Provost Newsletter - October 2026

Dear Colleagues,

Baylor's annual Homecoming, held this year from November 2-7, is always a special time for our community to celebrate together. As Baylor looks ahead to this week in early November, I encourage you, as faculty and staff, to participate in the week's events and activities as you are able, and to make every effort to welcome and connect with the visitors who come to and around campus.

Homecoming provides valuable opportunities to engage with current students, alumni, prospective students, and their families while showcasing the distinctive strengths of a Baylor education. At a time when competition for students is greater than ever, these interactions can make a meaningful difference in both recruitment and retention and are a natural extension and a hallmark of our Christian mission and hospitality.

Thank you for the many ways you support our students and represent Baylor with excellence. 

Lee Nordt
Interim Provost

Academic Affairs Announcements

Upcoming Events

• Readers Meet the Author: Dr. Ronald Angelo Johnson- October 27, 12 to 1 p.m., Schumacher Flex Commons, Moody Memorial Library

Reminder: Save a Backup of Canvas Data
As a precaution each semester, ITS encourages all faculty to save backups of their Canvas gradebook and quizzes in case of a technical disruption. Please plan to download your gradebook by midterms and again before finals. Visit Baylor's Teaching During Disruptions page for additional information and instructions. Thank you for your partnership in safeguarding course information. 

Baylor Email Use Reminder
As a reminder, under Baylor University Personnel Policy 025, faculty information related to University academic business and all staff work data must be stored on Baylor-owned, licensed, or operated technology resources.

In keeping with this policy, Baylor email accounts may not be forwarded, either automatically or manually, to personal email accounts, nor should Baylor email be accessed or responded to from an external account. If your Baylor email is currently connected to a non-Baylor email service (such as Gmail, Yahoo, Proton Mail, or another provider), please disconnect that connection immediately to ensure compliance with policy and data security requirements.

Vice Provost's Corner

Payroll Readiness Journey Past Due
Faculty who have not completed the Semi-Monthly Payroll Readiness Journey in Ignite should do so as soon as possible. The journey provides important information about Baylor’s transition to a semi-monthly payroll schedule beginning January 2027. 

Helpful links:

• Access the journey in Ignite
• View the Semi-Monthly Payroll Website
• Submit questions or request a meeting
• Visit the Faculty Contract Transition Website

New Undergraduate Essay Award: AI, Community, and Belonging
Baylor’s new Community, Engagement, and Belonging Undergraduate Essay Award invites undergraduates from all disciplines to examine how artificial intelligence is affecting community, engagement, and belonging. Students will work with a faculty mentor to develop an original, research-supported essay, with monetary awards for the top three submissions. Faculty are encouraged to share this opportunity with students and consider mentoring an entrant. Submissions are due January 29, 2027. 

NCFDD Webinars
Check out these upcoming NCFDD webinars for faculty development! Activate your free NCFDD membership to register. 

• Demystifying the Publication Process: Advice from Journal Editors- October 23, 12 to 1 p.m., Online
• Impostorization: Moving Beyond Imposter Syndrome- November 6, 12 to 1 p.m., Online

Academy for Teaching and Learning

• Seminars for Excellence in Teaching (SETs) are returning to an in-person format this semester (with recordings available the following week)! Join us for an upcoming SET and enjoy community, refreshments, and powerful insights to improve your teaching.
• Our new Wintermester Faculty Institute will kick off this December! We will debut Faculty Institute Green: Scholarship and Service Focus from December 28 to January 15. This three-week intensive will focus on improving scholarly output, preparing tenure/promotion/review materials, and other aspects of professional growth. The application deadline has been extended to October 21. Apply today! 
• Be sure to check out the ATL LinkedIn page for our weekly #FacultyFeatureFriday! Nominate a friend or colleague who is doing great things in the classroom for an upcoming feature by connecting with our office. 

Awards Season
Nominations are now open for the Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year Award, Outstanding Faculty Awards, and University Distinguished Professor. Please note that there is a new category of Outstanding Faculty Awards – an award for interdisciplinary work. For details, see the Office of the Provost's Faculty Awards website.   

Cherry Award Nominations Open
The Cherry Award Committee seeks your help in identifying exceptional classroom teachers and encourages you to make a nomination by November 1. More information about the award can be found on the Cherry Award website.

Faculty Activity Reporting
Faculty are encouraged to update their FAR entries now and complete them by the end of the fall semester. All updates are due by January 15, or earlier if required by your dean. Updated training videos and additional support resources are available on the FAR webpage.

International Education Week 2026
International Education Week (IEW) runs November 9 to 13 and highlights the impact of global learning at Baylor through lectures, presentations, and interactive activities. Faculty and organizations are invited to submit an event by October 17 for inclusion in IEW marketing.

Dr. Benjamin F. Brown IV Fund for Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Scholarship
Full-time faculty across the University are invited to apply for the Brown Fund, which supports collaborative, interdisciplinary research or curriculum-development projects of global significance. Multiple awards of up to $25,000 are available for the 2027-28 fiscal year (June 1, 2027, to May 31, 2028). Applications are due by November 16. For more details, visit the Baylor in Washington Website. 

