News

Time is certainly flying as we enter the final stretch of summer. In fact, we have only 32 days until fall classes begin at Baylor University! Our faculty, staff and I look forward to welcoming everyone back to our beautiful campus.

WACO, Texas (July 16, 2021) – During its regular summer retreat meeting, the Baylor University Board of Regents focused on Baylor’s strategic positioning for the future as the University enters the final year of the initial Illuminate strategic plan. The discussions spotlighted the extraordinary progress that has accelerated the University’s aspirations of joining the nation’s top Research 1 universities as the world’s preeminent Christian research university.

WACO, Texas (July 13, 2021) - Baylor University today announced that alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students and friends combined to provide more than $161 million in given and pledged philanthropic support during the University’s recently completed fiscal year (June 1, 2020, to May 31, 2021). The Baylor Family’s philanthropy supports the Give Light Campaign, Baylor’s comprehensive fundraising campaign aimed at resourcing efforts to become the preeminent Christian research university.

I don’t know about you, but the summer is really beginning to accelerate. Looking at my calendar, we are only 53 days from the first day of classes (Aug. 23) on the Baylor University campus!

As we have many visitors to Waco for Orientation, Line Camp and tours over the summer, I am reminded what a mess the “front door” to our campus is with the I-35 construction. Yes, Chip Gaines, “It’s Demo Day!”

It didn't take long for summertime to arrive in Waco. With temperatures in the mid-to upper-90s this week, I am longing for the unseasonably cool temperatures and torrential downpours that we experienced in late May and early June (well, maybe not the torrential downpours!). Stay hydrated and wear sunscreen – 100-degree temperatures will arrive before we know it!

As we prepare for a normal fall semester and continuously evaluate the University's administrative functions, I want to share two enhancements soon to be made on the President's Council, and specifically, within the President's Office.

New beginnings! This summer has marked new beginnings on so many fronts as we emerge from COVID-19, and, as a university, move toward a normal fall semester.

Here at Baylor University, we place great importance on the safety and security of our campus, not only through our professional Department of Public Safety, but also through our physical infrastructure, such as security cameras and other emergency and safety systems, training and education for all students, faculty and staff, and clear policies and procedures that together help provide a safe environment for all members of the University community.

As we anticipate the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, I join the Baylor Family in remembering and honoring all of the brave men and women who have given their lives to protect our nation throughout our history as a people and for the benefit of future generations.

What a year it has been here at Baylor! The end of the spring semester provides a good time to reflect on all the Baylor Family has accomplished, despite the many challenges we’ve faced.

WACO, Texas (May 14, 2021) – During its regular May meeting, the Baylor University Board of Regents approved the first phase of a capital projects plan, including constructing the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center and resuming the master plan for campus residence hall renovations.

It took me a few days, but I finally recovered from six Commencement ceremonies over three days as we recognized the Classes of 2020 and 2021 last week at McLane Stadium.

Congratulations to the 3,649 graduates of the Classes of 2020 and 2021 who are participating in Commencement ceremonies today through Saturday at McLane Stadium!

WACO, Texas (May 5, 2021) – Baylor University will celebrate more than 3,600 graduates of the Classes of 2020 and 2021 during six in-person commencement ceremonies May 6-8 at McLane Stadium on the banks of the Brazos River.

As we prepare for the last leg of the semester with final exams beginning tomorrow, I am reminded once again about what a remarkable journey we have been on this spring. It truly has been a marathon!

This week we have collectively witnessed a pivotal moment in history and a critically important step in our nation’s journey to acknowledge and address racism by taking active steps to protect the rights of every person. The Chauvin verdict cannot be seen as an end, but as a beginning.

As the spring semester calendar winds down, I know our students are racing toward the academic finish line as they complete assignments, wrap up group projects and prepare for final exams.

What an exciting week this has been for the Baylor Family! Congratulations to men’s basketball coach Scott Drew, his staff and our student-athletes for winning the national championship over Gonzaga Monday night in Indianapolis.

