Search autocomplete is currently not responding Wellesley's work to improve the climate has earned state recognition.  Drivers should expect major delays on upcoming weekends in May and June due to ongoing work on the Newton-Weston Bridge Replacement project MassDOT is replacing the I-90 bridge over the MBTA Framingham/Worcester commuter rail line Wellesley's Health and Recreation Departments are temporarily moving to 888 Worcester Street (eastbound Route 9) The move is due to extensive construction on the Warren Building (90 Washington Street) where the departments are currently located Congratulations to Wellesley’s oldest living resident who celebrated her 106th birthday on Saturday the Wellesley Select Board presented her with the Boston Post C.. more people are out enjoying Wellesley's parks and trails.  and Wellesley Public Schools are reminding all users to be respectful .. Help brighten Wellesley's traffic boxes!  The Wellesley Water & Sewer Division wants you to check your home for water leaks These leaks can be undetectable to the eye but can drive up water bills and waste gallons of water.  homes and businesses must follow a one-day per week schedule based on street address numbers Read on... Phone: 781-431-1019 - 5 p.m. Check individual departmentpages for their specific hours Jamaica — Mourners gathered on Sunday at the Falmouth Seventh Day Adventist Church for the thanksgiving service honouring the life of Wellesley Bolt Bolt was in attendance alongside his mother occupied the front rows in shades of powder blue Government officials were also in attendance Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Horace Chang Mourners gathered to celebrate the life of Wellesley Bolt (Garfield Robinson) A Photo of Wellesley Bold on display during his Thanksgiving service (Garfield Robinson) Newton-Wellesley hospital president says all six tumors benign as ‘rigorous ongoing investigation’ conducted The number of staff members who have developed brain tumors while working on the same floor of a Boston-area hospital has increased to at least six A recent statement attributed to the president of Mass General Brigham’s Newton-Wellesley hospital, Ellen Moloney, said the newly reported tumor was benign The statement maintained that investigators had not turned up any evidence of environmental risks at the hospital even before the number of staffers with tumors jumped a labor union representing nurses at the hospital had pledged to press for answers That pledge came after Newton-Wellesley hospital’s leadership initially confirmed that five nurses had reported developing non-cancerous growths in their brains after having worked on the facility’s fifth-floor maternity unit at some point The sixth case – described as having been reported by a staffer rather than a nurse – was disclosed in the statement from Moloney, which the Boston.com news website first reported on An additional half-dozen staff members with experience working on the floor in question reported other health concerns that did not involve brain tumors The hospital has repeatedly suggested there is no evidence to establish that the situation is anything more than a coincidence – albeit one which was unusual enough to have captured attention on the national news and social media after word about it spread Moloney alluded to how the hospital had worked internal and governmental occupational offices while also consulting with outside environmental experts. Testing since then has examined the hospital’s water, radiation levels, air quality and other factors, according to a 2 April memo from the facility “Based on the results of this rigorous ongoing investigation we can assure you that no environmental risks have been identified at our hospital,” Moloney’s more recent statement said The Massachusetts Nurses Association has said it is conducting its own investigation The union argued that “the hospital only spoke to a small number of nurses” and that the “environmental testing was not comprehensive” Free newsletterGet the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning The union told NBC10 Boston that it received more than 300 survey responses and telephone calls from nurses and other professionals working at the hospital – as well as from former employees Union officials reportedly said: “It will take several weeks to sort through the information … vet it and obtain follow-up if respondents are willing to provide them.” They also said: “The hospital cannot make this issue go away by attempting to provide a predetermined conclusion.” alluded to “a great deal of misinformation shared on social media and in other forums” and safety – along with that of our employees – remain our top priority,” Moloney’s statement said “We want to make sure you have the facts.” Enter below + watch your fave nurse creators for extra chances By entering this sweepstakes, you agree to receive emails from Nurse.org. No purchase necessary. Alternate entry method and official rules. You can unsubscribe from emails at any time using the “unsubscribe” link provided in every email, in accordance with Nurse.org privacy policy Learn more about our editorial process It has also been alleged that some nurses indicate that as many as ten nurses have been diagnosed with varying types of brain tumors over the past few years The situation has caused significant anxiety among staff who are seeking reassurance and safety in their workplace The hospital kicked off an investigation in December 2024 following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and included the Department of Occupational Health and Safety and some external environmental consultants to help investigate Their conclusion was that there are "no environmental risks which could be linked to the development of a brain tumor." But that answer hasn’t put the nurses' minds at ease "We want to feel safe, the same way we want to make our patients feel safe," one nurse confided to CBS Boston Despite continuing to care for their patients these nurses can't help but wonder if something in their work environment is putting them at risk Hospital officials confirmed six cases after interviewing ten nurses Even occupational health experts admit that pinpointing environmental causes for cancer clusters is like finding a needle in a haystack You’ve got to consider all sorts of exposures—radiation or maybe something in the building materials The complexity often leaves you with more questions than answers which isn't comforting when your health feels like it's on the line The hospital provided the following statement to WBZ-TV: After we became aware of reported brain tumors in individuals who currently or previously had worked in the same area of the hospital we conducted an extensive investigation in collaboration with the Department of Occupational Health and Safety radiation and pharmaceutical safety offices Every staff member who came forward was given the opportunity to be interviewed by the Occupational Health and Safety team to evaluate each diagnosis in the context of their individual medical history and risk factors To evaluate for any