2021 Champions of Change honorees
A guest post from the Office of Sustainability. 
As the Office of Sustainability looks back on the 2020-2021 school year, we remain grateful to students, faculty and staff who have demonstrated or initiated successful sustainable practices on campus.
“It’s one thing to lead in the before times — to lead in a pandemic is another brand of heroism,” said Vice President of Human Resources and Sustainability Dedee DeLongpré Johnston. As we conclude an incredibly challenging year, it is more important than ever to celebrate the leadership of colleagues and students and the impact they have on campus, in the community and around the world.
Honorees were recognized at Wake Forest’s eighth annual Campus Sustainability Awards. We extend our thanks and congratulations to all of our Champions of Change for their commitment to making Wake Forest an even more sustainable place for all to live, work, study and play.
Honorees
Categories: Guest Post, Inside WFU
Updates from HR: COVID-19 updates, wellbeing, employee events
COVID-19 Update
As announced, beginning May 1 University gate access will return to normal operations. Those who requested an exemption from the SneezSafe daily wellness screening will have their Deacon OneCard access automatically reinstated May 1. Faculty and staff should continue to monitor their health daily and utilize SneezSafe when they need help determining whether they should proceed to campus. 
Campus Redensification
As we near the end of the semester and plan for in-person classes this fall, colleagues who are still working remotely may have questions about their return to on-site work. Colleagues should expect the summer to be a transitional period during which leaders will engage teams and individuals in conversations about staffing plans that prioritize student- and employee-facing interactions. To aid in this process, we have developed these Campus Redensification Guidelines to help managers initiate these conversations.
With commencement less than three weeks away, now is a time to celebrate the numerous accomplishments of our campus community. Colleagues can anticipate receiving an update the week following commencement with additional redensification guidance, 2021-2022 Paid Time Off (PTO) carryover plans, and revised COVID-19 policies. We appreciate your patience as we continue to refine the University’s plans for the fall.
Weekly Wellbeing Tip: Email Timing
Intentional work correspondence can have a big impact on employee morale. Teams can strengthen and respect work-life balance by discussing what email best practices their teams should adhere to. Consider scheduling emails to send during work hours only and turning off notifications during non-working hours.
Read more » Harvard Business Review
Categories: Faculty News, Inside WFU, Staff News
Updates from HR: Vaccines, policy update, THRIVE and Sustainability awards and TechX
The following message is shared on behalf of Wake Forest University Human Resources; it was emailed to faculty and staff on March 17.
COVID-19 vaccine update
To date, more than 3,500 members of the Wake Forest community have reported that they have been at least partially vaccinated at either an on-campus or community clinic. 
Individuals in Group 4, beginning with high-risk medical conditions, are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. At this time, all 522 appointment slots for the March 22 vaccine opportunity have been filled. On March 18, Human Resources and the Student Health Service announced an additional vaccination opportunity for Friday, March 26, at Sutton Center. Information regarding registration was shared at that time. Employees may contact the Faculty and Staff Clinic at 743.223.4217 with any questions.
Common questions, answered:
Categories: Faculty News, Inside WFU, Staff News
DeLongpré Johnston named VP for human resources and sustainability
Wake Forest University has appointed Dedee DeLongpré Johnston as vice president for human resources and sustainability, effective October 1. In this role, she will lead the University’s talent functions, including recruitment, campus engagement, compensation and benefits, professional development, HR operations and HR information systems.
DeLongpré Johnston will continue to lead the Office of Sustainability as vice president and chief sustainability officer. She has served as interim chief human resources officer since April 2020.
“I cannot imagine a more difficult time to be a university human resources leader,” said Hof Milam, executive vice president, “but Dedee’s management style, organizational skills and knack for thinking broadly about the university have been the perfect complement to a talented, dedicated human resources team in seeing us through the last six months.”
For more than a decade, DeLongpré Johnston has led the first campus-wide Office of Sustainability. Under her leadership, the university earned a STARS Gold rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). In her previous role as director of the University of Florida’s Office of Sustainability, she was awarded the President’s Medallion for her leadership. She brings more than 20 years of nonprofit management experience, from fund and board development to organizational strategy, change management and assessment.
“In addition to the privilege of leading a very talented HR team in their core functional areas, I’m looking forward to working collaboratively with stakeholders across campus to integrate the institution’s core values into the full employee experience and to explore the ways we can foster engagement and a true sense of belonging,” said DeLongpré Johnston. Read more
Categories: Faculty News, Inside WFU, Staff News, University Announcement
Reynolda Road crossing to enhance pedestrian safety
Construction is underway on a new Reynolda Road crossing, with expectations to wrap up at the end of August. A crosswalk 
and 10-foot wide landscaped median will be installed just north of Graylyn Court, which serves as an entry to both the Graylyn Estate and Reynolda House Museum of American Art. The median will provide pedestrian refuge and a dedicated left-turn lane onto the Reynolda House grounds. It will be mirrored by a second median, forming a left turn lane toward Graylyn. The crossing will connect users to wide gravel paths on either side of the road, leading to the local landmarks. Two solar-powered rapid flash beacons will use thermal detection and manual push buttons to alert drivers and cyclists to pedestrian crossings.
The Reynolda Road crossing is the latest in a series of safety improvements resulting from recommendations in the 2014 Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit study. Guided by a stakeholder advisory group with representation from Wake Forest, the community and government entities, the report included infrastructure and policy recommendations to improve active transportation and transit choices between the Reynolda Campus and surrounding neighborhoods.
Neighbors and community stakeholders were invited to provide additional feedback about the Reynolda Road project last fall. “Stakeholder engagement is important to clearly understand the community’s support for the initiative and to learn from the end-users’ observations and experiences to improve the proposed design solutions,” said Rosalba Ledezma, senior advisor for facilities and campus services. “Support for the project and appreciation for the initiative to improve pedestrian safety were the clear messages received.”
The Polo Road pedestrian crossing zone is another safety improvement to come out of the advisory group’s 2014 report. Read more about Reynolda Road safety improvements on the Office of Sustainability website.
Categories: Faculty News, Inside WFU, Staff News
