By Bethany Leggett, Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing
Karen Bennett, Assistant Dean for Academic Advising, has been awarded the 2024 College Board of Visitors Staff Leadership Award. The Staff Leadership Award was started in 2020 and is the highest honor the College Board of Visitors awards an individual staff member.
Bennett received her Bachelor of Science from Winston-Salem State University and her Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Wake Forest. She first joined the staff of Wake Forest in 1985, first as the administrative assistant in the Department of English and then the Program of Academic Support Services before moving to the Dean’s Office a decade later.
In the Dean’s Office, Bennett took the helm for student advising efforts and large portions of Orientation before becoming a core planner of what would eventually become the Office of Academic Advising in 2009. Described as “sage,” “mentor,” “teacher,” and “magician,” Bennett has left an indelible mark on students and colleagues throughout her 40-year Wake Forest career.
“She has been one of the most impactful members of the staff and integral to Wake Forest University and the College, sounding the same clear note of academic integrity, compassion, and commitment to Pro Humanitate across successive classes and generations of students and alumni,” said Associate Dean for Academic Advising Dr. Ashley Hairston.
Since the early days in the Office of Academic Advising, Bennett has been responsible for administering academic policies and procedures; assisting with student and faculty concerns; and assisting with the recruitment and training of academic advisers. She works closely with faculty and staff advisers and their advisees to enhance the advising experience. In particular, Bennett has a passion for reaching out to students who are struggling to navigate the academic landscape.
“She makes a difference every day through her work advising students because she sincerely cares about helping them achieve their potential as students and whole persons,” said Dr. Christy Buchanan, Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology and former Associate Dean for Academic Advising.
Students are not alone in benefitting from the extensive institutional knowledge Bennett has gained through her four decades at Wake Forest. Dr. Hairston described how Bennett’s “encyclopedic knowledge and experience… has made her an invaluable resource to everyone.”
This included collaborations with the Registrar’s Office as well as serving as the OAA representative on the Committee on Academic Affairs, the Committee on Academic Advising, the Committee on Orientation, LIAISE, and the CARE Team, which she served on for several years. She previously served on the Rosser Committee. Most recently, Bennett provided a critical voice during the transition to the Workday Student Information System, working for the past two and a half years in the planning stage so the transfer of academic operations into the new system would be cohesive.
Bennett’s co-workers also speak to her influence as a leader. “During my time in OAA, Karen always encouraged an open-door policy and led by example. I was never made to feel that I was interrupting or being a bother to her. Karen allowed her team to develop into professionals by encouraging every person to take initiative and ownership of their tasks and work,” said Wendi Zongker, now Associate Registrar in the School of Law.
For her incredible dedication to the Wake Forest community and her leadership in student advising, we congratulate Karen Bennett as this year’s CBOV Staff Leadership Award recipient.
Karen Bennett, Assistant Dean for Academic Advising
“She has been one of the most impactful members of the staff and integral to Wake Forest University and the College, sounding the same clear note of academic integrity, compassion, and commitment to Pro Humanitate across successive classes and generations of students and alumni.”
Dr. Ashley Hairston, Associate Dean for Academic Advising
