Dear Colleagues,

Happy New Year! I hope you and your loved ones enjoyed a peaceful holiday season. As we begin the spring semester, I’d like to share a few important reminders:

• Syllabus Statements: Please take advantage of the recommended syllabus statements available on the Office of the Provost’s website as you prepare your courses for spring 2026.
•  Spring Faculty Meeting: This meeting will be held virtually via Zoom on January 27 from 3–4:30 p.m. A link will be emailed to all faculty and staff the day before—please plan to join us!
•  Faculty Activity Reporting (FAR): Reporting is currently underway. Resources and office hours for one-on-one assistance are available on the Office of the Provost’s website.

Thank you to everyone who participated in and supported the dean candidate visits for the College of Arts and Sciences and the Louise Herrington School of Nursing in December. We are delighted to welcome Dr. Tanya Sudia as our new dean of the Louise Herrington School of Nursing, and I anticipate sharing the final decision on the College of Arts and Sciences dean very soon.

Warm regards,

Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D.
Provost

Academic Affairs Announcements

Upcoming Events

• Spring Faculty Meeting, January 27, 3 to 4:30 p.m., Virtual via Zoom
• Readers Meet the Author: Beth Allison Barr, February 17, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.,  Schumacher Flex Commons (Moody Memorial Library 1st Floor) and Virtual via Zoom

Mark Your Calendar: Academic Leadership Seminar

The Academic Leadership Seminar, which is mandatory for deans, associate deans, vice provosts, and department chairs, will be Monday, August 3, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Invitations will be issued via calendar invite later this summer.

Vice Provost’s Corner

Post-Award Research Administrator 
Beginning February 2, Baylor University will transition to a streamlined model for managing sponsored projects, providing faculty with a single, consistent point of contact for their business needs.

Under this new structure, faculty will work directly with their Business Offices, primarily their Financial Managers (FMs), for day-to-day sponsored project management. FMs already assist Principal Investigators (PIs) with labor distribution, expenditures, financial monitoring, and other routine sponsored project management tasks. PIs will now contact FMs for all sponsored project needs, as the Post-Award URA position is being dissolved.

To further strengthen this new model, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research has created a new role, Post-Award Research Administrator. These specialists will partner closely with the Business Offices to provide expert backup and support on the more complex or less frequent sponsored project needs, such as drafting justifications for no-cost extensions and helping navigate unusual post-award situations.

This new structure is designed to give faculty a more seamless experience in managing their sponsored projects and represents Baylor’s continued commitment to supporting faculty research success.

Baylor in Washington
We extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. David Corey for his many years of dedicated service and for shaping Baylor in Washington into the vibrant program it is today. Dr. Corey made the decision to step down this fall, and we wish him the very best in his continued work at Baylor. We are also pleased to announce that Dr. Rebecca Flavin has been appointed as the new Director of Baylor in Washington. Her leadership and vision will guide the program into an exciting new chapter of growth and engagement in our nation’s capital in ways that align with our university's mission.

GLOBE Awards 
The Center for Global Engagement (CGE) recently launched the inaugural GLOBE Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions to global engagement. During International Education Week(Nov. 10–15, 2025), CGE honored one faculty member, staff member, and student whose work exemplified Baylor’s mission of integrating faith, learning, and service globally. The winners were Dr. Lyn Prater, Clinical Professor at the Louise Herrington School of Nursing; Leia Duncan, Program Director, Baylor & Beyond Living-Learning Community; and Rajiv Edara, Senior Provost Scholar from Chicago, IL, and Chennai, India, double majoring in Medical Humanities and International Studies with minors in Poverty Studies & Social Justice and Political Science.

Applications Now Open: Pro Mundo Institute in Ghana
Faculty are invited to apply for the inaugural Pro Mundo Institute in Accra, Ghana. This immersive program is designed to advance global engagement and promote faculty development. This unique opportunity fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and immersive cultural learning while supporting Baylor’s mission to prepare students for worldwide leadership. Participants will engage with local partners, explore innovative teaching strategies, and contribute to Baylor’s global vision. This initiative is funded by the Kong Family Endowed Fund and the Office of the Provost. Space is limited. Apply today and help shape the future of international education at Baylor.

Two Faculty-in-Residence (FIR) Positions Opening: Texana and University Houses, North Village 
Beginning in fall 2026, two FIR positions will be available in Texana House and University House. Campus Living & Learning invites applications from female faculty who meet the qualifications for this position. To learn more, please visit the Office of the Provost’s website. The application deadline is Friday, January 23.

Academy for Teaching and Learning (ATL)

Course-Building Retreat 
January 14, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Moody Library 104 (Active Learning Lab) & online via Zoom

A one-day event providing time, community, accountability, and immediate on-call assistance to prepare your spring courses. The event is in person and online. Zoom link will be sent to registrants. Register online.

Office of the Registrar

CLSS opened for fall 2026 edits on January 6. The full fall 2026 scheduling timeline has been posted on the OoR website.

Spotlight on the Academy

Diana R. Garland School of Social Work

Social Work Launches New Online Master's Degree 
Starting fall 2026, the Garland School of Social Work will offer a Social, Nonprofit & Public Leadership MA and two professional certificates to prepare students for impactful service and leadership in nonprofit and public sectors. Apply now.

Law School

Baylor Law's People's Law School 
Baylor Law’s People’s Law School is on February 14. This free, half-day event offers practical legal tips on navigating topics such as taxes, wills, insurance, criminal law, special education, elder law, state agencies, & more. Visit our website for details.

School of Music

Brazil Meets Baylor in Concert 
Don’t miss the power of two cellos as Fulbright Scholar Philip Borter and Brazil’s Hugo Pilger perform energetic duos by Brazilian composers on Friday, January 30 at 7:30 p.m. in Roxy Grove Hall. The concert will be a vivid, rhythmic, and engaging musical experience.

Baylor Libraries

Apply Today: Oral History Faculty Research Fellows 
Institute for Oral History invites applications for its 2026–2027 Faculty Research Fellows. Open to all fields. Fellows receive up to $2,500, training, equipment, and transcription services for interview-based research. Proposals are due January 30.

Academic Units Deadlines Calendar

Additional deadlines are available on the Academic Units Deadlines calendar.

• January 15- Packets are due by 10:59 p.m. (Central time) in the electronic system for Year 4 Tenure-Track, Year 2 Lecturer, Year 4 Lecturer, and Year 3 Clinical Assistant Professors
• January 15- Last date to hold a review meeting for promotion to Associate Professor without tenure in the Law School
• January 15- Last date to submit the dean letter for promotion to Associate Librarian, Librarian, Senior Lecturer, Teaching Professor, Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Associate Professor, Clinical Professor, and Professor with tenure
• February 2- Last date for available evaluating faculty to submit their Colleague Evaluation Form for promotion to Associate Professor without tenure in the Law School
• February 2- Packets are due by 10:59 p.m. (Central time) in the electronic system for renewals for Clinical Associate Professor and Clinical Professor

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