Jump to content

Baylor University: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→‎History: Incorrect information
Line 162: Line 162:
* The Arbors
* The Arbors
* Baylor Plaza
* Baylor Plaza
* Brooks Village (opening 2007)
* Brooks Village
* North Village
* North Village
* Speight-Jenkins
* Speight-Jenkins

Revision as of 19:34, 26 August 2007

Baylor University
Baylor University seal
MottoPro Ecclesia, Pro Texana
(Latin for "For Church, For Texas")
TypePrivate, Baptist
Established1845
Endowment$1 billion[1]
PresidentDr. John M. Lilley
ProvostDr. Randall O'Brien
Academic staff
824
Students13,886
Undergraduates11,831
Postgraduates2,055
Address
One Bear Place, Waco, Texas, 76798
,
Waco
,
Texas
,
USA
CampusUrban, 735 acres (3 km²)
SportsBaylor Bears
ColorsGreen and Gold   
NicknameFile:Baylor University bear logo.png Bears
AffiliationsBig 12, ASAIHL
MascotJudge
Websitewww.baylor.edu

Baylor University is a private, Baptist-affiliated research university located in Waco, Texas. It is the largest Baptist university in the world by enrollment. Founded in 1845, Baylor is the oldest university in Texas operating under its original name. Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is a member of the Association of Southern Baptist Colleges and Schools.

The Baylor University campus is located just southeast of downtown Waco, roughly bounded by IH-35, Lasalle Avenue, Eighth Street and the Brazos River.

The university is known for its programs in business, law, music, and theology. Bachelor's, master's, doctorate and professional degrees are offered through eleven degree-granting academic units.

Baylor is one of two finalists to house the George W. Bush Presidential Library (the other being Southern Methodist University in Dallas, the Alma Mater of First Lady Laura Bush). Baylor's attributes include its central location and close proximity to Bush's Crawford Ranch. While Governor of Texas in the 1990's, Bush served as "Grand Marshal" of Baylor's homecoming parade.

History

In 1841, the delegates to the Union Baptist Association meeting, accepting the recommendation of the Reverend William Milton Tryon and Judge Robert Emmett Bledsoe Baylor, agreed to establish a Baptist university in the Republic of Texas. A petition was presented to the republic's Congress in 1844. The university was chartered in 1845 under Republic President Anson Jones and opened at Independence, Texas, as an all-male institution. Baylor's first fulltime fundraiser, Reverend James Huckins, the first Baptist missionary to Texas, is recognized by the university as the third founding father of Baylor. [2]

Six years later, Baylor's second president Rufus Burleson decided to separate the men from the women, and thus the Baylor Female College branched off from the main university, while Baylor University became an all-male institution. The city of Independence began suffering a decline because of the rise of neighboring cities serviced by the Santa Fe Railroad. Beginning in 1885, Baylor University moved to Waco and merged with Waco University, where Baylor's former second president Rufus Burleson was serving as president. That same year, the Baylor Female College moved to Belton, Texas and would later become known as the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. A Baylor College Park still exists in Independence as a memory of the bygone era. Around 1887, Baylor University began readmitting women, becoming a coeducational institution once again. The university was desegregated in 1964.[3]

During the American Civil War, the Baylor president was George Washington Baines, maternal great-grandfather of future U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson. Baines was also later a trustee of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

In 1900, three physicians founded the "University of Dallas Medical Department", in Dallas, despite the fact that a "University of Dallas" did not exist. In 1903, it was acquired by Baylor University and became known as the Baylor College of Medicine, remaining in Dallas. In 1943, Dallas civic leaders wanted to build larger facilities for the university in a new medical center, but only if the College of Medicine would surrender its denominational alliances with the General Baptist Convention. Baylor refused, and with funding from the M. D. Anderson Foundation and others, the College of Medicine moved to Houston. In 1969, the Baylor College of Medicine became independent from Baylor University. However, Baylor University and Baylor College of Medicine have entered into an agreement through the Baylor2 program that provides five Baylor undergraduates with an acceptance into Baylor College of Medicine. Additionally, Baylor University President and CEO John M. Lilley is a member of the Baylor College of Medicine Board of Trustees.

