Registrar's Office

Office of the Registrar
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5256 USA
(269) 387-4300

September 25, 2020

Next Thursday is the last day to apply for April 2021 graduation; late fees begin Friday

Thursday, Oct. 1, is the deadline for April 2021 graduation applications. Once the deadline has passed, students may submit a late application through Dec. 1 (new this semester) or wait until the next available graduation term. Late applicants will now be charged $200 in addition to the $55 graduation fee. All earnings from the late fee will be used to bolster future communication efforts from the Registrar's Office (e.g., targeted postcards, flyers, etc.).

As with previous application campaigns, the Registrar's Office has taken a multi-pronged approach comprised of targeted communication, general communication and support/partner communication.

Targeted communication

Here's a breakdown of how students are selected for our targeted communication:

  • Degree Works percentage: This time around, we emailed students at 70% and above. These emails were staggered in batches throughout the month of August to minimize the stress on advising offices.
  • Approved but not applied: This group is determined by advisor approval and not DW percentage, so it's a large net. This group was contacted in early August along with the 90-100% DW group. 
  • Students in master's programs with 15 credits and above without applications.
  • Doc students with 40 credits and above without applications.

Last week, a final follow-up email was sent to all of the student groups listed above. Reminder phone calls will be completed by Sept. 30. When calling, we start with the approved but not applied group and then move to the DW% group.

General communication

We send a "welcome" email with important dates and deadlines to all enrolled students on the first day of the semester/session. This fall, we included a section regarding the application deadlines into our welcome messaging for the first time. We also included the application deadlines in our registration emails to juniors, seniors and graduate students earlier this year. As with the welcome email, we will continue this trend in future registration emails.

Support/partner communication

We utilized the same support/partner communication as usual, including collaborations with the Office of Marketing and Strategic Communications, the Office of Information Technology and Online Education. These collaborations include announcements in GoWMU and Elearning, dates on the WMU Events calendar, a write-up in WMU Today and posts on WMU social media. We also worked with numerous departments and colleges to run a new flyer on nearly all of WMU's digital display screens.

Thanks again for helping us share the Oct. 1 deadline. Your work is appreciated. Please direct questions to John Scott at (269) 387-4308. 

Changes for the Office of Student Transitions

The Office of Student Transitions (OST) is part of the new University College. Additionally, the Peer2Peer program is now part of OST. 

Pre-College Programming prepares for virtual K-12 tutoring

The Office of Pre-College Programming, Upward Bound Kalamazoo and KCP College Day are slated to begin virtual tutoring/mentoring sessions during the second week of October. The collaborative initiative will provide tutoring through various online platforms in two middle schools and two high schools in the Kalamazoo school district. Tutors assisting with these efforts include service learners from the College of Education and mentors from the Mentoring for Success Program.

Office of Admissions fall events

Kalamazoo Area County Night: Wednesday, Sept. 30

Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo College are collaborating to invite prospective Kalamazoo-area students to participate in a virtual event to gain information and connect with representatives from each institution. Learn more at wmich.edu/admissions/kzoocollegenight. 

Open Houses: Friday, Oct. 2; Friday, Nov. 6; Friday, Nov. 13

Prospective high school seniors or juniors (and families) are invited to virtually attend a Fall Open House to get to know WMU and ask questions. Learn more at wmich.edu/admissions/openhouse.

Bronco Scholar Showcase: Friday, Oct. 9

Prospective high-achieving high school seniors (and families) are invited to virtually attend the Bronco Scholar Showcase to get to know WMU and learn about the Lee Honors College. Learn more at wmich.edu/admissions/scholarshowcase.

Western Wednesdays: Most Wednesdays at 5 and 7 p.m.

Sessions are led by the Office of Admissions, academic colleges and key departments across WMU. Prospective and admitted students are encouraged to attend. Sessions are presented live, including a virtual Q&A. Learn more at wmich.edu/admissions/westernwednesday.

New URL for Financial Literacy

Financial Literacy, Educational Planning and Outreach is now housed within the Student Financial Aid web section at wmich.edu/finaid/finlit. 

ATYP program coordinator elected president of the Michigan Association for Gifted Children

Nan Janecke, program coordinator of the Academically Talented Youth Program, has been elected president of the Michigan Association for Gifted Children (MAGC). MAGC's mission is to advocate for gifted students around the state and in the nation. Nan was elected to a two-year term that began July 1. Congratulations, Nan!

Semi-annual re-authorization begins Oct. 5

The semi-annual security re-authorization process begins Monday, Oct. 5, and concludes Friday, Oct. 16. Supervisors will have through Friday, Oct. 23, to approve or deny the re-authorization requests. Security re-authorization allows the Registrar's Office to audit access to critical computer systems used at WMU and to ensure that users are familiar and up-to-date with the latest policies. Users and their supervisor will receive an email notification when re-authorization has begun. The email includes instructions on how to complete the electronic re-authorization process. Questions should be directed to the Registrar's Office at (269) 387-4300 or @email.  

Did you know? A fun fact from the Registrar...

As of this morning, the Registrar's Office has provided targeted communication regarding the Oct. 1 graduation application deadline to 9,682 eligible students.