Office of the Provost
As the university's chief academic officer, the Provost has responsibility for all of Baylor's academic enterprises including twelve schools and colleges and more than one dozen research centers and institutes. The Provost works closely with the President, deans, department chairs, faculty, Regents, and others to provide academic vision and leadership and to promote and support excellence in teaching, learning, and research within the context of a Christian worldview.
Initiatives
In Fall 2019, the Provost formed a Task Force to assess faculty satisfaction and identify strategies to enhance the faculty experience, retention, and productivity. The Task Force partnered with Harvard’s Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) to conduct an extensive survey of all faculty in Spring 2020. This strategic partnership allows us to compare our results across campus, relative to 5 peer institutions, and across 110 institutions nationwide.
Readers Meet the Author features the scholarly work of faculty from across disciplines in a unique virtual format. At each gathering, we focus on a recently authored book by a member of our Baylor Community, hearing from the author and sharing in a Q&A.
As a leading Christian institution with a strong Baptist heritage and impact that extends throughout Texas and internationally, Baylor University seeks to “educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment within a caring community.” In line with this mission, we seek to embody Christ’s teachings of love and inclusivity across boundaries of racial, ethnic, gender, socio-economic, religious, and other expressions of human difference.
Baylor University, along with 9 other U.S. and international universities, is a participant in the 18th cohort of the American Council on Education's (ACE) Internationalization Laboratory, a guided and collaborative strategic planning process.
Baylor's success is dependent upon recruiting the very best from a diverse pool of candidates. The University provides a vibrant campus community with students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries. We invite you to come be a part of our community.
We are so proud to host over 2,000 faculty members here at Baylor. Learn more about special events, awards, and benefits, the latest announcements, as well as development opportunities to hone your craft.
Learn more about the resources available for those retiring from Baylor's faculty, as well as the most up-to-date lists of emeritus faculty and recent retirees. Once a Baylor Bear, always a Baylor Bear!
Illuminate Forward
Baylor University Strategic Plan
Baylor embarked on a new Academic Strategic Plan—Illuminate—in 2018, and Illuminate Forward was affirmed in 2021. The comprehensive plan continues to draw upon the institution’s heritage and commitment to becoming a preeminent Christian research university, as outlined in Pro Futuris.
News
More NewsI am so grateful for the opportunity to work alongside you these past four years. We have done amazing work together under the direction of President Livingstone and our strategic plan, Illuminate. At the Spring Faculty Meeting, I summarized some of these accomplishments.
Spring is a time to honor those in the Baylor community with achievements that merit special regard. Promotions are being announced, and the outstanding faculty awards committee assesses nominations for awards that will be announced in the Fall Faculty Meeting (to be held in the new Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center!). The latest Cornelia Marshall Smith Award recipient will be named at the Academic Honors Convocation, and students vote for their selection for the Collins Outstanding Professor Award.
I am pleased to share with you that DeAnna Toten Beard, M.F.A., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Theatre Arts and professor of theatre history and dramaturgy, has been selected as Baylor University’s Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, effective July 1, 2023.
WACO, Texas (March 14, 2023) – Following a nationwide search, Baylor University Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D., announced that Eduardo Contreras Jr., Ed.D., associate provost for international education, diversity and inclusion at the University of Portland, has been selected as Baylor University’s vice provost for global engagement, effective July 1, 2023.