FACULTY FELLOWS

Faculty Fellows are a crucial part of The Forest experience. Each first-year residence hall has an affiliated faculty team from a diverse set of academic departments. If your Lower-Division Adviser is also a Faculty Fellow, they will likely be assigned to your hall; that builds another layer of support for you as a first-year student. 

Faculty Fellows are, first and foremost, connectors with lots of Wake Forest knowledge. Your Faculty Fellows have a ton of wisdom about campus!! They can help you learn how to navigate academic issues and talk to professors and are excellent resources for academic policies, campus resource offices, and how to get from one academic building to another. They are also interested in getting to know you as a whole person–not just a student–outside of classrooms, studios, and labs. While Faculty Fellows do not live in your residence hall, you will see your Fellows regularly in the hall for events, workshops, meals, and casual drop-ins that help build community in your new home. When you see your Fellows, make a point to stop and introduce yourself to them. They want to meet you, so slow down, stop, and say hello. 

Visit southforest.wfu.edu to learn more about the Fellows affiliated with your hall, and look out for them soon!

LOWER DIVISION ADVISING

During New Deac Week, you will have the opportunity to meet your Lower-Division Advisor (LDA) and members of your lower-division advising group (i.e., a group of new students who will move through some of the New Deac Week activities together).

Your advisor will play a vital role in your academic and personal growth during your first two years at Wake Forest before you declare your major. Advisors are careful listeners, caring consultants, and impartial coaches for an exciting, changing array of academic options. They also assist with the processes of executing your academic options in the university environment. They are also a conduit to the Office of Academic Advising (OAA), where you can receive more comprehensive advice at any time. Your LDA will empower you to take personal responsibility for your education, so consider them a first point of contact for academic guidance and making a home at Wake Forest and in Winston-Salem.

Your lower-division advising groups have been assigned so that students live in the same residence hall. This added layer of connection and support will allow you to have a closer relationship with your advising group and faculty through proximity and programming.

STUDENT LEADERS

As you begin your journey here at Wake, you’ll interact with two student leaders. Those are your Resident Adviser (RA) and Student Advisor (SA), and both will serve as guides during your early days of navigating The Forest. 

As you know, your lower-division advising group includes at least one Student Advisor (SA). Like you, they are Wake Forest students – they’ve just been here a little longer. They remember their transition to college well and are trained to help you navigate these first days. Their involvement doesn’t stop after New Deac Week: they serve as guides through your first semester. Your SAs will initiate activities and stay in touch, checking in to see how you are doing. We encourage you to engage in the opportunities provided. Your LDA and SAs want to get to know you and hear how your year is going! 

Your RA will be an essential resource. They live in your residential community with you. They will see you almost daily and are specially trained to help you through your first year. Your RA is here to connect you with others on your floor, within your building, and other campus resources. Together with your Community Director and Graduate Hall Director, they will help you build community here in The Forest.

As you prepare to move to Winston-Salem, we want to emphasize that your Wake Forest journey will include both celebratory and challenging moments. No one expects you to have it all figured out. Lean on the resources available – including those outlined in this message – and you’ll find your stride with time. 

Welcome Home, and Welcome to The Forest!

Sincerely,

Matt Clifford, Ed.D.

Associate Vice President, Campus Life

Dean of Students

Stephanie Carter-Atkins, Ed.D.

Executive Director

Office of Residence Life and Housing  

Nikki Elston, Ph.D.

Assistant Dean of Academic Advising

Undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences

Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Counseling

Office of Residence Life and Housing | Wake Forest University

336-758-5185 | housing@wfu.edu | rlh.wfu.edu

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