eNews: Baylor Board of Regents Update

Dear Baylor Family:

The start of another academic year is just around the corner, and we want to share an update with you from last week’s annual July retreat of the Baylor Board of Regents. During the retreat, which was held on campus in Waco and ended on Friday afternoon, we welcomed five new Regents. These individuals are already members of the Baylor Family, and they each have committed to selflessly give of their time and talents in support of the University. We look forward to working with them in the years ahead.

As we continue to navigate the rapidly changing higher education landscape, the Board used a portion of the retreat to consider what colleges and universities could look like in the future. Regents were asked by higher education executives from Deloitte Consulting to consider different possibilities for institutions in general and then Baylor in particular. The purpose of the conversation was not to try to predict any one future outcome for higher education, but rather to challenge us to see Baylor in the broader, dynamic context of a shifting marketplace, priorities and federal and state policies, as well as advances in technology.

After a wide-ranging and healthy conversation, alignment between the Board and the University administration was evident. We agree that no matter what challenges we face institutionally, Baylor is blessed with a distinct position in higher education. Furthermore, Baylor has a clear and strong mission, centered around educating men and women for worldwide leadership and service within a caring Christian community, and a Baptist heritage that dates back to our founding in 1845. Along with our commitment to transformational undergraduate education, research and discovery, these aspects of who Baylor is will thrive and endure.

The Board also received a briefing from our Finance and Governmental Relations teams on the changes higher education is currently facing and the potential impacts on Baylor, specifically in the areas of financial aid and research.

We ended the retreat by looking ahead to the fall semester and the anticipation that comes with another academic year. The Board will be back on campus in November for the next quarterly meeting, and we look forward to another productive time together.

Enjoy the rest of the summer, and we hope to see you in Waco for the fall semester or for any one of our athletics and academic events, community concerts at Foster Pavilion, student performances, alumni gatherings, and of course, Homecoming.

Sic ’em, Bears!

Bill Mearse, B.B.A., ’78 
Chair of the Board

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D. 
President