A message from President Hatch

June 17, 2021

Dear Wake Forest Community,

For the past eight years, Vice President for Campus Life Penny Rue has been a transformative leader at Wake Forest.

Dr. Rue has demonstrated a remarkable ability to both lead a complex organization and personally connect with individual students. The University has made great strides in so many areas of Campus Life, including Residence Life & Housing, Health and Wellbeing, University Police and the Office of the Dean of Students.

Today, Dr. Rue announced her plans to retire as vice president.

She joined Wake Forest in July 2013 and took on broad responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of students and their education outside the classroom.

Her vision for comprehensive wellbeing led to the expansion of the Reynolds gym into the state-of-the-art Wake Forest Wellbeing Center and the creation of the Thrive program. She has elevated campus conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion. From establishing the Police Accountability Task Force to hiring the first Title IX director, she has put caring people and essential programs in place to strengthen our community.

Dr. Rue, as a national higher education leader, has brought that wider perspective to her work at Wake Forest. She served as Board Chair for NASPA, the leading association for student affairs professionals, and she testified before Congress regarding sexual assault policy in higher education.

I am grateful for her service to our students, her essential role in navigating the COVID crisis on campus, and for all she has done for the health and wellbeing of the Wake Forest community.

The Provost will organize a search committee to select the new Vice President for Campus Life.

Sincerely,

Nathan O. Hatch
President