May 2009
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May 2009 |
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| ~ Welcome to the latest edition of the New Student Programs Newsletter for 2009! We have lots of updates and information for you!~ |
Mentorship Program:
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As the spring semester comes to a close, we want to remind all of our new and 1st year Wesleyan Rams of our Mentorship program. We will be gearing up again for the fall semester! Whether you are a true freshman, or a seasoned transfer student just joining Texas Wesleyan, we have found time and again that it is incredibly beneficial to your university experience to have a mentor. Partnering with someone who is either a faculty or staff member here at Wesleyan, or even an upper classmate who’s been down many of the same roads you’ll travel, a mentor can offer invaluable advice, inside information to campus and area events, and a kinship that will all help make your university experience the best it possibly can be! Who can become a mentor? Any Texas Wesleyan faculty or staff member, or upper level student who wants to give a little back to a new student looking to have a great experience here at Wesleyan! It’s great service experience, something extra you’ll be able to put on a resume, and who knows, you just might make a friend or two! We hold a luncheon for mentors-mentees at the beginning of the spring semester, and try to do some events together as a program group throughout the fall and spring semesters. Mentorship partners can meet formally a few times during the semester, or informally as often as they determine. If you are interested in having a mentor, or becoming a mentor, please contact our Coordinator of New Student Programs/Transfer Liaison- Julie Handley at (817) 531-4923 or jhandley@txwes.edu. You can also visit our website and request a mentor or mentee at: http://www.txwes.edu/freshmentor/index.htm. The more resources we can offer our Wesleyan students, the greater chance of success we provide them! |
| NEW | We are very excited to announce a new discount ticket program in partnership with Texas Rangers Baseball: TEXAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY DAYS AT RANGERS BALLPARK IN ARLINGTON ! All students, faculty, staff, family, and friends are eligible to purchase discounted tickets to select Texas Rangers Baseball games as shown on the linked flyer here: 2009 TWU Rangers Days. The available seating areas are highlighted and ticket ordering information is shown. There will also be more available game dates for the second half of the season that will be announced in June. There is a special promotion happening at the Rangers Ballpark during or after each of the selected game days, so be sure to show your Wesleyan pride by wearing your Texas Wesleyan gear and joining us for some Texas Rangers Baseball this season as we celebrate Texas Wesleyan University Days at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington! If you have any questions regarding purchasing the tickets, please see the Texas Rangers contact information on the flyer, or you can call or email me at jhandley@txwes.edu. Thanks so much, and we hope to see you there! |
| Team Members: | Meet the Staff located in or around the Student Success Center |
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Julie Handley, Coordinator of New Student Programs and Transfer Liaison, is the latest member to join the Wesleyan team. She comes to us after completing her BA in history at Texas Christian University in December 2008, and receiving her AAS in marketing from TCC in 2004. Julie possesses a long coordination career history, including working as the Event Coordinator for the Texas Rangers Baseball Team in Arlington, and as Client Service Coordinator- Department Lead- for AMS Television Production Group in Dallas. She also served as the Assistant Director of Catering for Spring Creek Companies for many years. Julie is married to a Western Iowa Tech graduate, and they have a black lab dog and 2 cats to keep them busy at home. She enjoys playing tennis, cooking out with friends, traveling, and reading in her spare time. Please drop by the library and introduce yourself to Julie the next time you get a chance, as she is anxious to get to know as many of you as possible! Email her at jhandley@txwes.edu anytime.