possible environmental exposures in that area of the hospital comprehensive environmental assessments following CDC guidelines began in December The investigation found no environmental risks which could be linked to the development of a brain tumor We presented these findings to relevant stakeholder groups including the staff on the unit and the Massachusetts Nursing Association and have held forums to meet with clinical and Occupational Health leaders to answer their questions The hospital is providing the MNA with the test results from the investigation including those of several external environmental firms we can confidently reassure our dedicated team members at Mass General Brigham/Newton-Wellesley Hospital and all our patients that there is no environmental risk at our facility and patients is our absolute top priority," - Jonathan Sonis Associate Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs and Sandy Muse Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services nurses are calling for an independent investigation expressing skepticism about the hospital's conclusions They argue that the statistical occurrence of such cases in a single unit seems unusual and warrants further scrutiny The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) continues to support affected staff members urging others who may have been impacted to come forward; their involvement shows how crucial it is to have an outside perspective to verify internal findings the involvement of the state health department brings some extra scrutiny and expertise hopefully shedding light on any overlooked factors Some nurses are worried about retaliation for voicing their concerns It's a tough spot to be in—juggling your duty to care for patients with the need to advocate for your own health Fear of retaliation hurts open discussions making it tough to effectively address safety concerns the focus remains on their immediate health and safety While it’s true that statistical anomalies can happen the unusual concentration of serious health conditions among colleagues sharing the same workspace raises valid concerns Their call for more thorough testing and analysis is a plea for peace of mind that their workplace is safe we’re reminded of the importance of keeping our workplaces safe and having solid protocols for investigating potential hazards a safe environment isn't just about protecting healthcare workers—it’s also about ensuring they can provide the best care possible to their patients This case might just serve as a valuable lesson for other healthcare institutions navigating similar concerns Nurse.org will continue to update this article as new findings are announced If you have a nursing news story that deserves to be heard, we want to amplify it to our massive community of millions of nurses! Get your story in front of Nurse.org Editors now - click here to fill out our quick submission form today Angelina has her finger on the pulse of everything nursing Angelina is an expert at producing content that nurses love to read As a former nurse recruiter turned marketer she specializes in warmly engaging with the nursing community and exponentially growing our social presence Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies - Ethnicity By entering this sweepstakes, you agree to receive emails from Nurse.org. No purchase necessary. Alternate entry method and official rules. You can unsubscribe from emails at any time using the “unsubscribe” link provided in every email, in accordance with Nurse.org privacy policy. A volunteer helps pack up tulips for visitors at the third annual Tulips Mania in Wellesley, Massachusetts, the United States, on May 4, 2025. More than 75,000 tulips were displayed for this event. (Photo by Ziyu Julian Zhu/Xinhua) Visitors take pictures in the tulip field at the third annual Tulips Mania in Wellesley, Massachusetts, the United States, on May 4, 2025. More than 75,000 tulips were displayed for this event. (Photo by Ziyu Julian Zhu/Xinhua) Kids look at tulips at the third annual Tulips Mania in Wellesley, Massachusetts, the United States, on May 4, 2025. More than 75,000 tulips were displayed for this event. (Photo by Ziyu Julian Zhu/Xinhua) Visitors look at tulips at the third annual Tulips Mania in Wellesley, Massachusetts, the United States, on May 4, 2025. More than 75,000 tulips were displayed for this event. (Photo by Ziyu Julian Zhu/Xinhua) Visitors pose for selfies at the third annual Tulips Mania in Wellesley, Massachusetts, the United States, on May 4, 2025. More than 75,000 tulips were displayed for this event. (Photo by Ziyu Julian Zhu/Xinhua) © 2025 BVM Sports. Best Version Media, LLC. Mass.— Junior Matia Cristiani (San Salvador El Salvador) registered victories in both singles and doubles as third-seeded and 15th-ranked Babson College swept second-seeded Wellesley College in a New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Women’s Tennis Tournament semifinal Saturday afternoon at the Amy Batchelor ’88 Tennis Courts Babson punched its ticket to the NEWMAC final and improved to 14-5 overall which defeated the Beavers during the regular season After Cristiani and senior Olivia Soffer (Fort Lauderdale Babson captured the doubles… A fan We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it OK Privacy policy Longevity runs in her family — her mother lived to 100 She first voted for president in 1936, for Franklin D. Roosevelt and has participated in every election since Hughes lived in numerous states with her husband, Frederick, a General Motors executive Hughes took up tap dancing and performed in local shows She also took organ lessons for more than 10 years 'Kind-hearted person': Wellesley's Serlda Senhouse was state's oldest resident when she died Later in life, Hughes volunteered at Newton-Wellesley Hospital's coffee shop She also enjoyed gardening and sewing her own clothes and family Halloween costumes She continues to keep busy crafting needlepoint Christmas ornaments for family and friends the secret to living a long life is "to keep moving and have fun.” along with many of her four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren In a pre-birthday ceremony, the Wellesley Select Board presented Hughes with the Boston Post Cane a tradition started in 1909 by Edwin Grozier editor and publisher of the Boston Post newspaper to recognize the oldest resident of each municipality in Massachusetts To: Wellesley College CommunityFrom: Courtney Coile Provost and Lia Gelin Poorvu ’56 Dean of the College Chief Human Resources OfficerRe: WOAW-UAW agrees to end strike while continuing negotiations toward a final contractDate: April 24 We are very pleased to share that the WOAW-UAW the union representing Wellesley’s non-tenure track (NTT) faculty NTT faculty will return to classes starting tomorrow We are grateful to the WOAW-UAW’s bargaining team and members for coming to this decision the critical work of negotiating a final contract that recognizes the significant contributions of our NTT faculty is continuing We look forward to welcoming our valued colleagues back to the classroom and to