WFU’s Intercultural Center unveils new mission and expanded services

July 8, 2020

The Intercultural Center (IC) is excited to announce a new mission and expanded services for the Wake Forest community. 

The Intercultural Center strives to influence campus culture by cultivating intercultural knowledge, competency and leadership. We are committed to enhancing the experience of domestic and international underrepresented groups by offering co-curricular programming, student support and engagement, identity development initiatives and opportunities for comprehensive learning and development.

In addition to already existing Intercultural Programming, Student Support & Engagement, and Identity Development initiatives,the IC is expanding to include new Learning and Development opportunities including iLab, which offers interactive workshops and online resources designed to support faculty, staff and students in increasing their [inter]cultural awareness and interpersonal effectiveness. 

The initiative supports the University’s mission by fostering intersectional awareness and understanding and empowering all members of the Wake Forest community to become more inclusive.

The iLab suite and diversity education initiatives can be found on the IC website under the Programs & Services tab. The IC seeks to deliver comprehensive training, coaching and support in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion and cultural competence. 

This new portfolio will continue Wake Forest’s 10-year commitment to educating campus on diversity, equity and inclusion, and will seek to include new opportunities to learn more on the intersections of emotional intelligence and diversity. 

“Our team is excited to continue the more than 40-year legacy of supporting diversity and inclusion on our campus. Along with our faculty and staff, we look forward to continuing the work of moving Wake Forest towards a more inclusive environment for our international students and students of color,” said Jonathan McElderry, assistant dean of students and the executive director of the Intercultural Center.

The Office of Minority Affairs was created in 1978 by professor Herman Eure to foster the success of the small number of Black students enrolled at Wake. During this time, the Office worked closely with the admissions office to increase Black student enrollment and manage the merit scholarship funds for Black students. In 1995, under the direction of Barbee Oakes, the office changed its name to the Office of Multicultural Affairs to broaden the support to include all ethnic minority students and first-generation college students.