Non-Discrimination Statement FAQs

“Wake Forest University Student Organizations are committed to diversity, inclusion and the spirit of Pro Humanitate. In adherence with applicable laws and as provided by University policies, the University prohibits discrimination in its organizations on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, disability, and veteran status.”

All Chartered Student Organizations must abide by the above non-discrimination statement.

Wake Forest’s non-discrimination policy has not changed. After a review of the chartering process and the current status of Chartered Student Organizations at Wake Forest, it was determined that Wake Forest lacked a clear statement explaining the application of the non-discrimination policy to Chartered Student Organizations.  The application of the non-discrimination policy to Chartered Student Organizations reinforces the educational mission of the University, affords broader access to educational, social, and leadership opportunities to all students, and encourages tolerance and learning among students with diverse backgrounds, identities, and beliefs.

Chartered organizations are granted certain privileges, including the use of the Wake Forest University name to signify their institutional affiliation; eligibility to apply for funding from the Student Budget Advisory Council (SBAC); ability to reserve spaces as an organization, participation in the University-sponsored Involvement Fair; an organization page on the Link and its event lists; and other resources.

Yes, as long as such requirements do not serve as pretexts for exclusion based on the protected categories set forth in the non-discrimination policy. In addition, the University has no role in selecting these leaders; that is for the members of each organization to decide for themselves.

Numerous Chartered Student Organizations have qualification- and performance-based requirements for membership or leadership that are fully consistent with University policy. Some examples include:

• Singing groups require students to audition.
• Honor societies and others have GPA cutoffs.
• Groups may require members to pay dues.
• Groups may require members to attend meetings regularly.
• Groups may require that only those students who have been in good standing for a specified period of time or have served on at least one committee are eligible to be officers.
• Groups may have numerical limits to membership as long as membership is open to all students.

As noted, the University’s policy incorporates and follows Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972. Generally, a college or univiersity may not provide or otherwise carry out any of its education programs or activities separately on the basis of the sex. In the context of academic instruction, the Title IX regulations include three exceptions to the general prohibition on separating students based on sex:  (a) contact sports in physical education classes; (b) physical education classes and activities grouped by ability; (c) classes or portions of classes in elementary and secondary schools that deal primarily with human sexuality; and (d) choruses, to the extent that requirements based on vocal range or quality may result in a chorus or choruses of one or predominantly one sex.

With respect to extracurricular activities, additional exceptions apply to the general rule of non-discrimination on the basis of sex. For example, Title IX permits schools to sponsor father‑son or  mother‑daughter activities; however, if such activities are provided for students of one sex, opportunities for reasonably comparable activities must be provided for students of the other sex.

Yes. However, these groups must still allow those who may not share that particular identity to join. For example, if a Women in Education group was chartered, those that do not identify as women would be allowed to join, assuming they meet all non identity-based membership requirements. We expect those seeking to join identity-based groups to do so with the intention of supporting the identity group represented. For those seeking to learn more about the diverse identities represented on campus, we recommend participation in the many program offerings provided by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Evidence at Wake Forest and other universities shows that students become members and compete for leadership positions in organizations whose missions they support. Chartered Student Organizations are encouraged to articulate what they do and what they stand for clearly so that students can make informed decisions about which organizations to join. Chartered Student Organizations are also permitted to adopt attendance and other neutral requirements designed to distinguish between students who are genuinely interested in an organization’s purposes and those who are not.

The Student Life Committee, the staff in the Office of Student Engagement, and the student representatives in the Student Organizations Council are available to consult with Chartered Student Organizations, and students hoping to form organizations, about the organization’s purposes, policies, and practices and to answer any questions about the application of the non-discrimination policy. The Office of Student Engagement, the Student Life Committee, and the Student Organizations Council can be reached at their respective WFU webpages.

All submissions to the Student Organizations Council should accurately reflect each individual organization’s mission, policies, and practices. In order to ensure that prospective members of the organization understand what the organization does and stands for, and what will be expected of them as members and prospective leaders, organizational submissions should make clear the organization’s defining characteristics. While membership and eligibility to compete for leadership positions must be open to all, groups are welcome to emphasize the purposes, policies, and practices that make them distinctive.