celebrating upcoming milestones such as the last day of classes non-tenure track faculty at Wellesley College walked off the job Thursday morning citing an impasse after 10 months of failed contract negotiations with administrators and other benefits remained key sticking points The walkout left some students with classes taught by striking teachers scrambling leading to concerns that they may not receive full credit for incomplete coursework a senior instructor in the biological sciences department and a striking union member said salaries were frozen after the 2008 financial crisis and have not kept pace with the high cost of living in Greater Boston She said starting salaries were commonly as low as $55,000 as recently as five years ago “Over the past few years we’ve gotten a couple of increases but salaries are really not enough to live on,” she said there are a number of benefits that tenure track faculty get from the college that non-tenure track faculty don’t receive.” Those include a mortgage benefit to help buy a house in the area and a tuition benefit to help send the children of faculty to college,“ she said Workload was another point of contention in negotiations with the college proposing that many unionized faculty teach five courses a year Okumura called that a 25% increase in workload that would drastically change the nature of their jobs Unlike adjunct faculty who only teach on short-term contracts at many other schools Okumura said non-tenured faculty at Wellesley are longer-term staff that take on many of the same responsibilities as tenured professors we just spend a lot of time getting to know our students And it’s one of the things that makes Wellesley College a really great place to be as a student.” Wellesley President Paula Johnson issued a statement expressing disappointment in the decision to strike but pledged to continue negotiating in good faith About a third of faculty at the prestigious women’s college are non-tenure track The school says it doesn’t have exact numbers on how many students have been impacted by the strike but that it would only grant half credit for classes left incomplete due to the walkout Coile acknowledged that could negatively impact some students but said the college is helping students maintain full credit by allowing them to transfer into ongoing classes taught by tenure track faculty if they choose The union has criticized docking students’ credit accusing the college of using their own students ability to graduate as a bargaining chip “It’s totally unprecedented to take away credit from students in retaliation for a faculty strike.” “[T]he college has willingly decided to threaten students with losing their financial aid or visa status if they do not attend scab lectures or replace their current lectures with completely unrelated courses that are halfway through their content This disgusting move by the college is deliberately meant to harm students.” School spokesperson Stacey Schmeidel disputed that characterization saying the college has provided options for students Your essential daily newsletter delivering trusted news and can't miss programs from Boston and beyond The project combines Tian’s interest in textile design and technologists who create textiles that respond to human input “These interactive textiles are embedded with sensors allowing them to function as expressive tools that engage multiple senses at once,” she says She will explore how different cultures are blending traditional textile techniques with emerging technologies paying close attention to the influence of local materials and musical traditions on the design and function of interactive textiles As her research methodology is rooted in observation and practice she also plans to experiment with making her own interactive textiles Tian first learned about interactive music systems in her music technology courses at Wellesley and MIT and textile-based interfaces to create sounds in unconventional ways While studying textile design in Denmark in fall 2023 she thought about how textiles can evoke music and movement “This shifted how I viewed textiles from purely visual objects to multisensory vessels for storytelling,” she says and designing textiles felt like composing a score.” I want his journey to deepen my ability to create work that is both technically innovative and emotionally resonant…” Tian interned at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston and encountered the work of multidisciplinary artist Igshaan Adams whose tapestries and immersive textile installations examine forms of care and resistance in post-apartheid South Africa His work showed her that textiles can make cultural narratives visible She became interested in creating textiles that could respond musically and visually to human input and that would serve not only as a form of artistic expression but as a tool for preserving communal memories and cultural narratives The combination of her coursework, semester abroad, and internship motivated her to apply for the Watson Fellowship. She also credits Rinako Sonobe ’22 who visited Tian’s printmaking class in spring 2024 to share her experience I’ve had the chance to explore a range of creative mediums but the rhythm of college often felt like this: I’d discover something that sparked my curiosity “I often found myself wishing for more time to follow an idea at my own pace without being swept into the next semester The Watson Fellowship felt like the perfect space to do exactly that and fully immerse myself in a passion that I didn’t get to explore as deeply as I wanted during my time here.” Wellesley's 2025 Annual Town Meeting began on Tuesday The Warrant was signed and posted on January 24. Read the 2025 Annual Town Meeting Warrant. but the page that you are trying to reach could not be found Please contact us if you believe you reached this page in error The site search requires a JavaScript enabled browser. You can also search the site using Google Students relay the good news across campus Wellesley received just over 8,700 first-year applications the second-largest number in College history Applicants in our Regular Decision pool were notified of their admission decision on March 22 13.7% of applicants were offered admission to the College Here’s a look at the admitted class of 2029: They hail from 47 states plus the District of Columbia as well as 31 countries outside the United States 20% will be the first generation in their families to attend a four-year college 51% speak a language other than English in their homes 15 were admitted through the QuestBridge National College Match program This was the fifth year Wellesley suspended the standardized testing requirement we invite an amazing group of students to join our community and the experience is filled with both excitement and anticipation “I am extremely proud of the work that the Admission and Student Financial Services teams have done as they support students and families navigating this process.” Valdes is excited for Wellesley to connect with the Class of 2029 and their families admitted students are invited