Strategic Resources Initiative forum will be held Monday

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:

PARKING

As stated during the presentation on April 25, details about how parking fees would be implemented remain to be worked out. The following questions are indicative of many that we are working to address.

Q1. Will a parking permit for a motorcycle cost the same as a parking permit for a car or truck?

A1. There will be a reduced rate for motorcycles; we’re still working through recommended figures.

Q2. Will more shuttle stops be added to the shuttle route to accommodate employees parking at the UCC?

A2. The need for expanded shuttle service will be evaluated based upon close monitoring of additional UCC parking use.

Q3. I bike to campus four days a week. For the one day I drive, will I need to pay the full fee for a parking permit?

A3.  Biking to campus has many benefits. We are currently working with the Office of Sustainability on determining the best way to manage the permit process for faculty and staff who regularly use a bicycle as their mode of transportation.

Q4. I work a night shift on campus. Does the parking fee apply to me?

A4.  After 5 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends, employees can park on campus regardless of their permit location. Vehicles with an off-campus permit must be off campus between 8 a.m.–5 p.m. weekdays.

TUITION CONCESSION

Q1. My child has been accepted to Wake Forest’s incoming class. What will I pay towards tuition and academic fees?

A1. For dependents of current eligible employees, and new eligible employees starting before January 1, 2014, the tuition concession remains the same for Wake Forest: the university covers 94% of tuition and academic fees.

Q2. My child is a freshman at Duke. What will Wake Forest contribute towards tuition next year?

A2. Wake Forest will contribute 17.5 percent of Wake Forest’s tuition towards tuition at Duke (or any other college and university). This is equal to the current amount ($7,787.56) that would have been covered next year under Wake Forest’s current tuition concession program.

Q3. Why change how Wake Forest calculates its contribution towards tuition at other schools if the amount remains the same?

A3. Under our current policy, the dollar amount Wake Forest contributes is equal to the highest undergraduate tuition charged annually by an institution of the University of North Carolina system.  Our proposed change merely calculates our contribution as a percentage of WFU’s tuition/fees, which tend to increase in proportions similar to that at UNC and other peer schools, rather than pegging our contribution to UNC’s fluctuating tuition figures — which, as this year, often change very late and make parents’ planning difficult.

Q4. What new limits have been put on the tuition concession program?

A4. For faculty/staff dependents attending Wake Forest, we will contribute to the tuition concession for eight semesters — in line with our current limit for students attending other institutions. This eight-semester rule does not apply to students currently enrolled at Wake Forest. Faculty and staff receiving the tuition concession benefit will also be asked to apply for federal financial aid. We will not apply loans towards tuition concession. Otherwise, the program remains the same for our current faculty/staff dependents, as well as for students attending other institutions.

Q5. Has the tuition concession changed for employees and spouses?

A5. No, the tuition concession benefit for employees and their spouses remains the same.

TECHNOLOGY PURCHASES AND REFRESH SCHEDULE

Q1. As a staff member whose work is performed exclusively/primarily at my desk, will I receive a laptop or desktop computer?

A1.  For staff whose work is done primarily at their desk, the assumed computing option remains a desktop.

Q2. Why am I being asked to pay for my own laptop upgrades?

A2.   The standard laptops purchased under our latest arrangement with Lenovo will be significantly better than previous models in terms of lighter weight, longer battery life, increased speed and enhanced memory. Additional upgrades are available to increase memory capacity to an even greater level (for faculty running very large data sets, e.g.) or add a touch screen if desired. As has been our informal practice for years — and now formally spelled out — upgrades to the standard configuration are requested through departments and paid for either by departmental funds, external grants (for elaborate computing needs, like multiple parallel processing machines), or individual users.