File:Oldbaylor.jpg
Burleson Quadrangle in the early 1900s

Amidst concerns of a potential conservative takeover, the university changed the terms of its charter in 1991 with the permission of the Texas legislature in order to establish a governance less directly dependent upon the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The Baptist General Convention of Texas continues to elect one-quarter of the members of the university's Board of Regents, Baylor's governing board.

Academic profile

According to annual rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, the university is currently tied for 75th place out of 248 national universities.[4] Highly ranked academic programs include the undergraduate engineering program at 20th place, the undergraduate business program at 38th place, and the entrepreneurship program at 14th place.[5] The University ranks in the top 15% of colleges and universities participating in the National Merit Scholarship program.[6]

Baylor University first received school accreditation in 1914 when it became an accredited member of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.[7] The Baylor College of Medicine received accreditation from Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1970.[8]

The university employs 804 full-time faculty members, of which just over 50% are tenured.[9]

Institutional organization

Pat Neff Hall

Baylor University is divided into eleven degree-granting academic units. Two of the units are designated as colleges while eight others are designated as schools. They are:

Additionally, the George W. Truett Theological Seminary is a unit of Baylor university.

While they share the Baylor name, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Baylor College of Dentistry and the Baylor Health Care System in Dallas are no longer affiliated with Baylor University.

Leadership

During its more than 160 years of educational service, Baylor University has had 15 presidents, whose leadership has shaped the growth of the institution.

  • 1846 - 1851: Henry Lee Graves, President
  • 1851 - 1861: Rufus C. Burleson, President
  • 1861 - 1863: George Washington Baines, President
  • 1864 - 1885: William Carey Crane, President
  • 1885 - 1886: Reddin Andrews, President
  • 1886 - 1897: Rufus C. Burleson, President
  • 1899 - 1902: Oscar Henry Cooper, President
  • 1902 - 1931: Samuel Palmer Brooks, President
  • 1932 - 1947: Pat Morris Neff, President
  • 1948 - 1961: William R. White, President
  • 1961 - 1981: Abner Vernon McCall, President
  • 1981 - 1995: Herbert H. Reynolds, President
  • 1995 - 2005: Robert B. Sloan, Jr., President
  • 2005 - 2006: William D. Underwood, Interim President
  • 2006 - present: John M. Lilley, President

Baylor 2012

File:Baylor2012.jpg
Baylor 2012 logo

In 2000, the university sought to expand its vision of a scholarly institution with a strong sense of Christianity. Baylor, under then-President Robert Sloan Jr., created a written statement to detail the exact goals of this vision. This statement was appropriately titled, Baylor 2012, the year by which the school hopes to achieve its aims. The university intends to "enter the top tier of American universities while reaffirming and deepening its distinctive Christian mission."[10] It was presented in September 2001, and approved by the Board of Regents shortly afterwards. The Vision is based upon twelve key imperatives designed to create a more fulfilling educational experience in a unique Christian environment. The twelve imperatives are:

  1. Establish an environment where learning can flourish
  2. Create a truly residential campus
  3. Develop a world-class faculty
  4. Attract and support a top-tier student body
  5. Initiate outstanding new academic programs in selected areas
  6. Guide all Baylor students, through academic and student life programming, to understand life as a stewardship and work as a vocation
  7. Provide outstanding academic facilities
  8. Construct useful and aesthetically pleasing physical spaces
  9. Enhance involvement of the entire Baylor family
  10. Build with integrity a winning athletic tradition in all sports
  11. Emphasize global education
  12. Achieve a two-billion dollar endowment

Baylor 2012 has encountered opposition since its inception. Some allege that the Vision led to a polarization of faculty opinion that culminated in the resignation of President Robert Sloan Jr. in June 2005 (it should be noted that Baylor's Faculty Senate has unanimously endorsed Vision 2012 each time it has come before it). Opponents argue that the Vision will limit academic freedom and hinder intellectual growth due to an excessive focus on Christian interpretation.[11] Others predict that rising tuition costs needed to implement the Vision will reduce enrollment and render many middle-class families unable to afford a Baylor education.

