It’s difficult to believe that we are in the 7th week of the fall 2022 term. In looking back, however, it’s not impossible to rationalize why the time has gone so quickly. In the past 6 weeks, our university has honored 4 trailblazing professors in Marge Crisp, Herman Eure, Dolly McPherson, and Elizabeth Phillips. We’ve also kicked off Latinx Heritage Month and the programming and awareness that comes with it. In addition, our community helped celebrate 10 years of the LGBTQ+ Center’s presence on our campus. And, as if we couldn’t cram anything else into these first weeks of school, we celebrated Homecoming 2022. That last event was a culmination of sorts for so many past and current members of our campus, particularly for alums connected to the Women’s Center, the Intercultural Center, the LGBTQ+ Center, and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. From catching up with members of the Association for Wake Forest University Black Alumni to contributors to the LGBTQ+ Center, to Wake Forest’s first Chief Diversity Officer (and fellow alum), Dr. Barbee Oaks, it truly was a moving and meaningful homecoming; one where it’s clear to see the solid framework upon which our university has been built - particularly over the last few decades.

There’s been quite a lot of discussion as of late regarding “frameworks.” In late August, President Wente announced our university’s undertaking of a Strategic Framework process, one where the focus would not so much be on “planning” but more on “action.” Aside from the details surrounding the process - which can be found at framework.wfu.edu  - there has been a lot of attention paid to soliciting feedback from our community, particularly around our distinctives as a university and where our members want us to focus as we aspire to be a Great University. If you haven’t done so already, please sign up for the last remaining feedback sessions at framework.wfu.edu/get-involved/.  And if you didn’t get a chance to participate in one of these sessions, a survey and questionnaire is available at https://framework.wfu.edu/get-involved/framework-feedback/.

There are other ways to prepare for the forthcoming Strategic Framework process. One of those is for our community to reconnect with our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. As Dr. Wente stated in her August 18th announcement, this Strategic Framework process is being designed to “ensure best practices in promoting inclusive excellence are woven throughout the resulting cohesive, actionable framework.” Though the responsibility of this “weaving” rests with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, it will take all of us at Wake Forest to operationalize these best practices. That is why Associate Vice President Dr. Malika Roman Isler, in collaboration with our partners in Information Systems, launched a Cultivating Inclusion Challenge for the month of October. I encourage you to commit to the challenge, and to ask your colleagues to join you in this process. Our collective framework - and the visioning that comes with it - is only as sturdy as our collective commitment to engage with this work. I look forward to meeting you where you are and walking with you to where we are headed: a more inclusive and belonging community. 

Sincerely, 

José Villalba, PhD, LCMHC