Dear Colleagues,

It has been a banner year for Baylor students competing for national awards and fellowships —we have had 14 Fulbright awards, a Churchill Scholarship winner, a Marshall Scholarship winner, a Goldwater scholar, two Boren Scholarship winners, and a Truman Scholarship winner! Only one institution won the Churchill, Marshall, and Truman awards in 2022: Baylor. In addition to this, last month, we were named a “Top Producing Institution” for the Fulbright U.S. Student Programs. I am grateful to our faculty who have mentored these students and for the Office of Engaged Learning (OEL) for enabling students to put their best foot forward in competing for these awards.

There is much to celebrate, and we are excited about a new initiative coming up in the next few months: the creation of the Provost’s Scholars program. This collaborative effort between the Office of the Provost and the OEL is designed to inspire and guide students toward excellence in research, civic, and ambassadorial endeavors and to cultivate an intellectual community that promotes a vision of excellence pursued together for the glory of God. 

Students interested in becoming Provost’s Scholars will begin with a class offered through the OEL called “Learning for the World.” Taken in the first or second year at Baylor, this course will open students to a pathway called Baylor Engage, which helps students navigate opportunities to increase their research, civic, and global engagement while providing them with a community of scholars. Provost’s Scholars are those who deepen and sustain these commitments over the duration of their Baylor careers, developing an ability to integrate and effectively apply their scholarship, leadership, and service to the common good. We will increasingly rely on the Provost’s Scholars' leadership on campus in our ongoing efforts to create a culture of inclusive excellence at Baylor.

The future is bright, and we look forward to seeing where the Provost's Scholars program leads for our students.

All the best,

Nancy Brickhouse

Academic Affairs Announcements

Baylor’s New Ethnic Studies Minor
The Office of the Provost and the College of Arts & Sciences are excited about the launch of the Ethnic Studies minor, slated to be available to students in the fall of 2024. Housed in the College of Arts & Sciences (A&S), this new minor will draw on the experience of faculty members not only from A&S but from the wider university as well.

Baylor Policy Update: International Agreements
The International Agreements Policy is designed to provide guidance to Baylor faculty and staff seeking to enter into agreements with international entities. This policy was updated in February of 2023, and can be viewed on the University’s risk management site.

Elizabeth Vardaman Faculty Awards 
Commonly referred to as “Betsy” awards, these honors offer an opportunity for Baylor to recognize faculty who go above and beyond in mentoring undergraduate students. Learn more about the nomination process on the Office of Engaged Learning website, or contact Dr. Andy Hogue. Nominations are due no later than March 31.

Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) Chapter
Dean Todd Still is taking steps to re-energize Baylor’s Omicron Delta Kappa circle (chapter). He is looking for interested individuals who would like to assist with ODK. Interested in being a part of this national leadership honor society? Contact Dean Still.

“Reaching Beyond”: Cherry Award Summit on Great Teaching
On April 14, join Cherry Award recipient Dr. Hollylynne S. Lee along with Baylor faculty contributors as we consider the themes of expanding your teaching impact while navigating and advancing your professional trajectory. More details can be found on the Cherry Awards website.

Vice Provost’s Corner

Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

2022 Cornelia Marschall Smith Award Recipient Lecture
March 30, 5:00 p.m., Rogers Engineering and Computer Science Building, room 109
All are welcome as Dr. Ken Van Treuren, the 2022 Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year award winner, shares his lecture, “Why I Teach at Baylor (and Some Things I’ve Learned).” Reception to follow.

Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity & Belonging

Reception Celebrating the Teaching and Research of Baylor Women Faculty
March 14, 3:30-5:00 p.m., Truett Great Hall
The Office of the Provost invites you to join your colleagues to hear from Vice Provost Stephen Breck Reid and representatives from the Baylor Women’s Colloquium, the Women’s Faculty Writing Program (WFWP), Women in Science and Engineering (WISE), and Women’s and Gender Studies. All women faculty and allies of women faculty are invited.
 
Interest Meeting: Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander Faculty & Staff Association
April 26, from 3:30-5:00 p.m., Barfield Drawing Room in Bill Daniel Student Building
Are you interested in the creation of an Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander Faculty and Staff Association? If so, please join the Vice Provost of Faculty Diversity & Belonging, Dr. Stephen Breck Reid, for a gathering on April 26. Snacks will be provided—we look forward to seeing you (and your friends) there!

Vice Provost for Research

2022 Baylor Research Year in Review
The 2022 Baylor Research Year in Review is now available online. The Year in Review is a collection of data and content that features the University’s research metrics, milestones, institutional investment in research, and more. Thank you for your role in the successes we highlight.

Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Institutional Effectiveness

SACSCOC Fifth Year Report Submitted!
Baylor’s SACSCOC Fifth Year Interim Report, due on March 15, 2023, has been submitted (two weeks early!). The Office of Institutional Effectiveness would like to thank the hundreds of people who were involved in producing the report. Dr. Wes Null also would like to thank Dr. Ben Cox and Dr. Britney Graber for their outstanding work while producing the report. We should receive SACSCOC’s response to the report in June 2023.