However, Baylor's administration has countered that increased tuition costs are comparable to those of other private universities and that preserving and strengthening Christian values at the university is of paramount importance. As of February 2006, the university has received a record number of applications from both freshmen and transfer students.[12]

Student life

For the fall 2006 semester, Baylor University had 11,831 undergraduate and 2,209 graduate and professional students in 145 baccalaureate programs, 76 masters, and 22 doctoral programs. Baylor enrollment typically includes students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and approximately 90 foreign countries. Baylor is among the 11% of US colleges and universities to have a Phi Beta Kappa chapter.[13]

Housing

Baylor currently offers several choices for on-campus living. As part of Vision 2012, Baylor strives to have a large percentage of students living on campus. Due to the rapid growth of the university, Baylor cannot keep up with the construction projects needed to accommodate the entire student body.

Currently, Baylor offers seven dormitories for incoming freshmen, and eleven dormitories in all - all of which are single-sex. In addition to the dormitories, Baylor currently owns and operates four co-ed apartment complexes in the rear part of campus that are available for upperclassmen.

The first residence community to be built in over forty years was completed in 2004 as part of the Vision 2012. North Village, which currently houses 600 students of the Engineering School as well as upperclassmen, offers a more apartment style option for students in three adjacent buildings. The community features a courtyard area with a garden area and community center/study area and cafe.

In 2006, Brooks Hall, the oldest dormitory on campus, was demolished to make room for the new Brooks Village which will house 716 students, more than three times as many as the former hall. The new facility will feature a new dining hall, a chapel, and a new field for student activity use. The new development will consist of Brooks Village - on-campus apartment accomodations similar to North Village - and Brooks College - Baylor's first co-ed residential dormitory, modeled after the residential college systems found at Oxford University and other elite schools. In addition, a new 800 car parking garage will be built across the street from the facility to accommodate students living on the southern part of campus.

Due to the rapid growth in the university's student population, the current percentage of those living on campus is only 35 percent, with all residence facilities at capacity.

Current traditional dorm-style residences are as follows:

  • Alexander (male)
  • Allen (male)
  • Collins (female)
  • Dawson (female)
  • Kokernot (female)
  • Martin (male)
  • Memorial (female)
  • North Russell (female)
  • Penland (male)
  • South Russell (female)
  • Brooks College (Co-Ed, divided into east and west)

Apartment-style living options on campus are comprised of:

  • The Arbors
  • Baylor Plaza
  • Brooks Village
  • North Village
  • Speight-Jenkins

Campus Living & Learning Web Site

Greek organizations

There are 24 fraternities and 20 sororities at Baylor. Many of the current Greek organizations were local clubs until 1977 when Baylor allowed national affiliations. Pi Beta Phi known as (Alpha Omega) and Phi Delta Theta known as the (Tryon Coterie), are the two oldest continuously on-campus Greek organizations at Baylor University. Alpha Phi Alpha became the first black greek-letter fraternity on campus in 1993.[14]

Today, Baylor has many chapters of national Greeks and is home to several local Greek groups as well. Baylor has a high rate of male participation in Texas, with roughly 25% of males participating in fraternities. However, unlike most universities which allow "Greek systems", Baylor does not permit such student organizations to have their own residences, or "Fraternity houses."

Research and endowment

Baylor was recently invited to join the Collider Detector at Fermilab, one of the world's largest experimental physics collaborations.

