Presidential Perspective - August 13, 2020

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

With yesterday’s announcement of decisions related to the upcoming football season – including a revised schedule and McLane Stadium at 25% capacity for the season – we have begun to update Baylor’s plans for other beloved campus traditions this fall. New dates have been set for Family Weekend (Sept. 25-26) and Homecoming (Oct. 16-17).

Families will join together virtually to enjoy a fun line-up of online events and activities for Family Weekend, including opportunities to enjoy After Dark, hear from faculty, “tailgate,” share a Baylor-themed family meal with a featured speaker and much more. A Family Weekend celebration kit also will be available to support the many activities.

Homecoming will include a mix of online celebrations and scaled-down campus events, including the football game against Oklahoma State. The planning team is working hard to honor this historic tradition with meaningful experiences, while balancing the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff, the entire Baylor Family and the Waco community. As more details become available, they will be provided on the websites for both traditions.

More on fall preparations …

• Last Friday, Provost Brickhouse and I joined Faculty Senate Chair Matt Cordon for a 90-minute question-and-answer session with about 400 members of the faculty regarding the University’s plans for the fall semester. We have posted the full video online along with a transcript, and we are working to answer the additional questions posted during the discussion. While focused on the faculty, the session provided a lot more detail into our fall planning.

• With Move2BU starting this weekend, we have extended our toll-free COVID-19 hotline into Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. CT. Students, parents, faculty and staff can call 888-283-2158 if you have questions regarding our COVID-19 planning.

• I appreciate the feedback regarding my daily emails that spotlight a specific area of the University’s planning for this fall. Tomorrow I will discuss how we all need to have a plan as we start the semester Aug. 24.

• A reminder for students: If you have been unable to obtain your COVID-19 test results before arriving in Waco, please complete and submit the COVID-19 Testing Assistance Form. You will need a Baylor ID to complete the form, which will be reviewed by a Baylor staff member who will respond with further instructions. If you will live off-campus, you still have time to submit the test kit that has been mailed to your home or designated address in advance of the fall semester.

Some additional news for this week ...

• I look forward to sharing words of inspiration and encouragement on Saturday as we celebrate Baylor’s May and August graduates during Virtual Commencement beginning at 10 a.m. CT via Facebook Live on the Baylor Facebook page and on the Commencement website. As part of the ceremony, just as we did for spring grads on May 16, we will display the names of August graduation candidates live on the videoboard at McLane Stadium. Although we will be gathering virtually – from here on the Baylor campus to cities and countries throughout the world – I am so proud of our graduates’ resilience and their passion for Baylor and its mission. I know you will change the world as you fling your green and gold afar as proud Baylor Alumni.

• The British Academy has awarded the prestigious Burkitt Medal for Biblical Studies to Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of New Testament Interpretation in the department of religion. She is one of only a few Americans to receive the award – which was established nearly a century ago – in recognition of her exceptional New Testament scholarship, as well as the ways she has mentored and supported younger scholars. The British Academy is a fellowship of some 1,400 leading national and international academics elected for their distinction in the humanities and social sciences.

• A Baylor professor who was moved by her own battle with cancer to fight the disease as a researcher has earned a prestigious Department of Defense Career Development Award to study the link between diet and colon cancer treatment. Leigh Greathouse, Ph.D., assistant professor of human sciences and design, will use the $480,000 award to conduct pioneering research in the search for biomarkers for Chemotherapy-Induced Diarrhea (CID), a challenging and sometimes fatal side effect suffered by many colon cancer patients. Dr. Greathouse is a recognized expert in the relationship between diet, the gut and health, and her work could lead to breakthroughs in understanding the role of a person’s diet in cancer treatment and prevention. She will partner with collaborators at the Mayo Clinic and Baylor Scott & White Health on this award.

• The Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty has received a nearly $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for an innovative pilot program called the Healthy Fluid Milk Incentive. Through this cooperative agreement, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants shopping at select grocery stores in Texas will receive incentives for purchasing qualifying milk. This is one of several Baylor Collaborative partnerships that explore creative ways to reduce food and economic hardship for families in Texas and around the country – particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic – while helping them get the nutrition they need to thrive.

Like all of you, I was extremely excited to receive our Big 12 football schedule on Wednesday. But we cannot let our guard down, especially at this critical juncture! The only way for Baylor to start the fall semester and kick off the football season is to remain vigilant in our COVID-19 personal preventive measures:

• Wear a face covering when in buildings and around others;
• Practice social distancing and avoid large gatherings;
• Wash your hands regularly; and
• Conduct daily self-health checks.

Let’s #SicCOVID Together,

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President