Provost Newsletter - January 2025
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to 2025 and a new semester! We are excited to begin the semester with our annual Spring Faculty Meeting on February 4 at 3 p.m. This meeting will be virtual and open to all faculty and staff—a link will be sent to you via email one day in advance.
During this meeting, we will share our results from the COACHE survey taken in the spring of 2024. This is a valuable opportunity for us to review our progress and identify areas for improvement.
- The total participation rate on the survey was nearly 70% - better than in 2020 and at a higher rate than most of our peer and aspirant schools.
- The survey results affirmed Baylor's Christian mission at a high level, including a 78% positive response to the following: "I feel that I fit very well with Baylor University's Christian mission."
Your insights and participation are crucial as we strive to enhance our academic environment. I look forward to seeing you there.
Warmly,
Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D.
Provost
Academic Affairs Announcements
Mark Your Calendars!
- Readers Meet the Author: Dr. Terry York, February 4, 12:15-1:15 p.m., Schumacher Flex Commons & Virtual.
- Spring Faculty Meeting- February 4, 3-4:30 p.m., Virtual.
- Breakfast Celebrating the Teaching and Research of Baylor Women Faculty- March 4, 8:30-10 a.m., Foster 250.
- University Faculty Retirement Reception- April 9, 3-4:30 p.m., Baylor Club.
- Retirement Reception for Dean Larry Lyon- May 2, 1-3 p.m., Barfield Drawing Room, Bill Daniel Student Center.
Hankamer School of Business Dean Update
We are beginning the search for a new dean for the Hankamer School of Business as we prepare to say goodbye to Dean Mazumder. We will consider both internal and external candidates for this important position as we continue our trajectory as a Christian R1 university. A committee of administrators, faculty, staff, and alumni will review applications, conduct interviews, and make recommendations alongside our search partners at Diversified Search Group.
We appreciate your input and support. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact members of the HSB dean search committee.
Nominations for Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School
As we search for the next vice provost and dean of the Graduate School, we invite you to submit nominations to our search consultant at Baylor.Graduate@russellreynolds.com. Provide the names and current institutions of those you wish to nominate. Including your rationale is optional but helpful. The search consultant will handle contacting nominees and requesting materials. We encourage you to nominate strong candidates, regardless of whether they may be considering new opportunities.
Review, Promotion, and Tenure (RPT) Update
Introducing Interfolio RPT
The university is adopting a new system for collecting faculty materials for mandatory review toward promotion and continuation in your academic track. The Interfolio RPT will replace our campus's use of Box to manage faculty materials in these key processes. RPT is more user-friendly than Box for collecting and organizing faculty materials and improves the workflow for reviewing cases by colleagues and academic leadership.
This year, a few Baylor colleges and schools are piloting Interfolio RPT, and we will roll it out to all schools and colleges in 2025-2026. You can expect more updates in this newsletter in the coming months.
Vice Provost’s Corner
Annual Faculty Performance Reviews
The annual faculty performance review process will begin this month with the submission of faculty summary of activities form to chairs. For additional details on performance reviews, please visit the Office of the Provost's website.
Syllabus Statements
As you prepare for the start of a new semester, please review the recommended syllabus statements document on the Office of the Provost’s website. There is helpful language in the document that can be easily cut and pasted into your syllabi, as well as recommendations for good practices you may wish to introduce.
2025 Baylor Centennial Professor
Baylor Centennial Professor applications are now open for 2025. The Centennial program awards faculty developmental grants for tenured professors and associate professors. To be considered for this designation, a tenured faculty member should submit a brief project proposal to the review committee chair by March 21. Full details about the process and proposal requirements are on the website.
History Professor Honored in Big 12 Faculty of the Year
The Big 12 Conference has introduced its inaugural Faculty of the Year Award, honoring exceptional faculty from its 16 member institutions for their innovation and research. These faculty members embody the best qualities of academic excellence. We are proud to announce that Dr. Stephen Sloan is among the honorees. Congratulations, Dr. Sloan!
Spouse Travel on Short-Term Study Abroad Trips
Please see the Study Abroad Support Staff Guidelines for short-term study abroad, updated October 2024. Spouses may accompany a faculty member on short-term study abroad and must adhere to the guidelines outlined in BU-PP 750. Spouses may not serve as support staff for these study-abroad programs due to conflicts of interest.
Developing New Curriculum with Grant Funding? We Can Help!
Are you considering developing certificates as part of a degree or for a non-credit offering? Our Graduate Professional Education staff can be your partners in success! Cece Lively offers expertise in for-credit course design, while Denise Evans specializes in developing non-credit courses. Feel free to reach out via email to leverage their knowledge to streamline your curriculum creation process and ensure students have an enriching, innovative experience.
Academy for Teaching and Learning (ATL)
Seminars for Excellence in Teaching – Click to Register!
- January 27- Podcasting as a Pedagogical Tool.
- February 3- Integrating Faith and Learning into Teaching.
- February 10- Conversations and Clarity in AI Usage.
Office of Institutional Effectiveness
Updated Student Achievement Website
The Student Achievement website has been updated to reflect 2024 data. This website reflects the specific metrics of student success that Baylor leadership has identified. These metrics are also published on Baylor’s profile on the SACSCOC website.
Spotlight on the Academy
George W. Truett Theological Seminary
Martin Luther King, Jr. Event and the E.K. Bailey Preaching Celebration
Truett invites you to join us at the following events:
- January 20- Martin Luther King Jr. Day “Share the Dream” Event(in person and online).
- February 3-4- K. Bailey Preaching Celebration.
Baylor Law School
Explore the Law at People's Law School
Join Baylor Law School for People’s Law School on February 15! This free, half-day event offers 20+ expert-led classes on topics such as consumer rights, estate planning, family law, and more. Don't miss this chance to gain valuable legal insights!
Important Academic Deadlines
Additional deadlines are available on the Academic Units Deadlines calendar.
- January 15- Faculty submit summary of activities form to their chairs.
- January 15- Nominations open for Centennial Professor.
- January 15- Clinical assistant professors make their Year 3 notebooks available for department review.
- January 15- Dean’s summary letters and recommendations for Year 6 clinical assistant professors and Year 6 lecturers are due to the Office of the Provost.
- January 15- February 17:
- The department chairs provide colleague evaluation forms and hold review meetings for Year 3 clinical assistant professors.
- Year 2 and Year 4 lecturer notebooks are made available to tenured faculty and senior lecturers in the department, and the department chair provides colleague evaluation forms. The department chair will also schedule and conduct Year 2 and Year 4 lecturer review meetings.
- Tenured departmental faculty members review Year 4 T-T candidates’ materials, chair distributes summary teaching evaluation, and department meets to review.
- February 1- Outstanding Faculty nomination packets are due to the Selection Committee from the dean.
- February 3- Departments communicate to candidates and the dean the decision for promotion for clinical associate professor to clinical full professor.
Previous issues of the Provost Newsletter can be accessed on the Office of the Provost website.