Presidential Perspective - August 29, 2024

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

The start of the fall semester is filled with so many signature events, from Move2BU and Welcome Week to the first day of class and #BU28 running across the field at McLane Stadium as part of the Baylor Line this Saturday evening. Next week will offer another big moment as Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D., and I will publicly unveil the University’s new strategic plan and accompanying brand campaign that will take us through the year 2030.

The strategic plan is incredibly important for faculty, staff and students alike – as well as for Baylor alumni, parents and friends – as it outlines the University’s priorities for the next five-plus years and ensures alignment with Baylor’s mission. While I won’t spill the beans, it should come as no surprise that the strategic plan will have a strong global focus – Pro Mundo – given our recently expanded University motto and distinct status as a Christian R1 university.

I hope our faculty will join Provost Brickhouse and me for the strategic plan and brand campaign unveiling next Thursday as part of the annual Fall Faculty Meeting with a reception beginning at 3 p.m. in the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center. The meeting, which will also include several academics-related updates, will be recorded for those faculty with academic commitments, and we will provide a live stream link for remote instructors.

For staff, we will gather in the Hurd Center the following day on Friday as part of the annual Fall Staff Meeting. A breakfast reception will begin at 9:30 a.m., with the program starting 30 minutes later. Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Cheryl Gochis encourages staff to register in advance and attend alongside your team. In addition to the strategic plan and brand campaign unveilings, there will be topical breakout sessions in which staff can participate.

Some updates for this week:

• COLLEGE COLORS DAY: Tomorrow we will join colleges and universities in the celebration of the annual College Colors Day to mark the kickoff of the college football season. Participating is easy – just wear something green and gold, or apparel that’s sporting one of Baylor’s licensed logos such as the interlocking BU, our Baylor Bear or the vintage and beloved Sailor Bear. Then we’ll continue the practice each and every week with Spirit Fridays during football season and into basketball.
• STAYCATION WEEKEND: Students, you’ve made it through the first week of classes, and there’s a big Staycation weekend of activities – and great discounts – ahead just for you and your friends. You can sign the Baylor Line, meet the hundreds of student organizations at Late Night, experience the Waco Downtown Farmers Market, cheer raucously for your Baylor Bears at Saturday night’s football game at McLane Stadium and much more. And don’t forget about your Waco Perks! Your Baylor ID unlocks discounts, deals and specials on food, entertainment, attractions and services across Waco, through our Waco Perks partnerships.
• NEW TV COMMERCIAL: I’m excited to share with you Baylor’s new TV commercial that will air nationally during Baylor Football games and other athletics events this fall on the Big 12 Conference’s broadcast partners FOX, ESPN and ESPN+ as well as in our athletics venues. In our ongoing efforts to “stand out in the sea of sameness” as Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Jason Cook explains, this year’s commercial features the new hit single “I’ll Never Get Used to This” from Baylor alum and Christian pop star Forrest Frank, BBA ’17. You’re going to love it!
• CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH: Researchers in Baylor’s fast-growing Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences have published a new study in Hypertension, the journal of the American Heart Association, that may help us understand why alcohol abuse and disorders are linked to higher prevalence of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Robbins College Dean – and active researcher – Jason Carter, Ph.D., and Jeremy Bigalke, Ph.D., assistant research scientist in health, human performance and recreation, partnered to examine the morning after-effects of alcohol on the body’s cardiovascular response. They discovered a key physiological mechanism that can multiply the risk of alcohol-related heart disease – a novel finding that can strengthen public health messaging about alcohol and heart disease and help adults better understand the connections between habits and health.
• STAYING CAUGHT UP: With the semester now in full swing, it can be difficult to stay abreast on all the latest happenings, important dates and other news. In addition to Presidential Perspective, which is sent to students, faculty, staff and parents each Thursday, be sure to watch for the following University-level emails: What’s New BU (students, Mondays), Provost’s Newsletter (faculty and staff, monthly on Mondays), BU@Work (faculty and staff, biweekly on Tuesdays) and Baylor News Digest (students, faculty and staff, Wednesdays).
• DR PEPPER HOUR TOUR: Our Dr Pepper Hour Tour, a mobile version of our beloved campus tradition, is entering its fourth year, bringing sweet treats and a taste of the Baylor experience to high school students and alumni communities across the country. I hope you will join us in Waco this weekend with two chances to snag a free Dr Pepper float: tomorrow’s Huddle at the Hurd at 5 p.m. at the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center and Saturday in Touchdown Alley at 4 p.m. before the football season opener at McLane Stadium. Be sure and get there early — there's no better way to beat the Texas heat, so they will go fast! 

See you at McLane Stadium on Saturday!

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Fountain Mall was filled with students last Sunday evening as we prioritized and prepared our hearts and minds for the fall semester with a candlelight worship service.