Transition in Baylor Provost's Office

Dear Baylor Family:

I would like to take this opportunity to inform you of a leadership change within the Provost's Office. As you well know, Michael K. McLendon, Ph.D., has served as Baylor University's Interim Provost since July of last year. Today, Dr. McLendon is resigning from this administrative role to attend to personal and health matters, and he asked that I share the following message with you:

"I am announcing my resignation as Interim Provost of Baylor University, a beloved institution at which I spent my undergraduate years and the past three seasons of my academic career, due to personal and medical concerns that will no longer allow me to fulfill the responsibilities and requirements of this important academic leadership position in a manner I believe this role demands. I plan to take extended time away from the University to address these personal and medical concerns, which will allow Baylor to move forward expeditiously under President Livingstone's leadership. I am appreciative of the many opportunities Baylor has provided to me as a student and academician, and I look forward to the University's continued progress under the forthcoming academic strategic plan and President Livingstone."

In the interim, I have appointed Gary C. Mortenson, D.M.A., dean of the School of Music, as acting vice provost of administration to oversee the Provost's Office in addition to continuing to serve in his current role. Additionally, I have asked Gary Carini, Ph.D., currently vice provost of graduate professional education, to assume the additional responsibility of completing Illuminate, our academic strategic plan, in advance of the May meeting of the Board of Regents.

I am confident in the leadership of both Drs. Mortenson and Carini in managing the Provost's Office during this short time of transition, as we near the end of the spring semester and the conclusion of the search for Baylor's next Provost. And, thanks to the many contributions and ongoing feedback from the deans, faculty and our entire University community, I have no reservations regarding the direction, content, timeline and ultimate launch of Illuminate next month.

We are in the interview stage with several candidates for Provost, who we hope to bring to campus for open forums over the next few weeks, and we have identified three finalists for the new Chief Business Officer position. I look forward to soon completing our University's leadership team as we commit to Baylor reaching its greatest potential as a preeminent Christian research university.

Sincerely,

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President