Dear Colleagues, 

I am pleased to announce the creation of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, effective June 1. The new School will bring together faculty currently housed in the Department of Environmental Science and the Department of Geosciences within the College of Arts and Sciences. I am grateful for the patience and engagement of many colleagues as the College and the Office of the Provost worked through the process of establishing a School within an existing College, including the development of new University guidelines to support this structure.

As we are ever-mindful of stewarding our financial resources, I want to stress that this new School will not add any additional administrative overhead to the College of Arts and Sciences or the University.

I am excited about the interdisciplinary opportunities this new School creates and deeply appreciative of the thoughtful input and discernment shared by faculty and staff over the past several months. I look forward to the important work ahead for the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Warmly, 

Nancy

Academic Affairs Announcements

Upcoming Events

• Diadeloso- April 14
• Faculty and Staff Chapel- April 15, 11 a.m. to Noon, Paul W. Powell Chapel, George W. Truett Theological Seminary
• Readers Meet the Author: Dr. Ryan Sharp- April 15, Noon to 1 p.m., Schumacher Flex Commons, Moody Memorial Library and online
• Thank You Reception for Dr. J. Wesley (Wes) Null- April 23, 3 to 4:30 p.m., Great Hall, George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Don’t forget to register!
• Retirement Reception for Dr. Gary R. Carini- May 7, 1 to 2:30 p.m., Cox Lecture Hall, Armstrong Browning Library. Don’t forget to register!

Faculty and Staff Summer Care Available from Baylor University Health Services 
Baylor University Health Services will offer acute care for faculty and staff during Minimester, Summer I, and Summer II. Clinicians can treat common issues such as cold symptoms, cough, sinus pressure, nausea, minor injuries, asthma flare-ups, UTIs, pink eye, and rashes. Learn more, review caveats, and make appointments online or call 254-710-1010.

CARA Outside Activity Disclosure System 
Full-time faculty, staff, and some part-time employees must submit an outside activity disclosure annually and within 30 days of any change (BU-PP 800). Log in to CARA to submit or update anytime. CARA also emails you about any pending required actions!

Vice Provost’s Corner

Preparing for the Semi-Monthly Payroll Transition 
As you know, Baylor will transition faculty from a monthly to a semi-monthly pay schedule beginning January 2027. An optional Ignite Journey is now available to help you understand the change and access resources as you prepare.

A required Ignite Journey with specific tasks and next steps will be released in fall 2026 to ensure everyone is fully prepared. For continued updates, visit the Semi-Monthly Payroll website or email SemiMonthlyPayroll@baylor.edu with any questions.

Faculty Search Training Sessions 
As you prepare for hiring next year, visit the Faculty Hiring webpage and consider attending the following training sessions:

• May 12- Establishing the Position Walkthrough Training for those responsible for creating a position for a faculty search
• May 13- Adjunct Search Training for business officers, office managers, dean assistants, and anyone hiring part-time, temporary adjuncts

Training sessions on conducting the search will be held in August. Questions? Contact Amber Kivlighn.

Mandatory Review Notifications 
It is the practice of the Office of the Provost to notify faculty of upcoming mandatory review periods to ensure accurate faculty clock records. Faculty with upcoming reviews will be notified on April 27 via email and an Ignite journey. Faculty are responsible for confirming their next review date or reporting any corrections. Information about RPT training and packet release dates for those with mandatory reviews in 2026-2027 can be found on the Office of the Provost page.

Baylor Centennial Professors Named 
Dr. Kelly Johnston, associate professor of curriculum and instruction, and Dr. Alexander (Alex) McNair, associate professor of Spanish, have been selected to receive the 2026 Baylor Centennial Professor Awards for summer research projects. Congratulations to these two faculty members on their awards!

Spring 2026 Graduate Council Update 
The Graduate Council met on March 19 to address several topics related to graduate education at Baylor. Presentations covered new Slate tools under development, the Online Faculty Institute, the role of AI in graduate education, challenges facing international applicants and students, updated ADA formatting requirements for theses and dissertations, and the overall state of graduate education at Baylor and nationally.

