Presidential Perspective - June 20, 2024

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

The beginning of this summer has been an amazing chance for the First Gent and me to see the unmistakable Baylor spirit in action – this time across Europe. We are taking time to rejuvenate, but the best part of our trip has been seeing Baylor Study Abroad programs up close and personal.

We started with Truett Seminary’s Theology, Ecology and Food Justice Program in Rome before joining an archeological dig with the San Giuliano Archeological Research Project in Barbarano Romano. We stopped in Florence to spend time with the Communication and International Politics group, and before we left the city, the Apparel Merchandise and Design students and faculty taught us how to hand-weave silk. Brad and I said, “Ciao” to Italy before making our way to Spain. There, we connected with two groups, the College of Arts and Sciences Baylor in Madrid program, and the Robbins College Public Health program, where we saw so much passion for serving that it reminded me just how much impact Baylor has abroad and at home. We will wrap up our tour with the Honors College as a part of Baylor in Greece and Turkey. The recent update to our University motto is truly on full display – Pro Ecclesia. Pro Texana. Pro Mundo.

We are looking forward to a few more quiet days before returning home to Waco. In the meantime, some updates for this week:

• BAYLOR SUMMER MISSIONS: In addition to Study Abroad programs, Baylor students are all over the globe this summer on Baylor Missions trips, serving in 10 countries across four continents. From helping provide healthcare in Zambia and the Philippines, to building homes in the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica, to ministering to those in need in Greece and Southeast Asia, students are putting what they've learned in the classroom to use as the hands and feet of Jesus. These trips benefit both the people being served and our students, who return to campus with a deeper understanding of how they can use their calling or vocation to impact others.
• JUNETEENTH OBSERVED: Yesterday, the nation – and Baylor – officially observed Juneteenth, a national holiday commemorating the day when the message of the United States’ abolition of slavery finally reached Texas on June 19, 1865, two-and-a-half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. In Waco, Baylor was well-represented in the city's Juneteenth Community Parade Celebration, including our men’s and women’s basketball teams, Baylor Libraries, Baylor Law, Baylor Bear Habitat (carrying the Sailor Bear balloon) and the Office of External Affairs. To learn more about Juneteenth from eyewitnesses to history, Baylor’s Institute for Oral History has preserved the Juneteenth memories of Texans from various eras.
• MORE ENDOWMENT KUDOS: Baylor’s six-person Office of Investments has received a lot of well-deserved recognition lately, namely for the strong investment returns on our $2 billion endowment that have topped even the gold standard Ivy League institutions. I’m happy to share the latest accolade, this one for the team. Led by Chief Investment Officer Dave Morehead, our investment team – all Baylor graduates, by the way – has been named a Team of the Year finalist by The Allocator Prizes, which celebrate the best in institutional investing. The winners will be announced Oct. 17 in New York City. Sic ’em, Baylor investment team!
• GUIDE FOR POLITICAL DETOX: As election season ramps up, we will continue to focus on civil discourse, remembering that while we may not always agree, we will show respect and refrain from hostility. But what can we do if we are exhausted by today’s political culture? I recently read a Dallas Morning News column by our own Thomas S. Hibbs, Ph.D., The J. Newton Rayzor Sr. Professor of Philosophy and Dean Emeritus of the Honors College. Derived from Michael Wear’s new book, The Spirit of Our Politics, Dr. Hibbs offered some practical advice for anyone looking to detox from politics: Practice healthy news consumption; Criticize ideological teammates and commend foes; Pursue silence and solitude; Cultivate apolitical friendships; and Focus on the way Scripture confounds politics. Thank you, Dr. Hibbs, for these helpful strategies!
• WELCOME NEW MUSIC, LAW DEANS: I look forward to welcoming two new deans to Baylor on July 1 – Kevin Sanders, D.M.A., dean of the School of Music, and Jeremy Counseller, J.D., dean of Baylor Law School. Dr. Sanders comes to us from the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music at the University of Memphis. He is an accomplished leader and talented musician drawn to Baylor’s commitment to faith and renowned music performance programs. Professor Counsellor is a Baylor Law graduate and longtime faculty member who will lead the law school into the future, preparing lawyers and producing scholarship informed by Christian perspectives on service and leadership. I also extend my deepest gratitude to Gary Mortenson, D.M.A., for his nearly 10 years as dean of our School of Music, and Professor Patricia Wilson, J.D., for her steadfast service as interim dean of Baylor Law.

The Texas heat is in full force, so don’t forget to hydrate and re-apply the sunscreen all summer long, Bears!

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

The First Gent joins me and dozens of Baylor students, faculty and staff in flinging our green and gold afar!