Artist rendering of the new Track and Field complex. (Courtesy Photo)

The Baylor University Board of Regents met today and approved names for buildings in East Village as well as spending measures for a new business school building and a new track facility.

The Gordon Teal Residential College, the north building, will be housing for engineering and computer science students. The south building has been named Hallie Earle Hall and will house the Science and Health Living and Learning Community. The middle building will serve as dining and administrative space and will be called East Village Dining Commons.

“We wanted to provide these residential communities with a strong sense of identity by seeking out meaningful names that were Baylor specific, historic in nature, inspirational and timeless, and applicable to a residential college and living and learning center environment. Out of our committee’s research arose the names of celebrated Baylor alumni Gordon Teal and Dr. Hallie Earle, who fit our criteria perfectly,” said Kevin Jackson, Ph.D., vice president for student life. “With the endorsement of their surviving family members and now with approval of the Board of Regents, we are excited for the future of Gordon Teal Residential College and Hallie Earle Hall, which will engage a new generation of students in living, learning, leadership and life-changing service while carrying on the bold commitment to excellence, which has always been a hallmark of Baylor.”

The Regents also approved $2.8 million to continue developments for a new business school building. The building is expected to be 275,000 square feet and will include a 350-seat auditorium and various new technologies. The total cost is estimated to be $100 million and ground could be broken in December.

The new track and field complex will be located to the east of Baylor Stadium. The facility was designed by Populous, the same company that designed Baylor Stadium. The new complex will cost $13.6 million and will accommodate 5,000 spectators. It will include a 6,000-square-foot team building, training room, meeting room, equipment space and a 13,500-square-foot indoor practice facility.

“It is a great and humbling day for the Baylor track and field family,” head coach Todd Harbour said. “It will be a huge blessing for us to be on campus with all of our other outstanding facilities. When completed, the overall facility, including the indoor workout area, will be one of the nation’s finest track and field complexes. We thank all who have been involved in making this a reality.”

The current facility, the Hart-Patterson Track and Field Complex, is located next to Floyd Casey Stadium. The new complex will move the team to campus on the banks of the Brazos. Construction is expected to begin this summer, and competition will begin in the spring of 2015.

Dr. Christopher Howard

By Kate McGuire

Staff Writer

Dan Hord III and Dr. Christopher Howard began their three-year Wednesday after being announced as the newest members to serve on the Board of regents by Chairman of the Board Richard Willis.

“Our board is working tirelessly to identify and appoint new regents who will bring to our board the high level of experience necessary to continue Baylor’s strong upward trajectory in the years to come,” Lori Fogleman, director of media communications at Baylor, wrote in an email to the Lariat.

“These two remarkably strong appointments testify to the dedication of the board’s work and the quality of their selection process,” Fogleman said.

Hord received his bachelor of Business Administration from Baylor in 1989 and has served as chief executive officer and president of Western International Gas and Cylinders, Managing Partner for the Western Property Group and Co-Managing Partner for the Hedloc Investment Co.

“He’s a Baylor guy,” Willis said. “A lot of time we’ll find regents from different boards within the schools at Baylor.”

Hord will serve on the Audit and Compliance Committee and the Academic and Student Affairs Committee because he has been active with Baylor.

Willis said Howard has background from the other boards on which Howard served.

“Dr. Christopher B. Howard has an incredible resume,” Willis said.

Howard is the current president of Hampden-Sydney College, Va.

He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Air Force Academy.

He then received his Master of Philosophy and Doctorate of Philosophy from Oxford University and his Master of Business Administration from Harvard. “Every member of the board is on two standing committees. We put them on something they are comfortable with and have expertise in,” Willis said.

Howard will, for now, serve on the Development Committee that deals with marketing for Baylor and the other committee he will serve on is being decided.

The new regents were nominated by the Administrative Affairs Committee. Part of the committee’s duties are to find potential candidates for regent positions, examining who they are and what they can contribute as a regent, according to Willis.

Willis said the board is currently working on completing the East Village project for the students and getting the new football stadium finished and ready in 18 months for athletics. Baylor Stadium is set to be done in fall 2014.“The next thing we will add will be academic related,” Willis said.

