Dear Colleagues,

We are truly into the semester now—that sense of renewal is in the air, and having students back on campus brings excitement (and parking adventures) wherever they go!

We recently celebrated a significant milestone at Baylor with the induction of a new faculty cohort. At the BRIC, we welcomed 123 new faculty members, introducing them to the wealth of resources and the supportive community across campus. This induction marks a crucial step in their professional, personal, and spiritual growth, and we are excited to have them join the Baylor Family.

Last year, we had 4,000 applications for more than 120 full-time faculty positions. When I asked the deans and vice provosts what our greatest successes were of the past academic year, they named the strength of our faculty applicant pools. These are remarkable teachers and scholars who want to be a part of Baylor because we are a Christian R1 university. There are no decisions more significant than our hiring decisions. They will uphold our Christian mission and shape who we are as a university for decades to come. Like the last three years of hiring, this cohort of faculty is increasing the diversity of the faculty overall, especially for our Black/African American faculty, whose incoming numbers are the highest in our recorded history.

We are becoming a university that more accurately reflects the diversity of God’s people. For that, I am deeply grateful.

Best wishes as we begin this new academic year,

Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D.
Provost

Academic Affairs Announcements

Mark Your Calendars for the Upcoming Special Events

• Baylor Welcomes David Brooks, September 10, 6:30 p.m., Waco Hall.Tickets required. Sign language interpretation will be provided.
• Cornelia Marschall Smith Lecture, September 13, 3:30 p.m., Foyer of Meditation, Armstrong Browning Library.
• Baylor Family Weekend, September 13-14, various locations.
• Faculty and Staff of Color Welcome Reception, September 17, 3:30 p.m., Cashion 506. Sign language interpretation will be provided.
• Constitution Day Lecture: Dr. Derek Muller, September 17, 5 p.m., Hurd Welcome Center Ballroom.
• Professional Development: Bolstering Your Teaching with Library Partners, September 20, 2 p.m., Moody 104 & Virtual.
• Readers Meet the Author: Dr. Elesha J. Coffman, October 22, 12 p.m., Schumacher Flex Commons & Virtual.

Cherry Award Nominations Open

The Cherry Award Committee seeks your help in identifying exceptional classroom teachers and encourages you to make a nomination by November 1. More information about the award can be found on the Cherry Award website.

Baylor 101: Campus Preparedness & Communication

Aligning with the Civil Discourse Series, Baylor 101 will highlight policies on expressive activities and invited speakers, including how communications around them are managed. Join the one-hour webinar on September 17 at 4 p.m.

Vice Provost’s Corner

Vice Provost for Administration and Operations

FAQs on Changes to Faculty Pay for Special Sessions

The university is making a change to instructor compensation in special sessions (Wintermester, Maymester, Summer 1, and Summer 2). Learn more by viewing FAQs online.

Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs: Faculty Awards

Awards Season
As of September 1, nominations are open for the Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year Award, Outstanding Faculty Awards, Master Teachers, and University Distinguished Professor. For details, see the Office of the Provost's Faculty Awards website.

Vice Provost for Global Engagement

Interested in Leading a Study Abroad program? 
The Center for Global Engagement has introduced a new form for faculty interested in leading study abroad programs, both semester-long and short-term. For more information about this opportunity, please visit their website.

Vice Provost for Institutional Research and Professional Education

Faculty Insight Tool Available for Researchers 
The Academic Analytics Faculty Insight tool is available to all Baylor faculty – login to Faculty Insight to identify subject matter experts locally and across the nation, and to find funding and honorific award opportunities. Faculty can also receive personalized suggestions for grants and honorific awards based on their research profile. Get more info on the IR website or by contacting academic_analytics@baylor.edu.

Faculty Developing or Refreshing GPE Courses – Start Here!
Graduate Professional Education (GPE) online courses are crafted with the Learning Design team, ensuring a tailored learning experience. This collaboration involves a systematic design process. More details and an MOU are available online.

Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Academic Affairs

Baylor’s Accelerate Program 
As we continue to build on the success of the Accelerate Pre-College Program, the program itself is growing, with 114 high school students in the 2024 fall cohort! Could you open your course to Accelerate students? Contact the Accelerate Office for more information.

