Dear Returning Students,
Summer will soon be in the rearview mirror and we will come together as a community to begin the 2024-2025 academic year. I hope everyone took the opportunity to rest and recharge the battery for the upcoming year. There is much to look forward to as you return to campus. Please take a few moments and review important information that follows relative to your upcoming undergraduate experience.
We will welcome a large class of first year students, including over seventy international students; fifty of whom are from the country of Nepal. This will be a great opportunity to interact and learn more about other cultures while sharing the common bond of everyone being a Colonel.
Speaking of Colonels, last year the University began the “Colonels are Covered” program which provides free textbooks to all fulltime undergraduates. I am happy to say that program continues this year, taking the uncertainty of an added educational expense away from students.
Several facilities projects took place this summer to enhance the campus experience. Significant upgrades in Evans Hall will be welcoming to our incoming students. Other improvements, not obviously visible but necessary enhancements include new roofs and HVAC systems in several buildings. Additionally, Ross Hall has been repurposed as student development and organizations space. The office of Adventure Education will be housed there as well as a part-time presence of Student Development staff. There will also be several spaces that will provide meeting opportunities for all clubs and organizations.
From a safety and security perspective we will continue to have buildings locked 24 – 7. We enjoy a safe campus; however, we are in an urban environment and added precautions makes sense to ensure everyone’s safety.
As we look beyond our Wilkes community it is an important year in national politics with a presidential election on November 5th. The deadline to register in Pennsylvania is October 21st. Other state deadlines may vary and information is easily accessible through the US Vote Foundation. If history is an indicator of what will happen as the campaigns move forward, we will see candidates, or high-profile supporters, leading rallies in the area, or perhaps, even on campus. As an educational institution this is a perfect time for positive discourse related to important issues whether it be in the classroom, dining hall, or at a park bench. Our hope is that those discussions are respectful and center around a continued commitment to making our community, and the nation, a welcoming place for everyone.
I hope you’re looking forward to the upcoming school year as much as the faculty and staff who are ready to support you as you move ever closer to achieving your academic goal. Should you have any questions regarding the information on the links that follow please be in touch with the Office of Student Life and Success at Passan Hall (267 South Franklin Street external website, 570-408-4100).
Please feel free to share this update with your families.
Sincerely,
Residence Life
Move-in for returning resident students is contingent upon where you are placed.
Wilkes University Police
Wilkes University notifies the campus community of emergency and crisis situations using Wilkes Alerts. These messages provide information on what is happening, what to do, and links to available additional information. The University employs text and email messaging as another technological solution for communicating swiftly and effectively with our campus community in the event of an extreme emergency on campus.
This system will be used only for emergency communication and not for general information or advertisements. While there is no charge to register a phone, your service provider may charge you a nominal fee for the airtime used for receiving these messages. Possible uses for this system will include closures and delays, community crime notifications, weather emergencies and power outages.
University faculty, staff and students Wilkes email addresses are automatically enrolled into Wilkes Alerts. Your Wilkes Alert account is accessible via the Wilkes Portal using your Wilkes username and password. Parents, guardians, and family members of students should ask their student to add their phone number and email address as their second or third contact numbers.
Once your cell phone is registered and validated, a text message will let you know that you have successfully signed up for the notifications.
In support of our emergency notification system, Wilkes University also offers a public safety app called the Wilkes Shield. This app is free to download at the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Once downloaded onto your smartphone, users have the ability to make emergency calls to the University Police Department, send/ receive real time text messages on the iReport function and access campus resource information. The app also has a COVID-self assessment tool designed to assist the user in determining their health safety before coming to campus.
Those who have signed up for parking this semester will be notified by email of additional information related to when and where to pick their parking permit.
Individuals who do not pick up their permit on the assigned date may forfeit their ability to park on campus and their application will be moved to the back of the list for further consideration.
Office of Academic Success
If you would like extra support in a class, take advantage of our peer tutoring. The individual tutor request form, small group, and supplemental instruction schedules will be posted on asc.wilkes.edu and emailed to students in selected classes. Information will be available by week 2 of the fall semester when academic support services begin.
