Parents & Families E-Newsletter
January 2023

Email not displaying correctly?
View it in your browser »

WakeParents & Families

E-newsletter from the Office of Family Engagement

A new year and a new semester are here! But before we talk about 2023, let’s offer our congratulations to our football team, who defeated Missouri 27-17 to win the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 23. The win marked Wake Forest's fifth in the last seven years since the Deacs began the Atlantic Coast Conference's second-longest bowl streak back in 2016. Go Deacs!

On the first day of classes, President Wente sent a welcome to the spring semester message to the campus community:

With the first day of classes, there will be new projects, new assignments and reading lists, and perhaps new challenges — but also new opportunities to learn from each other, to gain and discover new knowledge, to make new friends, and to collaborate in building our campus community.

Read Dr. Wente’s full message here.

Shea Kidd Brown, Vice President for Campus Life, also sent a welcome back message to students, reflecting on her first year at the university and sharing her Top 10 Lessons from the Forest. Read it here.

At the start of each semester, we encourage families to review our Family Communications Guidelines and Philosophy, so you are aware of when and how you will hear from Wake Forest, as well as best ways to support your student.

Let’s make the most of 2023! Go Deacs!


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


Upcoming Dates and Deadlines*

Jan. 24*
Last day to add full term classes

Jan. 30-Feb. 3*
Major/minor declaration period (for students with 40+ earned credit hours)

February 14*
Last day to drop full term classes

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

Academics

From the Office of Academic Advising (OAA):

  • Classes began January 9. The following dates can be found on the academic services calendar.
    • Last day to add a full-term class is January 24.
    • Last day to drop a first part-of-term class is January 26.
    • Last day to drop a full-term class is February 14.
  • Students with incomplete courses from Fall 2022 (or the last semester of attendance) must turn in all missing work by February 7. Grades for incomplete courses not completed by this date automatically roll to Fs.
  • Academic Counselors are available to assist students from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students with quick questions may walk-in, but those needing more time should call (336) 758-3320 to schedule an appointment.
  • Visit our website and follow us on Twitter for updates and other important information!

Events

From the University Counseling Center: Is your student looking to meet people but may be struggling or doesn't know where to start? They can join us in making new friendships and connections in the new year! All students are welcome to attend our Fast Friends event, Friday, Jan. 20 from 2-4 p.m. in The Autumn Room of Reynolda Hall, where we'll have snacks and various activities including speed friending, bingo with prizes, and collaborative painting. Encourage your Deacs to follow our Instagram for more information about this event!

From the School of Business: Wake Forest parents and families are invited to attend an information session on one of our most distinguished programs, The Summer Management Program (SMP). SMP is a business boot camp for non-business, undergraduate students, and students earn 8.0 credit hours (pass/fail) by attending this summer program. Join Professor Ben King on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 4:00 p.m. (EST) via Zoom to learn more about this outstanding program (this session will be recorded for those who can’t attend on the 24th). Please note that this meeting is for parents and families only. We shall hold a separate information session for students. Contact Francie Powers at powersfv@wfu.edu with questions.

From Wake Forest Executive Education: Business owners and entrepreneurs work tirelessly to establish and grow their businesses. What happens when it’s time to sell the business, take on investors, or allow employees to own a piece of the company? These events all require the business to have a value. Join Wake Forest Executive Education this February for a three-part virtual program: Business Valuation & Finance for Privately Held Businesses. Business owners looking for ways to make more informed decisions related to selling their business, retiring, or expanding will benefit from attending.

From the OCCE (Office of Civic and Community Engagement):

  • The OCCE is recruiting volunteers for the annual MLK Day Read-In, happening Saturday, Jan. 21, from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. at Wake Forest University. Children between kindergarten and 5th grade will be paired with a “Reading Buddy” (college student volunteer) who will lead them through various educational activities. This free event is held in partnership with Wake Forest University, HandsOn NWNC, Winston-Salem State University, and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Interested students can sign up to volunteer.
  • Is your Demon Deacon looking for a way to make a difference in the community? The Virtual Tutoring program is back again for the spring semester! The program pairs WFU students as tutors with local K-12 children to meet for completely virtual one-hour sessions once per week. Last semester, WFU students provided 924 hours of tutoring to our local community! If your student is interested in volunteering, please have them sign up here.
  • If your student is still looking for spring break plans, they are invited to join the Office of Civic & Community Engagement for Wake Alternative Break! Applications for participants will be due by Feb. 17. Learn more about alternative break at Wake Forest, or reach out to Deb Marke with questions. Students can apply to participate in Wake Alternative Break 2023.