Greetings from Indianapolis! Baylor fans everywhere are excited for tonight's NCAA National Championship Game between Baylor and Gonzaga. We are so proud of Coach Scott Drew and our Bears who will be representing our University (with tremendous JOY!) on the biggest stage in college basketball

We come to this Easter with hearts ready to accept the gift of Jesus’ love, sacrifice and presence in our lives. Like Peter, we know who he is — he is the Messiah, the Risen Lord, our Savior. We feel his guiding hand and follow his footsteps in striving to love one another as Jesus loves us.

I hope you have had the opportunity to review and reflect on the Report of the Commission on Historic Campus Representations that was shared with the Baylor Family on Tuesday. We are truly grateful for the thoughtful, prayerful and thorough work of the Commission, whose 26 members faithfully considered and embraced Baylor’s Christian mission and an “additive approach” as they discerned recommendations about how best to communicate and reflect the complete history of Baylor University.

Since I became a university president, I rarely have the opportunity to assign homework. But as we prepare for the release of the report from the Commission on Historic Campus Representations on Tuesday, I strongly encourage you to watch all three of the Baylor Conversation Series events: “Perspectives on Our History.” These distinguished panels provide context about slavery in the United States, in Texas and among Texas Baptists during the time of Baylor’s founding in the mid-1800s.

As a former college basketball student-athlete, March Madness is my favorite time of the year. And all of us who fling the green and gold afar should be extra excited this year as our Big 12 Champion men’s AND women’s basketball teams begin play in their respective conference tournaments.

Please join us tomorrow evening for the second Conversation in our three-part Conversation Series. Dr. Ronald Johnson, the Ralph and Bessie Mae Lynn Chair of History in Baylor University’s History Department, will be joined by a panel of experts to explore the history of slavery in Texas and the relationship between slavery and Baptist life.

The health and well-being of our campus community is our top priority, particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic wears on and we near the end of the spring semester.

We recently announced an upcoming series of virtual discussions that are being held as part of our ongoing Baylor Conversation Series to explore “Perspectives on our History. The first of these gatherings is scheduled for this Tuesday, and I believe the time together will provide opportunities for greater understanding and healing within our community.

The challenges of last week’s Winter Storm Uri placed a tremendous burden on our state, city and campus. Loss of power and water, property damages because of burst pipes, families bunkering down in warming shelters and interruptions to the food supply chain added to the collective traumas we continue to endure as a community in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This has certainly been a week like no other I can recall with record-setting cold and snow for the second time in a year – in Waco! Nearly half of homes in and around our city are without power, both from lines that have fallen and rolling outages to ensure the stability of the state’s power grid.

You have likely been following news about the historic winter storms that have impacted much of Texas and battered Waco. In fact, many of you also are experiencing the closures and outages caused by the continuing storms.

It is with great sadness that I share with you the news that one of our dedicated Aramark team members recently lost his life in a battle with COVID-19. We grieve with the family of Mr. Soto and with our Aramark family who so wonderfully add to the beauty of our campus and support our students, faculty and staff. Please join me in praying for the Soto family during this difficult time, and commit with me to do everything we can to protect one another against COVID-19. Our fight against this terrible virus is not yet over.

As we shared via Baylor Alert earlier today, due to winter weather conditions, we closed our Waco campus at 2 p.m. through all-day tomorrow. Classes for the rest of today and tomorrow will shift to remote instruction. Please take every precaution and be safe as you travel around campus and home today.

As we all continue navigating what remains a difficult and stressful time for our country and Baylor University — amid the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing political and social justice tensions — I am reminded of the following passage in Hebrews: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together (even virtually, due to COVID-19), as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

It’s “birthday season” here on campus this week!

Thank you for your selfless service and many contributions to another successful start of a semester in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s so wonderful to see our students out and about – even in the rain early this week – as they make their way across our beautiful campus to their classes. Our spirit is renewed as we delight in the promise of a new semester and look forward with great hope in our new beginnings.

Thank you for a fantastic start to the Spring semester. We are grateful to everyone for completing their back-to-campus testing and for continuing to follow the safety measures that help us protect one another.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 17, 2020) - Baylor University is mourning the death of Alicia Martinez, a 2020 graduate of the Diana Garland School of Social Work and current social work graduate student who passed away today in Waco from complications from COVID-19.

