A Period of Prayer & Meditation in Solidarity with the Mount Tabor Community
This is a message from University Chaplain Timothy L. Auman and Dean of the School of Divinity & Wait Chapel Jonathan Lee Walton.
A child was murdered in Winston-Salem. A senseless and cruel act unleashed terror in a building designed to be a sanctuary of learning and development, Mount Tabor High School. We pray for the family and friends of William Chavis Raynard Miller, Jr.
The days and weeks ahead will be difficult for so many. Teachers must resume instruction in classrooms where children hid under tables and in closets. Parents must relive those frantic moments of vulnerability associated with sirens whisking through the streets of Winston-Salem. And students at Mt. Tabor must attempt to learn in a space where the life of their classmate was stolen.
This tragedy also reveals the interconnected nature of our communities. Violence is never an isolated act. One deadly gunshot impacted the lives of thousands of children, families and educators. This turn of events affected many within the Wake Forest family. Thus, we seek to sit in prayer and solidarity as an initial act of comfort and support.
We invite all to join us today for a period of prayer, meditation and reflection in solidarity with the Mount Tabor community. We will hold space in Davis Chapel from 12 noon – 1 p.m. for silent prayer.
In solidarity.
Sincerely,
Timothy L. Auman, University Chaplain
One Luv,
Jonathan Lee Walton, Dean of the School of Divinity & Wait Chapel
Categories: Inside WFU
Expanding the Narrative of Wake Forest: Update on the Advisory Committee on Naming
University President Nathan O. Hatch shared the following message with the Wake Forest community on March 22.
Dear Wake Forest community,
Over the course of the last several years, our community has taken important steps to illuminate our history, address our present and reaffirm our commitments for the future. The work of the Slavery, Race and Memory Project as well as the efforts of the members of the President’s Commission on Race, Equity and Community have led our progress.
As part of this important work, I created the Advisory Committee on Naming in the summer of 2020 to examine how we use names to identify, recognize and celebrate on the Reynolda Campus. Co-chaired by Dean Jonathan Lee Walton and Trustee Donna Boswell (’72, MA ’74), this committee is made up of University Trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, students and alumni. It is the charge of this committee to affirm a set of principles and decision rubrics for contextualizing sites and elements of honor at Wake Forest. Read more
Categories: Inside WFU, University Announcement
Leadership and Character conference to explore character in the professions
Leading scholars will join physicians, attorneys, religious leaders, government leaders, engineers, educators, business executives and other professionals to explore the role of character in the professions at a three-day virtual conference.
“Character and the Professions,” hosted by the Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University and the Oxford Character Project at the University of Oxford, will be held Thursday, March 18 through Saturday, March 20.
In partnership with the Face to Face Speaker Forum, the conference will feature an opening keynote session with former U.S. Secretaries of State, Madeleine K. Albright (1997-2001) and General Colin L. Powell (Ret.) (2001-2005), who will discuss leadership and character in public life. This virtual session will be held Thursday, March 18, at 7 p.m. and moderated by President Nathan Hatch. The conversation is a preview to Albright and Powell’s re-scheduled in-person event on Nov. 9 at Wake Forest.
In addition to prominent scholars from around the world, conference speakers will include former U.S. Representative Donna Edwards, General Electric CEO Larry Culp, former CEO of Catholic Relief Services Caroline Woo and many others across various professional fields.
Wake Forest School of Divinity Dean Jonathan L. Walton will deliver the March 19 keynote address on “Character and Religious Leadership.”
The conference is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
Visit Wake Forest News for more information about the Character and the Professions conference and the Nov. 9 Face to Face Speaker Forum event.
Categories: Events, Faculty News, Inside WFU, Staff News
A Message of Encouragement from Dean Jonathan L. Walton
This message was sent to faculty, staff and students on April 2, 2020.
Dear Wake Forest community,
One of the great joys in life is being part of a team, working together toward a goal that none could accomplish independently. In times of challenge, a team is tested and shows its true character. As we continue to navigate the complexities of COVID-19, I am extremely grateful to be part of the Wake Forest team with all of you.
