Molly Keener, the scholarly communication librarian at the Z. Smith Reynolds Library, will take part in a discussion on HuffPost Live on Friday at 3:40 p.m. Keener will discuss her experiences with Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and chat about their future. Keener recently completed a MOOC offered by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and she shared her thoughts on a ZSR blog post.

The HuffPost Live discussion was triggered by an announcement from a MOOC facilitator, Coursera, which announced a deal with leading academic publishers to provide free access to etextbooks for students in MOOCs.

The Winston-Salem Symphony, under music director Robert Moody, will premiere Dan Locklair’s “Hail the Coming Day” on Sunday, May 12, at 3 p.m. with a repeat performance on Tuesday, May 14, at 7:30 p.m. at the Stevens Center.

For tickets or more information, call 336.464.0145 or visit the symphony website. More information about Winston-Salem’s Centennial Celebration is available here.

Locklair, a professor of music and the composer-in-residence at Wake Forest, was commissioned by the City of Winston-Salem to compose the piece in honor of the 2013 Centennial Celebration of the consolidation of the towns Winston and Salem.

The composition, “Hail the Coming Day,” takes its title from an 1876 speech given by an early Winston leader. The piece, scored for a large orchestra, is about five minutes long and is written in one movement, which consists of five short sections.

The composition is meant to recognize the individual attributes of the towns of Winston and Salem as well as their unification. Continue reading »

The University is saddened to inform faculty and staff that Melvin Reid, familiar to many on campus as a long-time driver for the University’s shuttle bus system, died May 6 while on duty.

Reid suffered a fatal health incident after driving his empty University van to a nearby apartment complex on the morning of May 6. No one had boarded the van at the time he became ill. An ambulance took him to a Winston-Salem hospital. He did not recover.

The University grieves Reid’s loss and extend its condolences to his family and friends, as well as those at Wake Forest — including many co-workers — who had the opportunity to know him.

Reid joined Wake Forest’s staff in 2003. He retired in 2012, but was driving for the University on a part-time basis since retirement.

Wake Forest offers support and counseling services for all students, faculty and staff. The Counseling Center may be reached at 758-5273, the Chaplain’s Office at 758-5210. For faculty and staff, there is also the Employee Assistance Program at 716-5493.

When available, the University will share information on services arranged by his family.

To improve customer service, the University is increasing the maximum cash reimbursement amount from $25 to $50. Effective May 6, any travel- or business-related expenses that total $50 or less may be reimbursed at the Cashier’s window in Reynolda Hall (Student Financial Services). Faculty and staff may continue to use direct deposit for reimbursement requests totaling $25 or more.

The University welcomes your feedback, and if you should have any questions, please contact Alice Hernandez, accounts payable representative, at extension 5833 or by email at hernanah@wfu.edu.

The following message is on behalf of Dave Pitts, director of campus mail services:

The Campus Post Office, currently located in Poteat Hall, will be relocating to our newly renovated space in Benson Center during the week after graduation. Listed below are some key items you may want to know about this move:

1. Anyone with a mail box at the old Poteat Post Office will have a mail box with the same number at the new Benson Center Post Office.
2. Departments with post office boxes will receive access and key information before the move.
3. Departments are asked to clear all mail from your current mail box by May 20. This will ensure a smooth transition and eliminate lost mail in the relocation.
4. We are moving from a 4,000-square-foot mail center to a 7,000-square-foot facility in hope of providing our students, faculty and staff with a better mail experience.
5. Postal retail operations will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 21 and May 22, for this move. All postal retail operations will be available at the new location on Thursday, May 23.
6. All existing Mail Center staff will be relocated to this new facility.

This move is beneficial on all sides: It opens up room for additional student social space on Hearn Plaza and provides Mail Services with a needed increase in number of mail boxes, as well as overall space.

Our goal has been, and will continue to be, that of providing outstanding, quality service to the Wake Forest community.

