SAT and/or ACT scores (send us all of your scores so we can take your highest Critical Reading and Math scores of the SAT and the English, math, and composite scores of the ACT)
5. Essay as mentioned on the Common Application
6. At least one letter of recommendation

Please submit the above items via mail, email, or fax to the Admissions Office and we look forward to reviewing your application soon! If you have any questions about the school or the admissions process please contact learn@wne.edu. Happy fall!

-Drew

...And We're Back!

School is back in session here at Western New England University. A special welcome to incoming freshman and transfer students who will comprise the class of 2017. Move-in day for freshman students was a success on Friday, August 23rd with the rest of the school moving in on Saturday, August 24th. Classes began on Monday, August 26th for all students this year, so we are off and running! Here is an update on some of the things that have been going on here at WNE recently:

-The renovation of Sleith Hall is still ongoing. Many offices and hallways have been renovated in time for the first day of classes but there is much more to be done! A separate two-story addition to the rear of the building is in progress with an anticipated completion time of early 2014.

-Convocation occurred on Friday, August 23rd with approximately 800 students making up the freshman class. These students represent 20 US states and 9 foreign countries.


-The University recently received a $1 million donation from the Frances Cohen estate which was used to construct the new the Frances and Norman Cohen Trading Room and Financial Center. This facility gives students access to Morningstar Direct, which provides detailed and historical financial information about stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and commodities. The Center, located in Churchill Hall, also provides real-time stock tickers. The donation provides as part of an investment course an opportunity for students to trade a $100,000 investment fund under the supervision of faculty and a business/alumni advisory board. Finally, the donation will be used towards additional merit scholarships for Juniors and Seniors in the College of Business.

Drew

What's New This Summer?

Hope everyone is having a fantastic summer! Today marks our last day of SOAR (Summer Orientation and Registration). In total we had 6 different sessions which brought together our group of incoming students. This was an opportunity for both freshman and transfer students to meet each other, potentially find roommates, register for classes, and learn more about what is offered on campus. Hopefully those of you who came to SOAR had an enjoyable experience. We can't wait for you to arrive on campus later next month!

Besides welcoming our students to campus, we have also been undergoing some major construction. If you have been to campus recently you may have seen the commotion around Sleith Hall. Sleith holds our Engineering classrooms and the building is the midst of impressive renovations. The plan is to put on an additional 8,600 square feet on the back end of the building and also complete $8.6 million worth of interior updating. We hope that the entire project should be completed by 2014. Further updates include:

• A second computer facility

• Four laboratory facilities for the Civil and Environmental Engineering program

• Freshman Design and Innovation Lab

• An expanded Instrumentation Lab

• A hospital suite, built to simulate a hospital environment for the rapidly growing program in Biomedical Engineering

Additional classrooms, offices, conference rooms, and increased space for student services are also in development. There will also be several updates in technology within each classroom in Sleith. To see some of the pictures of the construction progress thus far please visit this link: Sleith Hall Renovation Pictures.

Drew

SOARing into Summer

'Tis the season for graduations! Western New England University's Commencement was held this past weekend in the Alumni Healthful Living Center. WNE conferred 547 undergraduate degrees in addition to 163 master's degrees, 7 doctoral degrees and 159 law degrees.  Congratulations to all of our graduates on a job well done, we will miss you all but are confident that you will succeed now as a result of your Golden Bear experience!

While WNE was in the midst of its commencement exercises, our incoming students are wrapping up their illustrious high school careers! We wish you the best of luck as you finish out your senior year and eagerly await your arrival here on campus.  For accepted students whom are still interested in attending Western New England University next fall, we ask that you fill out your admissions response form and submit a check, money order, or credit card transaction made payable to Western New England University in the amount of $100 if you are looking to commute to campus or $400 if you wish to have housing on campus. If you have any questions about the deposit process, please do not hesitate to contact our Admissions Office at 413-782-1321 or visit this link.

For those of you who have already deposited here at WNE, you have an exciting few weeks ahead! You should be receiving in the mail information regarding Summer Orientation and Registration (SOAR) and placement testing. All students are required to take both English and Math placement tests prior to coming to SOAR. You can find these tests on your Connect2U account. Registration is now open for SOAR sessions. To register for SOAR please call 413-782-1312 or visit this link.  Summer Orientation is a critical part of your WNE experience. Here students will be meeting their fellow classmates including potential roommates, selecting their classes for their first semester of college, learning more about the important resources on campus, hearing from current students on their experiences, finding out more about the Bear Tracks program, and much more! Please review the dates of our SOAR session offerings to select the best option for you.  To review these dates and see the timeline of events as a deposited student, please visit our deposited students website with this link.

We hope that you are getting excited for what promises to be a fantastic incoming freshman class! To begin meeting some of your classmates, please join our Class of 2017 Facebook Group which can be found by logging into your Facebook account and searching "Western New England University Class of 2017" or by clicking here.  Have a fantastic summer and we look forward to seeing you on campus soon!

