Baylor’s Strategic Plan is grounded in our Christian mission and guided by four foundational pillars that have shaped the University over the course of its history. These pillars remind us that Baylor’s firm foundation will stand the test of time.
Distinctive Christian Environment and Impact
Throughout our history, Baylor has remained steadfast in the pursuit of academic excellence animated by Christian faith. Baylor remains a place where the Lordship of Jesus Christ is embraced, studied and celebrated. Through intentional, campus- wide emphasis on Christian values and perspectives, Baylor prepares students to serve as leaders in their professions and communities who have the faith and integrity to do what is right in the face of competing pressures.
As the University’s research efforts have grown, so has the opportunity to demonstrate how scholarly discovery inspired by faith brings knowledge and wisdom and how a preeminent Christian research university offers a distinctive voice and presence in the contemporary world. Baylor’s designation as an R1 research institution has served as a rallying cry for world-class researchers seeking an institution where their faith and their research interests not only co-exist but thrive. Our faculty are committed to preparing students at all levels by applying the latest knowledge in their fields while also recognizing the importance of helping students see their education as a reflection of their calling, each in unique ways, to offer their gifts and talents in the service of God and others.
Transformational Undergraduate Educational Experience
Baylor provides undergraduate students a transformational education in which they develop their leadership potential, explore their faith and beliefs, enliven their passion for learning, broaden their worldviews, and prepare for service in a diverse and interconnected global society.
The Baylor experience blends classroom learning with opportunities outside the classroom to connect academic and creative strengths to the needs of others. Students pursue experiential learning opportunities in the local community and beyond that help prepare them to become leaders who offer the grace and peace of Christ to each other and to the world, shape their understanding of human dignity and worth, and recognize their callings to positively impact challenges facing our state, nation and world.
Embodying Baylor’s distinctive integration of Christian faith and intellectual life, our faculty members are distinguished scholars who value teaching undergraduate students. Faculty and staff members alike care deeply for our students, providing mentorship both within and beyond the classroom to help students meet their academic challenges head-on while also preparing them for success beyond Baylor.
Impactful Research, Scholarship and Graduate Education
Research is more than an academic enterprise in and of itself at Baylor. Across our nationally recognized academic divisions, Baylor utilizes its institutional capabilities and faculty research expertise for the mutual benefit of our students and advancements that impact society’s biggest challenges. We have grown our support of academic programs, research and creative endeavors that increase human knowledge, explore artistic frontiers and address real-world concerns.
A heightened emphasis on scholarship and post-baccalaureate education has served to create an environment increasingly characterized by intellectual achievement and ambitious goals. In turn, the increased presence and active engagement of graduate students at Baylor continues to expand the University’s impact on the world. With master’s degrees and doctorates in hand, these accomplished men and women pursue careers in fields across business and industry, academia and the medical professions. In doing so, they carry the faith-based education they experienced at Baylor into other communities and serve as ambassadors for Baylor’s excellence in higher education.
We continue to build a robust research enterprise on the foundation of our designation as an R1 research institution. Having secured a seat at the table, Baylor now pursues opportunities to contribute at a high level to the global challenges and is intentionally defining societal concerns that we wish to better understand and influence. By focusing our work in this way for the future, we will expand the impact of Baylor research, scholarship and graduate education beyond the academy.
Renowned Programs in the Arts and Athletics
Throughout history, the arts have been crucial in facilitating human ability to think and act critically and creatively. Our ability as humans to address big problems is enriched and expanded by exposure to creative and performing arts produced hundreds of years ago and to those that reflect the times in which we now live. Seeing beyond the surface and recognizing the value of individual interpretation and thought is critical to the development of leaders who will impact their communities and professions in meaningful ways.
Participation in creative and performing arts and athletic endeavors cultivates in students the ability to work toward a common goal alongside individuals who are different from them. That interdependence develops their understanding of collaboration and builds bonds that cross cultural boundaries. The resulting performance or athletics contest illustrates to viewers the value of each individual’s contributions to the success of the whole.
At Baylor, blending challenging academics and experiences with high-quality creative and performing arts and athletics events further distinguishes the University as we build community and prepare students for leadership and service. Rich traditions are built around athletic events, artistic exhibits and music and theatre performances that invite the local community into the life of the University.
Collegiate athletics is at a crossroads. Factors beyond our control will set our course in the coming years. Even when faced with unknown challenges, we remain steadfast in our commitment to care for each student-athlete as a person created in the image of God, gifted in unique ways both on the field or court, and in the academic pursuits that will shape their futures as Champions for Life.