April 23, 2021
Degree Works upgrade coming this weekend
Please note that a software upgrade to Degree Works will take place this weekend and early next week. Due to the upgrade, Degree Works will be unavailable from Sunday, April 25, through Monday, April 26. When the upgrade is live, it is recommended that you use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge; Safari appears to work, but Internet Explorer 11 is not supported.
Firefox should work if you are not using a VPN (the Office of Information Technology has filed a case with the vendor to explore this matter). When using GOVPN, the site works well most of the time, but loading issues may occur. When using Pulse Secure VPN, the site is much slower, and more issues may occur. If you experience problems when using Firefox, refresh the browser page as needed to reload the content.
The Registrar's Office sent a reminder email to undergraduate students earlier today. Direct questions to the Help Desk at (269) 387-4357.
Final exams next week
Exams begin Monday, April 26, and conclude Thursday, April 29. Regularly scheduled class meeting times are not held during the exam week.
View the complete exam schedule
Virtual commencement and activities on May 1
WMU will be hosting virtual commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 1, to celebrate spring graduates:
2 p.m. (EDT)
Health and Human Services, Fine Arts, Engineering and Applied Sciences, Education and Human Development
4 p.m. (EDT)
Arts and Sciences, WMUx, Haworth College of Business, Aviation
Ceremonies will be available to view at wmich.edu/commencement.
New this semester, graduates will have the opportunity to schedule time with professional photographers from 9 a.m. to noon on May 1. There are four on-campus locations for photo sessions:
- Bronco Statue located near Read Fieldhouse
- Miller Plaza Fountain
- West Michigan Avenue Icon (WMU Seal Sculpture)
- Heritage Hall
The photo sessions are optional and safety protocols (e.g., social distancing and wearing face masks) will be enforced. As a gift to show our sincere appreciation of graduates' accomplishments, WMU is providing a free 5x7 photo print to every participant. Additionally, staff from the Registrar's Office will be giving out diploma covers in front of the Seibert Administration Building from 9 a.m. to noon on May 1.
Spring grades due by noon on May 4
As a reminder, the final grade worksheet will be available for grade submission until noon on Tuesday, May 4. Students will not be able to see their grades online until the grade roll process is completed in the Registrar’s Office. This is done shortly after noon on the day grades are due and nightly thereafter.
See tips and best practices for grading
Admissions recruitment partner spotlight
The Office of Admissions would like to recognize Andrea Miller, welcome center manager and administrative assistant II from the College of Health and Human Services, as a fantastic recruitment partner making an impact on our incoming class. Andrea coordinates tours of the CHHS building and she is a pro at aligning her efforts with the main campus tour. She also manages the student team that is sending hand-written postcards provided by admissions to admitted students from the college. The student team has sent more than 1,750 postcards, heavily contributing to University yield efforts. Lastly, Andrea and her team have completed over 3,500 outreach phone calls to prospective and admitted Broncos from CHHS since September 2020!
Reclaim the W program resumes this fall
Reclaim the W is a support program that helps academically dismissed students return to good standing. Selected students with a WMU GPA between 1.00 and 1.99 are invited to apply. Readmission is based on essay, advisor recommendation and student conduct review.
Quick facts about the program:
- 261 students have participated in Reclaim the W since it began in 2014.
- 161 students have returned to "Good Standing" or "Probation" after their first semester in Reclaim the W.
- 51 Reclaim the W students are enrolled in the spring 2021 semester.
- 36 Reclaim the W students went on to earn a bachelor's degree from WMU; 17 more are scheduled to graduate by this fall.
The program was suspended last May due to the spring credit/no credit option and uncertainty with the fall semester. Please direct questions to Ron Dillard.
WMU summer camp web page change
The Office of Precollege Programming created a new web page to advertise the camps being held on WMU’s campus this summer: wmich.edu/precollege/summer. The former page will redirect to the new page, but please update your bookmarks to avoid confusion. To add your camp, simply complete the summer camp listing webform. Direct questions to @email.
Did you know? A fun fact from the Registrar...
More than 2,400 students will graduate from WMU this spring. The oldest graduate, an MBA student, is 70 years old and the youngest graduate, an aviation student, is 20 years old!