Although the University was founded as a teaching institution, research has long been an important part of its academic life. The University is also working to strengthen the current research environment as part of Baylor 2012. To that end, the University recently completed construction of a 500,000 square foot science complex that will facilitate research on a variety of subjects.

In 2005, the University was invited to join the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) collaboration at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois.[15] The project is one of the world's largest experimental physics collaborations.

In 2006, the Carnegie Foundation upgraded the University's classification to "Research University" status with "High Research Activity," opening the door to many new research opportunities.

The university's endowment passed $1 billion in 2007.[16]

Athletics

Main article: Baylor Bears

Baylor's men's sports teams are nicknamed the Bears, and the women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Bears. Student athletes participate in the NCAA's Division I. Baylor is the only private school in the Big 12 Conference. Prior to joining the Big 12, Baylor was a member of the Southwest Conference from the conference's charter in 1914 until its dissolution in 1996. Baylor has carried over its rivalries from the now-defunct Southwest Conference, the most important of which are with Texas A&M University and with the University of Texas at Austin.

Baylor has won two NCAA titles. In 2004, the men's tennis team defeated UCLA in the championship game. In 2005, the Baylor Lady Bears basketball team beat Michigan State in the championship game.

Traditions

All University Sing

All University Sing is an annual spring semester variety show featuring clubs and organizations on campus. The first All University Sing was held by the Tryon Coterie club (now Baylor Phi Delta Theta) in 1953 with eight clubs singing three songs each. In 1958, Pigskin Revue was added as a Homecoming event that featured the best acts from the previous spring's competition. Up until 1963 the event was primarily groups singing in the style of a choir on a riser. Since then the event has grown to the include high energy Broadway style song and dance numbers. In 2003, Baylor celebrated 50 Years of Sing with commemorative books, DVDs and reunions.

Alma mater

Baylor University's alma mater is That Good Old Baylor Line. In 1906 a student penned humorous words to the tune of "In the Good Old Summer Time" and they became generally accepted among the student body as the school song. However, in 1931, Mrs. Enid Eastland Markham, wife of music professor Robert Markham, feeling the words were not dignified enough nor representative of the total University, wrote new lyrics which were presented in chapel in November and soon sanctioned as the official school song. The "Good Old Summer Time" tune was later arranged to fit Mrs. Markham's "Baylor Line" through the work of Jack Goode, Donald I. Moore and Charles F. Brown.

That Good Old Baylor Line,
That Good Old Baylor Line,
We'll march forever down the years,
As long as stars shall shine.
We'll fling our Green and Gold afar
To light the ways of time,
And guide us as we onward go:
That Good Old Baylor Line!

Diadeloso

Every spring since 1934, Baylor takes a day off from classes for a spring holiday which since 1967 has been known as Diadeloso (Spanish for day of the bear). The Baylor University Chamber of Commerce organizes the event which consists of entertainment of all types - tug o' war contests, 3-on-3 basketball, ping pong, indoor soccer, board game tournaments, comedians, an all-University dance, multi-player console games, gospel choirs, etc. This tradition often baffles new professors because class is not in session.

Fight song

Old Fite
Bear down you Bears of old Baylor U, we're all for you, GO BEARS!
We're gonna show dear old Baylor spirit through and through
Go on and fight them with all your might, you Bruins bold
And win all our victories for the Green and Gold.
B
A
Y
L
O
R
Baylor-Bears-Fight
Go on and fight them with all your might, you Bruins bold
And win all our victories for the Green and Gold.
B-A-Y-L-O-R, Baylor Bears Fight.

Composed by Richard D. Baker, who also created BRH, the Baylor Religious Hour Choir, during his years at the University.

Golden Wave Marching Band

Main article: Baylor University Golden Wave Band

The Baylor University Golden Wave Marching Band (BUGWB) is the current halftime entertainment for Baylor football. The band attends every home football game at Floyd Casey Stadium. They also travel with the team to provide support at rival schools. The band attends all pep rallies in the fall. They march in the annual Homecoming Parade and other Homecoming events. With a current membership of 275 members, the Golden Wave Marching Band is the largest student organization on campus, and is dedicated to enhancing the Baylor Spirit.

