Voice!

We’ve already talked about how Wesleyan doesn’t have a Core, but rather GenEds, expectations that are designed to allow for exploration across the curriculum. But how does our education connect us if we don’t have the same academic experiences? What makes a Wesleyan student a Wesleyan student? Effectively, what you’re asking is “What, exactly, is so special about a Wesleyan education?” – and part of that answer can be found in Wesleyan’s Essential Capabilities.

The Essential Capabilities were designed by the Wesleyan faculty (and are continually updated) to be sure that each and every Wesleyan student graduates as well-educated in as many ways as possible – not only through the GenEds for breadth of study, not only through the major for depth of study, but also through the Essential Capabilities to allow for individual and personal growth – making the student a viable and promising member of the global community. The Essential Capabilities are:

• Writing
• Speaking
• Interpretation
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Logical Reasoning
• Designing, Creating, and Realizing
• Ethical Reasoning
• Intercultural Literacy
• Information Literacy
• Effective Citizenship

These are some of the building blocks that make a Wesleyan student a Wesleyan student. They are not simply expected – they are essential, an integral part of the curriculum. As an incoming freshman, you will do a self-critique, and rate yourself in each of these areas. It is entirely up to you what you do after that. Wesleyan students will develop in these areas over time, even if they never pay any mind to these capabilities at all – every class is designed to enhance at least one, but often many, of these capabilities, and you’ll find yourself improving in each area over time.

Your e-portfolio will keep track of the Essential Capabilities that you are enhancing in class, allowing you to see exactly where you might be lacking, leaving you to make the choice to improve that part of yourself through the courses that you select, if you chose to do so (again, WesMaps provides a search function for these). The faculty recognizes that the Essential Capabilities are embedded in every facet of life, not just in your academics, so the relationships you forge while at Wesleyan –while adding to your education in ways you cannot hope to imagine now– will ultimately add to your mastery of these capabilities, often without your realizing it!

Jacqueline Chapman ‘08
Senior Interviewer