Presidential Perspective - November 3, 2022

Baylor Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents:

The Baylor University Board of Regents will be on campus today and tomorrow for its quarterly meeting. This is an important group of Baylor volunteers, as they serve as the official governing body of the University and ensure alignment with our Christian mission and financial integrity.

As customary, we will provide a summary of the Board meeting late Friday to the Baylor Family. Then on Tuesday at 1 p.m., Board Chair Mark Rountree, BBA ’86, MTA ’87, will host our next Baylor 101: About the Board of Regents. We will email a Zoom link directly to faculty and staff on Monday for this important overview and question-and-answer opportunity.

Some news from around campus:

• For our faculty and staff: I hope you will join your colleagues for our inaugural Faculty and Staff Chapel this Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 11 a.m. in the Paul W. Powell Chapel at Truett Seminary. Leading this Chapel service will be Hannah Coe, senior pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Waco, and Randall Bradley, D.M.A., minister of music and worship at Calvary, as well as The Ben H. Williams Professor of Music, professor of church music and director of the church music program and the Center for Christian Music Studies at Baylor. This important initiative complements both our personal spiritual growth and Baylor’s mission, where faith is central to who we are as a University and how we prepare students for a life of leadership and service in the world.


• Baylor’s Truett Seminary and the Kyle Lake Center for Effective Preaching will host the third annual National Preaching Conference Nov. 15-17 at First Baptist Church of Waco. This festival of preaching, worship and fellowship features some of the most gifted proclaimers of God’s Word and offers ministry leaders opportunities to be refreshed and renewed. Truett Seminary places an emphasis on gospel preaching, and this conference serves as a tangible expression of that steadfast commitment.


• November marks Native American Heritage Month, and yesterday Baylor’s Mayborn Museum kicked off our campus recognitions with a celebration that included performances from traditional dancers, musicians and singers, plus explanations of native traditions. As part of our ongoing efforts to tell the University’s complete history, we offered a land acknowledgment of Baylor’s sites in Independence and Waco originally occupied by Indigenous peoples, including the Waco and Tawakoni of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, the Tonkawa, the N'?m'?n'?'? (Comanche), Karankawa and Lipan Apache. This is an important first step as we strive to build sustainable relationships with sovereign Native Nations and Indigenous communities through education offerings, partnerships and community service.


• With the midterm elections coming next week, many are focused intently on the results — and people’s passion for their political positions or candidates can sometimes be intense. How do we, in this political environment, approach politics from a healthy viewpoint and form opinions about the complex issues our nation faces? David Corey, Ph.D., professor of political science and director of the Baylor in Washington program, tackles these topics and more on this Friday’s Baylor Connections podcast. Dr. Corey examines healthy ways to view the role of politics and shares steps that allow people to better form not only their own opinions on an issue but to understand where those with opposing viewpoints are coming from — promoting civil discourse and understanding. Baylor Connections can be found online Friday morning and heard later at 11 a.m. on KWBU-FM.


• Ashley Barrett, Ph.D., BA ’07, MA ’09, associate professor of communication, has earned a highly competitive CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation, becoming the first Baylor faculty member to earn a non-STEM award from the NSF. With her $440,381 grant, Dr. Barrett will study how healthcare providers use new information technologies to innovate their communication practices, allowing providers and patients to practice and receive compassion and empathy in their interactions, with an additional focus on the unique communication needs of patients within marginalized health populations. This NSF CAREER award also supports outreach activities that communicate the importance of the work to broad audiences throughout our community.


• Save the Date: I will host the President’s annual Christmas gathering for faculty and staff on Wednesday, Nov. 30, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. I hope you will join me as we light the Bill Daniel Student Center Christmas Tree together at 5:15 p.m. Look for an invitation in your email next week.

Thank you for being part of the Baylor Family!

Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D.
President

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Thank you to our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students who highlighted their cultures through dance, singing and other creative talents during AsianFest last Friday in Waco Hall.