Presidential Perspective - April 27, 2023

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

As you are making plans for the summer, I encourage you to consider Baylor’s Summer of Discovery. This program offers tuition-discounted courses for students across multiple summer sessions. Taught by our outstanding Baylor faculty, the courses are available in-person and online to help students meet and exceed their academic goals. I can’t believe summer is almost here!

A quick reminder for students: Join us for a special last day of classes giveaway next Thursday, May 4, at 3 p.m. on the first floor of the SUB (outside of Student Activities office). We will have free Frank’s Baylor Kettle Corn and Common Grounds iced Cowboy Coffee or iced tea to celebrate the end of the semester. 

Some campus updates for this week:

• LADY’S GRADUATION PARTY: I hope you will join me May 2 at the Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat as we celebrate the upcoming graduation of Judge Lady, our beloved American black bear. As you may know, she is preparing for a midsummer move to a newly constructed auxiliary facility, and we want to take this time to celebrate Lady with a come-and-go gathering featuring photo opportunities, commemorative giveaways and other festivities for both Lady and her human visitors. Baylor seniors in the Class of 2023 should plan to sign their names on Lady’s graduation banner, which will hang in the Habitat throughout Commencement weekend, May 12-13. This is a special time for our favorite bear, and I know the Baylor Family will enjoy celebrating and visiting with her ahead of her big move. 


• BEST GRADUATE SCHOOLS: Baylor’s graduate and professional programs were among those nationally ranked in the latest U.S. News Best Graduate Schools rankings, which evaluate graduate programs in business, education, engineering and nursing, as well as the sciences, social sciences and humanities and health disciplines. Alongside their faculty mentors, our nearly 5,500 graduate students play a key role in Baylor’s research, scholarship and teaching excellence as an R1 Christian research university. And we, in turn, are committed to supporting our students’ academic and professional development and expanding excellence within graduate education. 


• STUDENT HONORS: As we wind down the semester, the student award season is rolling right along. Again, our students have continued last year’s success by earning some of the most prestigious and highly competitive scholarships in the areas of public policy and diplomacy, critical language study, STEM research and more. These awards include 10 student Fulbrights – along with seven alternates who could ultimately be selected – as well as our second Truman Scholar in a row and recipients of the Clinton, Goldwater, Boren, Critical Language Scholarship, and the Marshall and Churchill scholarships. What a year! My deepest appreciation to our Office of Engaged Learningand the many faculty and staff who mentor and guide our students to help them flourish. 


• HONORING STAFF: Last week I had the honor of congratulating 13 recipients of our 2022 Staff Awards, a recognition program led by the Staff Awards Selection Committee and Human Resources, at a lovely ceremony in the Paul W. Powell Chapel at Truett Seminary. This year included our inaugural Student Employment Award, where we recognized one undergraduate and one graduate assistant for exceptional achievement as student employees. Please join me in congratulating these outstanding and distinguished members of our Baylor Family for going above and beyond in their service to the University. 


• DEVELOPING AIM LEADERS: We’re seeking applications for the third cohort of the AIM (Accelerate, Innovate, Matriculate) Leadership Collective, a leadership development program that addresses the particular challenges and opportunities of Baylor’s underrepresented faculty and staff. Apply now before Monday, May 1. 


• BAYLOR 101-CAMPUS SAFETY: Fostering a safe campus community is very important to all of us. Our next Baylor 101 session features the Baylor Department of Public Safety and how they serve students, faculty, staff and the extended Baylor Family with a multilayered approach to campus safety. Mark Childers, associate vice president for public safety, will be our special guest in a Zoom webinar conversation on Tuesday, May 2, from 1 to 2 p.m. Look for the Zoom link in your inbox next week. Remember, if you are unable to join the live Baylor 101, this and all previous sessions – including the most recent session on the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center – are archived online for you to watch at any time. 

Finish the semester strong, Bears!

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Best wishes to all of our Bears who will be spending the summer leading and ministering to youngsters at summer camps across the country