Homecoming

Baylor celebrated its first Homecoming in 1909 and it has become an annual event since then. Traditional activities include Pigskin Revue, a song and dance featuring the top acts from the previous spring's All University Sing; Freshman Mass Meeting, where freshmen hear the story of the Immortal Ten and are charged with guarding the Eternal Flame until the building of the bonfire; and a pep rally and bonfire on Friday evening. Baylor is also home to the oldest and longest collegiate homecoming parade in the United States.[17] Since the mid 1930s, the Baylor Chamber has been responsible for funding, coordinating and executing the majority of the aspects of Baylor's Homecoming activities.

Immortal Ten

In January of 1927 a bus carrying the Baylor basketball team collided with a speeding train in Round Rock, Texas. Ten members of the traveling party were killed and many others were injured in the accident. Each year at Homecoming the story of the Immortal Ten is told again to the new freshman class at the Freshman Mass Meeting. The names of the ten are called out. In 1996, the senior class provided initial funding to create and place an Immortal Ten statue on campus. Fundraising and discussions about where to place the statues continued off and on over the ensuing years. Sculpture artist Bruce Greene's statues are expected to be placed on campus and unveiled in 2007. [18] [19] [20] [21]

Mascot

Main article: Judge (mascot)

The school mascot is the American black bear. There are currently two live bears, nicknamed "Joy" and "Lady", and both of them live in a habitat on campus.

The first live bear was donated by local businessman Herbert E. Mayr in 1917 after winning the bear in a poker game with members of the 107th Engineer Battalion.[citation needed] Mayr had kept a bear cub as a pet and was often seen walking the cub near "The Circle" in Waco before he donated the animal to Baylor University. The Baylor University Chamber of Commerce is responsible for all aspects of the program including care, facility upkeep, and training. Currently there are two American black bears on campus named Judge Joy Reynolds and Judge Sue Sloan; students affectionately refer to them as Joy and Lady.

The university recently finished renovation of the Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat, a $1 million facility which includes a 13-foot (4-meter) waterfall, 3 pools, 2 dens, grass, and eye-level viewing. The facility is a USDA licensed Class C Zoo and is held to the same standards as any other zoological exhibit. Visitors can see the bears up close and learn more about North American black bears. The bear habitat is a favorite spot for visitors and students of all ages.

The NoZe Brotherhood

Main article: The NoZe Brotherhood

The NoZe Brotherhood, an unofficial fraternal organization founded in 1924, provides the university with unusual public pranks and satirical writings in its newspaper The Rope. When in public as a NoZe brother, members wear traditional Groucho Marx-style mask disguises and outlandish costumes to keep their student identities secret. Faculty and students outside of the organization are typically split on their opinion of the group's humor. In some cases, the NoZe Brotherhood's actions and publications have been considered highly offensive and controversial by the Baylor community. Traditionally during commencement, NoZe Brothers will wear their glasses or have them around their necks as they receive their diploma to signify that they partook in the society.

