Parents & Families E-Newsletter
March 2026

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WakeParents & Families

E-newsletter from the Office of Family Engagement


Campus is showing the first signs of spring with budding and blooming flowers.

Happy post-Spring Break! Your students returned to campus to see it begin to erupt with a profusion of spring flowers. The next few weeks should be some of the prettiest all year.

In academic news, our current students (i.e., first-years through seniors) will be going through academic advising, then will register for their fall 2026 classes starting on March 31, depending on their hours earned.

On March 3, students eligible to graduate in May were sent information on how to order Commencement tickets for their family. If you are a P’26 parent or family member, check out the Commencement website for details of the weekend. Please be talking with your student about your family’s ticket needs, and encourage them to order their cap and gown (e.g., regalia) ASAP, as it can take 4 weeks for regalia to arrive.

Before the end of the month, decisions will be released to students who applied Regular Decision to become members of the Class of 2030. If you are a P ’30 parent or family member, know that we are hard at work on updating our New Students website for the Class of 2030, and it will launch on May 1 (all information currently on that website is from last year’s Class of 2029, not your incoming students). Similarly, the due dates and deadlines shown in this e-newsletter are just for current students (i.e., Classes of 2026-2029), not your incoming students.

As always, so much is happening at Mother So Dear.

Go Deacs!


Betsy Chapman, Ph.D. (’92, MA ’94)
Executive Director of Family Communications

Upcoming Dates & Deadlines*

March 16*
— Summer School registration opens
— Lower division advising and major/minor advising begins

March 20*
Last day to Withdraw from spring course sections

March 31*
Fall course registration begins (based on hours earned)

April 29*
Classes end

May 4-9*
Final Exams

* See the Academic Services calendar , which lists these and other key academic dates.

See Residence Life and Housing’s opening and closing dates for our residential communities.

Incoming Families of the Class of 2030

Welcome, P’30s (families of newly-admitted students in the Class of 2030)! We are including you in this e-newsletter so you can begin to get a taste of how we connect with families. Please know the details and deadlines in other sections of this e-newsletter only apply to currently-enrolled students, not your incoming Deacs.

From Deacon Health:

  • Deacon Health is an on-campus primary care facility with board-certified providers who offer preventative care, treat acute illness, and manage minor injuries. Deacon Health features a lab, pharmacy, allergy injections, and x-ray on-site. Read our full story or these highlights below:
    • Students can schedule an appointment through their Deacon Health Portal Monday through Friday during daily operational hours, or walk-in on most Saturdays for same day services.
    • Illness does not always happen at convenient times, so Deacon Health has an after-hours nurse line to help triage immediate concerns; the after-hours nurse will help students manage their illness until the clinic opens, or will advise if they should seek urgent care.
    • Deacon Health partners with Deacon Dining to ensure that common over-the-counter medications are available on campus. The POD near Subway is open late and offers most of the items we would recommend.

General Info

  • We are busily working on our New Students and Families website, which will go live May 1. This will be your resource — and your student’s — throughout the summer. Until then, we encourage you to review our page for incoming families.
  • If you have not already done so, please review How We Communicate, so you understand how Wake Forest and families can best work together, and consider subscribing to the Daily Deac blog, which shares important news, offers advice about supporting your student, and covers a variety of WFU activities and events to help you get a sense of campus life.

Academics

From Undergraduate Summer Session:

  • Registration for Summer Session 2026 has officially begun! Students can register for classes via Workday from now until the "last day to add" for their specific session.

While we encourage students to lock in their plans early, we know things change. Students can find all specific deadlines on our Summer Calendar. Whether your student is looking to get ahead, catch up, or explore a new interest, the Summer Session website has everything they need to get started.

Have questions? Reach out to us here, we’re happy to help!

From CLASS (Center for Learning, Access, and Student Success):

  • Midterm grades not what your student wants? CLASS can provide guidance for time management, study strategies, and test preparation through Academic Coaching. Students can sign up on the CLASS website.
  • Is your student struggling with learning content? Come meet CLASS student workers and learn more about Peer Tutoring at our event, Lucky You! You get a Peer Tutor, too! on March 17, 11-1 p.m., outside the Pit during lunch.

