Dear Colleagues,  

Happy June! I hope you all are enjoying your summer. As minds begin to turn to the upcoming 2025-2026 academic year, I wanted to share a brief update on faculty hiring as we celebrate the good work of deans, dean’s assistants, vice provosts, search chairs, and search committees bringing great pools of faculty candidates to campus.  

• We’ve completed over 300 interviews involving thousands of stakeholders across campus.  
• We have officially hired over 100 new members of the 2025-2026 faculty cohort, including four endowed chairs.  
• We’ve also appointed two deans and 11 department chairs to new positions of leadership. 

As we look forward to next year, hiring budgets will be flat, with a small number of strategic positions aligned with the needs of Baylor in Deeds.

Faculty hiring is one of the most important things we do and is essential to our Christian mission as well as the care and investment in the University community. Thank you to those who have participated in these processes.

Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D.
Provost

Academic Affairs Announcements 

Welcoming New Deans

We look forward to welcoming two new deans to campus this summer: Dr. David M. Szymanski, dean of the Hankamer School of Business, who began his tenure on May 27, and Dr. Michael E. Young, dean of the Graduate School, who will join us on August 1.

Upcoming Special Events

• Chair Leadership Retreat- The department chair leadership retreat for the 2025-2026 academic year will take place on August 15 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the BRIC. Please be on the lookout for the upcoming calendar invitation from Adrienne Conradt.
• Faculty Senate Retreat- The 2025-2026 cohort of Faculty Senators will meet on August 22 for their afternoon retreat in Moody 104 from 1 to 4:30 p.m. We look forward to welcoming the new senators for the fall semester. A calendar invitation will be sent via email in the next few weeks from Adrienne Conradt.

Review, Promotion, and Tenure Updates

Please visit the RPT webpage for information on upcoming training dates and details. Faculty with review, tenure, or promotion deadlines in the upcoming academic year should receive a calendar invitation to the relevant training sessions. If you believe you have been overlooked, please contact the Office of the Provost.

Administrative Skills Advancement Program (ASAP)

The Office of the Provost invites you to join us for a series of professional development opportunities geared towards administrative professionals in Academic Affairs (including, but not limited to office managers, dean's assistants, administrative associates, coordinators, and event managers). Learn more and sign up by visiting the ASAP website. 

Vice Provost’s Corner 

Announcing New Faculty Emeriti 
Congratulations to retired colleagues awarded the rank of faculty emeritus – a full list of those given this designation in 2024-2025 is listed online.

Faculty Activity Reporting (FAR) Quick Start User Guide Available 
All faculty data has been migrated from Digital Measures to Faculty Activity Reporting (FAR). Faculty can review their information in FAR, add new activities, and correct any errors. Use this Quick Start User Guide to become oriented to the basics of FAR. More faculty user training and guidance on administrative reports will be made available in the fall semester.

Current Issues Regarding Student and Scholar Status
In light of ongoing developments pertaining to international students and scholars, please continue to check our International Student & Scholar Services FAQ page.

Enhance Your Program Pages: Unlock Future Insights with the Lightcast Return on Investment (ROI) Widget! 
Empower your Graduate Professional Education (GPE) program pages with the Lightcast ROI Widget. This dynamic tool provides prospective students with real-time job market data and salary trends for their specific degree, helping them envision their future and significantly boosting engagement on your program webpage. View the widget in action on the M.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies website (near the bottom of the page). Reach out to GPE today to implement this compelling feature!

Academy for Teaching and Learning (ATL)

Teaching with AI Playground 
August 15, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Zoom 
Join us to experiment with how generative AI can enhance your course design, lesson plans, feedback, and assignments while also helping students develop AI literacy. This session is virtual (Zoom link will be sent to registrants).

Spotlight on the Academy 

Mayborn Museum

Bryce C. Brown Research Fellowship Recipients Announced 
Dava Butler, Ph.D. candidate in Geology, and Evan Cerna, Geology Master's student, each received a 2024-2025 Bryce C. Brown Research Fellowship. Butler will work with our mammoth fossils, and Cerna will document theropod tracks at the Dippel Site.

Baylor Libraries

Summer Teaching Fellows Announced 
Twelve Baylor faculty and graduate student teachers of record were awarded summer stipends to work with librarians in the Baylor Libraries' Special Collections and enhance their courses using primary materials. Congratulations to those selected!

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