From the Wake the Arts:

  • The Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov, translated by Carol Rocamora, directed by Sharon Andrews, Feb. 3-4 & 9-11 at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 5 & 12 at 2 p.m., Tedford Stage, Scales Fine Arts Center. Who among us has never felt the longing for the unattainable, the desire for that which we will not have? The Three Sisters, one of Anton Chekhov’s most celebrated plays, illustrates his brilliance at portraying human beings as they really are. Intricately woven relationships, fiery passions, and dreams of a different future shape the lives of three women living on the cusp of the fall of Russian aristocracy.
  • The Arts of Leadership with Dr. Ronald A. Crutcher, Thursday, Feb. 9, 4:00-5:45 p.m., Brendle Recital Hall. Former University of Richmond president Dr. Ronald A. Crutcher will share his expertise about leadership and the arts in a conversation with our colleague, Dr. Corey Walker. This conversation will take place after the WFU audience has the privilege of hearing Dr. Crutcher first play his cello. Reception to follow.
  • Reece Collection Acquisition Committee Informational meeting: Wednesday, Feb. 16, 7 p.m., Benson 410. Is your student interested in choosing art for Wake Forest’s Collections? Students can join us for an informational meeting about the Reece Collection Acquisition Committee’s trip to New York City to purchase art for the university collection. Meet alums and hear about their experiences. The next student art purchasing trip will happen in Spring 2024. Your student can learn what they need to do this semester to begin to prepare for the trip.

See the Events Calendar.

Resources and News

From the Office of Wellbeing: The Office of Wellbeing is now enrolling for our Wellbeing Coaching program, which is free for students! Clients will work one-on-one with a certified coach to identify their individual health and wellbeing goals, and then co-create a plan to achieve those goals and make them stick. Sessions are bi-weekly for the semester, or on a drop-in basis, and a variety of times are available. Goals can vary widely and can include anything from increasing sleep or managing stress, to developing a mindfulness practice or pursuing financial goals. Encourage your students to find out more and register.

From the Office of Residence Life and Housing: We hope everyone is settling into the New Year with ease and great excitement! With a new semester underway, we encourage students to prepare for the upcoming housing selection process, which takes place this Spring! Preparation is key for your student’s journey in the housing selection process, which starts Tuesday, Jan. 17 with the housing application. Read more.

From Student Financial Services:

  • Payment for Spring semester tuition and fees was due on Dec. 1. Please visit DEAC to view your student’s balance and submit an online payment if applicable.
  • Have your students sign up for Direct Deposit! Wake Forest encourages students to utilize direct deposit as doing so provides students with a convenient and secure way to access their funds faster.
  • Each year by Jan. 31, Wake Forest makes available an IRS Form 1098-T to all students who had qualified tuition and other related educational expenses billed to them during the previous calendar year. Current students can consent to receive this form electronically and provide proxy access for third parties to view online. For more information on Form 1098-T, please visit the Tax Information page.

From Student Insurance: Families have until Jan. 30 to enroll or waive your student in the BCBS Student Blue Insurance Program. If you choose to enroll your student, the cost is $1,417 for coverage from Jan. 1 to July 31, 2023. To enroll or waive, or to check your student's insurance status, have your student go to the website and access their account and take the appropriate steps to enroll or waive.

From Campus Recreation:

  • Jump into the new year with Campus Recreation and January Jumpstart! Until Jan. 20, our staff will be offering a multitude of free classes, ranging from dance, yoga, to TRX and HIIT. This is time for students to get a taste of our offerings during the first couple weeks of school. Additionally, we will be offering Personal Trainer Consultation, Facility Tours, and meet and greets with our staff. Tell your students not to miss this opportunity to engage with us on our Facebook and Instagram as we kick off the new year!
  • Campus Recreation has a wide variety of opportunities to help your student find movement each week. If group fitness is your student's thing, they can check out the Group X schedule in the DeacWell app. Like to play sports? Intramurals are up and running–they don’t have to have a team to participate! Sign up as a free agent and we will place them on a team. Longing to spend more time in the great outdoors? Outdoor Pursuits is running weekend trips all semester long. And don’t forget about the pool! Learn more

From CLASS (Center for Learning, Access, and Success): CLASS is here to help students start the semester strong!


 

Athletics

From Athletics: Making plans to see your Demon Deacon on campus this winter? Consider catching an ACC basketball game at the Joel where our men’s and women’s teams are a combined 16-1 at home and with innovative ticket options and affordable prices, you can make your trip affordable and fun in DEACTOWN all week long!

Campus Safety

Wake Forest uses the Wake Alert system — voicemail, email, text message, website and web banners, and social media (Twitter, Facebook) — to notify faculty, staff and students when the University believes that members of the Wake Forest community could be at risk. Those messages are issued as soon as pertinent, vetted information is available. It may take time for authorities to investigate, verify and provide instructions or updates.

Parents & Families Page

Parents and Families Page is your portal to news and information specifically for Wake Forest families.

The Daily Deac is our blog for parents and families. It’s a great way to get a snapshot of life at Wake Forest, plus news, tips, and advice on supporting your student. Subscribe to the Daily Deac here

Any emails that are sent to all students, faculty, and staff are archived on the Family News website.

See our Who to Contact for... page if you need to contact a particular department. If you have an urgent need to reach someone at the University because you have an urgent concern that cannot wait until the next business day, please see our After Hours Help page.

Contact the Office of Family Engagement at parents@wfu.edu or 336.758.4237.


Follow WFUniversity on Instagram to see the latest campus photos:

Change your address

Update your email preferences or unsubscribe

Privacy Policy

Make a gift today »

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