"Intercultural Center" Archive

Updates from HR: COVID-19 vaccines, SneezSafe, workshops, programs and events

COVID-19 vaccine update

Earlier this week, Human Resources sent a COVID-19 Vaccine Update informing faculty and staff that Group 3 is now eligible for vaccinations. North Carolina Gov. Cooper also announced that Group 4 is expected to become eligible March 24.

What does this mean for WFU? Colleagues should use the NC DHHS Find My Vaccine Group tool if they need help determining which group they may be eligible for. We have also included some guidance below:

  • If any portion of a faculty or staff member’s work requires them to be on-campus or on-site, they are eligible for Group 3 (now eligible).
  • All faculty and staff employed by WFU, regardless of whether they are on-site or remote are eligible for Group 4 (eligible March 24).

Where do I get a vaccine? Yesterday’s message outlined a number of community providers who may have appointments available. Additionally, Gov. Cooper announced that a FEMA-supported COVID-19 Community Vaccination Center will open at Four Seasons Town Centre in Greensboro on March 10. Information about scheduling appointments for this site has not yet been released. Full- and part-time staff (scheduled to work at least 1,000 hours per year) may use Release Time for their vaccination appointment(s).

I’ve been vaccinated, now what? To aid in our vaccine distribution planning efforts, faculty and staff are encouraged to inform HR that they have received a vaccine by re-submitting the Employee Survey. Some colleagues may want to request Paid Time Off (PTO) following a vaccine appointment in case they experience side effects. Even after receiving the vaccine, everyone should continue to practice safety measures, including wearing a mask and social distancing.

What about student workers? Human Resources is in the process of identifying student workers who may be eligible for Group 3. Students who are not employed by the University will be eligible for either Group 4 or Group 5, depending on their current residential arrangement.

When will I learn more? Join the Faculty and Staff Forum this Friday, March 5, at 4 p.m. for an update on the University’s COVID-19 vaccine planning. Check your email for the Zoom Webinar details.

Is that sneeze really safe?

There is a significant overlap between allergy symptoms and mild COVID-19 symptoms, making it especially important for colleagues to continue to accurately identify their symptoms while completing the SneezSafe daily wellness screening as we enter into allergy season this spring.

Learn more on the CDC website.

Inclusive Excellence for Leaders: March 8

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Recruiting faculty and staff volunteers for Adopt-A-Deac program

The following is a guest post from the Office of Student Engagement in partnership with the Office of Wellbeing and Intercultural Center.

The Wellbeing Office, Intercultural Center and Office of Student Engagement are collaborating to bring Adopt-A-Deac back to the campus! Two lamp posts with white banners showing the "Show Humanitate" logo of a gold heart and the letter "U"The Adopt-A-Deac program was introduced in the spring 2020 semester to provide individual caring support and outreach to Wake Forest University students during the pandemic. This semester, we are again seeking compassionate faculty and staff mentors to join this network.

Faculty and staff volunteers will be matched with students based on opt-in form responses. Participants will interact with students multiple times a week to respond to questions, connect them with University resources and provide needed support.

Our teams will provide information, resources and training to set you up for success in these partnerships. Our students need us, and we hope you’ll take advantage of this opportunity to help the Wake Forest community!

Click here to sign up!

Please contact Director of Student Organizations and Programs Shauna McNeil (mcneils@wfu.edu) or Associate Dean for Student Engagement Tim Wilkinson (wilkints@wfu.edu) with questions.

Faculty and staff volunteers will receive more information soon. Thank you for your time, attention and support!

Updates from HR: Wente named WFU President, employee survey, events and Zoom accessibility

Welcome to Wake, Dr. Wente!

After an international search, Dr. Susan R. Wente has been named the 14th President of Wake Forest. An ironwork arch frames the cupola of the library just before dawn, on the campus of Wake Forest University, Friday

Visit the Wake Forest News website to learn more.

COVID-19 vaccine employee survey

All active full- and part-time faculty and staff should check their email for the “COVID-19 Vaccination Planning – Employee Survey.” Please complete the survey by Friday, Feb. 12.

View the message from Wake Forest University Human Resources on Inside WFU.

Flexible Spending Account (FSA) relief

In December, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, which provides relief for employer-sponsored Health Care and Dependent Care FSAs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Wake Forest has elected to move forward with select special provisions and is working to amend current plan documents. Impacted faculty and staff will receive an email with additional information in the coming week.