to an array of virtual and in-person events that we hope will strengthen their sense of belonging within our community,” she said “We want them to envision themselves as part of the Wellesley ethos and become graduates who will make a meaningful difference in this country and world Wellesley, Massachusetts – As the strike by non-tenure track faculty at Wellesley College extends into its third week the College has issued a new and urgent call to the union to stop the strike and agree to mediation to help reach an agreement “The College first offered mediation March 26, but [the union] has refused, insisting that it would be ‘premature,’” Provost Courtney Coile and Chief Human Resources Officer Carolyn Slaboden wrote in an email to the College community following the April 7 bargaining session “This is hardly the case—the parties have been negotiating for almost a year.”The College’s email noted that over the course of 27 bargaining sessions and issues around reappointment rights remain unresolved a mediator could help move the negotiations forward more quickly by engaging in ongoing ‘shuttle diplomacy’ between the two parties,” the email noted.In union negotiations “[W]e feel it is urgent that we try [this] path,” Coile and Slaboden noted in their email “In light of the ongoing strike and disruption to our campus community it is incomprehensible that the union would continue to refuse this tried-and-true approach to resolving differences.” Our virtual New Student Orientation (VNSO) is designed to help entering students feel prepared as they enter the college experience here at Wellesley it is highly encouraged that all students engage with the program in some way during the summer VNSO provides an opportunity to learn about important resources and connect with fellow entering students and student leaders in advance of coming to campus Undergraduate tuition at the all-women’s college this fall is $100,541 Officials emphasize most students don’t pay full price due to generous financial aid You have /5 articles left.Sign up for a free account or log in Wellesley College in Massachusetts has become the first U.S Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe/Getty Images Wellesley College appears to be the first higher ed institution in the nation to hit the $100,000 annual sticker price Various other universities have approached the six-figure mark for undergraduate tuition and indirect costs in recent years but managed to remain below it. When Inside Higher Ed explored this issue last year it appeared that Vanderbilt University might be the first to cross the threshold with estimated costs for undergraduate students in certain programs Others at or over the $90,000 line include the University of Chicago Wellesley spokesperson Stacey Schmeidel wrote in an email to Inside Higher Ed Tuesday that the college “meets 100% of the calculated need for all students” and is “committed to making a Wellesley education accessible to all.” Additionally she noted that “loans are eliminated for students with total parent income less than $100,000 and calculated family contribution of less than $28,000 The average indebtedness of our 2023 graduates is $18,500 She added that indirect costs vary by student and “the majority” do not pay sticker price Schmeidel also wrote that more than 50 percent of students decline the optional health insurance is the most expensive item on the list of indirect costs nearly half receive institutional grants to cover the entire cost Despite the potential sticker shock, Wellesley’s website plugs an education that is “more affordable than you think.” Wellesley has a financial aid budget of more than $84 million, according to its website and 52 percent for all undergraduate students the average sticker price was $43,350 for private nonprofit four-year institutions $30,780 for out-of-state students attending public universities and $11,610 for in-state students at public universities Bryan Alexander, a senior scholar at Georgetown University who has been writing about college costs nearing the $100,000 mark since 2018, correctly predicted in 2023 that Wellesley would be one of the first institutions to reach six figures by the 2026–27 academic year Asked what he thought about his prediction coming to pass Alexander responded with multiple questions “Will this pricing make the college more desirable Or will it drive away would-be students from sticker shock?” he wrote by email will make such a price hike to raise funds when grants are cut?” He also pondered what it might mean for public perception “Wellesley is a small liberal arts college but some universities are also playing this pricing game Will [small liberal arts colleges] become seen as too pricey or will all of higher ed get tarred with this brush?” Harvard University is rethinking its admissions curriculum and more and investing in Jewish and Palestinian studies The Trump administration has thrown federal research funding into a state of flux economic historian Richard Vedder discusses why hig A new white paper says colleges could increase retention and create new income streams by partnering with other insti Learn high-impact ways to re-engage students drive enrollment and support your team’s well-being Subscribe for free to Inside Higher Ed’s newsletters opinion and great new careers in higher education — delivered to your inbox View Newsletters Copyright © 2025 Inside Higher Ed All rights reserved. | Website designed by nclud To: Wellesley College Faculty and StaffFrom: Courtney Coile Provost and Lia Gelin Poorvu ’56 Dean of the College; Piper Orton Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer; and Carolyn Slaboden Chief Human Resources OfficerRe: Temporary hiring pauseDate: April 11 As we shared in a recent memo Wellesley is facing a significant and ongoing structural deficit as we head into fiscal year 2026 This means our revenues are growing at a slower rate than our expenses we will be implementing a six-month hiring pause for faculty and staff administrative (both exempt and non-exempt) The pause does not apply to student workers we recognize that there will be a limited number of vacant positions that will be critical to the academic and residential program and to essential College operations will be responsible for reviewing all hiring requests for faculty or staff during this time and will make recommendations to Senior Leadership for approval We are also exploring other actions to address the FY26 deficit and longer-term spending including reviewing discretionary and non-salary spending across academic and administrative departments These changes will help slow spending as we address the near-term FY26 financials more significant financial uncertainties in the coming year including a potential increase in the endowment tax as well as possible reductions in federal research funding we will continue to assess these financial risks and we will keep the College community informed as we address changing financial realities and consider additional steps to mitigate their impact We plan to revisit this hiring pause in the late fall when we have