Presidential Perspective - June 15, 2017

Baylor Students, Faculty and Staff:

Summer is in full swing, and I hope that whether you are on campus, working, doing research or mission work, or simply recharging for the fall semester, you will find time to stay connected to the University and all that is happening here. One of my objectives as your new President is to regularly communicate with you to share priorities, successes and important information as we work together to move Baylor forward. Each Thursday, I plan to send an email such as this one that includes brief updates and news from across campus and throughout the Baylor Family. I hope you find this information and format useful.

• I've had the opportunity to welcome our incoming freshmen students and their parents at the first four new student orientation sessions, and I must say that their excitement is contagious. If current trends hold, the class projects to be our most selective, most academically talented and most diverse in history, while also meeting our enrollment expectations – good news all around. Only six more orientation sessions to go this month!
• Since being named your President in April, I have been on a listening tour, hearing from our deans, administrative and academic leaders, Board members, elected officials, alumni and many of you. Several common themes are beginning to emerge: there is an enthusiasm for Baylor and for our future; we share a strong commitment to our Christian mission; and, we have set our sights on becoming a "Tier One" research university. I look forward to learning more from many others as we come together as the Baylor Family to reinvigorate Pro Futuris and provide an unmatched educational experience for our students.
• As part of my introduction as President, I have spoken with many media outlets regarding my background and potential plans for the University. I have enjoyed the opportunity to speak about Baylor's strength and resilience and the many advancements we have made for the safety and well-being of our students. I thought you might enjoy reading a recent Q-and-A written by the Texas Tribune, as well as some of the content posted at baylor.edu/MeetPresidentLivingstone.
• I continue to be impressed by the deep ties between Baylor and the local community. This summer the Baylor School of Education is sponsoring the Children's Defense Fund Freedom School for 50 rising 6th and 7th-grade students from Waco ISD, connecting students and their families to Waco, encouraging family and community involvement, empowering children through literacy and reducing summer learning loss. A thank-you to Dr. Lakia M. Scott, assistant professor of curriculum and instruction and executive director of Baylor's Freedom School.
• Congratulations to the Baylor University Counseling Center's Doctoral Internship Program on its recent accreditation by the American Psychological Association. The accreditation process is lengthy and requires that programs develop a rigorous model of training that meets very high standards. The designation will provide a significant boost in the training of mental health researchers and practitioners. This is an important step forward for the University and part of our commitment to the safety and well-being of our students.
• Please join me in extending our appreciation to Executive Vice President and Provost Greg Jones for his service to Baylor over the past year. Dr. Jones has made the decision to step down at the end of the month to rejoin the distinguished faculty at Duke University. He developed a number of strategic initiatives for Baylor that will help advance our academic enterprise for years to come. We will announce an interim executive vice president and provost in the near future and a search committee to fill the position on a permanent basis shortly thereafter.

Thank you for your commitment to Baylor,

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President