President's Note

I attended the BGCT Spring Retreat with CEO's of Baptist colleges and university's last week. While the universities participating are very different in size and scope, we are unified in our commitment to Christian ministry and missions. The meetings also gave the group the opportunity to recognize and celebrate our combined legacy of service to Texas Baptists and our longstanding relationship with the BGCT. As you know, the Baptist General Convention of Texas has been a generous friend to Baptist universities in Texas for many years.

Last week I also was in Austin meeting with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Speaker of the House Joe Straus, as well as our Waco and Central Texas legislators. This week I traveled to Washington to meet with U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson as well as U.S. Representatives Chet Edwards, John Carter as well as Joseph Cao, our grad, who is the first Vietnamese American, as well as the first native of Vietnam, to serve in Congress. I also met with staff in the offices of Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. Kay Granger. Maintaining good relations with our governmental leaders is important for a number of reasons. Baylor students benefit directly from the Texas Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG). We also are pursuing additional state and federal research funding.

Recent Regent's Meeting

At their recent quarterly meeting, the Board of Regents approved a new doctoral program in curriculum and teaching in the School of Education that will address the growing need for more high quality university-based teacher educators to prepare the next generation of teachers for public, private and Christian school service.

The Regents also announced a significant naming gift from Baylor alumni Ted and Sue Getterman for the Getterman Softball Practice Facility.

Both of these enhancements to our University directly link to Baylor 2012, our 10-year vision. One will further our goal of enhancing our standing as a research and teaching institution while the other speaks to our imperative of building a winning athletic tradition.

Presidential Scholars Set High Standards

I am continually impressed with the quality of the students we have on our campus. I recently had lunch with our Presidential scholars. These are remarkable graduate students who could have gone anywhere, but are choosing to come to Baylor because of our integration of faith and scholarship.

Their scholarly accomplishments are impressive, especially for students who have not yet earned their graduate degree, and range from multiple peer reviewed articles, to books, to stellar research. We are gaining a reputation as a place of outstanding scholarship where faculty and students alike can demonstrate excellence in their chosen academic discipline and practice their faith as well. Let me share with you a quote that comes from one of our Presidential Scholars:

"I had questions during my master's program about if one could be a Christian and a Scholar. While I wrote my thesis on a topic related to this, my master's program did not know what to do with me. I realized that for my doctoral work, I needed to be in a place that integrated Christian faith with my discipline."

What this shows is that the vision of pursing the twin imperatives of achieving ever higher academic standards while reaffirming and deepening our commitment to our Christian heritage is succeeding in remarkable ways.

Music School Presents American Composers to Europe

Dean Will May tells me that "Baylor in Belgium: An American Music Festival" is unprecedented among American universities in its size and scope. It is certainly extensive.

During the first two weeks of March, 24 School of Music faculty will be presenting 21 concerts and recitals, 78 master classes and workshops, 12 scholarly lectures and presentations, and seven governmental relations events in Flanders (the northern half of Belgium). Under the sponsorship and at the invitation of the government, Baylor's musical representatives will appear in 16 cities, in all of Belgium's major music conservatories, and in a host of music academies that offer music instruction to high school-aged young people. Congratulations to Will and all his colleagues in the School of Music for flinging afar Baylor's green and gold.

Feature Film Tells Baylor Lawyer's Story

At Baylor, we teach our students that they can make a difference in life. A new feature film tells the world one such story.

Our alum and the Baylor Law School professor who taught and mentored him are central to a new feature film from Samuel Goldwyn Pictures. "American Violet" fictionalizes the story of some Hearne, Texas, residents - all of whom were poor and African-American - falsely charged in a drug round-up in 2000. The alumnus who played a significant role in their real-life defense is David Moore, now an attorney in Groesbeck, and his former Baylor Law School professor is Mark Osler.

The film's Waco premiere will be at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 18, at Baylor's Mayborn Museum. The public is invited to this free showing which will feature an appearance by the film's screenwriter/producer, William Haney.

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Team Ranked No. 1

In case you missed it, our women's equestrian team is now ranked No. 1 in the nation in the national coaches poll. The Lady Bears are 11-2 on the season, and rank ahead of other top 10 teams Georgia, Texas A&M, Auburn, South Carolina, Oklahoma Sate, TCU, Kansas State, Fresno state and New Mexico State. Congratulations to Coach Ellen White and her outstanding equestrian student athletes.

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Spring Break

Finally, for those of you traveling next week, I pray you will be safe and return rested and ready for the remainder of the spring semester.