Residencies

 

 

Participation in four, 10-day Residencies in Jackson are required for completing a degree through Wesley's online program. Students registering to attend a residency must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours during that semester.

Residencies are held each fall as a part of Wesley's Transform:ED Conference on Christian Leadership & Spiritual Formation. The Residency portion of the Conference for online students runs from Monday night through Thursday night of the following week. The public portion of the Conference runs Tuesday night through Friday morning of the first week. The dates for each fall's Conference and Residency schedule are announced in the publication of the annual academic calendar, but the Conference generally takes place the second week of October.

Information

For full details regarding Residency, please read the following sections.

Partial Attendence: All participants are required to attend the full 10 days of Residency for Residential credit. Attending only 1 week of Residency for partial residential credit is not permitted.

Lodging: Lodging arrangements for Residency are provided by the Comfort Suites, a nice business-class hotel located less than two miles from the Seminary campus (http://www.comfortsuites.com/ires/en-US/html/HotelInfo?hotel=MS010).

• If you make changes in lodging arrangements after having registered for the Residency course, you could have additional expenses on your bill, depending on how it affects our agreement with the hotel. If you have other lodging arrangements, you are responsible for your own transportation.
• If you are arriving earlier or later than the specified start days (Monday/Friday), you will need to make your own lodging arrangements for the extra nights. You are welcome to contact the Comfort Suites to reserve a room before or after Residency. Dormitory housing is unavailable during the Conference/Residency.

Transportation During Residency: Transportation in between the hotel, seminary, and Belhaven during Residency is handled through carpooling. Many students drive in for Residency and volunteer to serve as carpool drivers throughout the 10 days. These volunteers receive a credit back on their student account to cover fuel, mileage, and maintenance.

Starting & Ending Days: Residency officially starts on Monday night of the first week with a welcome dinner at 5:30 p.m. at the Main Campus. Residency officially ends Thursday evening of the second week with an evening banquet at 5:30. This banquet is required for all Residency students.

Travel times: Monday of the first week and Friday of the second week are designated as travel days. If you are traveling by air, you should plan to arrive in Jackson between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday. Your departure from Jackson should be scheduled between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on the second Friday. Students arriving by Greyhound bus or Amtrak rail should also work within these timeframes. This allows us sufficient time to arrange transportation to and from the hotel. If you need an earlier or later drop-off time, you will have to make your own arrangements. You can check with the hotel about an airport shuttle.

Local/Commuter Students: Students living within 75 miles of the Jackson area are permitted to register for the Conference as Commuter participants.

• Lodging and transportation is not provided.
• The Residency fee covers the following activities and meals: 1) lunches Tuesday through the following Thursday, excluding weekends, 2) Welcome and Closing banquets, 3) special events. All other weekend meals are not included.
• There are NO refunds for scheduled meals or events in which you choose not to participate, including weekday lunches. Fellowship and community sharing are a significant part of Residency and your participation in these opportunities is greatly encouraged.

Local/Commuter Students: Students living more than 75 miles of the Jackson area must register for the Conference as Non-Commuter participants.

• Lodging for the full event (Mon. night through Thurs. night) is provided. By default, attendees will share lodging with another student. Private rooms can be requested for the additional cost of the room.
• The Residency Fee covers all meals and special events that are a part of the Residency schedule from the Welcome dinner on Monday night to the Closing Banquet on Thursday evening.
• There are NO refunds or discounts for scheduled meals/events in which you choose not to participate or for meals you elect to eat elsewhere.

Meals: A continental breakfast is provided each morning at the hotel. Lunches and dinners will be provided at either the Seminary’s dining hall or at nearby Belhaven college. Belhaven is a Christian liberal arts college located minutes from our campus. They have graciously agreed to provide our Residency students with access to their dining facilities. Except for designated special events, all meals will be provided at Belhaven. For those who registered as Non-Commuter participants, all meals are included in the Residency fee. Weekday lunches and special conference meals are provided for Commuter participants.

Residency Fee: In addition to tuition, a Residency Fee is applied for each Residency students attend. For the Fall of 2009, this fee was $680 for Non-Commuters and $240 for Commuters. Residency fees are subject to change each fall depending on lodging and dining costs. This fee goes toward the cost of lodging, food, transportation, and residency and conference expenses. The residency fee does not include travel, books, or any other individual expenditures.

Dress: Dress for conference activities and evening services is business casual; slacks/khakis and a polo or button-down shirt for men; similiar styles of slacks, skirts, or dresses for ladies. Short are not permitted during classroom or conference activities during the day.

First-year students participating the Matriculation ceremony during the Academic Convocation should bring at least one dress outfit.

For recreational activities, casual clothing, including modest shorts, is acceptable. You may want to bring a light jacket or sweater. Evenings in Jackson in early October can sometimes get cool. The Seminary has a gym where a group often plays basketball. There is also a small workout room with a treadmill, free weights, and weight machines.

Registration: Each student planning to attend Residency in the fall must 1) add the appropriate residency to their fall course enrollment, and 2) register their participation and lodging/food arranagements through the Conference registration website when it becomes available.

Late Fee: A $100 late registration fee will be assessed for any Conference/Residency registrations submitted after the announced deadline.

Cancellation: Upon registration for the Conference/Residency, any cancellation within 10 days prior to the start of the event will entail a $175 cancellation fee due to lodging and meal planning arrangements.