Navigating Wake Forest University: A Comprehensive Campus Guide

Wake Forest University (WFU), a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, boasts a rich history and a vibrant campus environment. Established in 1834 by Baptists, the university derives its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh. This article serves as a comprehensive guide to the Wake Forest University campus, exploring its various facets, from its academic divisions and historical evolution to its distinct locations and student life.

A Historical Overview

The establishment of Wake Forest Institute was ratified during the Baptist State Convention of 1833. The school was founded after the North Carolina Baptist State Convention purchased a 615-acre plantation from Calvin Jones in an area north of Raleigh called the "Forest of Wake." Designed to educate both Baptist ministers and laymen, the new school opened on February 3, 1834, as the Wake Forest Manual Labor Institute. Students and staff were required to spend half of each day doing manual labor on its plantation.

In 1838, the school was renamed Wake Forest College, and the manual-labor system was abandoned. The town that grew up around the college came to be called the town of Wake Forest. During the American Civil War in 1862, the school closed due to the loss of most students and some faculty to service in the Confederate States Army.

The college re-opened in 1866 and prospered over the next four decades. In 1894, the School of Law was established, followed by the School of Medicine in 1902. In 1911, Louise Heims Beck became the university's first librarian. The university held its first summer session in 1921.

The School of Medicine moved to Winston-Salem in 1941, becoming the Bowman Gray School of Medicine. In 1946, the college moved to Winston-Salem for the beginning of the fall 1956 term. On April 27, 1962, Wake Forest's board of trustees voted to accept Edward Reynolds, as the first black full-time undergraduate at the school. Reynolds became the first black graduate of the university in 1964. James G. Jones became the first American Indian graduate in 1958.

A graduate studies program was inaugurated in 1961, and in 1967 the school became the fully accredited Wake Forest University. The Babcock Graduate School of Management, now known as the School of Business, was established in 1969. On September 16, 2015, Wake Forest announced plans to offer undergraduate classes downtown in Innovation Quarter in Winston-Salem. On March 18, 2016, the school announced programs in biomedical sciences and engineering at its new Wake Downtown campus, opening in January 2017.

Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and Atrium Health announced a partnership in 2019 with the goal of a Charlotte, North Carolina, campus for the Wake Forest School of Medicine. Construction would start in 2022, with the first students attending in 2024. On March 17, 1978, president Jimmy Carter made a major National Security address in Wait Chapel. The school has hosted presidential debates on two occasions, one in 1988 and another in 2000.

Academic Divisions

Wake Forest's undergraduate and graduate schools encompass a wide array of disciplines:

School of Business: Offers both graduate and undergraduate programs, including full-time and part-time Master of Science in Business Administration, Master of Science in Accountancy, Master of Science in Business Analytics, and Master of Science in Management. The school offers a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree program for undergraduates.
School of Arts and Sciences: Provides a broad range of undergraduate majors and interdisciplinary minors.
School of Professional Studies
School of Divinity: According to its mission statement, the school is "Christian by tradition, Baptist in heritage, and ecumenical in outlook."
School of Law: Offers the JD, the JD/M.Div., the JD/MA in Religion, the JD/MA in bioethics, the Master of Studies in Law, the Master of Laws in American Law, the SJD and the JD/MBA in conjunction with the university's Schools of Business.
School of Medicine: Has one campus on the Bowman Gray Campus in the Ardmore neighborhood of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and a second campus downtown which opened in July 2016.

Campus Locations

Wake Forest University has several distinct campus locations, each with its unique character and purpose:

Reynolda Campus: This is the main campus, housing the undergraduate colleges, three of the four graduate schools, and half the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
South Campus: This is the home of Manchester Quad, which holds freshman housing, most of the classroom buildings, the Benson Center, and the Z.
Wake Downtown: Opened in January 2017, this campus houses programs in biomedical sciences and engineering.
Charlotte Center: Offers two part-time MBA programs (Evening and Saturday), continuing legal education courses, continuing professional education courses, executive education, Lunch & Learn, and speaker events.
Washington, D.C. Campus: Offers undergraduate classes during the spring and fall as well as law classes during the spring and summer semester sessions.
Casa Artom (Venice): A two-story building facing the Grand Canal, used for study abroad programs.
Vienna Campus: A three-story villa used for study abroad programs.
London Campus: A large, brick home in Hampstead used for its London program.

Reynolda Estate

The Reynolda Estate plays a significant role in the Wake Forest community:

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Reynolda House Museum of American Art: The centerpiece of the Reynolda Estate. Wake Forest students regularly get involved at Reynolda House through internships, volunteer opportunities, and academic research.
Reynolda Gardens of Wake Forest University: A 129-acre property that serves as a learning center for topics related to horticulture, environmental sciences, and landscape history.
Reynolda Village: Adjacent to the Wake Forest campus, Reynolda Village is home to stores, restaurants, services and offices. Now owned and operated by Wake Forest University, the buildings were originally part of the estate of the R. J. Reynolds family.

Other Notable Locations

Graylyn: Wake Forest University owns and manages one of the premier meeting destinations in the southeast. It was built as a private estate for Bowman Gray, Sr., and his family in 1932.
University Corporate Center: Houses various University offices, including Information Systems, Finance Systems, Procurement Services, and Financial and Accounting Services.

Student Life and Traditions

Wake Forest offers a vibrant student life with a wide range of activities and organizations:

Student Organizations: There are over 225 chartered student organizations of all sorts.
Student Government: Founded in 1923, Wake Forest Student Government (known as SG) works under a semi-Presidential system.
Student Union: The event-planning arm of Wake Forest is an undergraduate student-run organization known as Student Union. Its signature event is the annual "Shag on the Mag" where a big tent covers Manchester Quad during Springfest and students shag dance to a live band.

Admissions and Academics

Wake Forest University is a highly selective institution. For freshmen enrolling in the fall of 2023, the university received 17,479 applications and admitted 3,768, or 21.56 percent. Wake Forest offers 50 undergraduate majors and 60 interdisciplinary minors across various fields of study. In order to graduate, a Wake Forest student must finish three requirements for 120 hours of credit: a core set of classes, a course of study related to a major, and electives.

Additional Resources

Wake Forest supports a number of centers and institutes, which are designed to encourage interdisciplinary curriculum and programming. Wake Forest University offers pre-college programs for high school students to explore various subjects and majors before college through the on-campus Summer Immersion and Online Immersion Programs. The Summer Immersion Program offers 23 institutes in the STEM, social sciences, and creative disciplines. The Online Immersion Program offers nine courses in the same disciplines.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Wake Forest has made strides in promoting diversity and inclusion throughout its history. The acceptance of Edward Reynolds as the first black full-time undergraduate student in 1962 marked a significant step towards desegregation. The Office of Minority Affairs was formed in 1978 and later became the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

Read also: Wake Forest Student Body

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