It’s a historic, but not unanticipated, move.

In the spring, the Board of Regents announced the appointment of a faculty member, Todd Still, chair of the Faculty Senate, and a student, Student Body President Kelly Rapp, as non-voting members of the Board of Regents. The new regents began serving their one-year terms at the beginning of the fiscal year.

This is the first time a student has been appointed to the Board of Regents, giving the student body an active voice in Board meetings. The same is true for the faculty regent.

Rapp said he is anxious to start serving the Baylor community as a regent.

“I am honored and humbled to serve and look forward to contributing in any way that I can,” Rapp said.

Other members of student government said they are excited about Rapp’s appointment.

“We’ve been actively pushing this, getting a student voice on the board, for years,” said Fort Worth sophomore Dallena Nguyen. Nguyen is a sophomore class senator. “We finally got it through, so it was a big deal when it passed,” Nguyen said.

“It’s such an honor for Kelly to serve on the Board of Regents. He loves Baylor and will do his best to serve the students like he is doing as student body president,” said Houston senior and internal vice president Brian Kim.

Having a student representative on the Board of Regents will allow students to have input in the various issues facing the university, Nguyen said.

“I know my opinions are getting put out as they’re making decisions,” Nguyen said. “I know one of my peers is in there putting my voice out there.”

Nguyen said she believes the student appointed to the Board of Regents will continue to be the student body president.

“As of right now, it will be the student body president because all of the students vote for the student body president, so he’s a good representative of the student body,” Nguyen said.

Rosalie Beck, associate professor of religion and former chair of the Faculty Senate, said she is also happy about the new appointments.

“We feel very, very fine about it,” Beck said. “It’s a wonderful idea to have the faculty be in contact with the Board of Regents. The Chair of the Senate is a logical choice, much like we’re pleased that Mr. Rapp has been selected to serve on the Board of Regents.”

Richard Willis, chairman of the Baylor Board of Regents, said of the new appointments that he wants to make sure the Board is serving Baylor by tackling issues important to students and faculty members.

“We’d really like to know what’s important to students,” Willis said. “What are the issues students are thinking about and what the faculty is thinking about.

Willis said the newly-appointed regents have only attended one meeting so far.

“There’s not a lot you can do at your first meeting,” Willis said. “The summer session is when we talk about ideas and direction. There’s not a lot of opportunity for them to do things, but it was great having them at the meeting.

Willis said it will take time for both positions to begin to see their influence.

“You can’t jump in and immediately have an impact,” Willis said.

Willis also said he hopes having a faculty member and student on the board will also allow students to understand how the Board works.

“It’s good for them to get information on what they do on the Board of Regents, why we decide to do things a certain way,” Willis said.

According to the Board of Regents bylaws, only the chairman of the Board of Regents speaks for the Board of Regents. Neither Rapp nor Still can offer comment as a regent.

Because of this, Willis said he is pleased with Rapp’s maturity despite being the only student on the board.

“He’s doing a great job,” Willis said of Rapp. “I admire him for what he does and that he has the maturity to do what the other regents do. The president speaks for the university and the chairman speaks for the Board of Regents and he understands that.”

The Baylor University Board of Regents met today to welcome new board members and approve both the 2012-2013 budget and the next strategic plan, Pro Futuris.

Pro Futuris is named to link Baylor’s plan for its future with its motto, Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana, a commitment to both its Christian mission and aspiration for global impact. The document will guide the administration for the next 10 years beginning June 1. Beginning in 2010, the strategic themes committee sought input from Baylor students, faculty, alumni and supporters, both before the draft plan was created and before it was revised.

The final approved version of Pro Futuris has few specific goals, though this is by design. Dr. Elizabeth Davis, executive vice president and provost, previously stated that Baylor 2012, the concluding strategic plan, featured some specific goals “that six, seven years later didn’t make sense. … so that’s what we want to avoid.” Baylor 2012, while falling short of many of its quantifiable goals, was seen as generally successful in expanding Baylor’s facilities, endowment, and research level.

