News

As the University shared in a recent update to the campus community, Baylor is preparing for a normal fall with classes and events at 100% capacity. Although COVID-19 vaccinations are not required for students, faculty and staff for the fall semester, Baylor's medical team strongly encourages everyone to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Spotlighting work going on among Baylor’s staff to continue building a culture of justice and equity.

We have reached the summer months, months that offer a bit of respite from the productive, yet sometimes grinding school year. This is a time to breathe, to recalibrate and to rest.

Baylor program fosters welcoming, caring community for Latino Students.
Baylor Health Services has COVID-19 vaccination appointments available this week, including the one-shot option, and will continue to offer vaccines each week throughout the summer for students, faculty and staff as vaccine availability continues to increase. Why should you get vaccinated, and what difference will it make for you and your family and friends and Baylor University in the fall?
We put some of the most frequently asked COVID-19 vaccination questions to Dr. Sharra Hynes, associate vice president for Student Life; Dr. Sharon Stern, medical director of Baylor Health Center; and Dr. Ben Ryan, clinical associate professor of environmental sciences focusing on public health. They also are members of the Baylor Health Management Team, which is responsible for continually assessing community COVID-19 trends to make recommendations to University Administration about the health and safety of campus.
I am writing to provide you with an update on a reported incident of a physical assault on one of our Asian American students early Sunday morning that included the use of racial slurs.
Spotlighting work going on among Baylor's faculty to continue building a culture of justice and equity.

As you read this, you have access to the report from the Commission on Historic Campus Representations. Whether you have read it or not (at over 90 pages, it’s a significant work!), there may be questions swirling in your mind: Why does this matter? What will the University do? How will this shape my campus experience now?
We at Baylor remain “BearAware” by avoiding and reporting phishing attempts, maintaining secure passwords, and protecting the university’s information resources. Here are a couple of tips that will help keep Baylor strong when it comes to cybersecurity.
As of April 19, all adults in every U.S. state, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico are now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, especially important with the emergence of new and more contagious variants. To date, approximately 13.77% of our campus community has reported they are fully vaccinated. Baylor students, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to pursue vaccination as soon as possible and then report when they are fully vaccinated to Baylor Health Services, so all of us in our campus community are protected and the University can continue planning for a return to normal campus operations and activities in the fall.
Beginning April 24, 2021, anyone calling a number in the 254 area code (the area code assigned to Waco) is advised to dial all 10 digits of the phone number (area code + telephone number) for all calls, including local calls. This change is necessary to accommodate emergency calls to 988 as a new abbreviated three-digit dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Because some numbers within the 254 area code contain 988 in their prefix, the transition from seven-digit phone numbers to 10-digit phone numbers for local dialing is necessary.
Vaccination against COVID-19 is a safe and effective way to protect the Baylor community and provides a vital step toward a return to more normal campus operations in the fall. Members of the Baylor Family who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are asked to share their vaccination status with the Baylor Health Center. By reporting your status, you help the University more accurately understand how well our community is protected.
With all individuals age 16 and older eligible for COVID-19 vaccines in Texas, we have an important opportunity as the Baylor Family. We can take the shot and take the next step toward a return to more normal campus operations in the fall. Sign up to get the COVID-19 vaccine on campus or elsewhere in the community and then report your vaccine to the Baylor Health Center. By reporting when you are fully vaccinated, you help the University know how well-protected we are as a community.
During Black History Month, Baylor continues recognition of the many significant contributions of the Black community within Baylor, in our community and beyond. The campus and Waco communities have pulled together videos, events, readings and more that provide opportunity for the Baylor Family to engage in the month’s recognition.

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.
For the past several months, all faculty, staff and students have received Baylor News Digest each Wednesday. The Digest consolidates content from a variety of sources into a single, concise email, reducing the volume of emails and event invites you receive in your inbox.

While traditional Faculty/Staff ticketing policies for Baylor home basketball games have been suspended to account for limited 25% capacity requirements, Baylor Athletics has launched the Ticket Return and Standby Program to help ensure every available seat (up to 25% capacity) is used throughout the remainder of the Men's and Women's Basketball seasons.
The annual Baylor McNair Research Conference draws students from more than 50 different universities nationwide and is one of the ways the program provides students with an opportunity to put their hard work on display while simultaneously gaining invaluable experience.
As President Livingstone shared in a previous message to the Baylor community, the University is requiring a negative COVID-19 test of all students before returning to campus for the Spring 2021 semester, which is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021.
Advent is an important time of waiting and focus ahead of Christmas. To celebrate, Baylor has prepared daily devotionals for each week of Advent. Join the Baylor Family as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

