Media arrangements: WFU commencement

Frederick J. Ryan Jr., publisher and chief executive officer of The Washington Post, will deliver Wake Forest University’s commencement address on Monday, May 20. The ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. on Hearn Plaza.

A livestream webcast of the commencement ceremony will be available at go.wfu.edu/2019grad.

Also joining Wake Forest for the commencement weekend will be baccalaureate speaker Gary Haugen, CEO and founder of International Justice Mission (IJM). The Baccalaureate service will be held Sunday, May 19, at 9 a.m. in Wait Chapel.

A livestream webcast of baccalaureate will be available at go.wfu.edu/bacc19.

More details on commencement and baccalaureate speakers are available here. Commencement and baccalaureate are not open to the public.

The following individuals will receive honorary degrees at commencement: Commencement speaker Frederick J. Ryan Jr.; baccalaureate speaker Gary A. Haugen; Julius LeVonne Chambers, former Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund and former Chancellor, N.C. Central University (posthumous); Jeffrey A. Davis, EVP and Chief Financial Officer, Qurate Retail Group; Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress; Sandy Ouellette, President, R and S Ouellette Inc.; Philip A. Pizzo, former Dean, Stanford Medical School.

Credentials and Bag Check

Media credentials are required to attend commencement events. Parking passes will be required to enter campus. All members of the media are also asked to carry their own media credentials. Morning television crews may arrive as early as 5 a.m. Email media@wfu.edu to request credentials.

Note: As part of Wake Forest’s security measures for commencement, any bags of any kind brought to Hearn Plaza will be checked. There may be delays as guests move through the checkpoints. Please plan accordingly.

Parking

Media must enter campus through the Reynolda Road entrance. Here’s a link to a campus map and directions to campus. Because of heavy traffic, all members of the media are encouraged to allow plenty of time to park and set up on Hearn Plaza.

Reserved parking for television live trucks and satellite trucks only will be in Parking Lot B, located between Taylor and Davis residence halls on the Reynolda Road (west) side of campus.

Reserved parking for all other media will be on Davis Field, near Scales Fine Arts Center.

Members of the media are encouraged to enter Hearn Plaza through the access point (under the arch) from Parking Lot B and will need their media passes. News office staff will greet media at the entrance and direct them to reserved seating.

Wireless

To access Wake Forest wireless, launch the wireless connection software on your computer to find and connect to the WFUmydevices network. The WFUmydevices wireless network connection has open authentication and no encryption. Open any web browser, type www.wfu.edu and press enter to be redirected to the “Wake Forest University Visitor Wireless Network” webpage. Input the WFUmydevices username and password that is provided below:

Username: WFUGrad
Password: GoDeacs1

Accept the “Acceptable Use Policy” page that comes up after the login page to continue wireless access.

Social media

The commencement hashtag is #WFUGrad and the official Wake Forest Twitter account is @WakeForest, Instagram is @wfuniversity and Facebook is @wfuniversity.

Seating

Reserved media seating for reporters and still photographers will be in the front row. Direct audio feeds and power outlets will be provided. One platform will be available for TV cameras (approx. 170 ft. from the stage). Though there is plenty of media seating available, it will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Recording (video and audio) and still photography

There are no restrictions.

Inclement weather plan

In case of inclement weather, the commencement ceremony will be moved to Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum (2825 University Parkway) and begin at 9:30 a.m. Media will be notified by early morning May 20 if the inclement weather plan is put into effect. More information regarding media arrangements for the inclement weather plan will be distributed as needed. Scheduled live shots will be moved to the Coliseum.