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Gifts like the Robinsons keep Baylor affordable

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in : Baylor 2012, Alumni

As college tuition costs have risen across the nation in recent years, many parents are wondering how they will ever afford a college education for their children.

The desire to fund more scholarships for students is at the heart of Baylor’s push towards a $2 billion endowment (an important part of Vision 2012). Thankfully, Baylor alums are stepping up to the plate; just this week, a $5 million gift from Clifton and Betsy Robinson was announced that will endow new scholarships for students in the Honors College.

For 2007-08, Baylor awarded more than $23 million in need-based scholarships alone. Future gifts like the Robinsons’ will help the University keep Baylor affordable for all deserving students. To find out how you can help, click on the “Give to Baylor” link on the right side of this page.

Sic ’em, Robinsons!

Two Baylor profs make ALA Top 10 books list

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in : Baylor 2012, Research, Honors

Not one, but two books by Baylor professors made the American Library Association’s list of the Top 10 Books in Religion for 2007.

The Listening Heart: Vocation and the Crisis of Modern Culture, by the late Dr. A.J. “Chip” Conyers, and Discovering God: The Origins of the Great Religions and the Evolution of Belief, by Dr. Rodney Stark, were among the list of 10 books that were honored in what the ALA noted was an exceptional year for books on religion.

Before his death from cancer in 2004, Dr. A.J. “Chip” Conyers was one of Truett Seminary’s first professors. A prolific writer, Conyers finished his final book not long before his death. Stark is the co-director for Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion, which gained national recognition for the University last year for its survey on American religious beliefs.

An honor like this is nice recognition that Baylor professors are among the leaders in the study of religion — one of the goals of Baylor’s Vision 2012, and a status befitting the world’s largest Baptist university.

Sic ’em, Baylor professors!

Success starts here

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in : Baylor 2012, Academics

Last week I took a tour of the new Paul L. Foster Success Center following its dedication. If I hadn’t known I was walking into the old Sid Richardson building, I would never have believed that this was the same place where I fought my way through so many math and science classes just a few years ago.

The basement (which previously housed the Strecker Museum) and first floor have been completely renovated, creating space to bring together various academic agencies that previously were scattered across campus. Now under one roof are Academic Advisement, Academic Support, the Office of Access and Learning Accomodation, Career Counseling, and Career Services.

Success Center administrators say that response to the new center has been overwhelming. Moving all of these services into one place in the heart of campus has resulted in an exponential increase in student drop-ins, faculty referrals, testing services and tutoring assignments. Now if students come in with a question, they need only to be directed across the hall instead of across campus to get the help they need.

Creating the Success Center was one of the key parts of Baylor 2012’s first imperative: “Establish an environment where learning can flourish.” If early returns are any indication, we’re well on our way.

Sic ’em, Success Center!

Baylor draws top students

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in : Baylor 2012, Academics

Provost Randall O’Brien made a couple of points in a speech to faculty and staff last month that I’ve been meaning to write about.

First, he noted that Baylor’s first-year scholarship dollars have more than doubled in the last five years, from $12 million in 2002 to $25 million this year. That increase almost certainly has played a direct part in the sharp increase in applications and the corresponding rise in quality of our undergraduate student body — an important part of Baylor’s Vision 2012.

That same imperative — “to attract and support a top-tier student body” — also applies to Baylor’s graduate programs. In the same speech, O’Brien pointed out that the average GRE score of Ph.D. students has increased 94 points since 2002, placing us ahead of pace for our 2012 goal.

Sic ’em, student body!

Touring Brooks Village

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in : Baylor 2012, Student life

A lot of people have compared the new Brooks College’s design to the Hogwarts School described in the Harry Potter novels, and aesthetically, that’s not far off. In fact, much of the college’s look was modeled after features at Oxford — which just happened to have served as a filming location for the Harry Potter movies.

With the opening of Brooks Village (which includes both Brooks College and Brooks Flats), nearly 40 percent of Baylor students are living on campus this fall — up from 29 percent in 2001. Baylor is steadily marching towards the goal of having half the student body living on campus by 2012.

Waco’s KCEN Channel 6 did a nice story on Brooks last month after touring the college. Take a look:

Sic ’em, Brooks residents!

Quality and quantity seen in Baylor enrollment numbers

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in : Baylor 2012, Student life, Honors

With almost a month of classes gone by already, Baylor released some official numbers Tuesday that look outstanding.

As you may have heard, interest in Baylor is on the rise. For the fifth straight year, high school student applications set a new Baylor record; 26,514 students applied to start school this fall, blowing away the 7,986 applications received just six years ago.

Some of the increased interest might have to do with the improved financial aid available. Baylor was able to provide financial aid packages combining scholarships, federal loans and work study jobs to cover more than 70 percent of the total financial need of students who qualified for such assistance.

Overall enrollment is 14,174 students, the second-largest total in school history, with undergraduate retention climbing to 88 percent. Retention for first-year students jumped from 84.2 percent in fall 2006 to 85.6 for fall 2007. Minority enrollment among freshmen rose from 24.1 percent a year ago to 29 percent this fall.

Baylor hasn’t sacrificed quality for quantity, either. The freshman class has a record average SAT score of 1219, and 40 percent of the class graduated in the top 10 percent. Is this a top-tier student body? Sure looks good to me!

Sic ’em, student body!

Habitat helpers

Posted by The Baylor Proud Team in : Baylor 2012, Photo Galleries, Student life

As part of Welcome Week, new Baylor students spent Saturday helping improve the Waco community. Many students worked to help clean up Downtown Waco, while others framed a house on campus for Habitat for Humanity. Click here or on the image for a slideshow of their efforts.

Looks like these new students are already quickly learning the importance of being good stewards of the talents they have been given.

Sic ’em, new Baylor Bears!