Remarks: 2023 New Student Convocation

Remarks given Friday, August 25, 2023 at Wake Forest’s annual New Student Convocation.

Good afternoon! It is wonderful to see you all again and welcome you to New Student Convocation. Over the past few days and in the weeks to come, you are going to have many opportunities to get acclimated to life as a college student. And not just any college student – but a student at Wake Forest. One who bleeds black and gold; one who has a favorite study carrel in the library; and one who, with practice, learns how to pronounce “Pro Humanitate.” 

But seriously, here, you will be pushed to think about complex issues; you will be invited to create and share your informed opinions; you will be offered the chance to experience research opportunities; and you will be encouraged to understand yourself, our society and the world in new ways. In the coming years, you will be asked to weave your classroom education with real world applications, learn to transform challenges into solutions, and seek out ways to exhibit the spirit of Pro Humanitate. 

You chose Wake Forest – and Wake Forest chose you – because of our shared dedication to high standards, to excellence, and to bettering oneself in order to better the world. We share these values and are resolute in upholding them. 

Part of being a student at Wake Forest and living out our values in this community is honoring our commitment to academic integrity. I share this idea with you today because it is critical to the work we are about to embark on together. 

Academic integrity shapes the very foundation of higher education. It is our shared trust that we all approach our work – individually and collectively – with honesty, and it is that honesty that shores up our ability to ask thought-provoking questions, produce new knowledge and develop innovative solutions. Higher education has been built upon this bedrock principle. 

Academic integrity is also a core element of the Wake Forest learning community. There is a deep culture of friendliness and honor that permeates the lives of Wake Foresters. Honesty, integrity, trust and respect are the hallmarks of educational excellence on this campus, and we are responsible for holding ourselves and each other accountable to that expectation.

And academic integrity is the cornerstone of your own personal journey here at Wake Forest. Your name and honor are linked to how we expect you to approach your work and how you respond to the academic challenges placed in your path. Know that your honest efforts in good faith will serve you well in the years to come. 

In a few minutes, you will have the opportunity to pledge to uphold our Honor Code – as every class of Wake Forest students before you has done. This simple but profound act is a means of illustrating your intention to yourself – and to this community – that you will accept the expectations of what it means to be a Wake Forester. It is our commitment to one another to be good and to do good. 

One of the most exciting days in the life of a university is welcoming a new class of students. Today, I hope you feel our genuine and joyful invitation into this community; I hope you anticipate where your potential and passion will lead you; and I hope that you embrace this experience and the opportunities that lie before you. 

Students, welcome to your first semester of college. Welcome to your new academic home. Welcome to Wake Forest.  

– Michele Gillespie, Provost