A message from President Hatch to the Wake Forest community

January 30, 2017

This message was emailed by President Hatch to students, faculty and staff on Jan. 30:

Dear Wake Forest students, faculty and staff,

On Friday, President Trump signed an executive order suspending entry of all refugees to the United States for 120 days and barring entry for 90 days for citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. While we are unaware of any Wake Forester detained as a result of the travel ban, we are reaching out to students potentially affected, and we know that faculty and students from other colleges and universities have been affected. We continue to closely monitor developments, and to communicate internally and externally our foundational concern to maintain a safe learning environment for all our students.

I deeply empathize with all of you concerned for your personal safety and the security of your family. I reaffirm my commitment to do everything within my power as the president of Wake Forest University to support every member of our community in their pursuit of an education.

We now have an opportunity to reaffirm our values. Wake Forest stands for the respect and dignity of all people, for the diversity that enriches a community of learning and for the spirit of inclusion that makes a community feel like home. Wake Forest stands for creating opportunity for the betterment of ourselves and our neighbors. Wake Forest stands for Pro Humanitate – in every sense of the word.

All students, faculty and staff are urged to monitor the changing situation to make informed decisions about travel, particularly travel outside of the United States. Wake Forest has a number of resources for students, faculty and staff to help navigate the turbulent times. Many of these resources have been collected on the Community in Progress website.

We will continue to work with individuals, student groups and advocacy groups representing the full political and social spectrum. You can expect additional guidance from Wake Forest administrators on how we will help our community navigate the uncertainty surrounding changes to immigration law. I am confident that we can uphold Wake Forest’s most time-honored values through civil discourse and a true willingness to learn from one another.

Sincerely,

Nathan O. Hatch
President