Academy for Teaching and Learning (ATL)

• The University’s 2024-2025 Baylor Fellows have been announced, with Lauren Weber, senior lecturer in Theater Arts, selected as this year’s Senior Fellow.
• Be sure to take note of the upcoming Seminars for Excellence in Teaching.
  • September 16- Making Course Materials Affordable.
  • September 23- Neurodivergence in the College Classroom.
• University Teaching Exploration Grants are now available– the deadline is September 15.

Office of Institutional Effectiveness (IE) 
If your program is considering offering a course(s) at an alternate location, please complete the CIM Miscellaneous form. There may be state authorization implications if the location is outside Texas. Contact the IE office with questions.

Office of the Registrar 
Faculty and staff are encouraged to sign up for one of the following training opportunities as the 2025-2026 catalog and curriculum processes begin:

• September 10, 3 p.m.- Overview of Deadlines with CIM/Catalog information.
• September 11, 3 p.m.- CIM Programs overview.
• September 12, 2 p.m.- CIM Course overview.
• September 16, 2 p.m.- MISC form overview.

Calendar invites were sent to CIM users. If you did not receive a calendar invite, please contact Dawn Khoury. If you cannot attend, all sessions will be recorded and posted to the Office of the Registrar's website.

Paul Foster Success Center

New OALA Director
The Office of Access and Learning Accommodation (OALA) is delighted to welcome its new director, Dr. Danny Hernandez, starting on October 14. Dr. Hernandez was most recently the dean and director of academic resources and services at Scripps College in California.

Student Opportunity and Achievement Resources (SOAR) 
Please encourage your students to take advantage of the Pathfinders Undergraduate Research Exploration Program. Pathfinders provides undergraduate students in their first year at Baylor with the tools and resources to identify research opportunities and apply for research and graduate preparation programs, such as the McNair Scholars Program.

Spotlight on the Academy

Diana R. Garland School of Social Work (DGSSW)

Fall 2024 Gil Taylor Behavioral Health Series
October 3, 12:30-2 p.m., Paul & Katy Piper Great Hall, Truett Seminary

Baylor’s External Affairs and the DGSSW look forward to welcoming Dr. Broderick Leaks for the Gil Taylor Behavioral Health Series. You're invited to join the conversation on the intersection of faith and psychology.

George W. Truett Theological Seminary

African American Preaching Conference
September 24-26, Truett Seminary

Shaped by 30 African American leaders, this conference features nine speakers sharing on themes and issues that underscore the impact and influence of preaching in African American churches.

Honors College

Laura Jackson Endowed Lectureship in World Issues
September 23, 7 p.m., Alexander Reading Room, Honors Residential College, Alexander Hall

The Honors College invites you to the Laura Jackson Endowed Lectureship in World Issues featuring Dr. Jeff Polet, director of the Ford Leadership Forum. The event is free and open to the public.

School of Music

19th Annual Jazz Big Band Swing Concert
September 12, 7:30 p.m., Jones Concert Hall, Glennis McCrary Music Building

Please join us for this celebrated concert featuring the Jazz Ensemble of the Wayne Fisher Jazz Program. All are welcome!

University Libraries, Museums, and the Press

Take a DIVE or DEEP DIVE into Online Instruction

Online or hybrid teaching faculty would benefit from DIVE (Designing Instruction for Virtual Engagement) and the more theoretical DEEP DIVE. Both courses include asynchronous components and a 1-hour online synchronous discussion each week.

Important Academic Dates

Additional deadlines are available on the Academic Units Deadlines calendar.

• September 12- Tenure Seminar 1 for deans, chairs, dean's assistants (if preferred), and faculty members up for tenure and promotion.
• September 13- CLSS system closes for spring 2025 edits.
• September 18- Tenure Seminar 2 for deans, chairs, dean's assistants (if preferred), and faculty members up for tenure and promotion.
• September 25- Faculty current year and mandatory review dates are sent.
• September 30- Deadline to announce intentions of clinical associate professors to seek promotion to full.
• September 30- Department chairs inform Year 6 lecturers that application for promotion must be made and share relevant materials.
• October 11- Fall Break.

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