Presidential Perspective - August 11, 2022

August 11, 2022

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

Yes, it’s August, but this is certainly the most wonderful time of the year! We can feel the excitement and enthusiasm building for two seminal events next week in the lives of Baylor students: Move-in and Welcome Week. Both mark the beginning of the Baylor journey, with our Baylor Family welcoming new students and making the Move-in process to their new home a breeze. Welcome Week is Aug. 18-21, marking the official beginning of life as a Baylor Bear and an important opportunity that gets our students connected to each other, the University, local churches and our hometown of Waco.

Next week we’ll also welcome more than 120 new faculty – one of our largest classes ever – into the Baylor Family. I can’t wait to welcome everyone – students, faculty and staff – home next week!

A few updates for this week:

  • This Saturday is Summer Commencement, as we celebrate the nearly 650 undergraduate, master’s, doctoral and professional doctoral students who will be graduating from Baylor and walking across the stage at the Ferrell Center. That’s a lot of diplomas to present and hands for me to shake! The ceremony begins at 9:30 a.m. and will be streamed live online and on the University’s official Facebook page.

  • Yesterday we were blessed with a generous gift from Katie and Jimmy Garrison of Boerne, Texas, to support the Give Light Campaign through the naming of the Dimmitt Garrison Family Berm within McLane Stadium and the Dimmitt Garrison Family Lobby within the future Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. The majority of Katie (BSEd ’85) and Jimmy (BBA ’85) Garrison’s gift supports these two capital priorities, in addition to support of student-athlete scholarships. The Garrisons’ gift honors their family’s legacy at Baylor, starting with Katie’s mother, Kate McLane Dimmitt (BBA ’56).

  • One of the many things I love about the Baylor Family is how people give back and serve their communities, whether in Waco or wherever you may live or work. To kick off the semester, I wanted to pass along two opportunities to immediately impact others:

    • The Load the Tote School Supply Drive runs from Aug. 15-20 as we ask students, faculty and staff to donate supplies for students at the five Transformation Waco schools. Here is the supply list and drop-off locations.

    • As part of the First Step Day of Service on Saturday, Aug. 20, from 10 a.m. until noon, incoming students will be able to serve the community by assembling hygiene bags for local shelters, decorating and assembling snack packs for a local pre-K program, and more.

  • Parts of Waco finally received some rain on Wednesday, but unfortunately campus received only a few raindrops, if any. Our typically beautiful landscape is brown and parched due to the ongoing drought impacting Central Texas and our adherence to the City of Waco’s water restrictions. We ask for your understanding as everyone comes back to campus over the next couple of weeks for the start of the fall semester.

The First Gent reports that BU, our labradoodle, has missed students over the summer. Both are looking forward to their daily walks across campus!

Here’s to a great fall!

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President


PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Photo of the Week - 11Aug22

Site work continues along the Brazos River for the future Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion, which is scheduled to be complete in time for Big 12 Conference basketball play in January 2024.