On April 21, Wake Forest University Student Government passed a resolution opposing further undergraduate enrollment increases. They said the university must first build adequate facilities.
“Wake Forest Student Government formally expresses opposition to any increase in undergraduate enrollment until adequate and timely expansions are made in dining, recreational, housing, academic and parking facilities,” S.R. 14 reads. “Student Government calls for a clear and substantive justification for continued undergraduate enrollment growth despite currently overwhelmed facilities and widespread student concern.”
University plans enrollment increase
In August, the Office of the President announced plans for expanding the university and increasing undergraduate enrollment. They stated that the Board of Trustees will “annually review and approve potential annual incremental increases of 50-60 new undergraduate students.”
In December, Residence Life & Housing announced that not all rising seniors would be guaranteed on-campus housing, and in February, an on-campus housing lottery pushed up to 75 students off-campus for the 2026-2027 school year.
Student Government said they passed the resolution in response to concerns raised by the student body throughout the academic year.
Physical Planning Committee co-chairs note student concerns
Sophomores Alex Passes and Kadyn Peery are the co-chairs of the Student Government Physical Planning Committee, which is responsible for physical facilities on campus and their impact on student life and campus experience. The committee is dedicated to responding to campus feedback and pursuing policy changes in regard to housing, dining, campus security and space planning.
“The resolution was a culmination of an entire academic year gathering constituents’ concerns while simultaneously gaining in-depth knowledge of campus facilities through university administrators,” Passes said.
Hubs of student life, such as the Pit, Wellbeing Center and academic buildings, exhibit the negative effects of overcrowding on campus. The resolution states that these facilities, central to campus operation, are beyond intended capacity. For example, the Pit, the main dining hall on campus, is intended for 300 seats; however, it currently holds 700 seats. In addition, residential housing currently sits at 98.5% capacity.
“Many students chose Wake Forest because of the tight-knit community with on-campus housing for at least three years, which they were promised, I might add,” Passes said. “Now, we have freshmen [living] on the quad and many juniors and seniors forced off campus.”
In March, Student Government conducted a survey asking for student feedback in regard to this year’s changes in housing registration, which is cited in the resolution. Of the 114 respondents, 53% of students said they would “probably not” or “definitely not” receive upperclassmen housing. In addition, 69% believed communication from the University surrounding housing was either “not effective at all” or “slightly effective.”
Along with the small, intimate environment of the campus, study abroad plays a major role in Wake Forest University’s culture. Passes noted that there is an imbalance between fall and spring study abroad, as 91% of study abroad students participate in programs in the fall compared to 9% in the spring. He cited study abroad as contributing to overcrowding in the spring semester.
“Senior university leadership has consistently highlighted the study abroad imbalance as a key factor in the overcrowding problem,” Passes said. “Although the imbalance has increased in recent years, its existence precedes the issue of congestion on campus, as we see these issues during the fall semester. It also does not justify continued enrollment increases. In fact, the imbalance strengthens the argument made in the resolution.”
While campus expansion is a natural part of university growth, the Physical Planning Committee believes adequate facilities must be provided to sustain this growth.
“Continued enrollment growth without timely expansion of facilities risks eroding the intimate, student-centered undergraduate experience that defines Wake Forest University,” Student Government said in the resolution. “Responsible institutional planning requires aligning enrollment decisions with realistic assessments of current infrastructure capacity rather than retroactively responding to overcrowding.”
Student Government and its Physical Planning Committee said their goal is to ensure that student voices are heard and that campus culture is preserved.
“Student Government will continue to advocate for the student body by gathering student concerns through office hours, tabling and conversations,” Passes said.
Student reactions
Many students were pleased with Student Government’s decision to pass the resolution. Evelyn Shatto is a rising senior who did not receive on-campus housing as a result of the on-campus housing lottery.
“I agree that before expansion, there must be comfortable capacity with recreational, housing and academic facilities that are not just adequate, but capable of sustaining and accommodating, [and] supporting and uplifting the students, faculty and staff of the Wake Forest community,” Shatto said.
She continued: “Looking ahead to the future is important, but it is just as essential to remember the community you have made commitments to in the present. I am grateful to the Student Government for their advocacy, and I would now like to see how this could be translated into direct action and outcomes for students and other members of the Wake Forest community.”
Student Government encourages students to voice their feedback. Updates on Student Government initiatives can be found on their Instagram @wake_sg and via the Student Government Progress Checker.
Editor’s note: This is an ongoing story. The Division of Campus Life was unable to provide a comment until after publication.