a clearer picture of the external economic risks and challenges we face Thank you for your understanding and dedication as we strive to provide an excellent liberal arts education for our students Shop Marjorie Schechter Bronfman '38 and Gerald Bronfman Endowment for Works on Paper 2019.948 Press release available here. The Davis and the Wellesley College Library Special Collections join together to celebrate acquisitions of works on paper from the last decade that represent Wellesley’s commitment to inclusive excellence Often collaborating with Wellesley faculty curators have acquired the objects in Better on Paper to support and expand the Wellesley College curriculum With books and works on paper that connect to every department on campus Wellesley continues to enhance its renowned collections through purchases and other objects in Better on Paper originate from around the globe The Davis and Special Collections each host around 100 class visits annually The majority of the Davis’s collection consists of works on paper In addition to displaying them in special exhibitions and the long-term galleries Davis staff and Wellesley faculty frequently select artworks for class visits to the Print Study Room Better on Paper includes just a fraction of the over 4,000 works on paper collected by the Davis between 2014 and 2024 highlighting many previously unseen artworks This exhibition emphasizes contemporary art while also showcasing many new acquisitions of art from past centuries Through gifts and purchases over the last decade These include an instructive geography game for children and other objects of cultural history–in addition to many printed and manuscript books and independent scholars can request to view materials in Special Collections for individual research and class visits curators highlight objects that support study in the humanities Building these collections supports today’s Wellesley Method: object-based and human-centered learning across the disciplines and teach in this exhibition–and to find out more about the many other works on paper in the Davis Museum and Special Collections This exhibition was co-curated by Amanda Gilvin Sonja Novak Koerner '51 Senior Curator of Collections and Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs Curator of Special Collections and Visiting Lecturer Friends of Art Curatorial Project Manager and Researcher Kemper Assistant Curator of Collections and Academic Affairs Adjunct Curator of Latin American Art and Senior Lecturer Better on Paper is presented at the Davis with generous support from the Anonymous '70 Endowed Museum Program Fund Marjorie Schechter Bronfman '38 and Gerald Bronfman Endowment for Works on Paper and Wellesley College Friends of Art at the Davis Mailing List Sign up for our mailing list SHOP Wellesley College Land Acknowledgment Copyright © 2025 Davis Museum, Wellesley College Students who were at the minimum course load to be considered full-time will have to hop into another class with just four weeks left in the semester Wellesley’s non-tenure-track faculty union began striking on March 27 Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty Images Hours after Wellesley College’s non-tenure-track faculty went on strike last Thursday students received word that they might receive only half credit for courses taught by the professors on strike The college attributed the decision to federal regulations on how much instruction students must receive per credit hour students will be able to return to their classes and get full credit they were told they could sign up for other classes That would allow them to continue to earn full credit hours which is especially important for students who need to maintain full-time status for financial aid According to college spokesperson Stacey Schmeidel only about a third of non-tenure-track faculty members’ classes could be affected by this change; the remaining two-thirds met frequently enough during the first 10 weeks of the semester that they had already reached the required minimum number of instructional hours about 30 students out of the 2,350 enrolled at the women’s college are currently at risk of dropping below full-time status though hundreds opted to switch into new classes to ensure they receive the number of credits they planned on for this semester But students and faculty union members have questioned the college’s solution noting that students may struggle to find replacement courses that fit their schedule or that they have the necessary prerequisites for “Imagine being a student entering into a class that only has four weeks left,” said Jacquelin Woodford a chemistry lecturer and organizing committee member for the faculty union “It’s such a weird plan that could all be avoided if the college just bargained with us and settled the contract.” Woodford also noted that striking faculty members had not been informed before Thursday about this plan and still haven’t received formal communication from the institution about what is happening with their classes Non-tenure-track faculty at Wellesley began unionizing almost a year ago in an attempt to obtain higher wages and better job security Union organizers say the institution has come back with only bare-bones offers On March 25, administrators offered non-tenure-track faculty 2.75 percent annual raises for the duration of the contract and proposed adding an additional course to their teaching loads for which they would be paid an additional $10,000 But union members argue that $10,000 is equivalent to what they are already paid for teaching an extra course “The College’s proposal makes working overtime the new, required norm,” wrote Erin Battat, senior lecturer in the writing program and a member of the bargaining committee, in an email to The Wellesley News “We had hoped that Wellesley was serious about their claims to care about averting a strike but their actions at the bargaining prove otherwise.” WOAW’s latest proposal includes a revised salary scale that would see some NTT faculty with more than 18 years at Wellesley earn over $170,000 a year—25 percent more than full professors with the same amount of experience Wellesley has countered that the proposed pay scale which would afford faculty raises of 54 percent in the contract’s first year The union voted in February to authorize a strike Students have been supportive of the strike despite its impact on their courses noting that they have joined the picket lines at the motor and pedestrian entrances to campus over the past several days “They’ll come and go between their courses They’re so kind; they’ve been sending us food and pizza and they brought us ponchos today for the rain,” she said alumnae and Massachusetts state politicians have also come out to support them The next bargaining session will take place on Tuesday and union organizers questioned why the institution was unwilling to bargain any earlier than five days into the strike Schmeidel said the college and the union had mutually agreed to a session on April 3; after the strike began Wellesley offered to move the session to today She also