Provost Newsletter - July 2026
Dear Colleagues,
As this is my final newsletter to you as provost, I want to take a moment simply to say thank you.
Your faithful stewardship of Baylor’s Christian mission is lived out every day in the way you teach and mentor our students and in how you care for one another. As scholars, you bring light to the world through your pursuit of what is true, good, and beautiful, and you do this work at the highest levels of excellence.
I will forever treasure your friendship and partnership.
Warmly,
Nancy
Academic Affairs Announcements
Upcoming Events
- Summer Commencement- August 15, Ferrell Center
- New Faculty Orientation- August 17, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and August 18, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., BRIC
- Convocation- August 21, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Ferrell Center
- Faculty Senate Retreat- August 21, 1 to 4:30 p.m., BRIC 3160
Academic Leadership Seminar
The Academic Leadership Seminar, which is mandatory for deans, associate deans, vice provosts, and department chairs, will be held on Monday, August 3, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Questions? Contact Office of the Provost.
Baylor Institute for Aviation Sciences
The Baylor Institute for Aviation Sciences is now organizationally housed within the School of Engineering and Computer Sciences. This adjustment reflects a change in administrative oversight and does not involve any physical relocation of the institute’s facilities.
Chair Leadership Retreat
The department chair leadership retreat for the 2026-2027 academic year will take place on August 14 at the BRIC.
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 Tool for Analyzing Student Course Evaluations
Instructors: As you prepare for fall courses, we’d like to suggest exploring the new tool built into the student course evaluation system. “Instructor Insights” uses AI to analyze student responses and offer observations and recommendations. This can only be accessed by you as the instructor of the course.
Please note that chairs, deans, and other leaders cannot see this information and this analysis has no role in evaluation of faculty; your course data remains with Baylor and is not used to train other models.
Duration of Status Rule Change
The Duration of Status Rule Change was published on Friday, July 17, 2026. The CGE has an FAQ on the rule change on its website to provide answers to the most common questions for our students and scholars on F-1 and J-1 visas. The webpage will be updated regularly as more details become available.
SACSCOC becomes “The Commission”
As of September 1, 2026, Baylor’s institutional accreditor, SACSCOC, will officially become known as The Commission on Colleges and Universities. This change comes on the cusp of preparations for our 10-year on-site reaffirmation visit in spring 2027.
Office of the Registrar: Fall 2026 Finals
Beginning in fall 2026, the Office of the Registrar will implement a revised final exam schedule that aligns exam times more closely with regular class meeting times. This change is intended to create a more predictable, student friendly experience while still rotating exam days each term. Thank you to the Faculty Senate for advancing this improvement and for your continued partnership.
Information regarding the transition to semi-monthly pay can be found on the Semi-Monthly Payroll website.
Previous issues of the Provost Newsletter can be accessed on the Office of the Provost website.