Recently, one member of our team, Jonathan L. Walton, Dean of the Chapel and Dean of the School of Divinity, shared an encouraging word with several of us. After being uplifted by his message, I thought it would be equally edifying for the greater Wake Forest community.
Wherever this video message finds you, I hope you will be encouraged.
This is a challenging time for all of us, but together, we will endure this season and come out stronger on the other side.
Sincerely,
Nathan O. Hatch
President
Categories: University Announcement
Follow up to malicious emails
The following message was sent to students, faculty and staff on Sept. 28:
Dear Wake Forest community,
Three weeks ago, seven individuals and five offices on our Reynolda Campus received vile, anonymous emails, spreading messages of white supremacy and hate. Recipients of the emails felt threatened, and concern for the wellbeing and safety of our community continues to spread with each retelling of what our campus has experienced. We continue efforts to protect the campus community, comfort those who were targeted and to support all of you who feel the trauma of these toxic words.
Three questions continue to arise—from some of you, as well as your family members and Wake Forest alumni.
Do we know the emails’ source? Our own cybersecurity team worked swiftly to determine the source, and contracted with an expert national cybersecurity firm to assist in that effort. The emails’ sender—as all too often with hate-speech trolls—is untraceable. Other universities have been targeted with similar emails over the past year and all have proven difficult to track.
Is our campus under threat? Immediately following these emails’ arrival, Wake Forest police chief Regina Lawson contacted local, state, and federal law enforcement specialists—including the FBI’s hate crimes division and the domestic terrorism division that specailizes in white nationalists —to review the emails and conduct a thorough threat assessment.
As Chief Lawson communicated to faculty and staff after this review, and as indicated in the email to campus on September 19, while none of the emails contained actionable threats or detailed a specific attack on our campus, they still elicited the fear the sender likely intended.
Given lingering campus concerns, the University retained a separate, third-party threat assessment firm to provide an additional level of scrutiny, and to determine if any further security measures were appropriate. The firm delivered its findings on Friday, which underscored the initial law enforcement conclusion that the campus remains safe. Specifically, the assessment concluded, “nothing in the emails indicates an immediate, ongoing, or likely threat of physical violence.”
How can I help? The latest threat-assessment report offered helpful suggestions to empower us all to be better stewards of our community’s safety. The experts recommend:
- Maintaining situational awareness; noticing undue focus or interest in activities, relationships or patterns of behavior
- Noting and confronting inappropriate behavior in a timely and respectful way
- Reporting concerns about the behavior of individuals that is disruptive, disrespectful or harmful to members of the campus community
The mantra that we are all familiar with from traveling through airports, train stations and other public areas, “if you see something, say something,” holds true for our campus. Looking out for one another and caring for those who feel unsafe is a vital step we can take to restore a sense of security in our community. If you see something of concern, please contact the University Police Department at 336-758-5911.
Finally, the threat assessment by the contracted third-party experts suggests the more public attention drawn to the emails, the greater the gratification for the author. However, we understand the importance of assuring our community that we are taking all prudent steps to keep you safe and that our conversations around the vital topics of equity, privilege, race, gender and empowerment will not be silenced.
For those who feel unsettled or uncomfortable, we ask that you seek support from these helpful resources: The University Counseling Center (336-758-5273), the Chaplain’s Office (336-758-5210) and the Employee Assistance Program (336-716-5493). These dedicated and talented professionals in our community are eager to provide care to those in need.
We strive to be one community and one Wake Forest. Please seek to see the good in others, and to extend your hand of understanding and friendship first. Our community is not perfect, but we can make it better each day with our own actions toward one another. As Dr. Maya Angelou used to affirm to her Wake Forest students: “Change happens at the speed of trust.” Our trust is in each of you, as we build paths to inclusion and belonging by walking them together.
Sincerely,
Nathan Hatch, President
Rogan Kersh, Provost
Jane Aiken, Dean of the School of Law
Michele Gillespie, Dean of the College
Charles Iacovou, Dean of the School of Business
Penny Rue, Vice President for Campus Life
José Villalba, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion
Jonathan L. Walton, Dean of the School of Divinity
Categories: University Announcement
