Dear Colleagues,

As we move into the spring, we are excited to kick off the faculty awards season! This time of year is particularly special to me and my staff, as it allows us to share the wonderful news with our faculty members who have distinguished themselves in various ways and to express our gratitude for their exceptional service to Baylor.

During the Spring Faculty Meeting on February 4, we announced the four individuals who have earned the prestigious title of “Master Teacher” – Kevin D. Dougherty, Andrew P. Hogue, Wiff Rudd, and J. Lenore Wright. Also named was the 2025 Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year Award winner, Dr. Heidi J. Hornik. These are significant achievements, and I am deeply grateful for their contributions to Baylor and beyond. Finally, we announced the selection of a new University Distinguished Professor, Baylor University's highest faculty honor. This year, it is bestowed upon Dr. John L. Wood, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and co-director of the Baylor Synthesis & Drug-Lead Discovery Lab. Congratulations, Dr. Wood!

I encourage you to nominate your fellow faculty members for awards both within and outside of Baylor. Kevin D. Dougherty, newly appointed  associate vice provost for faculty honorifics, will be working with DeAnna Toten Beard, vice provost for faculty affairs, to facilitate supporting faculty applications for national awards.

On another note, many faculty members have shared concerns about the federal funding freeze and recent executive orders from Washington, D.C. Unless you have received specific instructions otherwise, please continue your work on federal grants as normal. We will continue to monitor this evolving situation as a campus community.

I appreciated our president’s words in the “Presidential Perspective” email of January 30, and echo them:

“Baylor remains committed to our Christian mission and providing a caring community in which ALL of our students, faculty and staff can thrive today and in the future. I encourage you to remain resilient as we continue to seek factual information and guidance and navigate this rapidly evolving time for our country.”

Warmly,

Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D.
Provost

Academic Affairs Announcements 

Mark Your Calendars! 

• Readers Meet the Author: Dr. Elise Edwards- February 26, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Moody Memorial Library, Schumacher Flex Commons & 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

COACHE Working Groups Announced 

The working groups for the 2024 COACHE survey were announced at the Spring Faculty Meeting last week. They are:

• Interdisciplinary Working Group- co-chaired by Adrienne Cain Darough and Rodney X. Sturdivant
• Promotion Working Group- co-chaired by Nadine Welch and W. Dennis Tucker
• Research Support Working Group- co-chaired by Ronald Angelo Johnson and Kevin G. Pinney

Nominations are open for members of the working groups until February 14. Thank you again for your contributions and support!

Review, Promotion, and Tenure (RPT) Update 

At the Spring Faculty Meeting, Dr. Toten Beard outlined some highlights of the new RPT system. Be sure to review those slides online as you are able. A dedicated webpage will launch later this semester with training opportunities, user guides, and roll-out dates. Also be on the lookout for new procedure documents for each type of review – these will align with the instructions faculty see in RPT.

Vice Provost’s Corner 

As you know, the University has created a new third-tier for lecturer-track faculty. The first steps in that new process are already beginning. The procedures document and all approved promotion guidelines are available online. Senior lecturers wishing to seek teaching professor designation should submit a letter requesting approval to pursue the promotion by February 17. This letter should be submitted to their chair or dean’s designee.

GPE Extended Learning Seeks Faculty for AI & Ethics Courses
We’re excited to launch GPE Extended Learning's new series, “AI & Ethics: Navigating the Future,” developed by Baylor faculty to explore the ethics of AI in industry. Courses are already available for Law, Business, and Healthcare, and we’re seeking faculty to help expand the series in these and additional sectors. Want to participate? Please contact Denise Evans.

Academy for Teaching and Learning (ATL) 

Upcoming Seminars for Excellence in Teaching (SETs) 

• February 25- Teaching Virtues in the Core Classroom
• February 27- Cultivating Compassion, Civility, and Creativity through Contemplative Pedagogy
• March 4- Oral Exams for the AI Era
• March 6- Cherry Award Teaching Summit Series

New Short-Form Micro-Lessons Kicking Off!

• April 11, 12-12:30 p.m.- The ATL’s new 30-minute Mastery Series intended to maximize value and minimize time investment will kick off in February with "From Inbox Chaos to Clarity: Enhancing Student Communication with Microsoft Tools.”

Upcoming IRB Conversation through ATL

Interested in doing Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) work or Discipline-Based Educational Research (DBER)? Want to know more about the IRB process? Join the ATL online for a brief conversation with IRB on February 21 at 9:05 a.m. Contact Michelle Herridge to sign up or if you have any questions.   

Office of the Registrar 

Important Announcements

• For fall 2025 course scheduling deadlines, please visit our website.
• Please be aware of the upcoming deadlines for any catalog and curriculum matters.

Spotlight on the Academy 

Baylor University Press

2024-2025 Catalog Now Available! 
Established in 1897, Baylor University Press is the academic publishing arm of the university, publishing about 40 titles per year. Our new catalog spans biblical studies, theology, history, and poetry. Use code 17PROMO for 20% off all titles.

George W. Truett Theological Seminary

Lenten Devotional Guide 
As Lent approaches, the Truett Seminary community has created a daily Lenten Devotional Guide. From Ash Wednesday to Easter Monday, we invite you to join us on this journey by signing up to receive the downloadable guide or daily emails.

Hankamer School of Business

New Business Administration Minor Opportunity
The new Business Administration Summer Experience (BASE) is designed for non-business students to earn a minor in business administration in one summer. Please encourage your interested students to apply by March 31.

Mayborn Museum

Bryce C. Brown Research Fellowships
The Mayborn Museum offers two fellowships to support summer research in natural and cultural history. These $2,000 stipends support this opportunity to engage with the museum’s vast collections focusing on Central Texas. Applications are due March 21.

Baylor Law School

Upcoming Events 
We’re looking forward to the upcoming events at the Law School this month – The People’s Law School on February 15 and hosting oral arguments for the Supreme Court of Texas on February 20. All are welcome – click the event titles to learn more!

Baylor School of Music

Spring Events and a 25th Anniversary Concert 
Join us for spring concerts! A highlight is the Baylor Men’s Choir celebration concert marking 25 years under the direction of Dr. Randall Bradley on March 2 in Jones Concert Hall. View our calendar online. All are welcome.

Baylor Libraries

Additional 24-Hour Spaces and a New AI Resource 
The Garden Level of Moody Library re-opened as part of our 24-hour spaces. Moody Library is open 24 hours from Sunday at 1 p.m. through Friday at 10 p.m. Also, Elsevier's Scopus AI database is now available to guide and enhance your research.

Important Academic Deadlines 

Additional deadlines are available on the Academic Units Deadlines calendar.

• February 17- Candidates submit appeals to deans for a negative department recommendation for promotion to clinical full professor.
• February 25- Colleague evaluation forms are due to the chair for Year 3 clinical assistant professors, Year 4 T-T candidates, and Year 2/Year 4 lecturers.
• March 3- Each dean's recommendation for promotion to clinical full professors is due to the provost.
• March 3- Deadline for all chairs (or deans) to finalize the submission of faculty evaluation ratings in the Ignite system.
• March 5- Chair summary letters are due to the dean for Year 3 clinical assistant professors, Year 4 T-T candidates, and Year 2/4 lecturers.

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