News

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.

Baylor University places a strategic priority on enhancing equity across our campus and throughout our academic and operational divisions. In order to better share achievements and initiatives related to this effort, we have created this newsletter which will be distributed every other month as a source of information for you and the greater Baylor Family.

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.