Presidential Perspective - August 24, 2023

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

The fall semester is off to an outstanding start, and the First Gent and I have enjoyed seeing so many new and familiar faces. If my calculations are correct, we are up to 53 days without rain in Waco, which has taken a toll on our beautiful campus landscape. We’ll continue to pray for rain and cooler temperatures while drinking lots and lots of water as we prepare to be at McLane Stadium next Saturday evening for football’s season opener against Texas State.

Some updates for this week …

• MEET THE CUBS: Based on the number of social media posts I have seen over the past week or so, I know many of you have already stopped by the Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat to meet Judge Belle and Judge Indy, our two new American black bear cubs. Don’t forget to be at the Habitat this Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon for Meet the Cubs, a block party event to help welcome our newest – and cutest – members of the Baylor Family. The event is free and open to the entire Baylor Family and will feature a full lineup of activities. After meeting the cubs, grab some lunch in town and then head to McLane Stadium for Meet the Bears from 2 to 3:30 p.m. This annual opportunity to meet our student-athletes from across all our teams is a favorite among the Baylor Family.
• SAVE THE DATE: I always look forward to our Fall Staff and Fall Faculty meetings, both of which will be held this year at our new Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center. Registration is open now for the Fall Staff Meeting, which is set for Monday, Sept. 18, at 3 p.m. The Fall Faculty Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 20, from 3 to 5 p.m. 
• NEW CLASS HYMN: One of my many favorite traditions at Baylor is the Class Hymn, written specifically for our incoming class and unveiled each summer during New Student Orientation. It’s an especially meaningful way to welcome new students, who are excited – and maybe a bit anxious – to begin this new chapter in their lives. I encourage you to listen to and watch the video of this year’s hymn – “There’s More” – by University Chaplain Burt Burleson, B.A. ’80, and pray for our students as they begin the college experience and enter the “world of wonderment” where they can find God and their faith. You also can watch and listen to each Baylor class hymn since 2017 on the University’s YouTube channel and hear class hymns dating back to 2012, when the hymn tradition began, on iTunes.
• FACULTY IN RESIDENCE: In 2004, Baylor welcomed students to the new North Village Residential Community, the first residence hall built at Baylor in nearly 40 years. North Village also made history that year as the home of Baylor’s first Faculty-in-Residence, thus beginning a new tradition with faculty who literally live the Baylor experience with students in our residence halls and become not only teachers, but mentors and friends. Fast forward to 2023, as the renovated Collins Hall welcomes its first Faculty-in-Residence, Lesley McAllister, D.M.A., and her family (and dog, Coco!), Baylor now has 15 Faculty-in-Residence living in every one of our residence halls. Since 2004, 41 different faculty have fostered and shaped the social, cultural, educational and spiritual life in our residential communities, providing our students with an extraordinary opportunity that articulates the distinctive nature of Baylor.
• TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPE: Baylor recently obtained a new multimillion-dollar transmission electron microscope for our Center for Microscopy and Imaging, a central laboratory located in the Baylor Sciences Building (BSB). This latest flagship microscope is one of a kind in its field, with the capability to magnify objects several million times and image cell membranes, proteins and even atoms. This powerful technology will have a tremendous impact on Baylor research for many years to come, so we invite you to celebrate the microscope’s inauguration with a ribbon cutting and demonstration Tuesday, Aug. 29, at 3:30 p.m. in BSB Room D109.
• TITLE IX COMMITMENT: We have a dedicated staff of experts in our Office of Equity, Civil Rights, and Title IX who work tirelessly to ensure Baylor is providing a safe and non-discriminatory educational environment for all members of our campus community. At the start of another school year, I want to remind everyone that our Equity Office staff is prepared and equipped to investigate thoroughly and fairly any and all reports of sexual assault, sexual harassment or other forms of interpersonal misconduct. I strongly encourage anyone in need or with questions to reach out to our Title IX Coordinator at titleix_coordinator@baylor.edu.

See you at McLane Stadium next Saturday, and don’t forget volleyball and soccer this fall!

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President

PHOTO OF THE WEEK:

Welcoming Judge Indy and Judge Belle to their new campus habitat home offers an opportunity for the Baylor Family to commemorate the moment with a keepsake item like this limited edition t-shirt available in our online store. A portion of each purchase will include a gift to support the Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat. You also have the opportunity to add on a donation that helps support the cubs with other items such as snacks, milk and toys!