New Year's Greeting from Baylor University

Dear Baylor Alumni and Friends,

The beginning of a new semester is a special time as we welcome our more than 17,000 students back to campus. A new academic term is rich with hopefulness and anticipation for accomplishments to be achieved, knowledge to be gained and new friendships to be forged.

Great Forward Momentum

Two of Baylor's hallmarks over the years have been remarkably generous support from alumni and friends and ever-increasing interest from prospective students. That certainly remains the case as we enter 2018.

Philanthropic gifts to the University are up 10 percent over last year at this time, while the overall number of donors has increased 11 percent. We are grateful for the continued support of the Baylor Family as we boldly pursue our mission to educate students for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment in a caring community.

On the admissions front, the fall 2018 entering class is shaping up as we work toward the February 1 final deadline. In addition, our hard-working admissions staff have been very effective in reaching out to interested, well-credentialed prospective students and their schools' college counselors across the nation in preparation for the 2019 class.

Continuous Progress

During the fall semester, we initiated a comprehensive academic strategic planning process that will guide the University in the coming years. This has been a rewardingly collaborative initiative, with robust engagement from deans and department chairs and faculty across campus.

I will present an outline of the plan to the Baylor Board of Regents at its upcoming February meeting, and I will do so with great excitement and a strong sense of optimism as we move forward in advancing the goals set forth in Pro Futuris, the University's strategic vision adopted in 2012.

The five-year plan — spanning 2018 to 2022 — that will emerge from this extensive process will be focused not solely on cultivating the University's academic prestige, but also on how we can make a distinct impact on our world through research and discovery, transformational learning and selfless service within our community and beyond.

I look forward to sharing more with you about this important initiative as plans progress through the coming months.

We are continuing to build the University's leadership capacity in support of Baylor's mission and strategic vision. We recently named the two co-chairs of the search committee for a permanent provost, initiating a process that we hope to be completed by the end of the spring semester. Additionally, we are in the process of a search for a Chief Business Officer who will oversee many of the operational components of the University.

Conversations and Connections

I have enjoyed meeting and having meaningful conversations with so many members of the Baylor Family, and I look forward to meeting many more of you who care deeply about this remarkable institution.

In November, we hosted the first of several “Baylor Conversation Series” events in Waco. Chair of the Baylor Board of Regents Joel T. Allison and Baylor Interim Provost Michael K. McLendon, Ph.D., joined me as we provided updates on the University's strength and resilience, the academic strategic plan and how Baylor is aggressively moving forward on several fronts. These events were recorded and may be viewed online.

Chairman Allison and I will take the Baylor Conversation Series on the road in 2018 with Texas stops in Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth and a nationwide tour that includes Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Please watch your email for more information about these events and join us if you are able in a city near you.

On January 5, Baylor launched a new radio program, “Baylor Connections,” in conjunction with KWBU 103.3FM, Heart of Texas Public Radio. The 30-minute interview program airs each Friday at 11 a.m. and introduces listeners to the people behind Baylor's teaching, research and distinct role in higher education. I will have a monthly segment on the show, which also is available online at baylor.edu/connections and via podcast.

Spreading the Light

Each of us is called to be light in the world. Baylor students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and friends reflect the light of Christ in their communities across the country and around the world. Over the coming weeks and months, Baylor will be sharing the stories of individuals who share light in the world through their lives, their service and the impact of their professions.

As a University, Baylor is also called to be a light in the field of higher education. Our mission places us at a very distinct crossroads where faith and learning, scholarship and teaching, knowledge and service combine to create an academic experience unlike any other. Baylor's distinctive mission as a nationally ranked research institution that is unapologetically Christian means that we celebrate our vibrant and active campus and invite promising young men and women to join us as students to find and follow their callings.

As we proceed through the spring, those of you who live in Dallas, Houston and Waco will see this focus on light expressed in a variety of ways through the theme: “Where Lights Shine Bright.” Many listeners of Pandora radio also will hear Baylor advertising spots inviting prospective students to visit campus. And there's much more to come! I hope you will continue to share with prospective students and their parents about your Baylor experience and invite them to learn more at baylor.edu/lights.

With Gratitude

Our students have come to Baylor — on our campuses that include our nursing program in Dallas, our U.S. Army-Baylor health programs in San Antonio and West Point, our EMBA programs in Dallas and Austin, our Diana R. Garland School of Social Work facility in Houston and our historic home in Waco — with strong values instilled from their families and with bright hopes for the future. Our abiding commitment is to honor their choice of Baylor with daily mentorship, guidance, support and compassion.

Those of us who are fortunate to be serving Baylor as members of the faculty and staff are eagerly looking forward to what 2018 holds as we continue building upon Baylor's strong and resilient foundation. Your support and enthusiasm as alumni and friends of Baylor are of paramount importance to our success. Working together, we can share the light of Baylor around the world.

Sincerely,

Linda A. Livingstone

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President