Wake Forest University

The school's "Realizing Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (R.I.D.E.)" program states that "The Admissions Action Team focused on Admissions and finance-related pathways to create an inclusive campus community." Recommendations include "a call to intentionally recruiting students from diverse backgrounds, which is a current priority within the Office of Admissions."

On June 29, 2023, the university's President and Provost issued a community message in response to the Supreme Court's ruling on affirmative action which states, "We write to affirm that Wake Forest University will not waver in its commitment to creating and sustaining inclusive, diverse learning communities; our mission and values have not and will not change. We will continue to recruit and enroll academically qualified students of diverse backgrounds who seek an intellectual home at Wake Forest where they belong and thrive, and in compliance with the Court’s ruling."

The school's Office of Diversity and Inclusion offers many "ODI-Specific Programming" professional development "opportunities" for staff and faculty including: "How to Engage Meaningfully in Allyship and Anti-Racism," Recruit Diverse Talent and Promote Equitable Hiring," and "Drive Organizational Change for DEI."

The school's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion's "Affinity Resource Groups" support "faculty and staff in actively and intentionally cultivating an inclusive community and culture at Wake Forest University." One of ARG's goals is to "Provide professional development, mentoring, and networking opportunities."

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Wake Forest offers various DEI professional development workshops and trainings.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion offers the "Foundations of R.I.D.E. Certificate Series" which is a "comprehensive program for faculty, staff, and students designed for their involvement with realizing inclusion, diversity, and equity."

The school's "Vision to R.I.D.E" [Realizing Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity] states that "students, staff, and faculty will engage in curricular and co-curricular programs and initiatives that facilitate their capacity to explore, understand, and operationalize a broad range of concepts, experiences, perspectives, and opinions through a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens."

The school's "Realizing Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (R.I.D.E.)" program states that "The Curriculum and Faculty Action Team focuses on enhancing the academic experience and curriculum to better prepare students to be effective leaders and culturally competent citizens after graduation." In addition, "A key recommendation was development of a required course for students in cultural competency." The Offices of the Provost and the Dean of the College "partnered with faculty responsible for curricular decisions to consider enhancements."

As part of its degree requirements, the Department of Classics states that it is "the first Classics department in the world to require all majors and minors to take a course focused on race and the discipline." The "Classics Beyond Whiteness" course "considers race as a social construct; white supremacy, fragility, and privilege; and critical-race-theoretical study of ancient cultures."

As part of its General Education Curriculum, WFU states, "All students must complete at least one course that educates them regarding cultural diversity."

The school has a "Report Bias" webpage and states that "A bias incident is an act or behavior motivated by the offender’s bias against facets of another’s identity. Bias occurs whether the act is intentional or unintentional."

The school created the Race, Inequality, and Policy Initiative (RIPI), which is “multidisciplinary research initiative created to support research, teaching and community engagement activities that enhance our understanding of and address the racial, ethnic and gender inequities and inequalities that exist in the U.S.”

The school published a document titled "Strategies to Demonstrate Prioritization of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Scholarship and Initiatives" which offers many strategies and actions the school can take to prioritize DEI scholarship initiatives.

The school's "Realizing Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (R.I.D.E.)" program states that "The Policing Action Team is responsible for identifying ways to improve community relations with police officers. Recommendations addressed events held in the Barn and police requests for identification. Many steps have been taken since the Town Hall last March to address these concerns, including unconscious bias training, personnel changes, and changes in Barn management."

“The Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Wake Forest University this fall is offering a 'racist and anti-racist uses of math and statistics class' in an effort to combat racism within the discipline of mathematics and the math department itself”.

The university is offering "iLab Lunch and Learn," a deep-dive series of workshops designed to "provide WFU community members with the opportunity to continue their intercultural competence journey."

The school has an Office of Diversity and Inclusion which offers numerous events and resources.

The ZSR Library at WFU offers an anti-racist pedagogy research guide for the school’s faculty and students.

The school's "Vision to R.I.D.E" [Realizing Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity] states that "University stakeholders will be able to identify, develop, and review policies that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion across academic, administrative, support, and logistical units."

The school's "Vision to R.I.D.E" [Realizing Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity] states that "University colleagues will be presented with opportunities, resources, and materials to help them plan and evaluate their diversity and inclusion practices in using methods and “best practices” that directly contribute to the University’s mission towards a more diverse and inclusive learning and working community."

The school's "R.I.D.E Framework" [Realizing Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity] webpage provides links to its "Action Planning Guides" and "Action Plan Reflection Guide" for faculty, staff and students. The webpage states that "Diversity, and Equity framework (R.I.D.E. Framework) and the action planning process provide an opportunity to take stock of ongoing departmental and organizational investment in and progress toward Inclusive Excellence."

WFU's Communication Across Differences Summit 2023 was hosted by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and covered “'Courageous Conversations and Confronting Racism'.” The Summit was open to all faculty and staff at WFU.

On May 7th, 2021, the school announced the renaming of Wingate Hall that was originally named after the former university president. The school planned a memorial to address its antebellum past.

Wake Forest University joined the Universities Studying Slavery consortium and expanded the Slavery, Race, and Memory Project to create a new center focused on African American studies.

Regarding the death of Tyre Nichols in January 2023, the school's Counseling Center stated "The new wave of grief that this event evokes for us is compounded by the repeated grieving we experience from the disturbing pattern of disregard for the lives of BIPOC people everywhere."

On June 4, 2020, the Department of Classics issued a "Statement of Solidarity with Black Lives Matter" which reads in part as follows: "The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and Ahmaud Aubery are not isolated incidents of injustice, but part of a broader pattern of racist, white supremacist violence, including state violence, against people of color.  We live in the shadow of racism, both personal and institutional, in a society shaped by the legacy of enslavement."