THE RIGHT BALANCE

Wake Forest University strikes the perfect balance. A collegiate university that provides the personal attention of a liberal arts college, it also has all the academic vitality and broad opportunities of a research university. Its classes are small, but its outlook is global. Its academic provision is excellent, but so is its co-curricular offering.

“It’s why our students are so well rounded and don’t have a narrow focus,” says Kline Harrison, the university’s Associate Provost for Global Affairs. “Their academic experience is enhanced by experiences outside of the classroom, which broadens their perspectives. It comes down to educating the whole person.”

Wake Forest comprises a number of nationally ranked schools – Arts and Sciences, Business, Divinity, Law and Medicine – as well an undergraduate college. Each part of the university aligns with its motto of “Pro Humanitate” (“For Humanity”). “We’re about nurturing students who are aware and proud of their own abilities,” says Harrison, “but recognise that they exist within the context of a much bigger global community.”

Holistic development

The university’s School of Business offers an undergraduate business programme and four graduate degree programmes in Management, Accountancy, Business Administration and Business Analytics. Faculty members are exceptional teacher-scholars. “We help businesses create a better world by developing passionate, ethical leaders who get results with integrity, and make a positive impact on the practice of business,” says Charles Iacovou, Business School Dean.

Equally impressive is the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, which hosts 20 master’s and PhD programmes. “We’re known as an engine of creativity,” says the school’s Dean, Bradley Jones. “Our mission is to train and mentor future leaders in research, teaching and innovation. We want our students to be critical, independent thinkers and good citizens. We want them to be motivated to apply their scholastic efforts to enlighten and improve the well-being of society.”

Established in 1999, the university’s School of Divinity might be the youngest of WFU’s graduate schools, but it has a series of comprehensive programmes, comprising the Master of Divinity and several joint degrees in counselling, law, education, bioethics and sustainability. The themes of teacher/student engagement, small classes and teacher-scholars create a high-quality theological education.

In contrast, the School of Law has been part of Wake Forest since 1894, and has earned a national ranking in legal education. “We seek to train broadly educated lawyers, well qualified to join a range of legal practices,” says Dean Suzanne Reynolds. With one of the longest-running LL.M. degrees for foreign-trained attorneys, the School of Law now offers a Two-Year JD (Juris Doctor) for International Lawyers, a Scientiae Juridicae Doctor degree, and a Visiting International Researcher programme.

One of Wake Forest’s current priorities is a major strategic plan called “Building a Global Campus Community”. A part of this is about creating global mindsets. “It’s about expanding the curricular and co-curricular offering to nurture a more global emphasis,” says Harrison. “It includes bringing in global speakers and hosting international conferences on campus. It’s also about helping overseas students with their cultural transition, both to the US and to campus life.” This sense of care is important at Wake Forest, as is making students ready for life after university by equipping them with the skills, knowledge and opportunities needed to lead lives of purpose. In each of its renowned schools, Wake Forest University strikes the perfect balance, both inside and outside of the classroom.