After eight months of consultation with campus stakeholders, Dean Young also presented a new Graduate Council governance structure to be implemented this fall in response to significant growth in graduate programs and a commitment to strengthening shared governance.

Academy for Teaching and Learning (ATL)

Be sure to consider these upcoming opportunities; register by clicking the class name.

• Seminar for Excellence in Teaching: “Mentorship on the Margins: Using Classroom Moments to Transform Student Well-Being”- April 15, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., online
• Seminar for Excellence in Teaching: “What Makes Us Human? Pedagogical Questions at the Intersection of Art, Bioethics, and AI”- April 21, 3 to 4 p.m., online
• Seminar for Excellence in Teaching: “Designing Writing Assignments to Support Student Learning in the Age of AI”- April 27, 1 to 2 pm, online
• Teaching and Learning Research Exchange- April 30, 4 to 5:30 p.m., Schumacher Flex Commons, Moody Memorial Library. A showcase of research from Baylor faculty in the realms of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER)

Paul L. Foster Success Center: First in Line Graduation Celebration

Please join us in celebrating our graduating First in Line students at the First in Line Graduation Celebration. This special event honors our first-generation students as they receive their graduation regalia, marking a meaningful milestone in their academic journey. The celebration will take place on April 23 at 4:30 p.m. in the Barfield Drawing Room. We hope you will join us in recognizing and uplifting these remarkable students as they prepare to take their next steps.

Spotlight on the Academy

Honors College

Annual Ethics and Culture Lecture: Joseph Loconte
On April 22 at 7 p.m., the Honors College will host Joseph Loconte for his talk, “War, Friendship, and Imagination: J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and the Fight for Civilization.”All are welcome!

George W. Truett Theological Seminary

The Book of Job Seminar 
Truett’s Online Certificate Program invites you to a two-day The Book of Job Seminar with Dr. W. Dennis Tucker Jr., on May 1-2 in Waco. Explore Job’s depth and ministry relevance. Registration includes meals and a complimentary commentary.

Hankamer School of Business

Armes Christian Leadership in Business Summit 
Register for the May 19-20 Armes Family Christian Leadership in Business Summit and join Christian leaders for inspiring speakers, practical sessions, and meaningful networking focused on faith-driven leadership.

School of Engineering and Computer Science

Baylor ECS Summit at Hurd April 13 
Baylor ECS Summit: A Showcase of Research, Technology and Innovation will be April 13 from 2 to 5:30 p.m. at the Hurd Welcome Center. This community event includes research presentations, a poster competition, drone demos, Dr Pepper Hour, and more!

School of Music

Baylor Opera: La favola d’Orfeo 
Experience Monteverdi’s La favola d’Orfeo, one of the earliest operas still performed today. Join Baylor Opera Theater on April 24 at 7:30 p.m. in Roxy Grove Hall for this powerful retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice. See you there!

Baylor Libraries, Museums, and the Press

Don't miss the "Americans and the Holocaust" exhibit Apr. 11-May 20, Armstrong Browning Library & Museum's Annual Browning Day celebration on Apr. 23, and the Mayborn's new "Cultural Crossroads" exhibition opening Apr. 30.

Academic Units Deadlines Calendar

Additional deadlines are available on the Academic Units Deadlines calendar.

• April 13- Department chairs, associate deans, and deans must complete their review of their faculty records in Lifecycle Management (LM)
• April 13- Deans complete review of early promotion requests and communicate decisions to the VPFA
• April 15- Nominations for Faculty Emeritus due to the VPFA from deans
• April 15- Chairs submit recommendation and faculty materials to the dean for faculty seeking approval to apply for promotion to Teaching Professor, Clinical Professor, and Professor with tenure
• May 1- Dean renders a decision for or against faculty seeking approval to apply for promotion to Teaching Professor, Clinical Professor, and Professor with tenure

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