Learn more about FSAs on the HR website.

Live transcriptions in Zoom

Live transcription, which allows attendees to enable on-screen machine-generated subtitles/captions, is now available within Zoom meetings for WFU accounts.

Visit the Information Systems (IS) website to learn more and register for an upcoming training session with the IS Technology Accessibility Team.

Black History Month

Faculty and staff are invited to take part in upcoming Black History Month programs, coordinated by the Intercultural Center, throughout February.

View the calendar of events on the Intercultural Center website.

“Guns, Democracy, and the Insurrectionist Idea”: Feb. 4

Join Joshua Horwitz, J.D., executive director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, for a conversation on guns, militia groups and the violence that took place on the United States Capitol on Jan. 6. The event will be moderated by Kami Chavis, vice provost, professor of law and director of the Criminal Justice Program.

Use this link to register for the webinar.

The Workload Dilemma

ICYMI: Betsy Barre, executive director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching (CAT), shares her thoughts on managing workload expectations for our students.

Read Barre’s article on the CAT website.

Conversation with Corey D. B. Walker on African American Studies at Wake Forest

The Intercultural Center invites the campus community to join “‘The Challenge of Blackness’: A Public Conversation on African American Studies at
Wake Forest.” Photo of Corey D.B. Walker smiling with his arms crossed at the front of a classroom

Corey D. B. Walker, professor of the humanities, literature and interdisciplinary studies, will lead this virtual iLab Lunch & Learn on Wednesday, Feb. 3, from 12-1:30 p.m. The conversation will explore the intellectual project of African American Studies at Wake Forest University, with particular attention to the politics of knowledge, the idea(l) of the university and the question of the human.

Walker joined the Wake Forest faculty in July 2020 after serving as an external consultant to the Wake Forest Slavery, Race, and Memory Project during the 2019-2020 academic year. He edited “To Stand With and For Humanity,” a collection of essays written by Wake Forest faculty and administrators that examines the institution of slavery and its ties to the University. Walker’s research and teaching interests include Africana philosophy, critical theory, ethics, social and political philosophy, and religion and public life.

Walker is the inaugural director of Wake Forest University’s new African American Studies Program, which will launch during the fall 2021 semester. This week, an anonymous donor made a $1 million gift to “support the overall development of African American Studies, including the creation of new and innovative courses, faculty research and collaboration, and a variety of programming designed to critically address pressing issues of public concern.”

Register to join “The Challenge of Blackness” on the PDC website

Read “New African American Studies Program supported by $1M gift” on the Wake Forest News website to learn more about the new African American Studies Program.

Updates from HR: NCFDD resources, listening sessions and events, Title IX training, Form 1095-C

Form 1095-C: Employer-Provided Health Insurance

The University will be mailing a Form 1095-C to colleagues who were eligible and/or enrolled in the employer-provided medical plan for the 2020 plan year. Photo of black and gold balloons forming large "W-F-U" letters on Davis Field with Wait Chapel in the backgroundForms should arrive on or before March 2. You may file your 2020 federal income tax returns before receiving Form 1095-C; however, once you receive the form, it should be retained with your tax records.

Learn more at irs.gov.

National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD)

NCFDD resources are now available for the entire campus through an institutional membership. Use your wfu.edu or wakehealth.edu email address to establish an account and explore the resources.

More information is available on Inside WFU.

“What are Deacons hungry for?”

Campus Dining hopes to gain valuable insights and feedback on the important role our dining services have on campus. Faculty and staff are invited to participate in a 50-minute facilitated listening session on Jan. 28, Feb. 1 or Feb. 3. All participants will be entered into a raffle for various Camino Bakery and Village Juice gift cards.

Register for a listening session on the PDC website.

Celebration of Dr. Maya Angelou: Jan. 30

The Association of Wake Forest University Black Alumni (AWFUBA) and the Office of Alumni Engagement invite the Wake Forest community and beyond to join a virtual event on Saturday, Jan. 30, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. celebrating Dr. Maya Angelou and 50 years of her beloved memoir, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”

Visit the event page to register.

“The Challenge of Blackness”: Feb. 3

The Intercultural Center invites the campus community to an iLab Lunch & Learn entitled “The Challenge of Blackness: A Public Conversation on African American Studies at Wake Forest” with Professor Corey D. B. Walker.

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