Dear Colleagues,
This week, Wright State is proud to celebrate National Transfer Student Week, recognizing the contributions and experiences of the nearly 30% of our student body who began their academic journeys elsewhere. Transfer students bring valuable perspectives, resilience, and diverse experiences that enrich our campus community.
Throughout the week, the Transfer Center is hosting a series of events designed to engage and support transfer students, including:
Cleared for Takeoff: Explore Campus Involvement and Career Readiness: Today (October 22) from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Student Union Upper Atrium.
Induction Ceremony for the Wright State Chapter of Tau Sigma National Honor Society, an academic honor society designed specifically for transfer students: October 24 from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Millett Hall Atrium.
I encourage faculty to share these opportunities with students and participate when possible. Your engagement helps foster a welcoming and inclusive environment for our transfer community.
More details are available on the Transfer Center’s webpage.
Academic Calendar and Fall Break Update
As we continue to evaluate how our academic calendar best supports student success, I want to share an important update regarding future Fall Semesters.
This year, Wright State introduced a fall break, intended to give students a brief opportunity to rest and recharge mid-semester. While the feedback on the break itself has been positive, its implementation presented some challenges unique to our institution. Unlike many of our peer institutions, Wright State operates on a 15-week semester, not 16. To accommodate the fall break without reducing instructional time, we began the semester two days earlier than usual, which led to some confusion and scheduling concerns.
After careful consideration, we will not include a fall break in future academic calendars. This decision reflects our commitment to maintaining clarity and consistency in our academic schedule while ensuring that students receive the full instructional experience in our 15-week framework.
We remain dedicated to supporting student well-being and will continue exploring other ways to promote balance and success throughout the semester.
Record Participation in Midterm Grades
Midterm grading for the Fall Semester closed last week, and we are happy to report that 97.36% of required classes reported midterm grades, the highest submission rate we’ve had!
Over 33,000 grades were submitted, and more than 8,000 students received this important progress information. We know that issuing midterm grades is a high-impact practice for student success and look forward to improving this process as we strive for 100% compliance.
Course Design Institution — Accepting Applications
The Center for Faculty Excellence is accepting applications for the fall 2025 Course Design Institute, a hands-on experience focused on creating inclusive, student-centered courses. Participants will design or redesign a course, develop aligned outcomes and assessments, and explore strategies to support all learners.
By the end of the institute, participants will:
- Design or redesign a course for upcoming teaching
- Write or revise course outcomes and objectives
- Plan student-centered, engaging lessons aligned with outcomes
- Develop assessments that provide evidence of student learning
- Incorporate inclusive teaching strategies that support all learners
- Create a student-centered syllabus
Workshops will be held on October 31, November 14, November 21, and December 5 from noon to 4 p.m. Participants are required to attend all four sessions.
When a Student Needs Support
Wright.edu/help is a great resource for helping students or making referrals. This site contains contact information for emergency or essential departments that can assist your students all in one location.
The Student Success Navigator showcases the wide range of resources available to support our students. Whether students are interested in joining a student organization, looking for access to mental health services, playing a sport, or finding a job, all information is available in one central location.