The four “aspirational statements” of Pro Futuris focus on renewing Baylor’s focus on quality academics in both fields of learning and quality of teaching, expanding faculty and student research, furthering the university’s commitment of Christian service to society and fostering commitment from and financial partnership with the Baylor family, especially alumni.

Baylor’s newly approved 2012-2013 budget of $444.3 million, which will go into effect on June 1, is 3.7 percent larger than the 2011-2012 budget. Student scholarship allocations increased by a significant $19.6 million, while a $12.7 million (4.8 percent) increase in faculty and staff costs support eight new faculty positions, 32 new staff positions, and raises and increased stipends and funds for faculty, staff and students.

Three new regents were appointed by the Baptist General Convention of Texas, which selects one-quarter of the board. A fourth new regent was installed by the board and a current regent was reappointed.

The board also created one single-year non-voting position each to represent students and faculty.

Zach Rogers, the 2011-2012 student body president, campaigned on the issue of encouraging student representation on the Board of Regents in last year’s student body elections. Kelly Rapp, Rogers’ successor, was selected for the student post; he previously served as a student liason for the board.

Dr. Todd Still, Truett professor of Christian Scriptures and new Chair of the Faculty Senate, was selected for the faculty post. In recent years, Baylor faculty have stressed their general concern over communication with campus administration.

Below is the university’s release on the board meeting actions.

Baylor Regents Approve Pro Futuris, New Strategic Vision To Guide University Progress in Coming Decade

Board also approves operating budget for 2012-2013, elects new board members and officers, adds faculty and student body members to board

WACO, Texas (May 11, 2012) – After nearly two years of planning that included the active participation of faculty, students, staff, alumni and a community of friends throughout the nation, Baylor University Regents today unanimously approved a new strategic vision named Pro Futuris that will guide the University’s path over the next decade. The vision will go into effect on June 1, 2012.

The result of an open and participatory planning process led by Executive Vice President and Provost Elizabeth Davis, Pro Futuris follows on the heels of Baylor 2012, which ushered in a decade of unprecedented growth and development at Baylor impacting every area of University life. As approved today by Baylor Regents, the new strategic vision builds upon that remarkable progress, connecting Pro Futuris – “for our future” – with the University’s foundational motto – Pro Ecclesia (“for Church”), Pro Texana (“for Texas” and for the world).

“As we stand at the threshold of a new period in Baylor’s storied history, we understand the deeply significant work to which we have been called. We must impact the world from Baylor’s strong position at the crossroads of academic excellence and Christian faith,” said Baylor President Ken Starr. “This strategic vision is rooted in what we at Baylor have always considered non-negotiable – educational excellence, the pursuit of new knowledge, a caring community with a profound commitment to service and an active Christian faith. With the launch of our new vision, we have made clear that these characteristics will continue to define us for the duration of Pro Futuris – and ‘for all ages to come.’ I commend Baylor Regents, Provost Davis, the Executive Council and all of Baylor Nation for the valuable contribution of our new vision.”

Pro Futuris includes five aspirational statements that define the University’s principal direction. As developed in partnership with the entire University family, Baylor will be a community recognized for:

Transformational Education – where academic excellence and life-changing experiences ignite leadership potential that increases Baylor students’ desire for wisdom, understanding of calling and preparation for service in a diverse and interconnected global society;
Compelling Scholarship – where research discoveries illuminate solutions to significant challenges confronting the world and where creative endeavors reflect the breadth of God’s creation;
Informed Engagement – where Christian faith, in conjunction with Baylor’s expertise and resources, inspires a desire to address systemic problems facing the community, both local and global, and renews a dedication to improvement of self and service to others;
Committed Constituents – where the dedication of alumni and friends advances Baylor through sustained involvement and philanthropy;
Judicious Stewardship – where the value generated by and derived from a Baylor experience is supported through a diversity of revenues, prudent management of resources and the pursuit of outstanding quality and character in every area of University life.

Within these aspirational statements are areas of specification that codify broader themes and acts of determination, which reflect the aspiration and through a variety of original ideas will become operational plans. Davis noted that this structure enables contributions to the vision and to University progress from all members of the Baylor community. Some projects and initiatives already under way are noted to demonstrate the bridge connecting Baylor 2012 and Pro Futuris.

