Presidential Perspective - April 25, 2019

Baylor Students, Faculty and Staff:

Today was one of those historic days in the life of Baylor, as we held a signing ceremony to officially announce a $15 million leadership gift from The Sunderland Foundation to begin the renovation and restoration of the iconic Tidwell Bible Building. It’s only fitting that Tidwell is the first facility project resulting from the Give Light campaign, as this historic building serves as a beacon of our Christian mission and hosts nearly every student through our core curricula in history or religion. This transformational gift from The Sunderland Foundation and other generous support will allow Baylor to restore Tidwell to its original beauty – carefully preserving its architectural significance while revitalizing its ability to serve as a place of excellence in Christian higher education.

Here are several items of note for this week:

• I hope you will be able to attend Monday’s Conversation Series event, in which several members of our President’s Council will provide updates on areas of importance for the University. Participating in the panel discussion will be Brett Dalton, chief business officer; Gary Carini, Ph.D., vice provost for graduate professional education and strategic planning; and David Rosselli, vice president for advancement. The Conversation Series will begin with a reception at 3 p.m. on the 5th floor of the Cashion Academic Center. We ask that you please register using this link.

• Tomorrow night, campus will glow teal in support of sexual assault survivors, and the Title IX team will host a special Night of Reflection at 8 p.m. near Rosenbalm Fountain. The event is a time to reflect, pray and encourage a continuous commitment to preventing sexual assault and will wrap up campus events for National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Join the community in reflection if you can, and remember that each of us has an important role in preventing sexual violence.

• I am excited to announce a new University resource that will assist graduating students in their search for jobs, a graduate school or career discovery. We’ve reorganized the various career-related departments across campus into the Baylor University Career Center, which will provide greater support and emphasis for students’ career success and strategic employer engagement. A key element of the new Career Center currently being led by assistant dean Ken Buckley will be that every student will have a dedicated, assigned career professional based on your major. Look for more information in the near future.

• For many of our students, their first experience at Baylor is moving into one of our campus residence hall communities. We take a moment to celebrate our nearly 170 Community Leaders (CLs) during Campus Living & Learning Appreciation Week. Our CLs provide an invaluable service to our campus, helping facilitate a culture of growth and intentional community in the residence halls. Thank you for serving your fellow classmates and our University.

• Last night I had the honor of commissioning 100-plus Baylor students who are heading out this summer as camp counselors. For the second year, this special ceremony marked the University’s commitment to supporting and praying for all students, camp partners and the young people who will attend summer camps across the country. And each camp counselor left with a Baylor-branded “camp survival kit” with items featuring the new interlocking BU logo.

• Our student-athletes continue to stockpile the hardware, with men’s tennis upsetting the No. 2 Texas Longhorns at the Big 12 Championship to earn the program’s 22nd overall conference title in the 23-year history of the Big 12. Congratulations to first-year head coach Brian Boland and the outstanding student-athletes on bringing another title back to Waco. The NCAA selection show will air Monday at 5 p.m. CT, with ticket and schedule information to follow on BaylorBears.com. You make us all proud, and we’ll be cheering you on next week in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

• And speaking of championships, Baylor hosts the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association National Championship Tournament beginning tonight through Saturday at the Ferrell Center. Our top-ranked Bears host eighth-seeded Gannon at 7:30 p.m., and tickets are available.

Let’s fling our Baylor Green and University Gold tomorrow for Spirit Friday!

Sincerely,

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President