Parent Newsletter - October, 2022

From the President

Dear Parents, 

Wheaton students will enjoy a brief reprieve from classes and study next week. Five days may seem like a lot of time for students who are pressing to finish papers and tests for mid-term finals but may not be as much as they need. We pray they take time to rest and renew before returning to their vocation as students next Thursday.

While students are on Fall Break, over three hundred national and international pastors, church leaders, and practitioners will gather here for the Amplify Outreach Conference October 18-19. Hosted by the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center and Outreach Magazine, this conference will strengthen leaders as they unite to share insights and become refreshed in their mission of evangelism.

Amplify participants will join additional guests for a two-day symposium October 19-20 in honor of Wheaton’s President Emeritus Duane Litfin, “Contending for Gospel Witness in a Disillusioned Culture.” Featuring ten national evangelical scholars and pastors, the Symposium will inaugurate the Litfin School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership, established by Wheaton’s Trustees in honor of Duane and Sherri Litfin.

We anticipate a joyful week of refreshment and renewal on Wheaton’s campus.

In Christ’s service,

Philip Ryken
President 

 

Family Weekend: October 28-29
President’s Prayer Time

Parents and grandparents are invited to attend the special President’s Prayer Time on Saturday, October 29 from 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. in Coray Alumni Gymnasium. The gathering will include a short devotional message from President Ryken and time spent in collective prayer. Coffee, tea, and pastries will be served. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. Registration closes on Monday, October 24. We hope to see you there! Register now. 

View the Family Weekend schedule.

Wheaton College Alumni Association Student Scholarships

Every year, the Alumni Association Board of Directors awards merit scholarships to a select number of juniors for their senior year. Awardees are chosen based on their campus/community involvement, academic interests and achievements, spiritual growth and insights, and life beyond Wheaton. Applications are available online, so please encourage your junior to consider applying.

Center for Vocation and Career 

Taco Tuesdays are back! These monthly evening events provide students low-pressure ways to connect with alumni, learn more about new industries, and demystify the networking process. This year, we are adding skill-specific and affinity-based panels to our industry topics to give students greater opportunity to connect with a variety of alumni perspectives on life and career after graduation. We started our Taco Tuesday series this semester in September with our first-ever First-Generation event. Students got to discuss the unique challenges that First-Generation students experience and hear from recently graduated alumnae about navigating career in a variety of industries.

Upcoming topics for this semester include:

• Social Justice
• Coding
• International Students
• Design Thinking
• Non-Clinical Healthcare
• Human Resources
• Third Culture/Missionary Students
• Real Estate

We’re hosting these events virtually during fall semester to accommodate alumni from all around the country, though we hope to bring alumni to campus for panels during spring semester. Regardless of whether we’re virtual or in-person, the Center for Vocation and Career is excited to continue connecting current students with recent alumni during our Taco Tuesday events!

Preparing for Midterms and Spring 2023 Registration

Midterms can be an especially stressful time for students as they prepare for exams and projects. Wheaton College has several support services and resources available to students:

• Learning & Accessibility Services (LAS) is available to provide general academic support to all students. Students can reach out and schedule an appointment for peer coaching, study strategies, time management skills, and academic accountability. LAS also coordinates accommodations for students with temporary or permanent disabilities, including mental health conditions, to enable equal access to academic programs and campus life.
• The Writing Center is here to help students with papers at any stage from pre-writing to final editing. Appointments are 30 minutes long and available to all students. The Writing Center website also has links to resources to help students be better writers. 
• Wheaton College’s Library has multiple services available to students including subject librarians, research guides, and searchable databases.

Registration for Spring 2023 classes starts soon! Please refer to the Academic Calendar Key Dates. Faculty Advising for the Spring 2023 registration period begins October 24. Registration for current students starts the week of November 7. Registration priority is based on credit hours earned. Encourage your student to submit any outstanding official transcripts to academic.advising@wheaton.edu right away!

Wheaton College Alumni Association Hosts Pop-Over Event

The Wheaton College Alumni Association (WCAA) recently gave away Crumbl Cookies to the first 250 students who “popped over” to Westgate, home of the WCAA and Alumni & Parent Engagement team. Students not only enjoyed a sweet treat, but also learned a little about the history of Westgate, a beautiful house built in 1930 and home to three Wheaton College presidents and their families.

Stay Informed with Merit

Get notified when your student achieves something remarkable! Wheaton uses Merit, a platform that allows students to showcase their success and keep the public informed of their accomplishments. To receive emails about your student’s activities and achievements, enter your information here. 

Trip-Based Learning and Ministry Opportunities

Student Missionary Partners (formally Ministry Trips Cabinet) is excited to offer trip-based learning and ministry opportunities for students to engage with the global church and partner with missionaries around the world! Student Missionary Partners send teams of 4-6 students to locations in Europe, Central America, Africa, and Asia. Informational meetings for Summer SMP will be held October 26 and 27 and the Spring Break SMP meeting is on November 3. We look forward to seeing your student there!

An Invitation from Chaplain Wilson to Attend Urbana

Chaplain and Mrs. Wilson will be attending Urbana 22 in Indianapolis from December 28, 2022 to January 1, 2023 with a group of Wheaton students, and we want to invite your student to attend the conference with us! Please encourage them to drop by the Chaplain’s office or email chaplain@wheaton.edu with any questions.

What is Urbana? Occurring once every three years, the Urbana Student Missions Conference is for the spiritual awakening, mobilization, and equipping of college students. The Chaplain’s Office and the Office of Ministry and Evangelism have been praying for increased spiritual fervor with a focus on global engagement on campus and see Urbana as a catalyst for raising up the next generation of missionally minded students to go from Wheaton to the world. Students will have the chance to participate in the conference with a small group of Wheaton students and meet occasionally with this group before and after the conference to pray and debrief what they are learning.

When is Urbana? The conference begins on the evening of December 28 and students will arrive in Indianapolis in the morning or afternoon of that day. The last session is the evening of December 31 after which we will return to our hotel for the night and depart home the next morning (January 1).

How Much Does Urbana Cost for Wheaton Students? Because Urbana is such a transformative conference, we aim to make it affordable for Wheaton students. The registration cost is $200 including housing (and potentially meals as well). This is over $500 off the original price so it’s an incredible opportunity that your student will not want to miss!

Are Meals and Transportation Included in the Cost? Students are responsible for organizing and covering the cost of their own transportation. We would like to cover meals at the conference, but this is dependent on the amount of funds we receive from donors.

Lastly, please pray that God will work powerfully in our school through Urbana. If you live locally, we invite you to come pray with us for the Wheaton cohort at Urbana 22 on Thursdays at 4:00 p.m. in the Office of Ministry and Evangelism in Lower Beamer. We would love to have Wheaton parents at these prayer meetings! Please email chaplain@wheaton.edu with any questions.

How to Pray for Wheaton during the Month of October

• That fall break would be a good time of rest and recovery for all our students, especially those experiencing difficult times at Wheaton;
• For international students who may be experiencing loneliness or homesickness;
• For Wheaton College administrators as they seek to lead well in challenging times.

With thanks for your involvement and prayers, 

The Wheaton College Parent Engagement Team