Parental Leave and Adoption Assistance Benefits

Dear Baylor Faculty and Staff,

Effective April 1, Baylor University will add paid parental leave for staff and adoption assistance for faculty and staff to its official benefits package. At a brief signing ceremony this afternoon, I was pleased to approve these important additions that reflect the University's ongoing commitment to families and the cultivation of a caring community.

Paid Parental Leave gives new parents time and flexibility to bond with their new child(ren) and to foster work-life balance that is vital to families' capacity to flourish. Designed for staff, the policy is a companion to Baylor's faculty maternity leave policy established in 2015. Our hope is to be among the leaders in higher education, as well as a distinctive employer in Central Texas.

The Adoption Assistance Program helps defray expenses associated with the adoption process and affirms the choice by faculty and staff to grow their families in this way. With the provision of this uncommon benefit, Baylor joins the national ranks of schools such as New York University, Emory, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Northwestern.

Thank you to the Human Resources team and the Baylor Staff Council for their good work and collaboration on the development of these new benefits. And thank you to each of you for your service to Baylor University.

Sincerely,

David E. Garland
Interim President