Students can make individual appointments with one of our learning specialists to identify and develop appropriate strategies to improve their learning. Areas of focus may include strategic time/task management, goal setting and motivation, textbook reading, note-taking, and preparing for exams.
Contact Monica O'Malley or Tammy Panowicz for more information.
If you have a documented disability and are in need of accommodations, please contact Katy Betnar (katy.betnar@wilkes.edu).
Students already registered with our office can contact Sandra Rendina (sandra.rendina@wilkes.edu) to renew academic accommodations for the fall. The Disability Support Services Office is located in Conyngham Hall.
For more information, please review the online documentation guidelines and related information.
Your professors have the opportunity to share any concerns they have about your performance through an early alert message. Early alert allows you to be proactive in developing new plans or approaches to your coursework. You will receive an email with the professor's concerns. A copy is also received by your advisor and the Office of Academic Success. These alerts give us the opportunity to help you continue towards your academic goals.
The beginning of the semester will be a great time to reconnect with your academic advisor! Be sure to contact them to set a meeting the first few weeks of the fall semester. Keeping your advisor informed of anything that may affect your educational plan can allow them the opportunity to support you along your academic pathway. You will also want to be sure your advisor is aware of your progress or any difficulties you are facing. They can lead you to academic support that may be helpful. Your advisor will help guide you through your college curriculum, along with providing professional and career support.
Advising Coordinators in the Office of Academic Success work as part of the team of professionals to provide advising support to advisors and students in the academic colleges and schools across campus.
If you are unable to reach your advisor, you can email the advising coordinators for additional support at advising@wilkes.edu.
The GPA Adjustment Policy is a policy and procedure for a student to request removal of substandard grades in majors/programs for which they attempted, but did not continue to pursue. Specific conditions must be met in order for the policy to be enacted.
The complete policy, its procedure and the form are available below.
GPA Adjustment Policy Request Form
Policy Summary
- The student must change majors/programs. This can include changing between declared majors/programs, changing from declared majors/programs to "undeclared," or changing from "undeclared" to declared majors/programs.
- The student must receive permission from the Department Chair of the new major to invoke this policy along with the support of staff in the Office of Academic Success.
- The student may initiate the GPA Adjustment Policy anytime during his/her current academic career. A returning student may apply the Policy to previously completed courses with no time limit.
- The student may only apply a maximum of 18 credit hours of courses to the GPA Adjustment Policy during his/her academic career at Wilkes.
- The student must follow the Director of Financial Aid's Federal Guidelines regarding the maximum number of acceptable credits earned each academic year and minimum GPA. This implies that the Policy may be applied more than once during his/her academic career at Wilkes as long as the student follows the Federal Guidelines and changes majors/programs a second time.
Center for Career Development and Internships
The staff of the Center for Career Development and Internships invites all students to participate in our events and services designed to help launch successful careers. The Center is comprised of a designated academic Internship and Cooperative Education Program, designed to support your search for experiential opportunities to enhance your professional development and academic career, and a Career Development Center, to coach all majors in meeting their professional goals and connect with career-related resources.
Handshake
Prepare to join the #1 career network app, Handshake! Learn of opportunities from thousands of employers, along with personalized career development resources and updates, by downloading the Handshake app and completing your profile.
Also, take advantage of:
- Handshake for the Event times and register to attend.
- Employer Visits for internships and jobs.
- Employers, internship sites, graduate and professional school fairs specially designed for majors from each School.
For additional information and services:
- Use Handshake to schedule an appointment with the staff at the Center for Career Development and Internships (located at the back of the Henry Student Center).
- Contact Career Services’ Director Carol Bosack via carol.bosack@wilkes.edu.
- Visit the Career Development and Internships Center Website.
- Check the Handshake app for our event updates.
