As we bring another productive year to a close, it is appropriate to cast an eye toward our future and reflect on our remarkable momentum. Wake Forest has never been stronger and the accomplishments of our students, faculty and staff have gained national and international attention. Applications for admission to Wake Forest are at an all time high, and we have solidified our position among the nation’s top 25 universities.
It is essential that we continue to build on the momentum we have created. To ensure our ability to do so, I believe we need to become ever better stewards of the resources we have and to strive to be even more innovative in how we support our mission as a collegiate university. Toward that end, this September we will launch the Strategic Resources Initiative, with the charge of assessing our opportunities to capture funds through greater efficiency, collaboration and practical solutions.
I have asked Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance, Hof Milam, and incoming Provost Rogan Kersh to lead this initiative. In the coming weeks, we will appoint committees to commence a review of strategies that will allow us to best support our core academic mission and our ambitions to be innovators in higher education. Our goal is continued progress on our most important strategic priorities, including competitive compensation for faculty and staff. This effort, under my direction and with the full support of the Board of Trustees, will be designed to be inclusive, with opportunities for all members of the community to offer their ideas and perspectives.
Wake Forest is one of the most compelling places of higher learning in the country and our momentum, built through the uncommon dedication of our faculty and staff, has never been greater. We believe our finest days lie ahead and our aspirations for Wake Forest should soar with the strength of our commitment to Pro Humanitate. I request your support of this effort and your continued dedication to making Wake Forest the nation’s premier collegiate university.
Sincerely,
For more than 30 years, Kenneth A. Zick has served Wake Forest University with unsurpassed dedication and passion. Generations of students have come to know him in his many administrative and academic roles, including decades of service as Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs.
Many have also known him as a professor, academic dean, program director and coach of moot court teams. His enthusiasm for teaching, both in and out of the classroom, is as evident today as it has been throughout his Wake Forest tenure.
After much discussion and thoughtful consideration, I have accepted Ken’s decision to step down from his administrative responsibilities in June 2013. After a much-deserved one-year leave of absence, Ken will return to teach and participate in other administrative assignments.
Ken has shared the following thoughts and, with his permission, I thought it appropriate to include them: Continue reading »
President Nathan Hatch and vice president for university advancement Mark Petersen sign the beam.
More than 200 Schools of Business students, faculty, staff, alumni and Board of Visitors members cheered as they watched the final steel beam being lifted and set into place on top of Farrell Hall, the future home of the Schools of Business.
Witnesses to this construction milestone were able to sign their names on the beam before it was hoisted up in the air by a crane and moved into place on April 13.
President Nathan O. Hatch said: “It has been exciting to watch Farrell Hall, the physical manifestation of our commitment to the teacher-scholar ideal and faculty-student interaction, rise up out of the ground. When complete, it will be a space that both reflects and supports the distinctive mission of our Schools of Business.”
Some of the first changes to result from the Student Dining Commission’s work are beginning to be seen on campus.
On Monday, President Nathan Hatch helped open the Moe’s location in the Benson Center. He served junior Mo Earley, who was the first official customer.
“The construction of Moe’s is yet another wonderful change,” said Hamlin Wade, chair of the Student Dining Commission.
Other changes include more healthy options, different meal plans and later hours. Beginning with the fall 2012 semester, the Subway on the Quad will stay open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Additionally, a late-night burger or breakfast option will be available in either Shorty’s or the Pit from 11 p.m. – 3 a.m. The Pit will operate on a 24-hour schedule during the 10-day period surround spring and fall semester exams.
The Provost and the Undergraduate Admissions Office invite faculty and staff to Thursdays at Porter B. Byrum Hall (the Welcome and Admissions Center) on March 8.
A wine and cheese reception will run from 4-4:30 p.m., followed by a program from 4:30-5:15 p.m. that will feature David Lubin, Peter Kairoff and Morna O’Neill and Allison Slaby. The event also will serve as a kickoff for the Arts Council campaign kickoff, so there will be remarks by David Finn, WFU campaign chair and professor of art; Nathan Hatch, WFU president; Leon Porter (’78), campaign chair; and Milton Rhodes, president and CEO of The Arts Council.
Lubin, Charlotte C. Weber professor of art, will discuss an essay he’s writing on oil money and oil painting for an exhibition co-organized by the Dallas Museum of Art and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art to mark the 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination.
Kairoff, professor of music, will discuss and perform The Keyboard Suites of J.S. Bach.
Morna O’Neill, assistant professor of art history, and Allison Slaby, managing curator, Reynolda House Museum of American Art, will discuss their collaboration on the current exhibition, “Domestic Bliss: Art at Home in Britain and America, 1780-1840.”
President Nathan Hatch was interviewed by senior Nilam Patel, the Student Government president, about new residence halls, being named chairman of NAICU and what he’s looking for when new provost Rogan Kersh arrives in June.
Fifteen Wake Forest students joined University President Nathan O. Hatch in the Reynolda Hall cafeteria, known on campus as “The Pit,” for an informal conversation on February 28. It is the president’s first official Pit sit. (On campus, a “Pit sit” is slang for a lengthy time chatting and socializing with friends in the Pit.)
Students talked with Dr. Hatch about campus construction, tuition and other Wake Forest community-related issues. In particular, students asked about the University’s master plan, which adds two North Campus residence halls to meet increased housing needs related to the three-year on-campus residency requirement. Hatch said, “College works better with more students on campus,” and expects the move to boost student morale.
“I thought the Pit sit was a great atmosphere to start a conversation,” said Nirali Vagadia, a first-year student. “We were able to express our concerns and vent some of our frustrations in an informal setting.”
“I think this is a nice forum, and that it’s really important for students to be heard,” said junior Bo Machayo. “I hope the event will continue and maybe become more frequent.”
While this may be Dr. Hatch’s first Pit sit with students, he is known for keeping his door open to student concerns. “I never turn down a student who makes an appointment to speak with me,” said Hatch.
– by Melissa McKeon (’12), Intern, Communications and External Relations
President Nathan Hatch was recently quoted in an article about NCAA governance rules written by Inside Higher Ed. Hatch is active with the NCAA, serving on the Division I Board of Trustees and the Bowl Licensing Task Force.
Hatch said he supported the current system of legislative overrides and indicated that a recent uptick in overrides (over issues such as expense allowances and multi-year grants) is not a sign of discontent but of the system at work.
As part of a continuing effort to engage students and enhance communication on campus, President Hatch sat down for an interview with senior John Chiaramonte. John asked Dr. Hatch about his personal reading list, the qualities he is looking for in our next provost, and advice for students at the start of the spring semester.
Dear Wake Forest Community,
Some of the first changes to result from the Student Dining Commission’s work are beginning to be seen on campus.
