Commitment III

Building A Vibrant, Caring, Global Community

A vibrant, caring, global community is a cornerstone of the Baylor experience. This sense of Christian community is most often cited by students, faculty, staff and alumni as a strength of the University. We must be attentive to our Baylor community culture, nurturing growth in existing areas while also seeking new opportunities to illustrate how our differences make us stronger. Baylor will strive to be a place where civility, respect and the ability to communicate in a way that is invitational to others are the mark of leadership, and where every student, faculty, staff and administrator is a reflection of God’s love for every person.

A key area of emphasis as Baylor grows its global impact will continue to be Latin America, the University’s closest international neighbor. We intend to increase our portfolio of national and international academic partners to include faith-based organizations. In addition, as the network of Baylor Alumni has expanded around the globe, we have an opportunity to better maximize these connections with students, faculty and staff that align with the University’s mission and strategic priorities.

The vibrancy of our Baylor community also is found in the beauty and distinctiveness of the cultural and performing arts studied, created, written, performed and directed by our faculty and students and curated in our museums and galleries. As we partner with our Waco neighbors and others from across Texas and the United States, we open doors of understanding and hospitality that will transform our campus, our hometown and our world. We sincerely appreciate our responsibility to be good neighbors and contributing members of our Waco community and to the state of Texas and beyond.

This important foundation of the Baylor experience serves to enliven our work through the Strategies in Commitment III.

Strategies

1. Establish Baylor as a leader in preparing active, engaged citizens who interact with others with civility and respect.
   1. Institutionalize efforts focused on fostering growth in civil discourse on campus and in the community.
   2. Integrate opportunities in academic programs for students to practice civil discourse.
   3. Strengthen and nurture our care, connections, and Christian community across categories
      of difference, whether they are categories of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, national origin or ability.
2. Increase the sense of holistic wellbeing and belonging for our faculty and staff.
3. Grow the number, scope and scale of international partnerships with universities, industry, non-profits, government and non- government organizations and faith-based organizations.
4. Build upon existing work focused on Baylor’s nearest global neighbor, Latin America.
   1. Enhance Latin America-focused faculty hiring and development.
   2. Support collaborative scholarship to continue growth in work begun in the past five years.
   3. Prioritize domestic and international partners and locations that provide an opportunity for meaningful, multipoint engagement.
5. Increase the visibility and vitality of the cultural and performing arts throughout the campus.
   1. Integrate cultural and performing arts experiences into more undergraduate majors and programs at Baylor so that more students experience a range of in-person creative arts interactions before graduation.
   2. Utilize the cultural and performing arts to celebrate diversity of thought and elevate intercultural understanding.
6. Foster enduring connections within the Baylor Family by actively engaging current students, alumni, parents and friends from across the globe in meaningful activities that align with the University’s mission and strategic priorities.
   1. Align and strengthen the connectivity of the Baylor Family with a focus on advancing the enrollment and student success strategies that will equip Baylor students to flourish.
   2. As a continuation of our commitment to Baylor students, develop a comprehensive engagement strategy focused on supporting our alumni to flourish in their personal and professional lives.
7. Develop opportunities to build a strong sense of community and mutual learning throughout Baylor’s primary location in Waco and everywhere Baylor programs operate.
   1. Expand opportunities and partnerships with the Waco community to include government, business, non-profit entities and churches.
   2. Expand opportunities for students to engage in meaningful service and learn from community experts in those areas where Baylor programs operate.