Two Internal Research Funding Opportunities for 2026-27
Research Incubator Awards (up to $60,000) will build interdisciplinary research communities around strategic areas: Human Flourishing or Advanced Materials and Manufacturing. Incubator Step 1 applications are due November 1. 

Applications for the University Research Committee (URC) Standard Awards of $5,000 to individual faculty are due March 19, 2027. 

Curriculum (CIM) and Catalog (CAT) Deadlines and Resources
For faculty involved in curricular changes, the Registrar provides training videos and documents for our CIM and CAT processes. Please also make sure you are aware of the deadlines for the 2027-2028 catalog. 

Final Exams and Grading Deadlines
The fall final exam schedule and fall grading deadlines are now available.

Student Success Events
Several exciting Student Success events are coming in October and early November, including the 10-year anniversary of the Free Farmer’s Market, the VETS Green Zone Training, and the First in Line Homecoming Tailgate Kickoff. Learn more about these special events (including opportunities to sign up and volunteer) online.

Student Achievement 
The Student Achievement webpage has been updated for 2026, documenting Baylor’s progress towards important metrics that align with our goals and mission. If you have any questions about these metrics, contact Institutional Effectiveness. 

Helping Students After Midterms 
Students seeking additional support after midterm exams can connect with the Study Skills Center for assistance with exam preparation, study strategies, and academic planning. Faculty may refer students through Navigate using a Progress Report or Academic Support referral option.

Supplemental Instruction Planning for Spring 
Departments will soon receive requests regarding Supplemental Instruction needs for the spring semester. Faculty feedback and student recommendations help identify qualified peer leaders and support future program planning.

McNair Scholars Applications Are Open
Applications are open for Baylor’s McNair Scholars Program, with a priority deadline of November 9. Faculty are encouraged to share the October 27 interest session and refer undergraduate students interested in research, graduate study, and pursuing a Ph.D. 

Spotlight on the Academy

George W. Truett Theological Seminary

Parchman Lecture with James Davison Hunter
Truett will host James Davison Hunter, LaBrosse-Levinson Distinguished Professor of Religion, Culture, and Social Theory at the University of Virginia, on November 9-10 for the Parchman Endowed Lectures. Learn more online!

Honors College

Drumwright Family Lecture
Join the Honors College on Oct. 26 for the Drumwright Family Lecture featuring Dr. O. Alan Noble. In “Living Well in a Time of Uncertainty,” Noble explores how practicing the virtues can help us navigate uncertain, chaotic times with wisdom and purpose. 

Information Technology Services

Information Technology Services
Happy National Cybersecurity Awareness Month! If you were assigned the required annual cybersecurity training on Ignite, complete it by October 23. Also, check out the latest article in the Computing Catalyst series featuring Dr. Clayton Mulvihill.  

Law School

Baylor Law Hosts McLennan County Adoption Day
Join Baylor Law School to celebrate families as adoptions are finalized at the 2026 McLennan County Adoption Day on Nov. 20 from 1 to 5 p.m. This year's "Adoptions Are Out of This World" theme will take guests on a journey from Hawaii to outer space.

Baylor Libraries, Museums, and the Press

Try Elsevier’s LeapSpace & Get to Know Some Insects
Throughout October, the Libraries have access to Elsevier’s LeapSpace, an AI-assisted research workspace, and need your feedback. Also, visit the Mayborn Museum’s new “Attack of the Bloodsuckers!” experience. 

Academic Units Deadlines Calendar

Additional deadlines are available on the Academic Units Deadlines calendar. 

• October 15- Chair sets the mandatory review meetings, which will take place by November 30 (for promotion to Senior Lecturer, Teaching Professor, Associate Professor with Tenure, Professor with Tenure, Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Associate Professor, Clinical Professor)
• October 20- Last date for available evaluating faculty to submit (in the electronic system) their Colleague Input Form for Academic Professionals seeking continuing appointment
• November 2- Deadline to submit Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year Award, Outstanding Faculty Awards, and the University Distinguished Professor nominations to deans 
• November 2- Packets are due in the electronic system by 10:59 p.m. (Central time) for promotion to Associate Librarian, Librarian, Senior Lecturer, Teaching Professor, Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Associate Professor, Clinical Professor, Associate Professor with Tenure, Professor with Tenure, and Academic Professional renewals
• November 2- Last date for the Promotion Committee for Academic Professionals seeking continuing appointment to submit their Promotion Committee Evaluation Form in the electronic system
• November 2- Last date to hold review meetings for Year 2 Tenure-Track
• November 10- Last date for available evaluating faculty to submit their Colleague Evaluation Form for Year 2 Tenure-Track in the electronic system 
• November 16- Last date for available evaluating faculty to submit their Colleague Input Form for promotion to Associate Librarian and Librarian in the electronic system 
• November 16- Last date for supervisors for Academic Professional renewals to submit their recommendation to the dean in the electronic system 
• November 16- Last date for the Promotion Committee Chair for Academic Professionals seeking continuing appointment to submit their promotion committee letter in the electronic system

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.