Presidential Perspective - August 8, 2024

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

The Waco community is waiting with open arms and prayerful hearts to welcome our new and returning students to campus! Yesterday for breakfast, I was joined by 55 pastors, community leaders, education partners and Baylor administrators in worshipping and praying for the University, local schools, Waco-area elected officials, and most of all, our students. This group of prayer warriors gathers together at the start of each semester – just one of the many things that makes Baylor and our community of faith special.

Some updates for this week:

• DOCTORAL COMMENCEMENT CHANGE: With August Commencement a little over a week away, the number of research doctoral candidates and their guests planning to attend our inaugural Doctoral Commencement Ceremony has exceeded the capacity of the Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center. We want each candidate to have important family and guests be a part of this momentous occasion; therefore, we have moved the Ceremony to the Ferrell Center on Friday, Aug. 16, at 4:30 p.m. We look forward to celebrating the conferral of degrees and hoodings of more than 140 doctoral graduates. Following the Ceremony, we will honor our new doctoral graduates and their guests and mentors at a reception.
• FIRST-GEN FORWARD: Since 2020, Baylor has been involved in the FirstGen Forward Network of higher education institutions working together to transform the first-generation student experience. Earlier this week, in recognition of national leadership in this space, Baylor was honored as one of only 14 institutions selected to the inaugural class of FirstGen Forward Network Champions. Congratulations to our outstanding First in Line team in the Center for Academic Success and Engagement for their incredible work supporting and empowering our first-generation students while sharing evidence-based best practices to assist other institutions around the country.
• FOUNDERS MALL CONSTRUCTION: As you return to campus, you may notice that much of Founders Mall is surrounded by construction fencing. This is for everyone’s health and safety as we construct the Memorial to Enslaved Persons – one outcome from the final report of the Commission on Historic Campus Representations. The Memorial will be in the center of Founders Mall and will complement the iconic Sadie Jo Black Gardens and the Joy Reynolds Rose Gardens. We ceremonially broke ground on the Memorial to Enslaved Persons in February, and we anticipate the project to be completed late next spring or summer. I am looking forward to the official dedication of this important addition to campus next fall.
• CAMPUS OF FAITH: I loved this recent BaylorProud post spotlighting how our Christian faith is intentionally built into our campus buildings, architecture and landscapes. From stained glass and sculptures to scriptural inscriptions and crosses, take a walk around campus and see how many you can find. And be sure to look for BaylorProud, a blog that posts headlines and highlights of the great things the Baylor Family has going on.

18 days and counting!

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Earlier this week Dean of Libraries Jeffry Archer set up a yoga session at our beautiful Armstrong Browning Library for faculty and staff working in the libraries, museums and Baylor Press to meditate, relax and center themselves before Aug. 26, as well as reflect on divisional and personal goals and ambitions for this upcoming semester.