May 1: Welcome to the Wake Forest Family! Your First Steps for Summer
Dear parents and families of incoming students,
Welcome to the Wake Forest family! I’m Dr. Betsy Chapman (’92, MA ’94), Executive Director of Family Communications. I’ll be your primary point of contact for the next four years, sending you a weekly email each Tuesday this summer with reminders, deadlines, and a featured topic.
The New Students and Families website launched today, and I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the contents under the Parents and Families menu:
In these weekly emails, I will focus on key action items and due dates for parents and families. Your students will get their own emails with their reminders, and it will benefit students to be responsible for their own due dates.
Action Item Tracker
Health & Immunization Forms
Due July 1
This is a critical requirement. Please ensure your student has all required vaccines and begins gathering their documentation now.
Students should check their secure messages in the Deacon Health portal 2-5 days after submission to ensure nothing is missing.
Log Into Wake Network to Verify Your Contact Information
Due June 1
Please verify and update your family record in Wake Network to ensure your correct email and phone number are on file.
Family Weekend Football Tickets
Tickets go on sale May 5 at 10 a.m.
Determine if you want to sit with your student (if yes, purchase a ticket for them), or if they want to sit in the student section (free for them).
Featured Topic: Your Top 3 Summer Action Items
These required steps are the first priority for families this summer:
- Due July 1: Ensure your student has completed and uploaded their Health & Immunization Forms: North Carolina law requires documentation of certain immunizations. Your student must upload all forms and documentation into their Deacon Health Portal. Please allow sufficient time to gather paperwork from your physician, state registry, health portals, etc. and schedule any necessary vaccines.
- Log Into Wake Network to Verify Your Contact Information: Please log in to Wake Network (our records system) to review and update your contact information to ensure your correct email, permanent address, and phone number are on file. We primarily use email for family communications, but it is also important to have a phone number on file in case we need to reach you in an emergency. Permanent addresses are used for invitations to events in your area.
Important note: Wake Network is also the system you will use to register for the Virtual Information Session and/or In Person New Student Receptions. Because some of those receptions have limited capacity, it is to your benefit to ensure your Wake Network information is correct as early this summer as possible, so you will be able to log in to Wake Network to register for those events. - Review the New Students and Families website: The newstudents.wfu.edu site is your central hub for all transition information. Please focus on the Parent and Family Checklist for required and strongly recommended items.
Planning Ahead: Move-In Travel Planning & Family Weekend Football Tickets
- Move-In Travel Planning: While you might want to try and book travel asap, we encourage you to wait before making final travel plans for move-in. Students need time to determine if they wish to do a Pre-Orientation program (which would have them move in a few days early; move-in dates vary by program). For students not doing Pre-Orientation, they will sign up for a move-in appointment once they receive their housing assignment. Learn more at housing.wfu.edu/incoming.
- Please note we are shifting from “suggested” move-in windows to a more structured appointment process this year. Students/families will not be able to arrive before their selected time.
- Family Weekend Football Tickets:
Tickets for the Family Weekend football game (Oct. 3 against Stanford) will go on sale Tuesday, May 5 at 10 a.m. at godeacs.com. Mark your calendar.
NOTE: Students can get a free ticket to sit in the students’ football section with the Screamin’ Demon Rewards App (ticket claims open at noon the Monday before the game: Sept. 28 at noon ET). If your student wants to sit with you, you will need to purchase a ticket for your student.
For inquiries or to purchase Family Weekend premium or season tickets options, please call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336.758.3322 ext 1 or complete this form to be contacted. The below premium options sell out quickly: - While you can order your football tickets on May 5 via Athletics, registration for Family Weekend events doesn’t open until July 15 (more details on events will come later this summer, but generally speaking the weekend begins on Friday early afternoon and concludes with brunch on Sunday).
Support WFU Policy: The Student Login Rule
- To maintain the security of our network (and to foster independence in your student), we ask all families not to ask for or use your student’s WFU login and password. WFU computing policy states that students’ logins must not be shared with anyone, including family members.
- Instead, encourage your student to check their WFU email daily; this is where they will receive all official information.
Best Practices for Family Information
- For the most accurate, up-to-date information, we encourage you to rely on official University communications and websites (e.g., wfu.edu, parents.wfu.edu, newstudents.wfu.edu, etc.) as well as University social media sites. You can also follow our public Facebook page for parents—no membership required — at Facebook.com/WFUParents:
- Parent-Run Social Media Groups: Many Wake Forest parents connect with one another through independently run social media groups. These communities can be a helpful way to share experiences and advice. Please note that these groups are not affiliated with or monitored by the University, and information shared there may not always reflect current university policies or practices.
As always, reach out to us directly if you have questions or if we can help. You’ll hear from me again next Tuesday!
Betsy Chapman, Ph.D. (’92, MA ’94)
Executive Director of Family Communications