Nearly the End!
In this Issue:
- Message from President Wente and Provost Gillespie
- Walk with Wente: Meet Oana Jurchescu, Baker Family Professor of Physics
- Dining during exams through Commencement weekend
- Summer Session meal plans
- Information for incoming families of the Class of 2029
- Reminder about the NSSE survey for ’25s and ’28s
Happy last Thursday of classes, Deac families. The finish line is looming ever closer!
Late Night Breakfast was last night. I was one of the servers and it was a lot of fun to fill the plates of our hungry students. For a while I was the server of bacon, which seemed to be a hugely popular choice, with pancakes coming in a close second 🙂
Now to today’s topics. Take what you need, skip what you don’t.
Message from President Wente and Provost Gillespie
This morning, the campus community received a message from President Wente and Provost Gillespie. It reads, in part:
“Yesterday, Wake Forest joined a growing list of higher education institutions supporting “A Call for Constructive Engagement.” The statement, organized by the American Association of Colleges and Universities and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, reflects our institutional commitments and our deep belief in the essential role of colleges and universities in advancing our nation’s prosperity and in the importance of a principled relationship between government and higher education.”
Walk with Wente: Meet Oana Jurchescu, Baker Family Professor of Physics
Wake Forest celebrates faculty who excel as both educators and scholars. To highlight our community of inquiry, President Wente invites faculty to showcase their contributions and insights by joining her on a “Walk with Wente.”
In the latest episode, President Wente walks and talks with Dr. Oana Jurchescu of Physics about flexible electronics and how they will change the way we interact with technology and improve our lives. They discuss her love of experimental physics research and her love of teaching. She wants her students to “approach every problem in life with the mind of a scientist.”
Dining during exams through Commencement weekend
I recently received a question about what dining hours/venues will look like during finals and as we move closer to Commencement weekend. Our partners at Deacon Dining have shared the finals dining hours and post exam hours. For the P’25s coming for Commencement and graduating students, please be sure to review posted hours and plan ahead as needed.
You’ll note that most dining venues are closed around Commencement, given that families tend to want to eat out as a family, and our dining team is deployed at Commencement weekend dining events like the Baccalaureate Breakfast and Commencement Breakfast. Those two events are ticketed events, so talk to your graduating Deac about ordering tickets for your family if you will want to participate.
Summer Session meal plans
On the topic of eating on campus, we will have students on campus for Summer Session. My colleagues in Deacon Dining sent me the following information about summer meal plans:
“We have 2025 Summer Meal Plans for students who will be on campus this summer. Meal plans will be active May 27 through August 10.
With flexible options and access to The Pit — plus retail options using Old Gold swipes — students can choose the plan that best fits their summer schedule.
Options include:
- 25, 50, 75, or 100 Meal Swipes/Old Golds
- Plans starting at just $683
- Some plans include up to $150 in Food Dollars
Each plan is designed to support students with chef-crafted meals, seasonal ingredients, and access to campus favorites all summer long.
Students can learn more and sign up by visiting the Summer Meal Plans Page.”
Information for incoming families of the Class of 2029
We are eagerly awaiting the final decisions of all our accepted students. An important note for incoming families is that students admitted for the Fall 2025 semester must submit their $1,500 tuition deposit on or before May 1.
There will be a additional tasks for new students and families to complete between May 1 and move-in, but those will not become available until May 1, when our New Students website is launched for the Class of 2029. (We are currently updating last year’s site behind the scenes and will swap out the 2028 information with the 2029 info on May 1).
Once the New Students website is published on May 1, all students and families of the Class of 2029 will receive an email to notify that the new information is live. There will be a checklist of activities students will need to complete this summer, and there will also be things parents/family members need to do. In addition, I will be emailing all new families each Tuesday (starting May 6) until move-in, with information on upcoming deadlines and more.
We appreciate your patience as we finalize the New Students website for the Class of 2029 and look forward to sharing it with you on May 1.
Reminder about the NSSE survey for ’25 and ’28s
Families, please help spread the word to first-year students and seniors: Their feedback through the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), which they received by email on March 31, is crucial. The survey must be completed by May 2.