Scholarship Programs Give Students Opportunities Across Academic Disciplines

Opportunities include the Getterman Scholars program for high-achieving students committed to scholarship, leadership and service

Media Contact: Lori Fogleman, 254-710-6275
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WACO, Texas (Jan. 18, 2018) – Baylor University will welcome high-achieving prospective students to campus for Invitation to Excellence, a special weekend program Jan. 19-20 that showcases several exceptional academic opportunities offered by Baylor.

Those opportunities include the B2 Programs, which provide undergraduates interested in pursuing law, medical or seminary degrees with combined programs that lead to advanced degrees through Baylor College of Medicine, Baylor Law School and George W. Truett Theological Seminary.

One of the newer showcased programs is the Getterman Scholars Program in the Honors College at Baylor. The Getterman Scholars Program is open to high-achieving students across the academic disciplines, especially students interested in an integrated undergraduate liberal arts education that encourages connections between the various disciplines of study, the local and the global, the past and present, and the love of learning and service of God and neighbor.

“We are so grateful to the support and friendship that Ted and Sue have shown to the Honors College over the years that we wanted to find a way to honor their generosity,” said Thomas S. Hibbs, Ph.D., dean of the Honors College and Distinguished Professor of Ethics and Culture at Baylor. “The Getterman Scholars Program will put Baylor and the Honors College on the map nationally as it offers a prestigious scholarship to students of the highest caliber.”

Selection for the Getterman Scholars Program carries with it a scholarship valued at approximately $60,000 renewable per year, covering tuition, fees, room and board, along with support for study abroad, research and mission/service experiences. Students will reside in the Honors Residential College and will be active participants in its threefold commitment to the loves of God, neighbor and learning.

Prospective students who have scored 1460/1500 (old/new) or above on the SAT (math and critical reading) or a 33 or above on the ACT were invited to apply. A distinctive feature of the application process is the requirement that students submit a three-minute video response to a prompt, based on quotations from C.S. Lewis or Saint Augustine.

Of the more than 220 applicants, 30 have been selected as finalists to participate in on-campus interviews during Invitation to Excellence weekend and will be introduced to a wide array of curricular, extracurricular, internship, study-abroad, service and leadership opportunities in the Honors College.

“Out of a very impressive group of applicants, we have selected a remarkable contingent to come to campus,” Hibbs said. “Honors College faculty and staff are eager to meet these students and introduce them to our shared pursuit of learning and service, professional career opportunities and deep reflection about divine calling.”

The Ted and Sue Getterman Endowed Scholarship Fund was established in 2010 by Louis T. Getterman Jr. and Sue H. Getterman of Waco, Texas.

Ted Getterman, who passed away on July 1, 2014, graduated from Baylor in 1949 with a B.B.A. degree and his law degree in 1951. His college sweetheart and wife of 66 years, Sue Getterman, graduated from Baylor in 1950 with a B.A. degree and remains devoted to a life of Christian conviction, civic engagement, leadership and service. Mrs. Getterman also served on the Baylor Board of Regents from 2001-2010 and was named a Regent Emerita in 2015.

The Gettermans have been recognized with the University’s most distinguished honors, including the Founders Medal in 2005. They also are members of the Judge R.E.B. Baylor Society, Old Main Society and the 1845 Society. As Fellows in the Golden Bear Circle of the Endowed Scholarship Society, the Gettermans continue to touch students’ lives through their funding of scholarships and programs in Baylor’s Honors College, Hankamer School of Business, School of Music, School of Education, George W. Truett Theological Seminary and Martin Museum of Art. They provided the largest gift to women’s athletics in the history of the University, which resulted in Getterman Stadium, home of Baylor softball since the stadium’s dedication in 2000. This gift was followed by funds for the Getterman Indoor Softball Facility in 2010.

In Waco, the Gettermans were instrumental in creating the Ted and Sue Getterman Wellness Center in connection with Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center, now Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Hillcrest. They received the 2000 Waco Philanthropists of the Year award from the Central Texas Chapter of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives and the 1999 Distinguished Service Award from Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

BAYLOR HONORS COLLEGE

The Honors College at Baylor University brings together four innovative interdisciplinary undergraduate programs – the Honors Program, University Scholars, Baylor Interdisciplinary Core and Great Texts – with a shared commitment to providing high-achieving students the opportunity to pursue questions that often fall between the cracks of the specialized disciplines by investigating the writings of scientists along with poets, historians and philosophers. For more information, visit www.baylor.edu/honorscollege.