As we near the completion of on-campus instruction on Wednesday, Nov. 25, Baylor University is offering voluntary COVID-19 rapid testing (Nov. 23-25) at no cost for all students, faculty and staff before departing campus for the Thanksgiving holidays and the rest of the Fall semester. We encourage you to take advantage of this testing opportunity, especially if you plan to travel or gather with family or friends.
Adley Vahue, a Baylor student veteran, shares about why he chose Baylor and his academic experience. Vahue has been able to find community with other veterans through the Baylor VETS program, Veterans of Baylor and volunteering at the Veteran’s One-Stop in Waco.

Participating in an election and the days and weeks following can be exciting, but an election also can be emotional and even stressful. Amidst any uncertainty, it is important to focus on the steadfast nature of God; spiritual, mental and emotional well-being; and fostering a caring campus community.
To help address the growing needs in our community, Baylor University has once again joined United Way of Waco-McLennan County in the "United Way Workplace Campaign," which runs until Nov. 20.
"The idea for a homecoming celebration at Baylor was pioneered in 1909 by professors seeking a way to connect alumni to each other and to their beloved university. In a time when on-campus events are adapting to protect Baylor and the surrounding Waco community from the spread of COVID-19, it’s only fitting that the University that hosted the first recognizable collegiate homecoming celebration in the United States would creatively find a way to re-imagine a longstanding tradition."
October is one of the busiest times of the year for university counseling centers across the nation. In recognition of daily mental health struggles, difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic and World Mental Health Awareness Day Oct. 10, Baylor University will focus on sharing information and engagement opportunities related to mental health and wellbeing, including resources available to students, faculty and staff.
With flu season around the corner and COVID-19 still prevalent, Baylor University continues the work to keep students, faculty, staff and the Waco community healthy. To fight the flu on Baylor’s campus, this year’s flu shot is available at no cost to the Baylor community.
The Big XII Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education acknowledges the pain, hurt, confusion, and hopelessness many people have been feeling following the ruling in the Breonna Taylor case.

Baylor University is committed to ensuring that students have the necessary resources and opportunities for eager and informed civic participation. This year provides students two major chances for national civic engagement: the census and the general election.
Undergraduate Admissions would like assistance in identifying prospective students interested in Baylor to provide the best admissions experience for dependents and referrals of the Baylor Family.

Students who are preparing to graduate or begin internships in their field of study will find invaluable resources and contacts through a Virtual Career Fair to be held on Wednesday, Sep. 23.
Baylor recently held virtual versions of the annual Faculty Meeting and Staff Forum via Zoom to provide important Baylor Community updates and kick off the fall semester. The Faculty Meeting and Staff Forum were both recorded and are available for viewing.

Play Freerice from September 21 through 24 to support the World Food Programme. Help Baylor raise more rice than TCU and Texas Tech!

To combat COVID-19 constraints and conditions, new students are being placed in newly created Baylor Family Groups. Upper-class student leaders assist new students in building connection, finding belonging within the Baylor community, reflecting on chapel content and more.

With the semester underway and as allergy, cold and flu seasons approach, members of the Baylor Family are asked to closely monitor their health and behavior. For COVID-19 prevention and mitigation, faculty, staff and students should get a flu shot, monitor symptoms daily, limit risky behavior, and stay home if you don't feel well.
As we begin the fall semester, Baylor University is required to send an Emergency Notification* under the Clery Act to all students and employees to ensure you are informed about where to access information regarding COVID-19 positive cases on our campus, important personal health and safety precautions and essential sources of information about the coronavirus.

As part of Baylor’s Family First campaign to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 on campus, all Baylor students, faculty and staff will receive a Family First Welcome Care Kit as part of your return to our Waco campus.

Baylor is requiring a negative COVID-19 test of all students, faculty and staff coming to campus for the fall semester. The mandatory COVID-19 test kits will be mailed to students, faculty and staff beginning the first week of August.

As Baylor’s Summer of Discovery — the innovative collection of discounted summer course bundles for current students, incoming freshmen and rising high school seniors in an online environment — nears an end, faculty are reflecting on the student benefits of the experience.

Baylor News Digest is a new email communication to all faculty, staff and students that will be sent weekly on Wednesdays.

During this time of stress and uncertainty due to COVID-19, it is understandable to be dealing with feelings of stress, anxiety, depression and more. As a reminder that support and resources are available, Baylor University provides full-time faculty and staff — and their dependent family members — with an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and telehealth coverage through MDLIVE to encourage and support their holistic wellbeing.

