Campus security increases for commencement with Colin Powell

Powell is scheduled to deliver Wake Forest’s commencement address during the 9 a.m. ceremony. It will be Powell’s first commencement address at any college or university since being named secretary of state in 2001.

As in the past, the commencement ceremony is not open to the public. Access to the Reynolda Campus on May 17 will be limited to vehicles with a university-issued commencement parking pass. Even those vehicles already registered with the university will be required to display the commencement parking pass to enter campus. Each graduating student will receive two parking passes; faculty and staff should park at Groves Stadium and take shuttles to campus.

Access to University Plaza (the Quad) will begin at 6 a.m. Students, faculty, staff and guests may enter the Quad area through four areas: parking lots P and A, on either side of Wait Chapel, and parking lots B and N, on either side of the Quad. Each person entering the Quad will be asked to pass through metal detectors, and bags and other belongings will be searched. In order to reduce delays at Quad entry points, university officials encourage commencement attendees to leave any unnecessary bags or belongings at home. Guests who leave the Quad area during the ceremony will be required to pass through the security checkpoint again before re-entry.

In addition, each person must present an official commencement ticket in order to enter the Quad area and will be asked to retain the ticket throughout the day. Faculty and staff without a commencement ticket who are attending or participating in the ceremony will need to present their Wake Forest identification for entry and will be asked to carry their ID throughout the day.

In the case of rain, the commencement ceremony will be moved to Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum and will begin at 9:30 a.m. All security measures in place for access to the Quad will be in effect for the rain location.

As commencement date nears, details about campus access and security may be updated. Security updates, along with all other commencement-related updates, will be posted on the Wake Forest commencement Web site.