This newsletter was sent via email on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022 to parents and families of Case Western Reserve University undergraduates.
Dear Case Western Reserve University families,
With the arrival of your students, our campus has returned to full swing. Each day, the newly renovated Case Quad bustles with foot traffic, hungry students line the tables at Leutner and Fribley Commons, and our classrooms are once again alive with engaged learning, collaboration and innovation.
This time of year is equal parts managing transition and settling into a routine—my hope is that it’s been a smooth adjustment for you and for your students.
I want to extend a special welcome to all of our new families and especially those with students who are members of the Class of 2026. This first-year class includes 1,550 students who were selected from a record-breaking pool of over 38,000 applicants. Impressively, they are our most academically talented and our most diverse class ever. They come from 1,444 high schools, represent 70 countries and speak 57 languages. Also, nearly half of them identify as people of color: 25% identify as under-represented minorities and 24% identify as Asian American. Indeed, their diversity of life experiences, cultures, perspectives and aspirations will enrich and strengthen our entire community.
The safety and health of everyone at Case Western Reserve remains of utmost importance. In addition, our leadership team continues to focus on achieving excellence and embedding diversity and inclusion in all we do. Our priorities of elevating academic excellence, expanding our research enterprise and enhancing our community engagement will guide the way and, importantly, we’re committed to measuring our progress with data.
If you are able, please join us for Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, October 6–9. This year’s festivities include fireworks, campus tours, department open houses, alumni reunions, panel discussions, affinity group meetings, the Blue Bash party and much more. You can find a full schedule of events and registration information online. I look forward to seeing you then.
Sincerely,
Eric W. Kaler
President, Case Western Reserve University
Parents’ Facebook group and Jolly Scholar meetup for Parents and Families Weekend
There are only 65 “more sleeps” until Thanksgiving break, but more importantly, only 17 until Homecoming and Reunion Weekend—also called Parents and Families Weekend!
You might have figured out by those important data points that I am the proud parent of a Case Western Reserve student and look forward to returning to campus for Parents and Families Weekend Oct. 6–9. Before I officially invite you to our Jolly Scholar meetup event, I would like to extend a special welcome to the Class of 2026 and the incredible parents and families who have played a role in getting students here.
By now your students have already conquered the ins and outs of class registration, residence hall selection and move-in day. Parents and families have helped students shop and set up their rooms, waited anxiously for those texts and phone calls to tell you all is well, and maybe even handled a homesick phone call. I am here to let you know there is no need for you to ever feel you are alone!
In 2018, Lisa Gaioni Levite and I saw a need for parents to have an avenue to connect with other CWRU parents, and subsequently, our Facebook group was created. As the largest “unofficial” parent group at Case Western Reserve (“unofficial” because we are run by parents, not the university), we have grown to more than 2,000 members. Our role as a parent-run group is to provide a forum to discuss issues regarding the students and, when needed, provide the best way to express concerns and compliments to the appropriate parties. It is a way for parents to feel connected to others on this parenting journey and to get the inside scoop on the best classes, co-ops/internships, dorms, dining halls, local eateries, happenings on and off campus, ride shares, emergency needs and, of course, friendship.
Whether it is a question about how to mail a package to Norton House, how to have a birthday cake delivered on campus or a panicked request for hot sauce, this group is here for you. As the mother of a Class of 2023 mechanical engineering student, I have been honored to be an administrator of this group for the past two-plus years, along with my co-admins, Lisa St. Clair, Ken Wong and Victoria Vye.
We hope you will accept our invitation and join us on Facebook at CWRU Parents Chat. Also, please consider attending our meetup at Jolly Scholar Oct. 7 during Parents and Families Weekend.
Sincerely,
Karen Lynn Balcerak
Choices Fair—Sept. 30
The annual Choices Fair is an opportunity for students to learn about the nearly 100 majors and minors at Case Western Reserve University. Faculty representatives from every academic department will be on hand to answer questions at this engaging event.
Fall career fair events
Our career fairs are open to current CWRU students and alumni. We host employers seeking to hire candidates at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Students can attend a career fair to learn about jobs and meet with employers who are hiring to learn about what they need.
- Regardless of major, year in college or future goals, there are numerous benefits. Career fairs provide opportunities to:
- Get firsthand information about a company/organization from a representative;
- Make positive and lasting impressions with employers; and
- Effectively practice professional communication with recruiters and other future colleagues.
An inventive spirit, an impressive ranking
Case Western Reserve University ranks No. 21 globally for the number of U.S. Utility Patents awarded to the university and its researchers nationally, according to 2021 data compiled by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. That ranking places Case Western Reserve among the elite research universities worldwide and ahead of other Top-50 institutions, such as Columbia, Yale and the University of North Carolina.
Important Dates
Fall semester
- Oct. 6–9: Homecoming and Reunion/Parents and Family Weekend
- Oct. 24–25: Fall break
- Nov. 24–25: Thanksgiving holiday
- Dec. 9: Last day of classes
- Dec. 12, 16: Reading days
- Dec. 13: Final exams begin
- Dec. 21: Final exams end
Spring semester
- Jan. 17: Spring classes begin
- March 13–17: Spring break
- May 1: Last day of classes
- May 17-21: Commencement Week