Given the recent events in Boston and at other institutions of higher education, Wake Forest wants to remind members of its community of the CARE Team and its role in helping to ensure campus safety. Reports made to the CARE Team, either through a division liaison or on your own, are extremely helpful in ensuring the team is evaluating behaviors or communications which cause alarm.

The CARE Team thought it would be helpful to provide a few reminders about communicating with concerned parties: Continue reading »

The Strategic Resource Initiative (SRI) working group has received valuable feedback and questions since sharing the initial outcomes of the SRI on April 25. We would like to remind you of additional opportunities to discuss the impact of these SRI changes:

Now:  A summary of the presentation and the PowerPoint slides are available on Inside WFU. Additional feedback and questions may be sent to SRI@wfu.edu.

May 6, 4-5 p.m., Pugh Auditorium: Faculty Senate Meeting (open to faculty, staff)
May 30, 9:30-10:30 a.m., Benson 401:  Staff Advisory Council Meeting (open to faculty, staff)

Changes to parking, tuition concession and technology purchases and refresh schedules have generated numerous questions. The following addresses those most frequently asked: Continue reading »

Dean Jacque Fetrow (center) congratulates Dean Toby Hale (left) and Dean Paul Orser.

The heart of the Wake Forest experience has always been lasting relationships, fostered by our intimate setting and warm community.

In their combined service of more than 66 years at Wake Forest, Associate Deans Toby A. Hale (’65) and Paul N. Orser (’69) touched the lives of countless students, families, faculty members and staff. They worked tirelessly to assist wherever needed and whenever their skills matched the situation.

Dean Toby Hale provided wisdom and guidance in many capacities including Dean of the Summer Sessions, Chair of the Honor and Ethics Council, Secretary of the Committee on Academic Affairs, Coordinator of the Wake Forest Research Fellowship Program, and Chair of the Health Professions Committee.

Dean Paul Orser worked in the areas of admissions, public affairs, and student life.  As a member of the dean’s office, Orser served for 16 years as Dean of Freshmen, directed the London (Worrell House) Program, founded and directed the WAKE Washington (Internship) Program, coordinated the First Year Seminar and First Year Orientation Programs, and coordinated the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (URECA) Center and Richter Fellowship Program.

In recognition of their strong, personal friendship and dedication to Wake Forest, the Office of the Dean of the College, and its student and faculty constituents, the College has honored these remarkable men by establishing the “Toby A. Hale and Paul N. Orser Student-Faculty Engagement Fund.”

Dean Jacquelyn Fetrow announced the gift at Hale’s retirement reception on April 22. Economics professor Perry Patterson and his partner, Joel Leander (’90); Associate Dean Anne Boyle and her husband, Wake Forest Baptist Health biostatistics professor Mark Espeland; and Dean Fetrow and her husband, computer science lecturer Brian Kell, made leadership gifts to the fund, which will be endowed.

This fund will be distributed at the discretion of the Dean of the College to support student-faculty engagement. In keeping with Dean Hale’s and Dean Orser’s interests and commitments, priority will be given to using these funds to encourage first-generation students and/or students with financial need to collaborate with faculty members in summer research and scholarly inquiry; mentored, academic activities and courses, including WAKE Washington; and internships with rigorous academic components and faculty oversight.

James Kelly, a risk & portfolio strategist in the Office of Investments, was recently recognized as part of the “Forty Under Forty” list by Asset International’s Chief Investment Officer magazine. The list celebrates the most impressive, freshest, curious, vibrant, and innovative asset owners on earth who are under 40 years old.

Read Kelly’s profile in the magazine here »

The School of Business is very excited about the upcoming completion of Farrell Hall — a building that will not only provide a dynamic home to the undergraduate and graduate business programs, but also represent an exciting addition to the facilities portfolio of the  Wake Forest campus.

The school looks forward to welcoming students, faculty and staff into the space, and it is providing opportunities to tour the building. Currently, tours are scheduled for May 3, 10, 17 and 24 at 3:30 p.m.

Register for a tour on the PDC site »