Academy for Teaching & Learning (ATL) Events
Click on the event name to learn more and register.

• Rethinking Course Assignments (for STEM) in Light of Artificial Intelligence. March 14, 10:30-11:30 a.m., Jones Library 200/online.
• Teaching Every Student – Seminar for Excellence in Teaching. March 16, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Moody 104 - Active Learning Lab/online.
• Re:Connected – The Future of University Culture and Technology. You are invited to this year’s Educational Technology Showcase, March 30-31, in the Moody Memorial and Jesse H. Jones Libraries. Members of the Baylor community will share their insights, experiences, and advice about using technology in and out of the classroom.

Impact of Progress Reports
Thank you for supporting our students by submitting progress reports this spring. This makes a huge difference in the lives of our students. 63.4% of students who received an at-risk progress report improved their grade by the end of the fall semester. 

Please know that every student who receives a progress report will receive multiple forms of communication from Success Center staff. These communications are designed to make students aware of the resources available and encourage them to work with staff members to establish goals and develop plans for improved academic performance.

Spotlight on the Academy

George W. Truett Theological Seminary

Spiritual Direction Training Program
Spiritual direction is a historic practice of the church that involves accompanying others in prayerful reflection and conversation as they attend to God's presence and calling in their lives. Truett Seminary offers a Direction Training Program available to non-degree-seeking church leaders, ministers, and anyone within the church who senses a call to this kind of ministry. For more information, email Truett's Spiritual Formation Office or visit our website.

Honors College

Honors College Announces New Lectureship
The Honors College, with gratitude for sponsorship by Provost Emeritus Dr. Donald Schmeltekopf and his wife, Judy, is pleased to announce the establishment of the Annual Ethics and Culture Lecture Series. The series’ first lecture will feature Dr. Russell Moore, editor in chief at Christianity Today, and be held on Monday, March 27, at 7:00 p.m., in the Baylor Club Ballroom.

Louise Herrington School of Nursing

U.S. Army Graduate Program in Anesthesia Nursing 5-Year Renewal
The Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing is pleased to announce the five-year renewal of its program in cooperation with The United States Army Graduate Program in Anesthesia Nursing (USAGPAN). The U.S. Army and Baylor University boast a long and proud heritage in health-related graduate education.

Lyceum Series Recitals and Lectures

Please join Baylor’s School of Music for its Lyceum Series events in March. The following recitals and lectures are free and open to the public.

• March 14, 4:00 p.m. in Roxy Grove Hall – Gary Wedow, The Juilliard School, “Rhetoric and Baroque Music: The Birth of Opera and the Path Forward.”
• March 21, 7:30 p.m. in Roxy Grove Hall – Brass Mammoth, euphonium-tuba quartet.
• March 22, 4:00 p.m. in Meadows Recital Hall, Glennis McCrary Music Building – Musicologist J. Peter Burkholder, “Rewriting the History of Music, and Rethinking How to Listen.”
• March 23, 7:30 p.m. in Roxy Grove Hall – Jacqueline Wilson, bassoon.

University Libraries

Affordable Course Materials Summer Fellowships
Applications are now being accepted for fellowships that allow faculty to re-evaluate their course materials with an eye to replace them with low- to zero-cost alternatives, such as open educational resources or OERs, to reduce the per-class costs for students. Visit baylor.edu/library/affordable for additional information. The deadline for submissions is April 14.

Important Academic Dates

Additional deadlines are available on the Academic Units Deadlines calendar.

• March 15- Deadline for deans to submit copies of evaluation forms to the provost.
• March 15- Provost informs the president of the recommendation to promote clinical associate professor to clinical professor. 
• March 20- Deans' summary letters about T-T faculty in their 4th year, regular lecturers, and clinical assistant professors due to the provost.
• March 21- Deadline for chairs to submit merit recommendations. 
• March 28- Diadeloso. 
• March 28- Deadline for business officers to submit merit recommendations to deans. 
• March 30- Provost notifies the deans in writing of the decision to continue or terminate a clinical assistant professor and regular lecturer appointments.
• April 3- Candidates for promotion submit a credential portfolio for review.
• April 3- President makes the decision to promote clinical associate professor candidates to the rank of clinical professor and notifies the provost. 
• April 4- New chair training.
• April 5- Deadline for deans to submit merit recommendations to the Office of the Provost. 
• April 6- University Teaching Development Grant deadline to ATL. 
• April 7 & 10- Easter holidays. 
• April 10- Provost notifies the deans of the president's decision to promote clinical associate professor candidates to the rank of clinical professor. 
• April 10- Deans notify the chair (who will contact the candidate) of the promotion from clinical associate professor to clinical professor. 
• April 14- Deans notify the clinical assistant professors of the decision of the provost to continue or terminate.
• April 17- Deadline for notification of non-renewal for 2nd- and 4th-year regular lecturers.

Previous issues of the Provost Newsletter can be accessed on the Office of the Provost website.