I am looking forward to Tuesday and welcoming all of you back for the spring semester! First Gent Brad and I (and our dog BU!) have missed the energy and enthusiasm all of you bring to campus. Please know that we are praying for you as you make your way safely home to Baylor.

The start of the spring semester cannot come soon enough for your Baylor Family. We miss you!

Happy New Year! I trust that your holidays were relaxing and restful as we celebrated the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Romans 15:13 -

I don’t want the Christmas season to pass without pausing a moment to thank you for your commitment to our students, to each other and to the mission of Baylor University.

It’s hard to believe that the fall semester has come to a close, which means this will be my last Presidential Perspective until the New Year! I want to express my deepest appreciation to all of you for your hard work and commitment to following our COVID-19 protocols and preventive health measures during the fall.

We are so blessed at Baylor to join together in celebration of Christmas and this season of Advent as we look toward the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and the promise of Christ’s glorious return. This Advent season has even deeper meaning as I prepare my heart each day by reading and praying over the daily devotionals created by our wonderful faculty, staff, alumni and students.

As the fall semester comes to a close, I want to thank you for your commitment to keeping one another and our community safe and congratulate you for persevering in your academic pursuits.

With Thanksgiving only a week away – and the end of the semester just beyond it – I want to offer my deepest gratitude for the strength of spirit and compassion you have shown to others throughout this fall.

President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., hosted a panel discussion – “Fall in Review, Anticipating 2021” – on Wednesday, November 18. Joining the President on the panel was Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D., and Chief Business Officer Brett Dalton, with Cheryl Gochis, Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Human Resources Officer, who served as the host.

President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., will host a panel discussion – “Fall in Review, Anticipating 2021” – this Wednesday from 11 a.m. until noon via Zoom Webinar.

As we look toward Thanksgiving, positive cases and hospitalizations related to COVID-19 continue to increase dramatically across the country and Texas and within Waco-McLennan County. This is the feared “second spike” that so many medical experts predicted at the onset of the pandemic as the weather turns cooler and people spend more time indoors.

Today I am pleased to announce that this diversity education — developed exclusively by the University in accordance with our Christian mission and reflecting the Baylor experience — is now available to be completed via video accessible through this email.

Election Day has come and gone, but extended vote counting and the expected delay in results have captured the attention of the nation. As elections are decided, we begin to look to the future and how our country can come together amidst today’s polarized political climate. How can we model post-election civil discourse that bridges political, ideological and theological divides?

I am praying for our nation and all of you as Election Day nears, and we make critical decisions for our country and our communities.

Everyone continues to do an incredible job complying with Baylor’s COVID-19 prevention and mitigation initiatives. Just like you, I am weary of all the testing, mask wearing and social distancing, but we must continue to press on for the health not just of ourselves, but of our neighbors and community.

It’s that time of year when many of you feel the weight of the semester, which certainly has been exacerbated by the ongoing effects of COVID-19. Stress and anxiety are felt by all people at varying levels of severity, and each of us reacts differently. Baylor has many resources available to you, and we all should employ helpful ways to manage our health and well-being, such as:

As we celebrated a “different” Homecoming last week, I reflected on what an unusual year this has been for each member of the Baylor Family – especially all of you. The COVID-19 pandemic has touched all of us in some way, requiring tremendous flexibility and resilience not only in the workplace, but also in our personal lives.

Earlier this week we announced to students that Baylor would be partnering with the City of Waco and McLennan County for COVID-19 surge testing over the next two weeks. This announcement has generated many questions from students and parents alike, so I reached out to two Baylor faculty experts who serve on the University’s COVID-19 Health Management Team to explain the importance of this surge testing effort:

At the recommendation of the University, the Baylor Board of Regents today approved the purchase of three downtown properties that will help Baylor advance our Illuminate strategic plan, pursue our goal to reach Tier 1/Research 1 status and bolster our relationship with our hometown of Waco.

The Department of Education has recently notified the University that it has completed its review of Baylor’s Clery program, which aims to provide transparency around campus crime policy and statistics.

