Good Morning

We hope this message finds you well! We write today to share important information about the residential experience for the 2020-2021 Academic Year. Thank you for your patience and understanding as these plans have come together. We realize not knowing where you might live for the upcoming semester only adds to the stressors we each face due to COVID. 

Below you will find important updates on a variety of topics. For the latest on the University’s fall plans, visit ourwayforward.wfu.edu . For more details about our residential offerings, visit the Office of Residence Life and Housing website at rlh.wfu.edu .
Campus Occupancy
To address the health and safety concerns related to COVID-19, Wake Forest has considered a variety of residential options for students in the fall. We have carefully reviewed our residential offerings and have reduced occupancy where needed to promote the wellbeing of all community members. 

The driving factors in the public health guidance we’ve received are the need to reduce the overall density of our residential community and to limit the number of students that share a bathroom. We have accordingly configured our communities such that we expect to offer approximately 65% single occupancy rooms and 35% double occupancy rooms. 

The Class of 2024 will be primarily housed in our buildings on the south part of our campus, as well as some buildings on the Quad.
Residency Requirement
As a reminder, Wake Forest has a three-year residency requirement, which means that students are expected to live in University housing for six semesters.
Housing Portal and Housing Application
As a reminder, your housing application should now be complete. This includes forming a roommate pair if so desired. We have now closed our incoming housing application and will re-open the housing application for continuing students on Wednesday, July 1. 

First-year students who need to make changes to their housing application should contact Kristy Eanes at eaneska@wfu.edu for assistance. 
Housing Assignments
Our first-year students will be assigned rooms by Residence Life and Housing. The first-year assignment process will follow the following steps:
  1. Formed roommate pairs will be randomly allocated to double rooms.
  2. Remaining students will be randomly allocated to single rooms.  

The number of formed roommate pairs does exceed the number of available double rooms. Students should be aware that they may be assigned to a single room despite a formed roommate pair. This is a reflection of the fact that our housing inventory will be 65% single rooms and only 35% double rooms. 

We realize that many first-year students would prefer to have a roommate. Our team is actively exploring options for virtual connections between students within the same community (residence hall) and within smaller groups. We will also help students stay plugged into on-campus happenings. Students will still be provided with engagement opportunities that we hope they take advantage of and in doing so avoid feeling lonely, regardless of their room type. We value community deeply, but also realize it must look different as we continue to navigate COVID-19.
Speciality Housing
After careful consideration and review of public health considerations, the University has decided to continue with many of our speciality housing programs: 
  • We are planning to continue offering our Gender Neutral Housing process for all students. 
  • We have, however, made the decision not to offer Quiet Living or Substance Free Housing for the 2020-21 Academic Year.
Accommodations
Given the evolving nature of COVID-19 and University plans, we are extending the deadline for requesting disability-related accommodations to Sunday, July 12. 

The request forms ( student and medical provider ) MUST be submitted by July 12 for consideration by the Housing Accommodation Review Committee. While forms submitted after the stated deadline will be reviewed, approved reasonable accommodations are subject to availability of housing.

For more information on our disability-related accommodations process, please visit https://rlh.wfu.edu/housing/accommodations/ . 
Move-In
We plan to begin welcoming students back to campus beginning August 17.

  • New students will have the opportunity to schedule their move-in between August 17 and 20, and
  • Continuing students will have the opportunity to schedule their move-in between August 20 and 24. 

Students will be required to schedule a move-in appointment and appointment availability will vary by community to ensure proper social distancing. Students will be able to schedule their move-in appointment later this summer as a part of their housing selection process. 

There will be a robust set of expectations associated with this move-in process, including a limit of two individuals accompanying a student to campus. For more on our move-in process, please visit rlh.wfu.edu/fall-2020-move-in/ . 
If you have questions, please visit our website at rlh.wfu.edu/fall-2020-residential-life/ for FAQs. If you’re unable to find your answer or need other assistance, please contact us at housing@wfu.edu or 336-758-5185.

We look forward to welcoming you home soon!
Matt Clifford, EdD

Assistant Vice President of Campus Life
and Dean of Residence Life and Housing
Office of Residence Life and Housing | Wake Forest University
336-758-5185 | housing@wfu.edu | http://rlh.wfu.edu/