Wellesley College-Peking University Partnership Academic Program Begins in Beijing

The Wellesley College-Peking University Partnership for Women’s Leadership in a Global Era begins Wednesday, June 5, at Peking University in Beijing, China.

Wellesley College's edX Lineup Announced

Wellesley College online course listing has been announced.

  Wellesley College announced at the end of last year it would be dipping a toe into the world of free, online courses. Earlier this week, the College announced its four-course online list, to be offered through edX. The four WellesleyX courses: Registration for all classes is now open. “The strength of Wellesley’s faculty and curriculum is reflected in these initial courses,” said Wellesley College President H. Kim Bottomly in a release posted to our blogs. “Wellesley looks forward to contributing to, and helping to shape the conversation about the role of online education, especially in promoting the liberal arts.” EdX uses what are called massive online open courses (MOOCS), in which anyone with an internet connection can participate in…

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Wellesley College Wins Drinking Water Award

Wellesley College's water system recognized as one of the top 81 public water systems among the nearly 2,000 around the Commonwealth.

Wellesley College has earned a Public Water System Award from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (Mass DEP). Since 1991, the award has been given to the top public water systems across the state, with only 81 of the 1,752 systems in Massachusetts receiving the honors this year as part of National Drinking Water Week, according to a press release. “It is with pleasure that each year, from among the state’s many worthy public water systems, we note those whose effort we feel over the past year deserve special recognition," said MassDEP Commissioner Kenneth Kimmell. The Wellesley College award came in the "Small Community" category, along with 10 others, including the Brookfield Water Dept., Hampden Housing Authority, …

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Wellesley Schools, Colleges Honor Green Efforts

What an elementary school, a college, and a school volunteer group all have in common is environmental work.

  Wellesley College, Upham School, and the Wellesley Green Schools group all received some honors for their green activities in May.  Upham and the Green Schools collaborative received an award, according to Wellesley Green Schools' website, from Green Schools of Massachusetts at the fifth annual Green Difference Awards. The School for its "Go Green by St. Patrick's Day" goal, using “Green Classroom Certification” criteria established by the Wellesley High School Green Team. For the volunteer group Wellesley Green Schools, it was their work on last year's Power to Choose campaign. Power to Choose returned this year as the the Power to $ave energy savings program.  Read the full story on Wellesley Green Schools. Meanwhile, at Wellesley …

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What Do You Think?: West Virginia Principal Threatens To Call Wellesley College

After a West Virginia high schooler protested an abstinence-only assembly, her principal allegedly threatened to call the school she has been accepted into: Wellesley College. What do you think?

  In West Virginia, a student spoke out against an assembly at her high school which promoted abstinence-only sex education. She alleges that her principal threatened to call the college she has been accepted into and warn them of her "bad character." A number of students at George Washington High School, in Charleston, WVa. were upset by comments the speaker made, according to the Charleston Gazette on April 11, such as "If you take birth control, your mother probably hates you." While the speaker, Pam Stenzel, did keep religion out of the presentation according to a piece in the Gazette, one GW High student, Katelyn Campbell, plans to contact the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) about the presentation, which made some girls cry and …

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Kathryn Wasserman Davis: Wellesley College Alum, Benefactor

Kathryn Wasserman Davis, a leading funder of international studies, Wellesley alum, and well-traveled philanthropist passed away at age 106.

  A member of the Wellesley College community, for whom one of its buildings, passed away earlier in the week.  On Tuesday, she passed away in her Hobe Sound, Fla. home with her family. She was 106 years old, and believed to be the oldest Wellesley College alumna. She also served on the College's board of Trustees from 1984 to 2002, according to a Wellesley College obituary.  The Wall Street Journal reports that she has early memories of advocating for women's suffrage, and had a keen desire to travel. She made more than 30 trips to Russia, specifically the Caucasus region, and joined a group of anthropologists traveling the region on horseback in 1929.  She was the college's biggest donor, giving the college over $50 million in her life …

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MassBay Observes Moment of Silence for Krystle Campbell

A memorial service for Krystle Campbell and a moment of silence for all affected by the Marathon bombing at MassBay Community College.

  A funeral for one of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing last week held in Medford yesterday; Krystle Campbell was also remembered in Wellesley, as a graduate of MassBay Community College.  Campbell graduated from the college in 2005, and was remembered at a memorial entitled "We are Boston." Dozens of faculty and staff turned out for a simple ceremony which began with the national anthem, and closed with a signing of "America, The Beautiful."  "For those of us who were not her contemporaries at MassBay, we could know her simply by looking at her picture. Krystle's eyes were bright, engaging, caring, intelligent and direct." College president John O'Donnell said, "At MassBay we have lost so much--we have lost Krystle."  The …

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Wellesley College Rings Carillon Bells for Marathon Victims

The Wellesley College Guild of Carollineurs played a concert for the Marathon victims last week

  Communities in the Boston area prepare for a moment of silence on week after the Boston Marathon was bombed--Wellesley College plans to ring the bells. The College's Guild of Carollineurs will ring their bells in the minutes leading up to 2:50 p.m., when the blasts occurred in Boston, which will be followed by a minute of silence, and then four bell chimes. The Guild also played a concert last week in memory of the victims.  See the video from Wellesley College here. MassBay Community College is also holding a memorial for Krystle Campbell, one of the Marathon victims, who graduated the college in 2005. The ceremony begind today at 2:30 p.m., and will include the moment of silence at 2:50 p.m. Individuals are encouraged to continue …

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For Many, Obama Visit is Start of Healing Journey

From the starting line in Hopkinton to the midway point in Wellesley and the finish line downtown, the community has taken a step toward closure during an extremely trying week.

  The two blasts that rocked the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon caused physical damage to Boylston Street and killed or injured hundreds of innocent people. News of the bombing traveled backward along the 26.2-mile course instantaneously, affecting every inch of the annual race. Three days later in a new, high-security Boston, local dignitaries, political officials, families of the three people who were killed in the bombings, hundreds of Boston Athletic Association volunteers, Boston Police, fire and medical personnel and The First Family gathered at the Church of the Holy Cross for an interfaith service in Boston’s South End to pray for the victims and to attempt to close this dark chapter of the marathon’s 117 year history. …

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