Office of Global Engagement
The Office of Global Engagement fosters partnerships across campus and around the world, we:
- Support study abroad programs
- Promote curricular and co-curricular global initiatives
- Welcome international students, scholars, faculty and staff to our campus
Our core services include:
- Ensuring immigration regulatory compliance for our international students, scholars and faculty
- Supporting international student success from pre-arrival through graduation
- Facilitating student participation in study abroad programs
- Administering faculty-led study abroad programs
- Assisting in establishing international partnerships and the drafting and review of international agreements
The Office of Global Engagement, supports, and advocates for international students who have come to the US to study at Wilkes. The office brings a global perspective to the Wilkes community by sponsoring campus-wide programs to develop a broader understanding of the world and providing support in matters of internationalization.
The office is composed of:
Off-Campus Student Information
If you have not already done so, students residing off campus (in apartments, not at home) are asked to provide their off-campus address and telephone number via the link below. Sharing your local address does not substitute for the Wilkes Emergency Contact System or vice versa.
University Dining Service News
For information on meal plans, locations and menus, and other aspects of the dining experience please visit the Dining Services page.
Athletics
For complete team schedules and other information on Wilkes athletics, please visit gowilkesu.com external website.
Health and Wellness Services
University policy requires that all students living in university owned housing or participating in an intercollegiate athletic program must show proof of health insurance in addition to the completed health form before receiving keys for housing.
International students on an F or J visa must have proof of health insurance and can write to the International Office (cathylee.arcuino@wilkes.edu) for suggestions of companies that meet requirements. Wilkes University does not offer any type of student health plan. It is up to the individual to obtain health care coverage privately.
- In an effort to reduce face to face symptom assessment, all visits will be made by appointment only after answering a few questions prior to making the appointment. Please call 570-408-4730.
- Doctor's hours will remain Tuesday 9 to 11 and Wednesday 10 to 12 by appointment only.
- Telemedicine will be offered via a secure internet/HIPPA compliant system. For a telemedicine appointment call 570-408-4730. You will be instructed how to access telemedicine when you are making the appointment.
- Allergy shots and other injections, including Mantoux testing, will require an appointment. Call 570-408-4730.
- Appointments can be made between the hours of 8:30 am and 4:30 pm. The office will be closed from 12 to 1 for lunch.
- For Wilkes University Counseling Center appointments, please visit the counseling center page.
- In case of an emergency, call 911.
Student Leaders
- Nolee Ana Grabowski, President, Student Government
- Melissa Ooi, President, Residence Hall Council
- Caleb Gething, President, Commuter Council
- Star Sandt, President, Multi-Cultural Student Coalition
- Kim Wheeler, President, Programming Board
Required Notifications
Wilkes University is committed to providing a welcoming environment for all members of our community and to ensuring that all educational and employment decisions are based on individuals' abilities and qualifications. Wilkes University prohibits discrimination in its educational programs, employment, admissions or any activities on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, pregnancy, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, marital or family status, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state or local laws.
Consistent with this principle, Wilkes University will comply with state and federal laws such as the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act or other applicable state law, Title IX, Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Ethnic Intimidation Act of 1982 (P.L. 537-154) and other laws that prohibit discrimination.
As a recipient of federal financial assistance for education activities, Wilkes University is required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 to ensure that all of its education programs and activities do not discriminate on the basis of sex/gender, including in admissions and employment. Sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating and domestic violence, and stalking are forms of sex discrimination, which are prohibited under Title IX and this policy.
All members and visitors of the Wilkes University community have the right to raise concerns or make a complaint regarding discrimination under this Policy without fear of retaliation. Inquiries about this Policy statement may be addressed to the University's Title IX Coordinator in person, by mail, by telephone, or by email, using the contact information listed below. A report may be made at any time (including during non-business hours). Anonymous complaints may also be made via the online reporting form.
Title IX Coordinator
Elizabeth C. Leo, Esq.(570) 408-7788
elizabeth.leo@wilkes.edu
Deputy Title IX Coordinators
Student Coordinator
Philip J. Ruthkosky, PhDInterim Dean of Students
2nd Floor Passan Hall Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766
(570) 408-4108philip.ruthkosky@wilkes.edu
Faculty & Staff Coordinator
Human Resources Manager - Employee Relations & Development
84 W. South Street
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766
(570) 408-2034
lynnmarie.shedlock@wilkes.edu
Inquiries about Title IX may be directed to Wilkes University’s Title IX Coordinator, the Assistant Secretary, or both. The Assistant Secretary can be contacted at U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, 400 Maryland Avenue S.W., Washington, D.C. 20202, or (800) 421-3481. For further information on notice of non-discrimination, you can find the address and phone number of the OCR office that serves your area online external website or call 1-800-421-3481.
