While most students have put their summer thoughts behind them, the administration has continued to focus on the summer—next summer, that is—in preparation for a new academic session to commence in June of 2010.

According to Director of Strategic Initiatives Charles Salas, the University imagines that a group of approximately 200 students will be on campus next summer seeking two course credits.

“We anticipate a June 7 start date and a five-week session that includes a final examination period,” he wrote in an e-mail to The Argus. “Classes are expected to meet for approximately 10 hours a week, and we seek a mixture of morning and afternoon courses so as to allow students to enroll in two courses.”

The session, which will be targeted at both University and non-University students, was conceptualized in an effort to raise revenue. Tuition for the session will be $2,500 per credit, while the cost of room and board will be approximately $60.00 per day. The approximate total cost for two credits with room and board will be $7,100. It has not yet been decided where students will live.

One of the session’s benefits will be the opportunity to take courses that have limited seating during the academic year. The Academic Deans will be working with Department Chairs to determine the logistics for arranging courses that had excessive demand in the past academic year.

“The current plan is to run 15 to 20 courses in 2010,” Salas wrote.

According to Salas, new upper-level electives will also be offered in the session. In an attempt to link the classes, the University is also considering pairing courses taught by different professors.

“Co-curricular work will be provided to supplement the work in both classrooms,” Salas wrote.

According to Elena Georgieva ’12, who stayed on campus this past summer to do research in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the entire character of campus during the summer months will dramatically change with the proposed summer session.

“Wesleyan during the summer months is extremely tranquil and peaceful…but if you don’t really keep yourself busy, it might get a little bit boring,” she said. “With this session, greater institutional participation would mean more people and a lot more fun. I would be extremely excited to stay over the next summer if that is really the case.”

Another benefit for students would be the opportunity to take a semester off.

“A great benefit of the summer courses is that students will be able to earn credits during the summer and take the fall semester off to look for internships and jobs,” said Mike Pernick ’10, President of the Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA). “The competition for internships during the fall is significantly less than the summer.”

This promising new venture is, however, still in its planning stages. Depending on faculty response to the proposal, the courses will be announced either by the end of fall or early winter. If the session proves successful, the administration will consider expanding it to two sessions, starting with the summer of 2011.