As the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic developed, Baylor University had to take quick action to protect students, staff and faculty. The health and safety of the campus community, the ongoing continuity of our academic mission and the continuity of business operations were top priorities of the University.

Keeping Baylor students at the forefront of operations, the University is making the necessary arrangements to ensure current and future student success. Baylor also developed interactive and unique ways to move campus tours, Orientation and other spring and summer events online.

For most of the Baylor faculty, staff and students, preparations for moving to online working and classes seemed to happen in the blink of an eye. For Jon Allen, Baylor’s chief information security officer, the process of transitioning Baylor’s tens of thousands of students, faculty and staff to remote work was a blur.

The Ignite project, which is bringing transformation to Baylor business processes and resource management strategies, continues on track for a June 2020 release. As we start the year, the Ignite Team is eager to share updates and progress with the campus community.

Baylor researchers recently released early findings from the Spirituality and Character Study administered among Baylor students and alumni.

Go Gold! offers local businesses a variety of ways to engage the campus community, most notably through the Go Gold! Discount program.

In early December, President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., announced in a letter to the Baylor Family that one of the University’s beloved live American black bears mascots, Lady, was receiving treatments for a benign cranial mediastinal mass, or thymoma, in her chest.

In October, Baylor Media and Public Relations honored more than 90 faculty members during the second annual Newsmakers Luncheon.

Begins February 10
Full-time Baylor faculty have the opportunity to complete the COACHE Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey which will be used to obtain actionable data about the conditions, environment, policies and practices that support the best faculty work.

The recipients of the 2019-20 Baylor Alumni Awards were announced January 23. The awards recognize those who achieve remarkable success in a manner that embodies the distinctive mission of the University.

Baylor has named Mark and Paula Hurd recipients of the 2019-2020 Baylor University Founders Medal.

Mayborn exhibit celebrates Baylor’s 175th anniversary and invites visitors to gaze into the future.

As Baylor University celebrates its 175th anniversary in 2020, the Baylor Family has provided tremendous momentum for the University’s $1.1 billion Give Light comprehensive philanthropic campaign.

Nearly 600 Texas business leaders responded to a recent survey conducted by Texas Business Journals and Baylor University on topics related to the state’s business landscape, growth projections, concerns facing businesses and the role of higher education in preparing the workforce and partnering to find solutions to industry challenges.

Baylor Continuing Education is working on an extensive project to create and implement a customized Motivational Interviewing training curriculum designed for those who provide services to children and youth who have been sexually exploited.

baylor.edu/risk/policy
Baylor University’s policy process, once decentralized, is now coordinated through University Compliance and Risk Services, providing a central point for the development, review and approval for University policies.
The Equity Office will now be working closely with the Title IX Office, combining efforts to ensure the Baylor campus is a safe and non-discriminatory learning, living and working environment for all members of the University community.
Recent changes in Texas law affect how employees interact with Title IX. Texas Senate Bill 212 was put into effect at the start of 2020.

Baylor’s Texas Hunger Initiative announced the official launch of the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty which will act as an umbrella entity for efforts to end hunger and poverty in Texas and elsewhere.

Baylor has used a proprietary CMS that was developed in-house in 2003, but now is on course to launch a new content management system on the Drupal web environment.

Baylor Continuing Education introduced a new certificate program for professionals in the nonprofit sector to develop foundational knowledge and skills necessary for effective leadership and service.

In an effort to increase University retention rates, the Paul L. Foster Success Center recently identified some key challenges and goals to implement a plan for student success.

The University Writing Center is a valuable resource for students and faculty alike. A more visible and centrally located space on the second floor of Moody Memorial Library is helping raise awareness of the program.

Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary welcomed its first class of Doctor of Philosophy in Preaching students.
As the fall 2019 semester nears an end, be sure to note some key University dates like Christmas break, the first day of classes for the spring semester and Baylor Founders Day.
The end of the semester can be stressful and difficult for students. Sharing existing campus resources with students can help them with unseen challenges.

Ignite, Baylor’s new cloud-based financial, human resources and grants management system, is an extensive project that will affect faculty and staff across campus.

In the latest 2020 rankings released by U.S. News & World Report, Baylor ranked No. 79 among National Universities, with several programs and opportunities for undergraduates highly rated.

This fall, President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., will be hosting a Baylor Conversation Series focused on civil discourse.

