Information to Current Students Regarding New Roommates
This message was sent by Zach Blackmon, Associate Director of Operations for Residence Life & Housing on March 2:
Good Evening –
We hope this message finds you well! We write today with important updates related to your housing.
As shared by Provost Kersh, Wake Forest has suspended our study abroad program at Casa Artom in Venice. The students in Venice will resume classes on the Reynolda Campus on March 16. With that announcement, we are working to finalize housing for those students for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester.
One of those students will be your roommate. We wanted to inform you before spring break to ask for your help in ensuring that the space in your room is prepared for their arrival. These students will be returning to campus starting March 15; to prepare for their arrival please ensure the following items are addressed prior to your departure for spring break or before Monday, March 9:
- Ensure that one full set of furniture is available for use by the new resident including a bed, desk, dresser, closet/wardrobe.
- Please ensure shared spaces are picked up and cleaned prior to Spring Break. Additionally, please ensure there is access to shared space (i.e. kitchen cabinets, refrigerators).
Please be assured that the health and safety of all members of our community is our highest priority. Please review the important updates below:
- While Venice is technically in the Italian region affected by a COVID-19 outbreak (Veneto), there have only been a handful of imported cases and no community transmission in Venice according to our infectious diseases consultants at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and the Medical Director of the Forsyth County Health Department Communicable Diseases Division. The involved communities in that region are well outside of Venice and on lock-down.
- There is no evidence that any Wake Forest student or faculty member has been exposed to COVID-19 while in Italy, and their risk of having contracted the virus while there remains low.
- Your roommate left Italy by March 1, 2020. Since the time from exposure to symptoms is fourteen days or less, this two-week period before they return to campus will exceed this incubation period, and the risk to others at that point related to travel from Italy will be extremely low.
- This information is being provided to address any concerns you may have concerning your personal risk of acquiring this virus because of the change in your housing situation.
One of the challenges associated with the coronavirus situation is that things are changing very rapidly; the recommendations in place currently might change if the virus spreads and as new information is gained. You will be contacted if new information leads to other recommendations concerning your housing. Wake Forest has a coronavirus website with links to international health organizations, and the site will be updated as new details emerge. We encourage all students to stay aware of information related to this virus from the CDC and other public health resources.
Should you want to change your housing assignment, you may request to do so prior to April 5, 2020. Please email your request to eaneska@wfu.edu with as much specific information as possible. Approved changes will be confirmed to you in writing by our office within 3 business days. Out of respect for the academic semester and the need for all of our residents to focus on concluding the semester well, any and all room changes must be completed by Sunday, April 12, 2020.
If you would like to discuss this in person, please contact our office at housing@wfu.edu, 336-758-5185, or stop by to visit us in Angelou Hall. Additionally, we will be holding an information session at 5 p.m. in the Office of Residence Life and Housing. Staff from Residence Life and Housing, Student Health Service, and Global Programs & Studies will be present to provide information and answer questions.
Best –
Zach Blackmon, Ph.D., MBA
Associate Director of Operations
D’Najah Thomas, M/Div, M.S.
Associate Director of Residence Life