said that the union had rejected the college’s proposal to work with a mediator “The College feels that the union’s refusal to go to mediation and to instead call for a strike is arbitrary and premature,” she wrote it’s unclear what the next few weeks will bring a freshman who asked to have her last name withheld is currently taking a writing course impacted by the strike She said she received an email from the dean of first-year students saying that those in the course would receive full credit but students should nevertheless attempt to keep up with the syllabus as much as possible as the materials she needs for the next paper haven’t been posted for students to access online yet noting that WOAW has been transparent with the students about what the stoppage will entail since much earlier in the semester “[WOAW] had been speaking about negotiations with the college since I arrived on the campus last semester,” she said “They’ve been very clear with the students that they believe their treatment is unfair and they’ve been working with the college for a while now to get the situation fixed.” In an FAQ about how Wellesley will handle the strike the institution said it is still figuring out how grading will be impacted by the half-credit courses and noted that it may be necessary to include a transcript note for anyone impacted It said the same about making up any content students may lose out on as a result of the strike “Department chairs and faculty are thinking seriously about any course content that may not have been covered and how to make up for this in a future semester,” the FAQ says the president attacked higher education with dizzying frequency The state attorney general’s office says it is investigating “multi-jurisdictional acts of vandalism,” but further de The institution backed out of plans to host a vote and suggested graduate workers pursue the federally controll grad students and other workers are resisting Chief Human Resources OfficerRe: Update on negotiations with WOAW-UAWDate: April 16 will resume the collective bargaining process The College will approach this session as we have all sessions to date—in a spirit of good-faith negotiation with the goal of finalizing a fair contract We appreciate that the union is coming to the table with a new proposal Because we have not reviewed it completely nor discussed it with them yet we cannot comment on the specifics at this time that we reject the idea put forward by the union that a one-year contract would in any way benefit the College community and community at risk of experiencing the same disruption a year from now The College is asking for a multiyear contract to ensure that no current students will experience another strike during their time at Wellesley A multiyear contract would also help NTT faculty by locking in raises for the next several years—a period of expected financial uncertainty—and securing access to new benefits Our community needs a multiyear contract so that we can move past this time of division and begin to heal The union does not need a one-year contract in order to end the strike and return to the classroom And despite the union’s suggestions that our students are “losing” any part of their education thanks to the academic plan the College put in place after NTT faculty decided to strike all students will be able to finish the semester in good academic standing We look forward to a productive bargaining session tomorrow Seven students and alums from Wellesley were selected for Fulbright awards for academic year 2024-25 Wellesley, Mass. — Today, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs once again recognized Wellesley College for being one of the colleges and universities with the highest number of students selected for the Fulbright U.S Fulbright Top Producing Institutions such as Wellesley value global connection and support members of their campus communities across the United States to pursue international opportunities Seven students and alums from Wellesley were selected for Fulbright awards for academic year 2024-25 including: Research Grant to Chile– Annabel Joy Brazaitis '22 English Teaching Assistantship to Lithuania– Gina Maria Padayhag Fiore '24 English Teaching Assistantship to Mexico– Hira Sohail Khan '23 English Teaching Assistantship to Turkey– Lucinda Tania Norton '21 Research Grant to France– Gabrielle Rose Piper Shell '24 English Teaching Assistantship to Bulgaria Genevieve Welch '22 was selected as a candidate at-large for a Research Grant to Hungary The Career Education team encourages Wellesley alums who are interested in applying for Fulbright to apply through the Wellesley committee so the College can help with their applications and celebrate them as official Wellesley Fulbrighters government's flagship international academic exchange program the Fulbright Program has provided over 400,000 talented and accomplished students and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study and work to address complex global challenges “Wellesley is proud and grateful to once again be among those colleges and universities producing a high number of Fulbright recipients,” said Kate Dailinger director of fellowships in Wellesley Career Education “This recognition speaks to the persistence and talent of the many student and alum Fulbrighters from Wellesley as well as the College’s broader commitment to preparing students to engage in leadership across the globe.” Fulbright applicants at Wellesley are supported by a campus committee that includes several former Fulbright recipients. Wellesley students and graduates interested in applying for Fulbright awards are encouraged to review information on Wellesley’s website About the Fulbright ProgramFulbright is a program of the U.S Participating governments and host institutions and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the program Fulbright alumni work to make a positive impact on their communities and the world and have included 44 heads of state or government and countless leaders and changemakers who build mutual understanding between the people of the United State and the people of other countries For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit https://fulbrightprogram.org/ whose boundary-breaking nonfiction has earned her both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Humanities Medal will deliver the address at the College’s 147th commencement ceremony on May 16 Wellesley, Mass.