Presidential Perspective - Aug. 13, 2026

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

Allow me to be among the first to congratulate the members of Baylor’s summer graduating class, which includes more than 700 students. This Saturday morning, 600 undergraduates, master’s and professional doctorate candidates will receive their diplomas, and in the afternoon, we will confer more than 100 research doctorates. Times and additional information for both ceremonies at the Ferrell Center can be found on the Commencement website.

I am proud to welcome all of you into your new status as Baylor Alumni in just a few days! In the meantime, the First Gent and I have been stretching, working out and hydrating as we will be helping with Move2BU next week. Alongside many of you, we can’t wait to welcome #BU30 to campus.

On to a few other updates:

• FAITH AND CHARACTER SURVEY: It is hard to believe that this is the ninth year in a row we are engaging students in completing Baylor’s Faith and Character Survey. Since its first administration in 2018, the results have helped us learn so much about the long-term impact of a Baylor education on a student’s spiritual and virtue development. The results have led us to reimagine University Chapel offerings and strengthen relationships with local churches that serve our students. Incoming freshmen can complete the survey before they arrive on campus, and then on Friday, Aug. 21, from noon to 4 p.m., you can stop by the Student Union Building (SUB) lobby to receive a “thank you” gift for participating.
• INTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE DONATIONS: You can still partner with Baylor’s Center for Global Engagement to help international students and families get settled in Waco at the start of the academic year. Donate your gently used household goods and furniture to the International Marketplace by Sunday, Aug. 16. Small items can be dropped off at the Bobo Spiritual Life Center, and furniture can be scheduled for pickup. Whether you donate, volunteer or purchase an item from the Amazon Wishlist, your support makes a difference for families building a new life in our community.
• FACULTY & STAFF BLOOD DRIVE: You may recall earlier this year our very own Baylor Health Services staff nurse and outreach coordinator Uriah Yarbrough, R.N., was honored by Carter BloodCare as Blood Drive Coordinator of the Year. Nurse Yarbrough is already back at it – organizing this fall’s blood drive for faculty and staff on Monday, Aug. 17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Moody Library (3rd street). As a “thank you,” Sports Clips has generously offered free haircut vouchers, and Carter BloodCare is offering a $25 e-gift card and canteen tumbler. Walk-ins are always welcome, but you can sign up for an appointment online.
• CULTURE OF JOY: Earlier this month, the Baylor Center for School Leadership in the Moody School of Education welcomed more than 6,000 educators to the Paul & Alejandra Foster Pavilion for Culture of Joy 2026, a pep rally-style celebration to launch educators into the next school year. Emceed by award-winning actress and author Alison Sweeney, the event featured encouragement from Waco ISD Superintendent Dr. Tiffany Spicer, the ABCs of Joy from BCSL Executive Director Dr. Jon Eckert and highlighted the “Culture of Joy” embraced by Baylor Head Men’s Basketball Coach Scott Drew. Culture of Joy 2026 celebrated the transformative impact educators have on students, schools and communities, and it was a wonderful example of Baylor’s commitment to support educators across our city and state.
• ICU CARE STUDY: Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing has joined a national research project to identify the most effective strategies for improving sleep and reducing delirium among critically ill adult patients in intensive care units. Led by LHSON’s Nicole Gorecki, DNP, the patient-centered project will compare two “ICU care bundles,” one focused on non-medication strategies and the other on combining non-medication and medication-based interventions. The study spans 16 ICUs at eight hospitals nationwide, including Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, and the findings aim to help patients, families and clinicians make more informed care decisions while improving recovery and quality of care for critically ill patients.
• SHIFT TO SEMI-MONTHLY PAY: Earlier this week, most Baylor faculty, staff and graduate students received an email regarding the University’s upcoming transition to semi-monthly payroll, including the required readiness Journey in Ignite. As has been shared previously, beginning Jan. 1, 2027, all monthly paid faculty, staff and graduate students will move from monthly to semi-monthly pay.There will be no changes to total compensation or benefits, and our hope is that smaller, more frequent paychecks will make it easier to plan and manage personal finances. As we all prepare for this adjustment, I strongly encourage you to review the transition website and be mindful of any communication from the Payroll Office. If you have questions, please email semimonthlypayroll@baylor.edu.

I am looking forward to being a part of the ribbon cutting and grand opening of the new Baptist Student Ministries building next Wednesday, Aug. 19. It will be a beautiful new gathering place to help Baylor students grow spiritually.

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President

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