Information regarding graduation and persistence rates as required by the Students’ Right to Know Act is available at the Student Life and Success Dean’s Office, the Registrar’s Office, the Office of Admissions and the Athletic Director’s Office. Consistent with law, this information is disseminated according to regulations.
The Wilkes University Police Department prepares and distributes the For Your Safety Annual Safety and Security Report. This document is prepared in compliance with Act 73 of 1988 of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, 20 USC 1092(f). This report is available in hard copy format upon request during normal business hours at the Department of Public Safety, 148 S. Main St.; the Office of Admissions, Chase Hall, Reception Area; Student Life and Success Deans Office, Passan Hall, Reception Area. An electronic copy of this report is available on the University website. Additionally, daily logs and crime logs are available for review during normal business hours at the DEPARTMENT of Public Safety. Any questions regarding this report and the specific requirements of the Acts that govern its production can be addressed to the DEPARTMENT of Public Safety, ext. 4982
Please take a few moments to review the documents linked below. They provides important drug and alcohol information, including:
- Effects associated with drug and alcohol use and abuse.
- Federal, state and local laws and campus policies.
- Resources for those seeking professional help.
The University encourages all students to take seriously their responsibility, as citizens, to vote. Voter registration information is available online at usa.gov/register-to-vote external website. It takes only minutes to register!
Student Handbook
The Undergraduate Student Handbook is available online.
In the Handbook, you can find important resource information as well as the most current policies and procedures at the University.
Attendance Policy
We strongly recommend all members of the University community to be attentive to their health and safeguard others by staying home when you are sick and to seek appropriate medical evaluation.
Instructors are expected to 1) inform students in writing of their attendance policy at the beginning of the semester; 2) take attendance and report excessive absences to the Deans of Student Life and Success; and 3) discourage absence from classes prior to the beginning of a holiday period.
Attendance at all scheduled classes is expected and required. Repeated absences are a sufficient cause for failure.
After five consecutive instructional hours of unexcused absences from a class, students may be readmitted to the class only by action of the Office of Student Life and Success and the department chairperson concerned. Any absence beyond that permitted in the course is a matter between the student and the instructor. Absences due to illness, religious holidays, or participation in athletic or other University sponsored activities are usually considered to be acceptable reasons for absences, but notification of such absences and arrangements to make up missed work should be made with the instructor by the student.
In the unfortunate event of a death in the family, students are asked to contact the Office of Student Life and Success so that notification might be sent to faculty members and arrangements made with them to assist students in making up missed work.
If students are ill and will be missing a test, examination, or presentation, it is their responsibility to contact the instructor by email prior to the start of the missed activity.
When students are going to be absent for a period of two days or more, if they notify the Office of Student Life and Success, written notification of their extended absence will be sent to the students’ instructors.
COVID and Influenza Related Protocol
Students who are engaging in isolation or quarantine at the direction of the Wilkes Barre Health Department, Wilkes University Health Services Office, or their health care professional, should not attend class. Students will be required to provide documentation of isolation/quarantine directions from their healthcare professional to the office of Health and Wellness Services. Students will not be penalized for absences, missed exams, labs, or other critical academic activities, unless they fail to notify their instructors of their absences. Students must take responsibility for their absences and keep up with their coursework if they cannot attend class.
They must:
- Inform their instructors/professors and the Office of Student Life and Success of their inability to attend class prior to class meetings.
- Refrain from coming to the classroom or visiting the instructor/professor.
- Maintain open communication by notifying instructors and student health services (anita.burns@wilkes.edu, 570-408-4730) as soon as they become aware of the situation.
- Keep up with classwork, unless they are unable to do so.
- When available, attend class remotely and submit assignments digitally, unless they are unable to do so.
- Work with their instructors to reschedule exams, labs, and other critical academic activities as soon as possible.