—Journalist and bestselling author Isabel Wilkerson—whose boundary-breaking nonfiction writing has earned her both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Humanities Medal—will deliver the address at Wellesley College’s 147th commencement ceremony on Friday The event will take place at 10:30 a.m. on the Wellesley College campus, and it will be livestreamed on the Wellesley Live website Wilkerson is the author of two critically acclaimed New York Times bestsellers—The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration and Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents—that document the universal human story of migration and reinvention as well as the unseen hierarchies that have divided us as a nation Kristen Doerer said Wilkerson’s work is “the missing puzzle piece of our country’s history.” “Isabel Wilkerson is one of our nation’s truly outstanding writers,” said Wellesley College President Paula A shedding light on how the past informs the present and helping us understand the complex history that shapes our current moment.” Wilkerson spent 15 years working on her 2010 book interviewing more than 1,200 people to reveal what she calls one of the greatest underreported stories of the 20th century including the National Book Critics Circle Award The book examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America demonstrating how a hierarchy of division still defines our society and our lives today Caste won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and was longlisted for the National Book Award Wilkerson won the Pulitzer Prize in 1994 for her deeply humane narrative writing as Chicago bureau chief of the New York Times making her the first Black woman in the history of American journalism to win a Pulitzer Prize and the first Black journalist to win for individual reporting President Barack Obama awarded Wilkerson the National Humanities Medal for “championing the stories of an unsung history.” Wilkerson has lectured on narrative nonfiction at Harvard University and has taught at Princeton She has spoken at colleges and universities across the world and frequently appears on national programs such as CBS’s 60 Minutes Stunning new photographs by a Wellesley College-led team of astronomers have revealed a newly forming galaxy that looks remarkably similar to a young Milky Way The extraordinary images give us an unprecedented picture of what our own galaxy might have looked like when it was being born Massachusetts — Stunning new photographs by a Wellesley College-led team of astronomers have revealed a newly forming galaxy that looks remarkably similar to a young Milky Way The extraordinary images—taken with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope—show a galaxy that glitters with 10 distinct star clusters that formed at different times and resembling fireflies “dancing” on a summer night the newly discovered galaxy—which the Wellesley team have dubbed the “Firefly Sparkle”—was taking shape around 600 million years after the Big Bang around the same time that our own galaxy was beginning to take shape Wellesley College astronomer Lamiya Mowla is co-lead author of the paper Mowla says the discovery is particularly important because the mass of the Firefly Sparkle is similar to what the Milky Way’s mass might have been at the same stage of development (Other galaxies Webb has detected from this time period are significantly more massive.) “These remarkable images give us an unprecedented picture of what our own galaxy might have looked like when it was being born,” Mowla says “By examining these photos of the Firefly Sparkle we can better understand how our own Milky Way took shape.” Glimpses of a young galaxy forming in a way so similar to our own are unparalleled The JWST images show a Milky Way-like galaxy in the early stages of its assembly in a universe that’s only 600 million years old “As an observational astronomer studying the structural evolution of astronomical objects in the early Universe and galaxy clusters formed in the infant Universe and how they changed as the Universe got older,” Mowla notes ““I didn’t think it would be possible to resolve a galaxy that existed so early in the universe into so many distinct components let alone find that its mass is similar to our own galaxy’s when it was in the process of forming “There is so much going on inside this tiny galaxy including so many different phases of star formation,” Mowla told NASA “These images are the very first glimpse of something that we’ll be able to study—and learn from—for many years to come.” a NASA Hubble Fellow at Columbia University in New York is an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Wellesley WELLESLEY — Wellesley College professors walked off their jobs on Thursday in response to unsuccessful contract negotiations amid the private women's liberal arts college facing a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall The college's non-tenure track faculty who are represented by the United Auto Workers (which represents more than 100,000 academic workers nationally) first unionized in January 2024 and have been bargaining since last May a faculty member on the organizing committee explained that the union has a few sticking points Professors picketing told the Daily News they want to maintain a four-course-per-year workload and said non-tenure track employees do not have access to other benefits such as mortgage assistance and do not advance at the same rate as tenure-track faculty "I think for a women's college to have a set of second-class citizens is a bad look for many reasons most of them historical," said Diego Arciniegas Allegations of antisemitism: U.S. Dept. of Education says it's investigating Wellesley College Anthropology and religion lecturer Holly Walters shared that she's been with the college for six years and is struggling to afford living in Greater Boston "I don't make enough money to survive," she said "My home has been here for the past six years but I would like to do it without living in poverty." College officials say union has rejected multiple offersStacey Schmeidel, Wellesley's director of media relations, referred the Daily News to an email sent to the Wellesley College community from President Paula Johnson and other administrators college administrators said the union has rejected multiple offers including offering the union the professorial titles the union wants; agreement with the union's demand for fewer years for promotion eligibility; and a 30% increase in compensation for bargaining unit employees over the next four years in exchange for teaching five courses a year the email says the union is proposing an average increase of 54% in compensation in the first year of the contract along with average per-person raises of $54,000 for those with 10 to 20 years of experience and average per-person raises of $64,000 for those with more than 20 years of experience 'Passion for women's advancement': Wellesley College names Paula Johnson president more than a year to negotiate," the email from administrators states "The College has been working hard over the past 10 months in good faith to try to negotiate a fair agreement with the union that also takes into consideration the needs of our entire community The union’s refusal to go to mediation and to instead call for a strike is arbitrary and premature." Wellesley College is projecting it will have a more than $8 million deficit requiring it to make significant changes to its spending and budget for fiscal 2026 "We are living with increasing economic uncertainty in the U.S and we face challenging public conversations about higher education," Wellesley administrators said in the email shared by Schmeidel The email states that the administration's