March 4, 2008

Dear Members of the Campus Community:

In recent weeks, there has been much discussion and concern regarding the

future of Faculty/Staff Apartments. These apartments have historical

significance to the University and are a part of our community that many

have experienced as residents. I write to explain to you why these changes

are necessary and, of equal importance, how the University will assist those

who are being asked to move from Faculty Apartments.  

Throughout 2007-and even into 2008-we have collected and analyzed much

information to help us make decisions about Wake Forest's future. Two linked

questions were whether we would increase the size of the undergraduate

student body and what implications growth would have on the campus

infrastructure. During the fall semester of 2007, our examination of student

housing and other student services space needs intensified as we considered

various growth scenarios.

Two other factors were important in these deliberations. The Art and Science

Group study confirmed that many of our older residence halls are in

immediate need of updating, which is not surprising since they are now more

than fifty years old. When prospective students visit the campus, these

residence halls do not help us recruit them. Thus, we confirmed the need for

additional space to house students while renovations are being done to the

older residence halls.

The second factor was the growth in the student body as a result of the

necessary budget initiative of a few years ago. We are now seriously over

capacity in the residence halls and have been forced to use lounge space to

house students.  

Thus, even if there were no growth in the student population, we would at

minimum have to renovate older residence halls and create more on-campus

housing.  Moreover, the question of how much the College might grow in the

next decade is still under discussion, but the trustees have approved

budgeting an increase of eighty students for this fall. Having a residential

campus is a longstanding and important principle in the Wake Forest

tradition, and we know we must be prepared to meet student housing needs.

We studied costs and timing. During the course of the fall, it became

evident that building a new residence hall would consume at least eighteen

months, which would mean that renovations to older residence halls would not

be completed for at least three years. Thus, the prospect of converting

Faculty/Staff Apartments surfaced as a solution.

This idea had to be explored thoroughly, because it carried many

uncertainties. First, we needed to determine whether there were other

possible alternatives for student housing. We also had to determine if

conversion would be a sound financial option. Whether we should have alerted

residents at the moment it became an idea can be argued, but what we do know

now is that it is our best available option to meet urgent student housing

needs.

Further, it would have been presumptuous to have alerted residents of the

Faculty/Staff Apartments to the possibility of the change before our

trustees had received reports concerning the apartments and related matters.

The message to residents went out quickly after the February meeting of our

Board of Trustees.

Because it is my practice to share information with you frequently, I wish

that we had been in a position to give more than four or five months' notice

to residents, but it was not feasible with this combination of factors in

play. Sometimes, the congruence of circumstances dictates the timing and

sequence of decisions, and the housing challenge was such an occasion.

An additional point that gives context to this decision is the change in

occupancy patterns in Faculty/Staff Apartments.  Originally, many young

faculty members chose to live there when they joined Wake Forest and

remained for several years.  Today, about twenty residents move into

Faculty/Staff Apartments each year. After the first year, about a third of

them move out, and after the second year, another third move out. Certainly,

there are some residents who have lived there for longer periods, but there

is much more mobility among the residents now than in earlier times. 

I and others in the administration have met with residents and listened to

their concerns. We want to be sensitive and generous in helping them work

through the moving plans. Thus, we have decided on a phased renovation of

Faculty/Staff Apartments, offering choices to Faculty/Staff Apartment

residents as to when they move. For those who choose to move in May or June,

2008, we will pay full local moving expenses and provide a substantial

stipend for the inconvenience that moving may cause them and their families.

Those choosing to stay until May, 2009 will likely need to move within the

complex as we consolidate building occupancy because of renovation timing.

These internal moving expenses will also, of course, be paid by the

University. I have asked Associate Provost Rick Matthews and Dr. Donna

McGalliard, Director of Residence Life and Housing, to consult with

residents on special needs related to the move, so that we can hold

inconvenience to a minimum.

In addition, we plan to renovate Wake Forest-owned houses near the campus to

accommodate visiting professors, so that the conversion of Faculty/Staff

Apartments will not affect our ability to host visitors.

Some residents of the neighborhood near Faculty/Staff Apartments have

expressed concerns about student behavior in the residence halls, after the

conversion is complete. We believe that the presence of resident advisors

and the increased capacity to monitor student behavior will help ensure that

undergraduates are good neighbors. It is certainly easier to influence

student behavior when they live on campus than when they live in off-campus

neighborhoods. We will be diligent in our efforts to see that the neighbors

are not adversely affected. We will give special attention to parking.

I am especially appreciative of the advice and assistance brought to this

process by Professor David Coates, President of the University Senate,

members of the University Senate executive committee, and Professor Gale

Sigal, President of the Wake Forest chapter of AAUP. 

I will continue to share information with you about this plan as it becomes

more specific.  

Sincerely,

Nathan O. Hatch 

President