From the School of Professional Studies:

  • While your student is pursuing their undergraduate degree, you can do more than cheer them on — you can become a Deac, too! The Wake Forest University School of Professional Studies (SPS) offers graduate-level online education while holding true to Wake Forest’s standards of small classes, practitioner professors, and a vibrant professional community. With graduate degrees, professional certifications, and non-credit workshops available across industries, there’s something for every stage of the professional journey. Learn more about our current program offerings.

Campus Life
  • 2026 Student Impact Awards: Wake Forest is celebrating the incredible achievements of our student leaders and campus organizations, and we hope your student will join the fun! Encourage them to take a well-deserved break, grab their friends, and attend this special evening of recognition, free food, and celebration of the past year. The event kicks off with hors d'oeuvres at 5:30 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 6:30 p.m. Just remind your student to submit their RSVP by Tuesday, March 31 at 11:59 p.m.
  • Encourage Your Student to Save the Date: Pres Ball! One of Wake Forest’s most anticipated traditions is just around the corner! On Friday, April 17, from 8 p.m. to midnight, students will gather at the LJVM Coliseum for Pres Ball. It’s a wonderful opportunity for them to dress up, enjoy great food, dance, and celebrate with the campus community. Official registration details will be shared with students soon, so be sure to ask your Deac if they have marked their calendar for an unforgettable night!

University Counseling Center (UCC)

  • The University Counseling Center continues to be a support to students who desire to talk to a professional about a multitude of things. We offer same-day scheduling during office hours, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and an after-hours counselor-on-call after 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and 24 hours a day on weekends.
  • This semester the UCC is offering Let’s Talk, a program designed to engage students who may not otherwise come to counseling by providing informal, walk-in consultations with a mental health professional at various campus locations. Let’s Talk is a non-clinical connection point with a mental health provider who can offer confidential consultation,resources, and referrals.

Campus Recreation

  • Is your Deac staying in Winston-Salem this summer? Campus Recreation is looking for summer staff! We hire a number of lifeguards and facility staff, both with flexible scheduling for the summer months.

Housing and Dining

  • We hope your student had a restorative Spring Break and that you’ve enjoyed the changing of the seasons wherever you call home. As we approach the final stretch of the semester, we want to share important dates and helpful reminders to support your student’s transition — from heading home for the summer, remaining on campus for summer courses, or choosing housing for next academic year. Read more in our March Parent & Family Newsletter.

Office of Civic & Community Engagement

  • Leadership Opportunity: OCCE Pre-Orientation Leaders Help us welcome the next class of Deacs! The OCCE is seeking service-minded students with strong mentoring skills to serve as Pre-Orientation Leaders for our SPARC + Deacon Camp program. This is a fantastic opportunity for your student to build their resume, foster community, and mentor incoming first-year students. Prior participation is not required. Please remind your student to submit their application by Friday, March 20.
  • Wake ’N Shake 2026: March 28. Wake Forest’s signature 12-hour dance marathon is just around the corner! Encourage your student to register and dance the night away for a great cause. This meaningful campus tradition benefits the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund and Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist — a cause that our students proudly raised over $330,000 for last year. It’s not too late for your student to sign up, join their friends, and help make a difference in the fight against cancer!
  • Paid Service Opportunity: 2026-27 WFU AmeriCorps Cohort Is your student looking for a meaningful way to build their resume and support the Winston-Salem community? The WFU AmeriCorps program is recruiting 11 students for a paid national service opportunity focused on public health. Between Sept. 2026 and April 2027, students will serve 450 hours at local health clinics—conducting patient outreach, navigating medical resources, and expanding health education. If your student is interested, please encourage them to apply by the priority deadline on April 19 at 11:59 PM.

Personal and Career Development

Office of Sustainability

  • Students can celebrate the coming of Spring and Earth Day at Wake Forest! All students are invited to “touch grass” (as the kids say) and turn their screen time into green time with nature walks, student-led presentations, thought leadership blogs, and more opportunities starting the week after spring break. Learn more about the campus-wide festivities on the Office of Sustainability’s website.
  • Encourage your student to take the first step toward finding a fulfilling career; have them register for the 6th annual Sustainability Alumni Career Panel and accompanying networking session! This event will feature an in-person moderated panel, followed by a Q&A session and a networking reception with free food. Students of all class years, levels, and fields of study are invited to attend and form connections with their fellow Wake Foresters.