Drew

Alternative Spring Break

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

            This semester, I had the opportunity to serve as a Learning Partner for one of Western New England University’s Alternative Spring Break (ASB) trips. For those of you that aren’t familiar with ASB, it is an opportunity that allows students to engage in meaningful direct service while exploring social issues and building relationships. At WNEU, the program has been active since 2001. This year, trips were led to 4 different locations: Radford, VA, Immokalee, FL, New York, NY, and Memphis, TN. Each trip had a planned agenda. I was fortunate enough to help lead the trip to Memphis where we worked with patients and families at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and served in the Memphis Botanic Garden.

            The reason I wanted to help lead an ASB trip this year was to connect more with current students at WNEU. As an admission counselor, a lot of my time is spent working with prospective students. Since I personally did not attend WNE, I wanted an experience that would help me convey to prospective students what it means to be a current student here. In other words, what is it truly like to be a Golden Bear?

            From the minute our plane touched down in the “land of the Delta blues,” our group was ready for service. At the Memphis Botanic Garden, we spent time pruning holly bushes, sorting crafts and re-mulching the children’s playground. The staff at the garden services thousands of children each year in the greater Memphis area. Their job is to make children aware of the connection they have with nature. The facilities span over 96-acres—there is always work that needs to be done. Though strenuous at times, the work we did in the garden strengthened our team. The WNE students encouraged one another and always had a joke or story that kept the group laughing and made the work fun. Our hosts at the garden were the embodiment of southern hospitality. We were often thanked for the work we did and even treated to a Memphis BBQ luncheon on our last morning!

            Many evenings were spent in one of the three satellite houses that service St. Jude Children’s Hospital. These “home away from homes” are where families stay when a child is a patient at the hospital. Our group was responsible for serving 150+ people dinner each night. Though the work that we did was at times stressful and emotionally draining, I witnessed the students support one another and complete each task as a team.

Our nightly reflections revealed the thoughts that many students had about his/her experience on the trip. Many connections were made between the work we did in the Memphis communities and how we can bring what we learned back to Springfield communities. The 8 students on my trip had given up their spring break—a week typically associated with beaches and relaxation—to learn about a new community and to serve the people that were part of it. By the end of the week, I came to know more about the type of student associated with the WNEU community. They are active; they are caring; they are engaged. They associate  learning with experiences that take them beyond the classroom. I encourage you (whether you’re a current or prospective student) to explore the opportunities available to students at this University. The ASB program is one way that WNEU can help you discover the best version of yourself.

Post by: Abby Meachem, Admission Counselor

For more information on our Alternative Spring Break trips, please visit the website: http://www1.wne.edu/lbc/index.cfm?selection=doc.7138

 Group shot at the Botanic Garden

 WNEU students Courtney Brown, Danny Venegas, and Corey Brown show off their gardening skills at the Memphis Botanic Garden.

We did have time for sightseeing! This is the entire group at Graceland.

WNEU students photographed outside St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN.

New Year, 'WNEU' You!

Hi Everyone!

I hope the New Year has been especially exciting and rewarding for you all. I’m sure many of you have made resolutions to become a 'better' you this year. For those considering Western New England, we hope that 2013 ends with a new you right at home on our campus! Who can you become as a WNE student??

An active citizen: Many of our students become active citizens by working with our Center for Civic Engagement. Through direct service, education and reflection students become involved in local, national and global communities. This year students have helped with Sandy Relief, rebuilt homes that experienced severe damage in VT, tutored local Springfield students and are planning 3 extended service trips for over the spring break. Why not pledge to become a better you by getting involved in your community this year? The Center for Civic Engagement at WNE can help you get there! Check out this video of our recent trip to VT: http://bit.ly/WViD4M.

A leader: At Western New England, faculty, staff and current students encourage you to stand up for what it is you believe in. There are many ways to do this on campus, including involvement in one of our 60 clubs and organizations. From student government to residential life, there’s opportunity for all to make a difference in the campus community. One example of leadership taking place on campus is the “Girls and Women in Sports Day.” The 14th Annual Western New England University “Girls and Women in Sports Day” is scheduled for Saturday, February 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Alumni Healthful Living Center. The free event is a community service program designed for girls between the ages of 7 and 12 from the greater Springfield area. Through leadership, our female student athletes provide role models for local youngsters.

An athlete: What better way to start a new year than becoming the healthiest possible “you”? Our Alumni Healthful Living Center provides opportunity for our student athletes to build both teamwork and muscles. For those who aren’t members of one of our 19 varsity sports, the AHLC offers intramural programs and fitness classes to help you get fit. Check out the list of intramural sports currently offered at WNE: http://bit.ly/V490kR.

We wish you all the best of luck becoming a “new you” in the New Year. If nothing else, we hope that 2013 makes all of you prospective students decide to become a permanent part of the WNE community!