President's Commission
March 16, 2012
Dear President’s Commissioners,
For Wheaton, this has been a year filled with the introduction of new things, large and small. The opening of the amazing Mars Center for Science and Technology, the renovation of the Meadows residence halls, and the construction of a portable outdoor ice rink changed the campus itself. Less visibly, but no less importantly, the college added two new majors to its already impressive list.
Wheaton now offers 41 majors – and, at the next President’s Commission meeting, you will have a chance to learn about the two newest, Neuroscience and Film and New Media Studies. Each reflects changes in academia and in society; each has attracted students eager to make their mark in these new fields.
I hope you will join me and other members of the Wheaton community on Friday, April 27, to focus on “Minds and Media – An Introduction to New Majors at Wheaton." We will hear from the faculty who helped craft these interdisciplinary majors – and now teach the courses they include – as well as the students who have chosen them.
Because you are vital members of the Wheaton community, I want to ensure that you are not only aware of these new majors but have an opportunity to mine down into their contents and hear first hand from the professors who are leaders in these new disciplines at Wheaton.
Josh Stenger, Associate Professor of Film Studies and English, and Coordinator of Film Studies and New Media, will introduce you to this major along with some students expressing an interest in this connected curriculum. Associate Professor of Psychology Meg Kirkpatrick and Assistant Professor of Psychology Jason Reiss will literally walk you through the Neuroscience major in the classroom. Throughout this day, you will be able to ask questions and offer your own insights. I hope you’ll join us for this enlightening program by downloading the reservation form, tentative agenda, and three articles that you may read before our meeting by using the links provided here:
- Clive Thompson on the New Literacy
- Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century
- Neuroscience Core Concepts
I also encourage you to take a few minutes to look at the descriptions of these majors on the Wheaton website. They are http://wheatoncollege.edu/fnms/ and http://wheatoncollege.edu/neuroscience/.
Our day together will begin with check-in at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, April 27. Throughout the day and during our two breakout sessions, we will explore the following questions:
- What did you hear today that makes the Wheaton story more compelling?
- Based on today’s presentation, what are the most important ideas you think we should include in the message we convey to the public? What is the best way to do this?
- What additional majors or minors do you think Wheaton should explore that would enhance the Wheaton education and appeal to prospective students?
For those of you planning to arrive early at Wheaton, we thought we would offer you a different experience than in past years. We want to present you with an opportunity to speak informally with students in a setting that is integral to their daily lives. What better location than Emerson Dining Hall? We invite you to join us, if you arrive on campus between 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., so that you may share their dining experience as you learn more about their activities on campus.
Please register by Thursday, April 19, 2012 and note any dietary or mobility restrictions in the box provided at the bottom of the registration form.
If you need hotel accommodations, a special rate has been secured at the following hotel:
Courtyard by Marriott Boston Foxboro
35 Foxborough Blvd.
Foxboro, MA 02035
Reservations: 1-800-321-2211
$112.00 plus taxes
Rooms are blocked under the name, Wheaton College, President’s Commission. To guarantee this special rate, you must contact the hotel directly and make your reservations by Thursday, April 5, 2012.
Hotel directions are available at http://www.marriott.com/hotels/maps/travel/bosfb-courtyard-boston-foxborough-mansfield/.
Directions to Wheaton College and information about how to get around the Norton area are available at http://wheatoncollege.edu/about/our-location/traveling-to-wheaton/.
Again, thank you so much for your efforts on behalf of Wheaton and its students. I look forward to seeing you April 26 and 27!
Best wishes,
Ron
Questions about your meeting reservations should be directed to Barbara Cole at 508-286-3322 or cole_barbara@wheatoncollege.edu.
Please contact Susan Kobayashi, Program Manager, President’s Commission, and Associate Director of Major Gifts, at 508-286-3462 or kobayashi_susan@wheatoncollege.edu with questions about the meeting program.