As the fall semester gets underway, the Baylor Family is heading into the second year of the University’s $1.1 billion Give Light comprehensive philanthropic campaign with great momentum.

Baylor has partnered with Common Grounds to stock shelves with coffee that benefits a great cause.

The Store, a food pantry operated by the Paul L. Foster Success Center’s Student Success Initiatives, opened in December 2017 and was recently funded for the 2019-2020 academic year by the Board of Regents.

As the 2019-20 academic year gets underway, the class of 2023 have come to campus only knowing one identifying logo for Baylor University — the interlocking BU.

At the annual Fall Faculty Meeting, Baylor University officially announced its concerted campaign to pursue Research 1/Tier 1 (R1/T1) recognition.

The Baylor Transdisciplinary Undergraduate Research Experience (B-TRUE) Summer Fellows Program sponsors undergraduate fellows to conduct summer research in one of six areas of study to encourage students to solve complex problems through cross-disciplinary research.

In February 2019, Career & Professional Development and Hankamer School of Business Office of Career Management came together to form a central University office that works to ensure each student has the opportunity and support to achieve their career potential.

The College of Arts & Sciences — the largest academic unit of Baylor University with 475 full-time faculty and more than 6,600 students — is celebrating its centennial this year.

Two University professors have been named 2019 Baylor Centennial Professors by the Centennial Faculty Development Review Committee.
A new historical addition to campus – the original Carroll Field Championship Arch – can now be found inside the Bill Daniel Student Center.
Honorees recognized for their exceptional service to the University
Research gazette, publications, presentations and awards by Baylor faculty and staff
Long overdue recognition for Dr. Vivienne Malone-Mayes, Baylor University’s first African American professor, culminated in the unveiling of a 50-pound, two-foot bronze bust in her honor on Feb. 28 in the third-floor lobby of the Sid Richardson Building.
In November 2018, Baylor University celebrated the public launch of Give Light, the institution’s $1.1 billion comprehensive philanthropic campaign, with a lead gift from Mark and Paula Hurd to create the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center.
Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D., assumed her role as provost May 1. Dr. Brickhouse will guide the University’s pursuits toward prominence as a Christian research university under Illuminate, Baylor’s academic strategic plan.
Baylor University’s annual Semper Pro Musica Music Solo and Chamber Competition in the Baylor School of Music gives winners a chance to perform at New York City’s Carnegie Hall.
A multi-year effort to unify the Baylor brand across all facets of the University culminated in the launch of the Baylor United campaign, revealing a Nike-led rebranding of the Baylor Athletics programs and a new University Brand Mark.
In the span of 50 years, Baylor Social Work has grown from an academic division within the department of sociology, anthropology, archeology, gerontology and social work to a nationally ranked and renowned school.
Baylor University’s Collegiate Cyber Defense Team trains for real-world IT challenges and cyber security situations. The national Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition sees teams compete and flex skills that have the potential to land them employment opportunities with sponsors such as Walmart, Homeland Security and Splunk.
As Baylor University fosters the growth of innovation in undergraduate and graduate programs through Illuminate – the University's academic strategic plan – data sciences has emerged as a core academic initiative.
Baylor University participated in National Sexual Assault Awareness Month throughout the month of April. The University is committed to supporting survivors and increasing sexual assault awareness. With lighting campus teal, providing resources and hosting interactive events, Baylor showed commitment to proactive advocacy. The events in April showed support, but also aimed to extend awareness and provide resources beyond just one month of the year.
The Texas Department of Transportation, the City of Waco and Baylor University are preparing for the first phase of a major, multi-year construction project on Interstate 35, which will significantly affect the University for the duration of the project.
There are more than 4,600 higher education institutions in the country with only 130 achieving R1 status, a prestigious recognition by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education naming universities with the highest level of research activity. Within the next 10 years, Baylor aspires to be among those named. A recently created Illuminate Steering Committee has taken the next steps toward making that happen by soliciting from faculty innovative and strategic proposals to contribute to the University’s ambitious research goal.
Baylor’s Department of Public Safety recently approved a new Traffic, Transportation, and Parking Policy for the University. One of the most notable inclusions in the policy is the prohibition of texting while driving or cycling on campus, unless hands-free technology is used. Already a law under the Texas Transportation Code, no texting while driving is also now an offense on Baylor’s roadways and may result in a Baylor citation.
Research gazette, publications, presentations and awards by Baylor faculty and staff
Originally started by film students in 1999, the Black Glasses Film Festival has grown into an annual event sponsored by the film and digital media department to give students an opportunity to showcase their films and reach an audience beyond the classroom.