“It has been my honor and privilege to help guide and shepherd the development of Pro Futuris, which reflects the very best thinking of so many who love Baylor and wish to see our University prosper, both now and in the future,” Davis said. “I’m grateful for the active collaboration of the Board during the entire visioning process, for the many dedicated faculty and staff on our campus who developed thoughtful recommendations, and to alumni and friends both locally and nationally who spent hours engaged in serious conversation about the development of our future vision.

“We hold firm to the conviction that the world needs a preeminent research University that is unambiguously Christian; where such a commitment does not imply a lack of scholarly inquiry, but rather requires scholarship and creative endeavors at the highest levels of quality to complement and inform its teaching and service,” Davis said. “Pro Futuris serves as a compass for our future, a guide that clearly points us toward our destination while inviting creativity in determining the paths by which we will arrive. As we launch Pro Futuris, we are thankful for all that our University has been, and look forward to the promise of Baylor’s next decade of progress.”

“Anyone connected with Baylor University has been aware of our extraordinary positive momentum over the last 10 years, and the Board has long acknowledged our responsibility to continue to move Baylor forward into the next decade,” said Ronald D. Murff, BBA ’75, chair of the Regent committee appointed by the board to work with University administration in the development of the new plan. “For the past two years, I have been privileged to work alongside Provost Davis and the Executive Council as we considered all the very good input that has informed our new vision. Baylor Regents join the rest of the Baylor family in celebrating the launch of this inspirational vision for our future.”

In other business, Baylor Regents approved the 2012-2013 budget that reflects an increase of $15.8 million or 3.7 percent over the original 2011-2012 budget adopted by Baylor Regents last year. It includes an increase of $19.6 million to support merit and need-based scholarships, graduate assistantships and scholarships for graduate and professional students.

Personnel costs will increase by $12.7 million or 4.8 percent, which will support approximately eight new full-time faculty positions, 45 replacement faculty positions and 22 new staff positions. The budget also supports merit raises for faculty and staff, more competitive stipends for graduate assistants and increased funding for student workers. The budget takes effect June 1.

“Through God’s abundant grace and the continued prudent stewardship of our resources, Baylor continues to thrive today, as it will in the future,” said Buddy Jones, BA ’73, JD ’75, chair of the Baylor Board of Regents. “As we enroll students of high academic quality, we also are focused on helping ensure educational access to families with need. Because of careful management of the resources that have been entrusted to us, our budget provides more merit and need-based scholarship aid to help students realize the dream of a Baylor education. As we enter a new decade of progress at Baylor, we remain committed to attracting and retaining the highest quality faculty and staff, providing more work-study opportunities for our undergraduates and increasing the academic caliber of our graduate students by enhancing stipends for graduate assistantships.”

The Board also elected one new Regent and welcomed three new Regents appointed in November by the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The new Board members who will begin their terms on June 1 are:

Joel T. Allison, BA ’70, of Dallas, president and chief executive officer of Baylor Health Care System, elected by the BGCT
Judge Jennifer W. Elrod, BS ’88, of Houston, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, elected by the BGCT
James Cary Gray, BA ’79, BACC ’80, JD ’83, of Houston, attorney, president and managing director of Looper Reed and McGraw P.C., elected by the Board
Dr. Kenneth L. Hall of Longview, retired president and CEO of Buckner International, elected by the BGCT

The Board re-elected current Regent Gary Elliston of Dallas to a third three-year term.

Regents also voted to appoint a member of the faculty and student body to a one-year term as non-voting members of the Board. As the new fiscal year begins shortly, Regents have invited to serve in these roles in the coming year the new Chair of the Faculty Senate, Dr. Todd Still, and the new Student Body President, Kelly Rapp.

“Our new Regents are faithful servant leaders who bring a range of perspective and expertise to our Board,” Jones said. “They are passionate supporters of the University and its Christian mission. We are honored to welcome them to the Board and know they will serve Baylor wisely and well.”

Elected to serve as Board officers were Richard S Willis of Colleyville, Texas, as chair, and Robert E. Beauchamp of Houston, who was re-elected as vice-chair. The officers will begin their service on June 1.

