Presidential Perspective - August 5, 2021

August 5, 2021

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

As I reflect over the past couple of weeks and the whirlwind of uncertainty relating to intercollegiate athletics, a few things have resonated with me during conversations with members of the Baylor Family, testifying in front of the Texas Senate’s select committee and discussions with others across the country. First, the Baylor brand is incredibly strong. I am reassured by our tremendous progress on Illuminate as we near R1 status, as well as the growing demand for a Baylor education, which combines a Christian environment, academic excellence, a mid-size campus and major athletics. In fact, we’ll have the largest freshman class in Baylor history this fall, projected at more than 4,100 students, which also is our most academically qualified ever and one of our most diverse classes. Secondly, we have an elite athletics program under outstanding leadership that has competed and will continue to compete at the highest levels. Our future is bright as we shine God’s light for others to see as a preeminent Christian research university.

A few updates for this week:

  • Students, please keep an eye on your Baylor email next week for your recommended date/time for required weekly COVID-19 testing, unless you have an exemption. Exemptions are full vaccination or a positive COVID-19 test within the past 180 days. If you haven’t submitted your exemption information to be removed from the testing list, I encourage you to do so this week by signing in to your Baylor-provided email account and uploading your completed vaccination card through our  HIPAA-protected form or emailing documentation of your positive COVID test to Health_Services@baylor.edu. A reminder that we are prepared to revisit our testing policy and COVID protocols early in the semester and make adjustments based on how effectively we contain the spread of the virus.
  • If you missed my Facebook Live last week for incoming students and parents, be sure to watch the archived recording regarding our plans for the fall semester.
  • From July 17-Aug. 15, we will have hosted 71 Send-Off Parties to provide incoming students and their parents the opportunity to meet and get to know local Bears in their respective hometowns before heading to Waco. These fun events are happening across Texas and from Hawaii to Washington, D.C. It’s great to see the excited faces on students as they make new friends and share contact information, as well as seeing parents connect with other parents and Baylor alumni who will help them during their young adult’s Baylor journey.
  • While much effort has been directed to preparing for the fall, our campus was much busier than normal over the summer. We again had a record-breaking summer enrollment at 8,331 students, breaking last summer’s previous high mark of 8,297 students. Much success can be attributed to our Summer of Discovery program, which has delivered many incentives for both current and incoming students to study over the summer. Also, I was excited to see heavy equipment arrive at the site of the future Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center earlier this week!
  • The Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas recently prepared a report indicating that Baylor has a $1.57 billion economic impact on our community, state and beyond. Yes, that’s billion with a “B!” This calculation includes spending by students, faculty and staff, and visitors, as well as university-related purchases and capital expenditures.

I hope everyone has had a good week. I know I am already looking forward to the weekend. Football Saturdays are right around the corner!

Sincerely,

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President