Other notable facts

File:Insidelibrary.jpg
A study area inside the Armstrong Browning Library
  • The Baylor Rockwall is the largest freestanding rockwall in the state of Texas.
  • Baylor is home to the Armstrong Browning Library, which houses the world's largest and finest collection of items and manuscripts related to the Victorian era poets Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and is believed to be home to the largest collection of secular stained glass in the world.
  • The IBM sponsored ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) is headquartered at Baylor's School of Engineering and Computer Science. The contest shines the spotlight on the brightest students of computing in the world, and past finalists are found in most of the world's information technology research and development centers.
  • Dr. Vivian Malone-Mayes, the fifth African-American woman to ever receive a Ph.D. in mathematics in the United States and the first at the University of Texas, was the first African-American faculty member at Baylor starting in 1966 after being denied a position by the university in 1961 solely on the grounds of her race. She retired in 1994 due to poor health.
  • This first official dance on Baylor's campus was held on April 18, 1996. Although Baylor's student handbook had never officially prohibited dancing, there were no on-campus dances as a matter of tradition for the first 151 years of the university's existence.[22] Dance societies now meet weekly on campus, and classes are taught in social dance.
  • During the War of 1812, Cyrus Baylor, brother of R. E. B. Baylor, was cited for his bravery with the presentation of a gold sword by President Jackson. In 1957 it was given to Baylor University. In 1974, Baylor president Abner V. McCall suggested that the sword be used to form the focal point of a ceremonial "symbol of authority." A timber from one of Old Main's towers was used to construct a base and center pole. Walking canes of former Baylor President Rufus C. Burleson and General Sam Houston, who had been baptized by Burleson and had been a supporter of the University, were linked to the sword to form the Mace. It is used at all University commencement exercises and at other special ceremonies.

Photo gallery

See also

Notable people

Main article: List of Baylor University people

There are over 110,000 living Baylor alumni. Alumni and others associated with the university have had success in the fields of politics, arts, athletics, and scholarship, to name a few.

Notable persons to attend Baylor include Texas governors Pat Neff, Mark White and Ann Richards, Rebekah Baines (mother of president Lyndon B. Johnson), hall of fame Chicago Bears linebacker Mike Singletary, Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane (who was a Baylor Regent), Olympic gold medalists Michael Johnson, Jeremy Wariner and Darold Williamson, legendary football coach Hayden Fry, actress Crystal Bernard, hall of fame women's basketball coach Jody Conradt, ESPN sports personality Trey Wingo and CEO of Hewlett-Packard, Mark Hurd.

Baylor University counts more Governors of Texas among its alumni than any other institution.

References

  1. ^ "Waco Tribune-Herald" (html).
  2. ^ http://www.baylor.edu/about/index.php?id=5561
  3. ^ http://www.baylor.edu/Lariat/news.php?action=story&story=39141
  4. ^ http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/t1natudoc_brief.php
  5. ^ http://www.baylor.edu/business/management
  6. ^ http://www.baylor.edu/irt/index.php?id=34195
  7. ^ http://www.sacscoc.org/dtails.asp?instid=15920
  8. ^ http://www.sacscoc.org/dtails.asp?instid=15840
  9. ^ "Profile of Full-Time Faculty Fall 2005 and Fall 2006" (PDF). Baylor University Office of Institutional Research & Testing. 2006-10-23. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
  10. ^ http://www.baylor.edu/vision/pdf/vision_full.pdf
  11. ^ Houppert, Karen (2005-12-01). "Professing Faith". Mother Jones. Retrieved 2007-03-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ Fogleman, Lori (2006-02-06). "Soaring Freshman Applications Leads To Early Wait List". Baylor University. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
  13. ^ "Baylor University" (PDF). Baylor University Office of Institutional Research and Testing. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
  14. ^ http://www.baylor.edu/Lariat/news.php?action=story&story=39141
  15. ^ http://www.baylor.edu/pr/news.php?action=story&story=34343
  16. ^ http://www.wacotrib.com/hp/content/news/stories/2007/07/25/07252007wacbaylorregents.html
  17. ^ http://www.baylor.edu/homecoming/splash.php
  18. ^ http://www.wacotrib.com/hp/content/news/stories/2007/02/04/02042007wactheimmortalten.html
  19. ^ http://www.baylor.edu/homecoming/index.php?id=28760
  20. ^ http://www.baylor.edu/about/index.php?id=5560
  21. ^ http://baylorbears.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/012207aaa.html
  22. ^ http://www.baylor.edu/pr/news.php?action=story&story=1052

External links

History

Official websites

Major Academic Units

For Alumni & Friends

Campus Museums

Publications

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Baylor_University&oldid=153797462"