Events and Athletics

Events

  • Secrest Artists Series presents Pavel Haas Quartet
    Thursday, March 19
    7:30 p.m., Brendle Recital Hall, Scales Fine Arts Center

    The Pavel Haas Quartet is revered for its richness of timbre, infectious passion and intuitive rapport. Performing at the world’s most prestigious concert halls and having won six Gramophone and numerous other awards for their recordings, the Quartet is firmly established as one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles. Their program Czech Avant-Garde & Dvořák features works by Kaprálová, Martinů, and Dvořák. Free with WFU ID.
  • Wakeville Arts Festival Saturday, March 21
    10 a.m.-4 p.m., Scales Fine Arts Center & Davis Field

    Wakeville Presents: Arts Festival “Self Love” on Saturday, March 21. Wakeville is a student-led, interdisciplinary arts festival with a focus on sustainability. There will be many creative offerings in and around Scales Fine Arts Center and Davis Field, including music, dance, theater, visual art, film, comedy and more.
  • Half the Sky: Yin Mei Dance
    Tuesday, March 31
    7:30-8:30 p.m., Brendle Recital Hall

    Renowned dancer and choreographer Yin Mei presents her latest work, Half the Sky, an evening-length dance and visual performance rooted in the language of the body, responding to enduring mythologies surrounding women across generations. It features Marie Lloyd Paspe, Ching-I Chang, Miho Ryu, and Yin Mei, with a music score created and performed by composer/sound designer Christian Frederickson. Half the Sky merges dance, projection, and installation art into a choreographic and visual act of reclamation: rescuing the “blank page” from blankness. It’s a laboratory for “becoming”, where there is room for the unexpected moment to strike through space and time, leading to the breakthrough of true creative power. This project was presented at the Asia Society New York, supported by MAP Fund, RF CUNY, New England Foundation for the Arts National Dance Project Finalist, Baryshnikov Arts, and Danse Mirage Foundation. Free Admission; open to the public.
  • Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill: The Musical
    April 3-4 & 8-11 at 7:30 p.m.
    April 12 at 2:00 p.m.
    Tedford Stage, Scales Fine Arts Center

    Drawn from Alanis Morissette’s 1995 Grammy-winning album, this Tony-award-winning musical delves into the contradictory nature of being a contemporary American family — its rawness, messiness, and hope. This redemptive musical follows the seemingly perfect Healy family as their lives unravel, revealing truths about addiction, trauma, identity, and love. Directed by Stephen Wrentmore.

Athletics

  • Join the Demon Deacons in Charlotte! Building on the previously announced 2027 Wake Forest football matchup with Notre Dame inside Bank of America Stadium, Wake Forest Athletics continues to strengthen its regional ties to Charlotte as the Demon Deacons baseball program will head to the Queen City to take on Clemson in a showdown at Truist Field on Wednesday, April 1. Tickets on sale now!

Wake Forest Executive Education

  • Stay up to date on our upcoming professional development short courses, insights from our faculty, and industry experts. We invite you to engage with us across our digital platforms:
    • Follow us on LinkedIn: Join our professional community for daily updates, faculty spotlights, and networking opportunities with fellow leaders.
    • Subscribe to The Executive Brief: Sign up for our brand-new monthly newsletter to receive curated leadership strategies, program previews, and research-driven insights delivered straight to your inbox.

See the Events Calendar.

Financial Matters

Student Financial Services

  • The 2025 1098-T tax form is available for download through the Workday portal. Students are the only ones who can access this form online. They can access it by using either the Print My 1098-T or View My 1098-T tasks, which are found within the Workday Student Financials hub. For more detailed information, please visit the Tax Information page on the Student Financial Services website.
  • Wake Forest encourages your students to set up direct deposit on their Workday accounts. It is a convenient and secure way for them to access their funds quickly. For details on how to do this, your student can visit the Student Refunds page.
  • With registration for the Fall 2026 semester beginning this month, please ensure your student’s account is clear of any past-due balances. Please note that an account hold will prevent course registration until the balance is resolved. You may review current balances via the Student Statement or Account Activity tabs within the >Student Financials Hub on Workday.

Student Financial Aid

  • Continuing students enrolling in Wake Forest summer school may submit a Summer Financial Aid Application. Summer financial aid at Wake Forest consists of federal aid, private education loans, and limited institutional aid programs. The Summer 2026 Financial Aid Application opened March 16 when Summer registration began.

Resources for Families

We want to make sure all families are aware of the many resources available online to help you:

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Wake Forest University
The Office of Family Engagement
1834 Wake Forest Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27109
1.800.752.8568