President's Note

Classes have ended and finals are beginning as the fall semester winds down toward our Christmas break. I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every member of the Baylor family for your service to our students and to our mission. While each of us has a specific job to do, it is the collective contributions of all of us that makes Baylor truly remarkable. Your personal contribution to the University - whatever role you may play - is critically important to our success, and I want to thank you for doing your work as unto the Lord, pursuing excellence in all you do.

Grades due; fall commencement Dec. 19

We expect to have more than 850 students receiving their degrees during the fall commencement. This is a momentous occasion in the lives of these individual students, and I encourage you to be part of their special day either by serving as an usher or marshal or by simply attending the ceremony.

Finally, in respect of our students and your colleagues, please be sure grades are submitted according to the proper schedule. For graduating students, it is especially critical that grades are received in time to allow deans' offices and the Office of Registration to complete certification and prepare for the ceremony.

Community-wide service 6 p.m. Sunday

I want to invite you to join the Baylor community in a worship service featuring Benjamin Britten's "Ceremony of Carols" at 6 p.m. this Sunday evening in the Paul Powell Chapel of the George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Britten's work evokes the beauty of the Christmas story in a way and style placed firmly in the tradition of English choral music. This traditional piece will be blended with prayers and scriptures and readings that will help us celebrate this season as a community.

Christmas events connect people

Spending time together is one of the most valuable aspects of Christmas. It was a blessing to me to be with so many of the faculty and staff Tuesday evening at the annual Christmas party at the Ferrell Center. I hope those who attended enjoyed the camaraderie and fellowship of the evening.

Tonight I will also be blessed to spend time with many Waco citizens at a Christmas reception for our community partners. It is truly wonderful to work at an institution that actively promotes the Lordship of Jesus during the season when we celebrate his birth.

Music students excel

We had 44 students participating in the recent regional NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) vocal competition, resulting in 31 semi-finalists and 12 finalists. This competition includes all schools, colleges, and universities in Texas and Oklahoma and our students competed in nine different divisions based on age and voice part.

Congratulations to all the participants for representing Baylor so well, including first place winners: Billie Bruley, student of Rob Best; Michael Colman, student of Deborah Williamson; and Rebekah Howell, student of Rob Best. Baylor faculty members active with the NATS include Deborah Williamson, regional governor; Randall Umstead, registrar; and Rob Best, North Texas district governor.

Waco Mammoth Park opens

I am immensely pleased that the Waco Mammoth Park opened to the public this week. The creation of the Waco Mammoth Site has been a collaborative effort between the City of Waco, Baylor University and the Waco Mammoth Foundation. This is a wonderful example of Baylor and Waco working together for the good of our community. I encourage you visit the park and learn about these amazing animals, the largest of the mammoths.

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« Park link »

Clinical psychology program moves downtown

It is exciting to expand the boundaries of our campus to the downtown area, especially with a top academic and clinical program that provides a vital service for the community and an important research program for our faculty and doctoral students.

By now you may have heard that the clinical psychology department is moving five faculty members, clinical research labs, and the Baylor Psychology Clinic that serves the local community to the eighth and ninth floors of the Wells Fargo building on Washington Avenue. Currently, the program is housed in six locations, from space in Ivy Square to offices and classrooms in the Baylor Sciences Building.

I am pleased that Baylor is actively participating in the ongoing revitalization of downtown Waco. When you combine the move of our clinical psychology program with the cooperative effort on the new Mammoth Park and the recent unveiling of the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC) to be housed in the former General Tire facility, Baylor is showing it's connection to the vitality of Waco in very real and tangible ways.

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« Waco Tribune-Herald editorial »

« Waco Tribune-Herald article »

« BRIC »

Athletics update

Congratulations to the Lady Bears Volleyball team as they head to the Sweet 16 for the first time in the program's 32-year history. After leaving Waco on Wednesday afternoon, our team will play ninth-seeded California at 2:30 p.m. Friday.

There also is plenty of basketball action this month. I encourage you to bring your families out to a game and cheer for the Bears at the Ferrell Center.

Men's Basketball vs. Jackson State at 7 p.m. Dec. 15
Men's Basketball vs. UT-Arlington at 2 p.m. Dec. 20
Men's Basketball vs. Morgan State at 7 p.m. Jan. 6
Men's Basketball vs. Oklahoma at 5 p.m. Jan. 9

Women's Basketball vs. Oral Roberts at 7 p.m. Dec. 16
Women's Basketball vs. UT-Pan American at 7 p.m. Dec. 30
Women's Basketball vs. Texas State at 7 p.m. Jan. 2
Women's Basketball vs. Oklahoma at 7 p.m. Jan. 13