Like so many other things this fall, COVID-19 has brought many changes to Baylor Homecoming – the oldest collegiate homecoming in the nation – which we will celebrate next week, Oct. 15-17.

This month Baylor joins 179 of our fellow members of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities in the celebration of Christian Higher Education Month, which was established by the U.S. Congress in 2003.

Our Illuminate vision – for Baylor to be recognized as a Tier 1/Research 1 university while holding firm to our Christian mission and Baptist heritage –requires a team effort to achieve. Tomorrow is National Research Administrator Day, a day set aside to celebrate the dedicated individuals who advance research in universities across the country.

As Baylor’s Virtual Family Weekend approaches in just a few days, I write with gratitude for your partnership and support. Although the COVID-19 pandemic requires that we present this year’s events quite differently than we have in the past, our goal is the same as it has been since the first Family Weekend in 1960: to help families of Baylor students become better acquainted with the University and its beloved traditions.

As we finish up our fourth week of the fall semester, I’d like to thank you all – students, faculty and staff – for your diligence and perseverance as we launched into a time of many unknowns. Because of your hard work, I am excited to share three noteworthy updates.

Please be assured that Baylor stands strong in support of our country, the American flag and in remembering the lives lost through such an impactful display.

Baylor is currently experiencing a decrease in the number of active COVID-19 cases.

Let me extend my sincerest appreciation for all of your efforts to date in the prevention and mitigation of COVID-19 on our campus.

As we reach the end of the second week of the fall semester, I want to commend all of you for your continued wearing of facemasks, practicing social distancing and following University guidelines and policies during this unique time of COVID-19.

As I wrap up the week here in my office in Pat Neff Hall – while watching back-packed students walk across our beautiful campus – several of you have reached out and asked: "How did the first week of the fall semester go?"

On behalf of the Baylor Family, I thank you for the innumerable ways your congregation nurtures and challenges students during this formative season in their lives.

I truly appreciate your efforts as we have all come together as the Baylor Family in the prevention and mitigation of COVID-19 at the start of the semester. I am pleased to see so many facemasks – some are quite creative and fashionable – as well as your efforts to practice social distancing across the campus.

The first day of our fall semester has finally arrived! We are excited to begin what is going to be a truly remarkable year.

From my early career as an assistant professor at Baylor to now as the University’s President, the start of a new semester always brings much joy and excitement as I reflect on our students and the promise of the future. Of course, this fall semester brings added significance as Monday culminates hours upon hours of planning and preparation by our administration, faculty and staff to welcome students back to campus in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Baylor University has extensively planned and 
prepared for the arrival of your students this fall with the goal of providing a safe and healthy on-campus educational experience in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In only a few days, we will have the great joy of welcoming back to our campus the thousands of men and women who call Baylor University home as students. This Monday, the first official day of class for the fall semester, is a day for which all of us have been yearning and diligently preparing for months.

While many of the fall preparations I have discussed over the past few weeks may seem mostly technical or operational in nature, I want to take a moment to call our collective attention to a core tenet of the mission of Baylor University, especially in the midst of a pandemic -- creating a caring Christian community.

Welcome home! As you move into residence halls and off-campus housing this week in preparation for classes to begin in 7 short days, know that your faculty and staff couldn’t be more excited to have you home.

Today I want to focus on the importance of creating a plan for yourself – including changes to your daily routine, creating an action plan in the event of suspected exposure or a positive test result and precautions we can all take to mitigate risks to ourselves and others around us.

With yesterday’s announcement of decisions related to the upcoming football season – including a revised schedule and McLane Stadium at 25% capacity for the season – we have begun to update Baylor’s plans for other beloved campus traditions this fall. New dates have been set for Family Weekend (Sept. 25-26) and Homecoming (Oct. 16-17).

Today, I’d like to detail several components of our health services strategy, with information on daily health checks, identifying symptoms of COVID-19, what to do if a student feels sick this fall and changes in our typical health-related operations.

Today, I’d like to discuss our Family First campaign to help mitigate the risk of COVID-19 to our campus and the Waco community. With some 18,000 members of the Baylor Family arriving in Waco over the next two weeks, this campaign will help ground our choices in a commitment to putting others before ourselves and keeping Family First.