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Stacy Dissinger has also moved into the Academic Success Center (formerly the ARC) and joins the New Student Programs team as the Assistant Director of Freshman Advising! Stacy has been employed with Texas Wesleyan since 2005 joining us from the Office of Admission, and is a Wesleyan graduate as well. She and her husband Mark are expecting their first baby in June! You can contact Stacy at 817-531-5824 or sdissinger@txwes.edu. |
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Michael Anne Greer joins the Academic Success Center as the new Learning Specialist. Many of you may already know Michael, as she is moving over from the college and career counselor position in Career Services, and obtained both her BS and MS in Psychology right here at Wesleyan! She can be reached at migreer@txwes.edu. |
Melody Bell Fowler, Director of Student Success Programs and Services, was appointed in the summer of 2007 to direct Texas Wesleyan’s new developmental program. Melody comes to Wesleyan from North Lake College in the Dallas County Community College District, where she served as an English instructor. Melody received her BA in English from the University of Texas at Austin and her MA from Texas Woman's University. She is married to a Wesleyan graduate, Larry Fowler. They have one son, Brennan. Melody enjoys camping and watching her son play sports. |
 Dr. Katherine Prater, Director of Advising and Chair of the Chemistry Department, was born in El Paso. She attended Texas A&M University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry in 1994. In 1998, Dr. Prater completed her Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Kansas. She is currently beginning her tenth year at Texas Wesleyan University. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching sports, and playing Frisbee golf with her husband, Greg. Dr. Prater also enjoys reading and playing games with her daughter Megan and son Chandler. |
NSP Spotlight: Student Activities/ Student Life |
Michael Chaney wears many different hats in Texas Wesleyan's Student Life department. He is the Coordinator of Student Activities and Volunteerism, as well as the Greek advisor and Leadership Program Director that will begin this fall. Michael is also the contact person in Student Life for Student Council/Government, and student social and academic organizations around campus. They have several activities and programs going on and getting started at Wesleyan. Beginning March 12th, Michael and Student Life, along with Pastor Robert Flowers of Polytechnic Methodist Church, will be hosting a "World Cafe" discussion series every other Thursday at 7:00pm. The topics will cover various current events, with light refreshments provided and approximately 5-20 students attending each session. Invitations will be sent to differnt students and professors to give to their students each time, in hopes of involving more of our student population in Wesleyan leadership activities as well as current world events that will affect their future. For more information, or to learn how to be a part of this new discussion series, contact Michael Chaney at mchaney@txwes.edu, or (817) 531-4870. As Michael believes, "You get out what you put in," so be active in your education and community! Student Activities is still planning to hold the annual "Slip into Summer" event in late April or early May, date to be determined. This is just a great fun day for students to take a little break from studying for finals and cramming for papers and take a ride down the giant slip-n-slide! For more information on student organizations around campus, the coming Leadership Certificate Program, or to seek approval for an organization you are trying to start at Wesleyan, please contact Michael Chaney at mchaney@txwes.edu or Aaron Whaley- Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Activities- in Student Life at awhaley@txwes.edu (817) 531-4871. |
| Developmental Programs |
The purpose of the Texas Wesleyan Developmental Program is to help students persist to graduation by providing appropriate developmental education in order to perform satisfactorily in college-level coursework. Wesleyan offers developmental reading, math, and English courses. These courses are designed to improve students' skills. Usually after only one or two developmental courses, most students are ready to progress to college-level courses. Studies show that students who started out in developmental courses have a tendency to do very well later in college-level courses. The developmental courses do not count towards hours needed for graduation, but these hours do figure into a student’s overall GPA. Email: mbell@txwes.edu or call (817) 531-4919 to find out more about our Summer Bridge Programs in Math and Reading for new students! |
Texas Wesleyan Commencement: Friday, May 15
Brooks has had a long career in public affairs. He served for 14 years as Precinct Administrator for Tarrant County, Precinct One. Additionally, he served three terms (six years) on the City Council for the city of Forest Hill, during which time he served as Mayor Pro Tem for four years. As Commissioner of Precinct One, which includes Texas Wesleyan’s neighborhood, Brooks has been integrally involved in the redevelopment of the Polytechnic/Riverside neighborhoods. He included the reconstruction of East Rosedale Street in the 2006 Tarrant County Transportation Bond Program and has continued to support it as needed with $3.3 million from his Precinct’s discretionary road fund. Commencement activities begin at 11 a.m. Friday, May 15, with the robing ceremony in Polytechnic United Methodist Church,1310 S. Collard St., Fort Worth. Graduation will be at 7 p.m. that evening in the Fort Worth Convention Center Ballroom, 1201 Houston St., Fort Worth. Note: The graduation ceremony will be in the Convention Center Ballroom, located on the second floor. Please be advised that there is another graduation taking place in the convention center arena that evening, so attendees are encouraged to arrive early to allow enough time for parking. Parking is available in the Convention Center Commerce St. Parking Garage ($10) and at the downtown campus of the Texas Wesleyan School of Law (see map for both locations). Click here for driving directions and additional parking information. For more information about May commencement activities at Texas Wesleyan University, contact Krista Hughes at 817-531-4472 or khughes@txwes.edu. |
