Hulme To Step Down From Student Life Post

by Lori Fogleman (254) 710-6275

Dr. Eileen E. Hulme has announced her resignation as Baylor University's vice president for student life, effective June 30. She will join the faculty at Azusa Pacific University, a faith-based institution in southern California, as an associate professor in the doctoral program in higher education leadership.
A 1982 Baylor graduate, Hulme joined the Baylor administration in 1999 as assistant vice president for student life. In that capacity she played an integral part in the division's strategic planning, supervised campus recreation, health services, wellness programs and the counseling center, and chaired Baylor's task force on the residential life master plan.
In December 2001, Hulme was appointed vice president for student life, after serving as acting vice president for six months. During her time as vice president, she provided leadership for the student life division, including the areas of campus life, residence life, student development and university ministries. She also taught as an adjunct professor in the School of Education for students pursuing a master's degree in student services administration.
"I find it difficult to fully express my immense gratitude for the Baylor community and in particular the outstanding staff members in the student life division. We have accomplished a great deal together," Hulme said. "My hope is that when Baylor's history is written, the legacy of the last six years will be that student life passionately sought to help students understand their strengths and potential through challenging them to search for a calling worthy of their God."
With the assistance and expertise of 200 student life staff members and many others at the university, Hulme's accomplishments include:

? several completed facilities for students, including the McLane Student Life Center, Stacey Riddle Forum, the lighted Parker Brothers Intramural Fields, Marina Pool renovation and the North Village Residential Community, which contains the Hulme Family Prayer Garden, which honors Hulme's parents, both Baylor graduates;
? new or improved programs and services, including Living/Learning Centers, Place 2BU night and weekend programming, Chapel Fridays, Baylor Line Camps, Strengths Quest Program, resident chaplains, an emphasis on academic programs during summer orientation, the addition of physical therapy to the Health Center, a new system of moving students into residence halls, vocation-specific service learning trips that integrate academic programs with service and mission opportunities (such as Africa '05), a student life advisory board composed of Baylor parents; and the High School Christian Leadership Institute;
? and philosophical alignments and realignments, including the development of a comprehensive model for enabling students to discover a sense of calling including a focus on strengths and potential, and the shifting of residence life to Campus Living and Learning, emphasizing a renewed interest in making the residential experience align and fundamentally support the academic climate at Baylor.

Baylor President Robert B. Sloan Jr. praised Hulme's four years as vice president, during which she dramatically transformed the student life experience at Baylor.
"Her personal calling to serve our students and her commitment to Baylor's Christian mission have been undergirded by her keen ability to take ideas and effectively implement them across many areas of the university, including campus life, residence life and student development," Sloan said. "In years past our campus was virtually deserted during the weekends, but Eileen and her staff put into action several programs and activities to engage students in the life of the university every day of the week. She has accomplished so much in developing our students intellectually, spiritually, physically, emotionally, ethically and culturally to make a difference in the world beyond Baylor. I am profoundly grateful for her service. She will be greatly missed by students, faculty and staff at Baylor."
Former students who worked closely with Hulme hailed her as a leader who consistently encouraged and empowered students to understand their callings and their potential to effect positive change.
"Dr. Hulme is a strategic visionary, who believes students should play a vital role in shaping the direction and growth of their universities and surrounding communities," said John L. Hill, a 2004 Baylor graduate now studying law at Harvard. "She understands and has helped numerous students like me to comprehend more fully that the best learning takes place in diverse, energized communities, where faith, service, leadership and knowledge can be discussed, debated and integrated. She is a trusted friend and mentor, and her presence at Baylor will be deeply missed."
"Dr. Hulme has personally taught me a lot about leadership," said Brandon Anderson, a 2005 Baylor graduate who served as student body internal vice president. "I felt that she was our advocate. She never forgot about us - the students - when important decisions were being made. Baylor students have lost a true friend in her, but I know, too, she will never forget she is first and foremost a 'Baylor Bear.'"
"Eileen Hulme made Baylor a home for us," said Brad Pierce, a 2004 Baylor graduate now studying at Baylor Law School. "Her love for students was evident in every action she took and every smile she shared. I will miss her greatly, and Baylor will miss its greatest 'home maker.'"
Before joining Baylor, Hulme served as vice president for student life and interim chief information officer at George Fox University in Newberg, Ore., and also held student life positions at the University of Houston-Clear Lake and Trinity University in San Antonio. She earned her bachelor's degree in education from Baylor, where she was a member of the women's volleyball team. She earned her master's degree in social science from Azusa Pacific and her doctorate in educational administration from the University of Texas at Austin in 1997.
Hulme studied as a Fulbright scholar in Germany, published articles in national journals on student services and made presentations at several conferences around the country. She also served in leadership roles with the Association for Christians in Student Development and a national think tank organized by the Gallup Organization.