Presidential Perspective - November 2, 2017

Baylor Students, Faculty and Staff:

There is simply no way for me to sufficiently express my appreciation for last week’s Inauguration festivities. Beginning the week with 4,000 students eating dinner on our front lawn, leading to the impressive symposia by some of Baylor’s extraordinary faculty and then ending with the actual installation ceremony itself, Brad, Shelby and I were truly humbled to officially become part of the Baylor Family and the storied history of this great institution. What an honor it is to serve as Baylor University’s 15th President!

• Many of you have inquired about my Inauguration remarks, "Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind," in which I traced my faith-inspired life journey to this very important time in Baylor’s history. As I affirmed last Thursday, "We are entering a key transitional moment in the life of our University, when we must dedicate ourselves to finishing the race we have started."
• Speaking of finishing a race, nearly 900 Baylor alumnae who graduated from 1974-1998 participated in a ceremonial running of the Baylor Line prior to last Saturday’s football game. We could not have been more excited for these women, who finally got a chance to run the Line – an opportunity that they were never offered as students. To many of our current students: I hope your moms did not embarrass you too much.
• Today we are posting online the results of Baylor’s student-based 2017 Social Climate Survey from the spring semester. The study, which focused on harassment, stalking, dating and sexual violence, and overall campus climate, provides a deeper view into the perceptions and experiences of Baylor students affected by these issues. We are encouraged by many of the results as they demonstrate the impact of our ongoing prevention, training and educational efforts. There is much more work to be done as we continue working toward eliminating such incidents within the Baylor community. A reminder that it’s truly on us to intervene and act to address the scourge of sexual violence within our society.
• Next Thursday, Board Chair Joel T. Allison will join me and Interim Provost Dr. Michael K. McLendon for the first installment of the Baylor Conversation Series. We invite all of our faculty and staff to attend this important dialogue concerning Baylor’s progress as we look toward the future. The event will run from 3:30-5 p.m. on the 5th floor of the Cashion Academic Center. Light refreshments will be served. Our second event as part of the new Baylor Conversation Series will be for alumni and the Waco community on Nov. 20, with more details to come.
• Congratulations to Baylor's Institute for Faith & Learning, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary on Monday. The Institute was founded in 1997 to assist Baylor in achieving its mission of integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment, and becoming a university of the first rank committed to its Baptist and Christian heritage.
• The Baylor Executive MBA Program was recently recognized by the Financial Times for providing graduates with the top salary increase in Texas at 64 percent, which also ranks among the top 20 worldwide. Additionally, the program ranks second in the state and among the top 15 nationally for women participants. Overall, the Baylor EMBA moved up to No. 89 among the top 100 international and U.S. programs.

And how about those Houston Astros … 2017 World Series Champions! Here’s to a great remainder of the week, and thank you for your continued support and dedication to Baylor.

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President