"Provost Rogan Kersh" Archive

A message from Provost Kersh: Wake United campaign ends Oct. 31

This message was emailed to faculty and staff on Oct. 26 on behalf of Provost Rogan Kersh and the 2021 Wake United Campaign Cabinet.

Greetings Wake Forest colleagues!

A big bouquet of appreciation, as we cautiously celebrate passing this fall semester’s two-thirds mark–with just two active Covid cases on campus. A real testament to your attentive engagement with our students and one another, always mindful of our collective health. And speaking of appreciation, I’m grateful in this season of thanksgiving for the work the United Way of Forsyth County does locally.

Both through their support for dozens of local social-service organizations, and in their direct-services partnership with lower-income neighborhoods through their nationally recognized “Place Matters” program, United Way remains a vital source of enhancing our community bonds across Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

For those of you who may be new to Wake Forest, we’re traditionally a strong source of support for United Way’s essential activities, and I encourage those of you so inclined to join me and many other Wake Foresters in providing much-needed resources by contributing to the 2021 Wake United campaign. Sincere thanks, and here’s to our continued collective health as we steam towards term’s end.

Rogan Kersh
Provost

This is the final week of our 2021 Wake United Campaign so take a few minutes to make your pledge today!

The 2021 Wake United Campaign Cabinet thanks the campus community for their support this year.

Brad Shugoll, Wake United Campaign Chair
Ashley Wechter, Wake United Campaign Co-Chair
Mary Pugel, Office of the President Emeritus
John Shenette, Vice President, Facilities and Campus Services
Denise Griggs, Assistant to the Dean of the College
Leigh Stanfield, Executive Director for Global Engagement & Administration
Kathleen O’Rourke, Recruiter, Recruitment & Strategic Communications
John Turner, Director of Development, University of Advancement
Véronique McNelly, Professor of the Practice, French Studies

Categories: Guest PostInside WFU

Wake Forest forms search committee for Dean of the School of Business

Wake Forest University has formed a search committee for its next Dean of the School of Business, succeeding Charles Iacovou, who was named Dean of the School of Professional Studies last December; Michelle Roehm has served as Interim Dean since January 2021.

The search committee, chaired by Provost Rogan Kersh, will have its inaugural meeting next week. “This signal transition in a vital Wake Forest institution comes at a time of historic change across our University and is, therefore, all the more pivotal,” said Kersh. “As we see ever-closer collaboration among our deans and other academic leaders, all of Wake Forest will be enhanced by this search committee’s meticulous work.” Read more

Categories: Inside WFU

Update to On-Campus Mask Policy and Fall Semester

Dear Wake Forest community,

As the first day of classes for the majority of campus nears, we write to share both our enthusiasm for the start of this semester and a few important updates to our COVID-19 response. We will be fully in-person and operating all aspects of the University with the trademark dedication to our mission. The adjustments we will share below reflect our commitment to that end and to ensuring a successful start to the year.

As a residential community founded on the teacher-scholar model, we thrive on meaningful connection with one another animated by close collaboration among students, faculty and staff — collaboration that is at its best when it is in person. Our high vaccination rate among faculty, staff and students is the most important step for returning to and maintaining normal operations during the fall semester. While our position is strong, the most recent information regarding transmission of the Delta variant requires some temporary modifications.

Indoor masks to begin the semester

We will start the semester with all of us, regardless of vaccination status, wearing a mask indoors, with exceptions that are defined below. We anticipate this will be a temporary measure to allow for a smooth transition back to the classroom and campus environment. We will evaluate this decision weekly and make adjustments accordingly. Beginning Monday, August 16, masks are required indoors except while actively eating and drinking and with the following exceptions: Read more

Faculty and staff forum to be held Aug. 5

As a reminder, Wake Forest University will hold a faculty and staff forum on Thursday, Aug. 5, from 4 to 5 p.m. The forum will include updates from President Susan Wente, Dr. Chris Ohl, Vice President Emily Neese and Provost Rogan Kersh.

University employees received an email today with a link to join the webinar, which will be recorded and posted on the Faculty & Staff page on Our Way Forward.

Joint faculty/staff forum re: university operating status

A message from Provost Rogan Kersh and Executive Vice President Hof Milam to faculty and staff:

As you know, we are making a deliberate and incremental shift to “Orange” status on campus, on the considered advice of our public health experts and academic/administrative leaders. To provide further health and safety details we will hold an all-faculty/staff forum tomorrow, Friday, October 23, from 4 – 5 p.m.

Please join if you are able. As with past faculty and staff forums, this forum will require participants to join using their Wake Forest Zoom account to increase security. Zoom information was emailed to faculty and staff today.

Many thanks for your continued extraordinary efforts to keep our students and one another safe during this most surreal of semesters.

Rogan Kersh
Provost

Hof Milam
Executive Vice President

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