goal is to focus on areas for permanent spending reductions rather than one-time savings to address the deficit the deficit is caused by a number of factors including slow revenue growth from increases in the student comprehensive fee; the college's endowment funding 45% of its budget; building investments; and taxes on its endowment In addition, other factors that could affect finances include the potential enforcement actions from the Department of Education the possibility of rescinded grants and an increase in the endowment tax "If the College experiences any or all of these events we will have to seriously examine how we go about providing a Wellesley education," the email states Wellesley College has nearly 2,300 undergraduate students Students find fun and friendship through House Council Two years ago, Elli Gurguliatos ’25, then a residential assistant (RA) in the dorm Shafer, got a worrisome email from Paula Queenan community director of the Shafer and Pomeroy residence halls “Paula is like everyone’s mother or grandmother She’s been at Wellesley since 1999—she’s a campus legend!” says Gurguliatos and she always sends Res staff these wonderful emails in giant blue Comic Sans with all these extra emojis Paula emails the Shafer House Council and says When members of the Wellesley facilities team had gone to clean the common rooms that morning the cushions were missing—from all of the common spaces in all four dorms in the Hazard Quad “Just all of the couches were stripped bare!” says Gurguliatos and Beebe council members were trying to make sense of what happened they discovered notes scattered around their dorms: We stole your cushions where they found all the Hazard Quad cushions neatly piled in a room in the basement each labeled with masking tape saying which dorm space they’d been taken from The Munger House Council members were confused Only after the cushions had been restored did it come to light through the HP group chat that members of the McAfee (the other M dorm!) council had left notes signed with an “M” to frame Munger The prank has since become a House Council legend House Council, also known as “HoCo,” is the governing group in each of the 12 main dorms on campus (Bates and Tower) and is made up of a dozen or so residents who meet regularly to discuss issues relating to their hall such as the Lake House co-ops and the language houses have their own systems.) The dorm’s HP leads the weekly HoCo meeting and other dorm residents serve as representatives According to the Wellesley College Archives, HPs at Wellesley date back to when students still lived in College Hall. After the hall burned down in 1914 new residences were built across the campus HoCos focused mostly on administrative tasks such as going over the College Government senators’ weekly report or approving events to be held in dorm common spaces in charge of teaching residents how to evacuate in an emergency; another made sure plastic and paper were sorted properly for recycling (The author of this story served as a Claflin recycling rep from 2006 to 2008.) Many tasks that used to fall on members have become centralized at the College: Facilities Management handles recycling and there is an application process for reserving spaces for events and Claflin has teapot reps who host weekly teas in the dorm living room At HoCo meetings RAs also have time to present and they raise issues ranging from how to have tough conversations about politics to “dining hall slays and nays.” but I knew every week I could go to HoCo and be around people.” And while not all of the dorm pranks are as elaborate as CushionGate they are part of a newer Wellesley tradition of HoCos declaring love and/or war on each other Each council now has a love and war rep (sometimes known as a “deity” of love and war) who plans the inter-dorm shenanigans “HoCo is a space to forget about classes,” says Bella Peña ’25, Claflin lifer and current HP. The unofficial Claflin mascot—a plastic skeleton named Kulima—has been stolen many times by other HoCos, and was recently strung up outside the Tower house president’s room (the famed Princess Suite who later became first lady of the Republic of China) “We’re trying to bring back the fun and life and togetherness that Wellesley lost during COVID,” says Peña whom she met when they were first-years in the Claflin HoCo and the two are planning to host combined Claflin-Severance HoCo meetings this spring to foster connections across Tower Courtyard The majority of members tend to be first-years which can be a good way for them to get acclimated to the College “Sometimes at first they don’t realize HoCo is optional,” says the Stone-Davis HP “But going to HoCo is a great way to develop relationships with the people you live with and a way to kick-start making friends at Wellesley.” Many first-years who join their dorm’s HoCo go on to become RAs and later HPs “I was really lonely my first year,” says Abascal “but I knew every week I could go to HoCo and be around people.” “HoCos are intentional communities,” says Painter whose goal as an HP is to make Stone-Davis a safe welcoming environment and to find ways to “focus on joy” in the dorm Painter says that with Stone-Davis and Munger—buildings she describes as “island dorms” because they are outside the three big dorm complexes (Tower Complex and the East Side dorms)—the acts of love and war offer an excuse to reach out to students across campus the Stone-Davis HoCo hauled all the lamps from the Tower common rooms back to Stone-D sang One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful.” Later Gurguliatos thanked Painter saying the Shafer residents “really needed that today.” and it doesn’t really harm anyone,” says Painter “None of us are putting these pranks on our résumé.” many would be able to add experience as wedding planners: The ultimate act of love is when two dorms get married Claflin and Severance have a romance that is “written in the stars” (according to Peña) and they have a wedding (or is it a vow renewal?) every year during which the dorms’ love and war reps participate in a staged “marriage ceremony,” followed by a HoCo party Stone-Davis and Munger are also currently a couple “It’s just such a funny bit,” Painter says But it’s kind of awesome that it has developed a meaning at Wellesley—it’s just about making another HoCo smile.” pulled off a “Pom-posal” to pop the question to their neighboring dorm along with Caz HP Sylvia Nica ’25 and the rest of the dorm’s HoCo involving a ring made from pipe cleaners and a sign that said “Pom you’re the bomb!” (They had made a banner declaring war and it kind of keeps you on your toes a little bit,” says Nica The Caz-Pom wedding is planned for later this spring but anything can happen in dorm love and war: “Shafer might be stealing our fiancée and we’ve heard rumors that Stone-D might object at our wedding,” says Nica “At Wellesley a lot of times people are very very serious and really locked into their academics which isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” says Skinner “But I think we need a little silliness in our lives.”