Important decisions to be made by March 30

March 19, 2020

The following message was emailed to the campus community March 19 on behalf of Provost Rogan Kersh and Executive Vice President Hof Milam:

Dear Wake Forest Community,

In this unprecedented time in the history of Wake Forest — and our region and country — we all face profound uncertainties as a result of COVID-19.  As we continue to make decisions in the best interest of the health and safety of the Wake Forest campus and surrounding communities, there are two most common questions we would like to address:

First, will students return to campus for the remainder of this semester, or will remote education continue for the duration of the academic year?

Having everyone back on campus is our ideal scenario, and we hope we can resume in-person instruction. We continue to monitor new developments related to COVID-19 in our area and throughout the United States, with all our decisions made based on recommendations of public health officials and the directives of our local, state, and national governments. We will similarly determine whether students can return in accordance with public health guidance.

Second, will Wake Forest hold its typical Commencement ceremony as scheduled on May 18?

For the class of 2020 and their families, we know you have been looking forward to Commencement. We would like nothing better than to celebrate your achievements with you and your families on Hearn Plaza. But again, despite our aspirations, we may be constrained by governmental directives and guidance of public health officials. As with course instruction, we will continue to assess the quickly evolving situation to determine if we can hold a ceremony on campus as scheduled.

We write today to let you know that we are carefully considering these two important questions and will share decisions no later than March 30.

This is not the semester any of us hoped for, and is certainly not the final semester any member of the class of 2020 envisioned. We know there is a lot of disappointment, but we are also impressed by (and grateful for) the resiliency of the Wake Forest community.

Keeping the health, safety and wellbeing of all top of mind, we will make the best decisions we can in this continually changing situation. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and support amid this pandemic.

Sincerely,

Rogan Kersh
Provost

Hof Milam
Executive Vice President