The University’s Alumni and Parent Relations Department, a sector of the Office of Advancement, launched a revamped version of WesConnect on Sunday, Jan. 21, following a successful relaunch of the platform to alumni in conjunction with the public announcement of This is Not a Campaign at Homecoming + Family Weekend. WesConnect has an expanded directory and new features, intended to facilitate connections between alumni and students. The platform is available to all current and former students and allows you to easily sign in using your Google, LinkedIn, or WesPortal account.
“It’s such a critical tool for our community and so valuable for connecting students with alumni,” Gordon Career Center Director of Operations Rachel Munafo said.
As of January 2024, WesConnect contains an updated directory of Wesleyan alumni interested in actively engaging in the University community. The platform has over 6,500 registered users, who represent a range of professional fields, from sports communication to realty management.
In addition to an expansive directory, WesConnect is now integrated with Wesleyan’s Handshake platform and offers over 250 job postings., lecture invitations, and more.
“Previously, the platform acted solely as an online directory,” Associate Director of Advancement Event Operations Morgan Milhomens wrote in an email to The Argus. “Now, the platform has additional features including a posting feed, jobs board integrated with Handshake, photo albums, events calendar, business directory, and a variety of user resources.”
WesConnect allows alumni to stay in touch with classmates and peers after their formal time at Wesleyan ends, and receive notifications about the latest University news. It also supports an events page where alumni can attend panels and social hours, and view photo albums from recent reunions, commencements, and homecoming/family weekends. Students can utilize the platform to enhance their professional network and to explore career opportunities posted by alumni.
“The Gordon Career Center is very enthusiastic about students having another way to engage with our alumni,” Executive Director of the Gordon Career Center Sharon Belden Castonguay wrote in an email to The Argus.
WesConnect members can filter registered users by occupation, location, and education, allowing for more tailored contacts. The platform also facilitates connections by providing a direct messaging service on the platform.
“WesConnect is an important component of helping students connect with alumni, as well as demonstrating the power of the alumni community following graduation. Students are able to identify experienced alumni who are ready to offer guidance, easily search for alums in particular fields, locations, and more to connect with individuals who align with their academic and career interests, Milhomens wrote.
Another new and important initiative for student professional development is WesLink, which kicked off on Tuesday, Jan. 9. Run by the Gordon Career Center, WesLink connects current Wesleyan students with alumni and parents virtually over the Winter Break period to facilitate individual career conversations.
With the new updates to the platform, Castonguay hopes students will continue to reach out to the Gordon Career Center for additional support.
“We encourage anyone who wants advice on how to navigate [the WesConnect] process to schedule an advising appointment,” Castonguay said. “We’re happy to help students with drafting their initial outreach, coming up with questions to ask, or addressing any other concerns they may have.”
Carolyn Neugarten can be reached at cneugarten@wesleyan.edu.