Henderson Receives St. George National Award
Henderson has served the Society for 25 years on the local, state and national level. He is currently the Board Chair for the High Plains Division, which includes Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. As chair and vice-chair of the newly formed High Plains Division Board, he has provided leadership to ensure a smooth transition of the merger. He has been an active member of the National Assembly and has taken key leadership roles in numerous local Society programs and projects, including prevention projects at the elementary and secondary levels. |
Placement testing for incoming new students begins soon, and must be taken before orientation/registration. Appointments must be scheduled, so please contact Julie Handley at jhandley@txwes.edu, or (817) 531-4923 to make an appointment if you need to take any placement exams before your orientation date. |
Advising for Sophmores-Seniors begins March 23, with Priority Registration for Summer and Fall starting on March 30. May Term classes begin May 18; Summer I classes begin June 8; and Summer II begins July 14. Fall semester will resume August 25th. |
Link to Final Exam Schedule: http://www.txwes.edu/registrar/documents/FinalExamScheduleSpring2009_000.pdf Tips for studying may be found by visiting our Academic Success Center webpage. Click here to get great helpful hints and ideas. |
Click on the links below to find more events coming up this fall: |
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Wesleyan will be offering the THEA Quick Test once per month! The Quick test is the same as the |
| Career Services can help you with computerized job searches, forward job postings to your Wesleyan e-mail address, email your resume to companies of interest, help you develop your resume to market your skills and abilities to employers, and conduct mock interviews to polish your interviewing skills |
| Career Service Mentorship Program is a new service being offered to students at Wesleyan. Students are paired with junior and senior level students who share their same major. By participating in the program, students get guidance and direction from other students about courses in their major, which courses to take alone and which can be combined, how to handle course overload, and ways to get involved in organizations within their major. For more information contact Sherri Mata at 817-531-6552 or smata@txwes.edu. |
The mission of the Cashier’s Office is to assist students and their families in understanding their financial responsibility to the University regarding their student account. The office provides additional services to facilitate individual attention to students, faculty and staff, with a dedication to customer service. |
Students must have their Student ID number (printed on the University-issued picture ID) to access student account information. Please contact the Cashier's Office should you have any questions. Cashier's Office Information |
Important Information The cashier’s office is happy to announce a new updated payment plan that offers more options and flexibility and it’s cheaper! Please visit the website for more detailed information. Reminder: In order to not have a financial hold, students need to set up their payment plan (no initial down payment may be due if you sign up early!) or pay in full with financial aid or by other means.
Schedule of Payments:Sign into RamLinkClick on Make a Payment under Financial Information.
cashiersoffice@txwes.edu the cashier’s office’s primary email address. RAMLINK- the key to your personal school information, your account balances, grades, class schedule, financial aid and degree audit. When checking your account summary, be sure to choose account summary by term. This is your account per semester. RamMail- check you RamMail frequently. This is the MAIN means of communication between the University and the student. Make sure you have turned a FERPA form into the Registar's Office if you want your parents to have access to information concerning your student account. (Balance owed, etc). If you plan on having enough financial aid to cover your books and are wanting a book voucher, please make sure that your account is updated and in order early. It takes a minimum of 48 hours to update and qualify for a book voucher. Refunds- if you are expecting a refund check: 1) Please check your student account on RaLink. If you see a zero balance, chances are the check has been cut. 2) a refund check is not issued until the actual funds have been received by the school. 3) Check the cashier’s office web page for the beginning dates of refunds. 4) If you receive a book voucher, please check your student account on ram link. If it shows a balance, it could be that your book voucher posted after you were cut a check, therefore you now have a balance on your account. 5.) You will RECEIVE an email to your ram mail account notifying you when you have a check cut and when it will be ready for you to pick up. If you have not been notified, then it has not been issued. |
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Tarrant County Commissioner Roy C. Brooks will be the commencement speaker for Texas Wesleyan's graduation exercises at 7 p.m. Friday, May 15, in the Fort Worth Convention Center Ballroom. 
Allen Henderson, provost and senior vice president, has received the prestigious St. George National Award from the 
