A Message from Vice President Penny Rue to the Campus

To the Wake Forest community,

In my first year at Wake Forest, many people — students, faculty and staff — took time to tell me what was special about Wake Forest, and for that I am grateful.  It helped me begin to know this place in a deeply meaningful way.  Others took the time to tell me what they think is wrong about Wake Forest, and for that I am even more grateful.  Wake has a quest for excellence, and in that quest we must be fearless in our ability to look honestly and constructively at our community.

One of the most searing moments of my first year was a Town Hall meeting, organized by students last spring, to share concerns about bias and mistreatment from university police.  Their stories were poignant and painful, and they underscored what I had already learned: that not all Deacs feel the same sense of inclusion.  As one African American student had said to me, “Oh, we feel welcome, Wake is a welcoming place.  We just don’t feel valued.”  This must change.

As a previous message to the community sent by Assistant Provost Barbee Oakes and me stated, the recently released report investigating bias in the police department was conducted by independent consultants.  What is clear in reading this report is that we have much work to do to improve our police interactions and to gain the trust of the university community.  This pressing need connects us to a national conversation about injustice in our country, as it should.   These actions have already begun, and include comprehensive bias training for police personnel, recruiting for diversity in the department, independent investigations of complaints, and improved community relations and communication.  (See Appendix A for a more complete list of actions.)

In addition to the steps being taken to improve policing, we are creating opportunities to listen closely to student concerns and pursue a more just community, including an upcoming Deliberative Dialogue on Campus Climate led by the Pro Humanitate Institute.  Bias incidents are receiving prompt response due to our new on-line Bias reporting option.  A group of student leaders are working with the Pro Humanitate Institute to bring Sustained Dialogue to the Wake Forest campus.  Intercross-cultural capacity educational oportunities are being developed by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Center for Global Programs and Studies.  Below you will see our division’s strategic priorities.  These will guide us through the challenges we face together.

•       Lead a comprehensive approach to student and community wellbeing

•       Integrate civic engagement and responsibility locally and globally

•       Foster an inclusive culture of peer engagement, leadership and accountability

•       Cultivate a community where all students feel a sense of belonging and are valued contributing members

•       Prepare students to lead in a diverse environment with cultural fluency

 It has been my life’s work to partner with students to strengthen a shared sense of community and inclusion. I and my colleagues pledge to work side by side with interested and committed students to create a healthy climate for all.  I invite you to share your thoughts about how best to accomplish this critical goal.  Working together, I know we can accomplish it.

Please join me in renewing our commitment to creating a truly engaged and inclusive community characterized by student ownership and engagement.

Sincerely,

Penny Rue
Vice President for Campus Life

Appendix A

University Police Department (UPD) Action Plan

Training and Community Awareness

Note: calendar of activities for ’14-’15 academic year are being created in conjunction with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) and the Professional Development Center (PDC).

Additional Departmental Training

Other Activities to Enhance Community Awareness and Communication

• Engage and partner with Faculty Fellows to meet students where they live
• Develop Citizens Police Academy and recruit attendees for Spring Break 2015
• Establish WFU Student Patrol program
• Involve students  to help plan and participate in Scenarios Videos
  • How many ways can you contact UP?
  • See something – say something!
  • What should you do if an officer or university official approaches you and you are in the possession of alcohol?
  • Why should you always have your WFU ID? Talk about officer’s role in asking for student ID

Ensure Respectful Communication

Require respectful communication that begins with leadership team and is clearly communicated, understood and supported bottom up, top down and sideways throughout the department.

• Sergeants and Corporals developing plan to support five Campus Life strategic goals throughout department
• Expedite objective complaint response process by outsourcing complaint investigations
• Video all interactions with existing Body Cameras
• Randomly review officer and communications interactions for quality control
• Develop police department contact follow up survey
• Explore officer exchange program with WSSU to enhance communications skills
• Trust Talks with WFUPD, WSPD and Students, Faculty, Staff
• All personnel are taking Intercultural Development Inventory to become more aware of their unconscious biases 

Recruit for Diversity 

This is a high priority. As a private institution, WFU officers do not receive state law enforcement benefits.  As a result, our most qualified applicants are seeking second career.

• Working with HR to develop comprehensive plan
• Incorporated a role play scenario to screen for awareness and sensitivity to cultural diversity into selection process for all employees
• Contacting “high achieving” officers from other agencies and having conversations
• Continuing to research opportunities for WSSU officers to assist with NPHC events  

Equity in IFC Social Events in Lounges and NPHC Large Venue Requirements

Responsibility for Barn Management rests with the Office of Dean of Students. The Large Venue Event Guidelines Task Force is currently meeting to address:

• Revisions to the guidelines
• Communications plan for the revised guidelines
• Capacity
• Presale tickets and ticket distribution
• Staffing (numbers and level of supervisor on scene)
• Event management staff
• Pre and post event requirements and meetings
• ID scanning and security technology
• Event action plans

Increase the monitoring of IFC lounge events by event management staff, police or security personnel.

Aligning Day Shift Supervisors with Night Shift Supervisors

• Immediate initiatives include a supervisor planning session, summer leadership development and team projects
• Short term plan is to rotate shifts and supervisor assignments
• Longer term project is to create a Patrol Lieutenant with Day Shift Sergeant over each squad and night shift Corporal

ID Checks

• Additional Training
• Signs in strategic areas
• Researching handheld ID scan technology to be used in the field