President's Note

Jonathan Hook, Associate Vice President and Chief Investment Officer at Baylor, has accepted the position of Vice President and Chief Investment Officer at Ohio State. Jonathan's last day at Baylor will be July 31. I know that you join me in thanking Jonathan for his good work and dedicated service to Baylor and wishing him all the best for continued success.

While we are sorry to see Jonathan leave Baylor, we have immense confidence in the team he has established and their ability to continue the strong performance of Baylor's investment portfolio. Charlie Wall, Director of Investments at Baylor, will serve as interim CIO. Charlie joined Baylor in February, after serving eight years at Texas Tech as Chief Investment Officer. Scott Pittman will also continue to provide valuable service as a Director of Investments.

A national search for Jonathan's replacement will begin immediately.

Dr. Robert Baird Appointed Faculty University Ombudsperson

Dr. Robert M. Baird, professor of philosophy and Master Teacher, has been appointed to the position of Faculty University Ombudsperson by Executive Vice President and Provost Randall O'Brien. This appointment is with the concurrence of the Faculty Senate.

In this important role, Robert will operate independently of the university's formal grievance procedures and normal academic administration. He will work to facilitate resolution of problems, questions or disputes for faculty in an informal, impartial and confidential manner. The Ombudsperson is not an advocate for the administration or faculty, but is an advocate of fair process and impartial mediation.

If you are not familiar with the role of Ombudsperson, I would encourage you to read the University policy below.

Faculty Ombuds Policy BUPP 723

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Campus Safety/Emergency Notification Loudspeakers Installed

Immediate communication plays an essential role in keeping the campus safe in times of emergency, and it is important to have multiple systems in place that can activate simultaneously when we need to ensure timely and comprehensive communication with students, faculty and staff.

This spring, the threat of dangerous thunderstorms and a possible tornado were communicated through the new Connect-ED emergency notification service, which uses phone calls, e-mail and text messages to reach all students, faculty and staff.

We added to that capability last week when loudspeakers were installed in nine strategic outdoor locations on and off campus instantly to alert students, faculty and staff of possible dangerous situations. The entire Baylor campus will be able to hear the sound of an emergency message from the speakers.

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Baylor Alumnus To Sing Sunday At European Soccer Final

Eddie Gauntt, a 1979 Baylor music graduate and baritone for the Opera in Karlsruhe, Germany, has performed on some of the most prestigious opera stages in Europe. His biggest audience will be this Sunday when Eddie will sing the German national anthem at the finals of the European Soccer Championship in Vienna. Bloomberg reports a worldwide television audience of 161 million for the 2004 finals.

This singular honor for an outstanding Baylor graduate will take place before the final match, which will be internationally televised on Sunday at 1:45 p.m. CT on ABC.