"Wake West" Archive

COVID-19 Update: Changes to class schedule, suspending in-person classes

March 11, 2020

President Hatch emailed the following message to students, faculty and staff on March 11:

Dear Wake Forest Community,

I write today with important information for the Wake Forest community. Let me begin by saying how deeply grateful I am for all the dedicated professionals in our community who, in recent days, have worked diligently to enable the University to respond to the current COVID-19 situation. In these efforts, our first priority has been to safeguard the health of the Wake Forest community and our neighbors, even as we sustain our vital educational mission. In coming days, the disruptions caused by this situation will demand much from all of us.

Throughout the past week, we have continued to monitor the spread of COVID-19, particularly in North Carolina. We have been in regular contact with peer institutions, many of whom are moving to remote delivery of class instruction, to share plans and best practices. After extensive consultation with public health officials, we have come to the conclusion that it is in the best interest for our campus community, local Winston-Salem community and the broader community, that we take measures to help contain and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. 

Therefore, we have decided to suspend all in-person classes, both in Winston-Salem and Charlotte, until further notice. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide regular updates. 

1. Classes are cancelled from Monday, March 16, through Sunday, March 22, so that faculty and staff can plan for academic continuity and prepare for remote delivery of course instruction.
2. Classes will resume remotely on Monday, March 23. Students should expect to hear directly from their respective professors and/or degree program leaders soon about how to prepare for class. It is unknown at this time when classes will return to an in-person format.
3. Students should not return to campus if at all possible. All undergraduate residential students must register their plans with the Office of Residence Life and Housing at go.wfu.edu/housingportal by Friday, March 13. Housing will be made available for students with appropriate circumstances.
4. Campus will remain open. Deans will provide additional information and guidance to support remote course delivery and continuity of needed student services. Staff should consult with their supervisors about specific expectations and resources to complete job assignments if remote work is needed due to health concerns.

With such a significant disruption to studies, research and work, we know there are many questions and concerns. More information is available on The Wake Forest University COVID-19 website. This situation is changing rapidly, and we will continue to communicate as the situation changes and decisions are made.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the continued support of Wake Forest staff working to sustain our community, especially our front-line staff serving in health care, custodial, law enforcement, security, housing and food service roles. 

The safety and wellbeing of our Wake Forest community remains our first priority. I am grateful for your patience, cooperation and flexibility.

Sincerely,

Nathan O. Hatch
President

A message from President Hatch

January 15, 2020

President Hatch emailed this message to students, faculty and staff on January 15:

Happy New Year! Welcome to the beginning of 2020 and a new semester.

As we begin this year, I offer all of us a single challenge: Be present. Even as you juggle the many demands on your time, permit yourself to be engaged. Honor those around you by offering them your full attention. Allow the fear of missing out to be replaced by the pleasure of your present situation. Wherever you are, whatever you find yourself doing, be all there.

Last semester, our presence together produced some good results. We celebrated members of our community through the collaborative arts in “From the Ground Up.” We saw environmental science approved as a major course of study. We celebrated the victories of our athletic teams. And we launched our Wake West program, where students will learn, study and live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Some of the work we started as a community last semester will once again require our full attention. As you know, the President’s Commission on Race, Equity and Community was charged with assessing the current realities of our community and the present condition of our institutional policies and practices to develop specific and actionable recommendations that will cultivate a more diverse, equitable and welcoming learning community. While the Commission made great progress in the last few months, the important work continues this semester. The best place to stay apprised of the current work and next steps is the Commission’s website.

Additionally, the Slavery, Race and Memory Project continues to guide the research, preservation and communication of an accurate depiction of the University’s relationship to slavery and its implications across our history. To keep updated on the progress of this group, including the many plans for this year, visit the Project’s website.

I am grateful to the many members of these groups who have made this critical work a priority. The progress is encouraging, and I look forward to hearing their recommendations to make Wake Forest a place where all feel a keen sense of belonging.

As this community focuses on topics surrounding race and inequity, we will also welcome various voices to our conversation. Among the many guests invited to campus are professor and author Ibram X. Kendi on January 20; NBA All-Star Kyle Korver on January 29; and author and public intellectual Cornel West on March 20. I hope you plan to join us in the ongoing conversation.

The commitment to focusing on the present is part of being a hospitable community. It conveys that the people and projects in front of us, asking for our time and attention, are important. May this semester be one where we find each other — wherever it may be — fully present.

Sincerely,

President Nathan O. Hatch