Today, I’d like to offer some details of what on-campus living will be like for our students residing in any of the University’s numerous housing options.

I am continually inspired by the creativity, resourcefulness and innovation of Baylor’s dedicated faculty. While these qualities are always evident in our faculty teaching and scholarship, I’ve seen them emerge in fresh and exciting ways as Baylor faculty have worked over the summer to enhance our ability to teach online with excellence in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each day through next week, I am crafting an email that spotlights a major area of our University-wide planning efforts in response to COVID-19 as we look toward the start of the fall semester on Aug. 24.

Today, I’d like to offer you a glimpse of what you can expect when you enter any of our numerous dining establishments – an essential aspect of the traditional, on-campus Baylor experience that students will encounter this fall.

Today, I’d like to share an extraordinary addition to our campus-wide effort to maintain social distancing while creating safe opportunities for our students to have a Baylor-quality educational experience this fall.

Today, I’d like to share with you more details of the extensive planning and precautionary measures – particularly relating to cleaning and sanitization – we are implementing across our campus to both prepare for your arrival and provide the best opportunity to keep all of our Baylor Family healthy and well once we are all back together.

Thank you for your attention to last Thursday’s announcement and this week’s follow-up instructions regarding Baylor’s mandatory COVID-19 testing program in preparation for the fall semester.

Ensuring every student confirms a negative test before returning to our campus is a key strategy in allowing a successful in-person start and completion of our fall semester.

Be sure to check your mailboxes as we get closer to the fall semester. In the weeks ahead, we will start mailing mandatory COVID-19 test kits to all students, faculty and staff.

WACO, Texas (July 17, 2020) – The Baylor University Board of Regents gathered virtually Thursday and Friday for its quarterly regular meeting to discuss and receive updates on numerous items, including the University’s plans for the fall semester in light of COVID-19 and the launch of the Commission on Historic Campus Representations.

For the next two days, Baylor’s Board of Regents will host its quarterly meeting via Zoom. Since mid-March, the Board has been conducting periodic meetings virtually due to COVID-19, and through this technology, we’ve been able to participate in rich, productive conversations regarding Baylor’s mitigation efforts related to the virus, as well as our plans for the fall semester.

Baylor University today announced the cancellation of in-person graduation ceremonies honoring August 2020 graduates Aug. 14-15 due to a surge in cases and hospitalizations related to COVID-19 across Texas and the nation. In its place, the University will host a virtual ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 15, to honor its May and August graduates.

Starting off with some good news this week: You may recall that in December, one of our beloved black bears, Lady, underwent a first-of-its-kind treatment, called Tomotherapy, for a thymoma in her chest. Last month, Lady underwent a check-up from her veterinary team who came to visit her in Waco. The team took images of Lady’s chest and have reported that the Tomotherapy treatment is successfully managing the size of the mass – it has not grown.

What will Baylor University’s fall semester look like?

Many years ago, Baylor University made a strong commitment to reflect the racial diversity of God’s creation among our students, faculty and staff. Through various task forces, the President's Diversity Council and other initiatives, significant progress has been made in several areas, including admissions, faculty hiring and our campus climate, to name a few. Yet we recognize we must do more as Baylor strives to be a caring Christian community for all of our students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.

We continue to closely monitor the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in the Greater Waco area. In conversations with our local public health and government officials, there is a strong collective commitment to taking appropriate mitigating measures and keeping our community safe during this pandemic.

Thank you for your resilience and support during the past few months as Baylor University joined higher education institutions and communities around the world in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the spring semester behind us and our online Summer of Discovery academic sessions in full swing, we now turn our eyes to the fall.

Thank you for your resilience and support during the past few months as Baylor University joined higher education institutions and communities around the world in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the spring semester behind us and our online Summer of Discovery academic sessions in full swing, we now turn our eyes to the fall.

I want to open this week’s email by recognizing and celebrating our faculty. As I’ve mentioned previously, our faculty stepped up significantly in the spring as we quickly switched to online course delivery due to COVID-19.