The Board also expressed its appreciation to Regents who have completed their terms: Bobby C. Dagnel of Lubbock and Dr. John C. Reimers of Beaumont.

After a long day of Diadeloso festivities on Thursday, Kelly Rapp, Briana Treadaway and Brian Kim are elected student body president, external vice president and internal vice president, respectively.
Matt Hellman | Lariat Photo Editor

By Rob Bradfield
Staff Writer

The students have spoken and Baylor has three new officers in next year’s student government.

Kelly Rapp beat out Tyler Tribble and Nick Pokorny for the office of student body president, Briana Treadaway won the office of external vice president over Raechel Adams and Brian Kim won the uncontested position of internal vice president.

The results were announced Thursday afternoon during the Diadeloso festivities at Fountain Mall.

Rapp won the election with 1,080 of the 2,093 votes — more than Tribble and Pokorny combined and more than enough for a majority.

Rapp said his administration will follow closely in the footsteps of outgoing president Zach Rogers.

Priorities for his administration include creating a student position on the Board of Regents, bringing more prominent speakers to campus and improving student safety.

“I want to improve sidewalks, lighting and roads if we can,” Rapp said.

Once in office, Rapp says, he will focus on encouraging development in the neighborhoods around Baylor. He says this will make them safer than having security guards at less cost to the university.

Briana Treadaway earned 1,144 votes in the election for external vice president, beating Adams by 322 votes.

As the external vice president, Treadaway has said she plans on working to build relationships with Baylor alumni to encourage more reinvestment in the university and increase available funds.

Treadaway also plans on increasing programs like Passport to Waco that help students get acquainted with areas outside the Baylor Bubble.

“I plan to start day one with an expanded version of Passport to Waco,” Treadaway said.

Brian Kim returned after losing the 2011 race for internal vice president.

Kim ran unopposed this year but still earned 1,806 votes. Kim hasn’t had an opponent for the duration of the race, but still ran an active campaign.

Part of his platform was to involve more students in the legislative process, and Kim’s campaign was actively involved with the student body.

“I think we’ve lacked student opinion in the past, which is why we constantly need to work on getting more,” Kim said.

Rapp, Treadaway and Kim take office on the first day of the summer sessions and serve through May 2013.

Jones

By Daniel C. Houston
Reporter

An Austin-based teen support group will honor the chair of Baylor’s Board of Regents and his wife Saturday for the example they set through their marriage and their contributions to improving the lives of others.

Organizers of “A Day to Shine,” a fashion show and live auction benefiting the National Dating Abuse Helpline, will honor Neal “Buddy” Jones and his wife Ginny with the LifeStyle Award.

The award honors those who promote positive relationships “through strength of character, inspirational leadership and service to others,” according to the organization’s website.

The Joneses, who have been active contributors to the helpline and a number of other philanthropies for years, are also being recognized because of how they moved past the death of their first-born son, Trey, 23 years ago, Julie Stevenson, chair of the event, said.

“They have a very, very strong marriage, but it hasn’t been an easy marriage,” Stevenson said. “They lost a child early; their first-born died between the ages of 2 and 3. I have no experience with that, but I can’t imagine experiencing it. That’s the kind of thing that so many times can destroy a marriage, but for them it didn’t. Their faith in God is what got them through that.”

They now have five living children and have been married 27 years.

Buddy Jones confirmed religious faith played a major role in his family’s ability to cope with the loss.

“[Faith] was the only thing that gave us the comfort, the strength, the fortitude and the will to work through the loss of a child,” Buddy Jones said.

“I’m told that the loss of a child is the worst kind of loss that any individual can have, more so than the loss of a spouse or a parent or a sibling.

The only way I think you can really successfully get through it … is with a faith in Jesus Christ and a strong belief that God has a plan for all of us and that he turns even the bad things and uses them for good.”

Buddy Jones said he hopes his receiving the award will bring more attention to the cause of preventing abuse in relationships.

Baylor has announced a significant naming gift from Baylor Regent Dr. Kenneth Q. Carlile and his wife, Celia, of Marshall, for the Carlile Equestrian Building. The new facility will provide a locker room, coaches offices and meeting space.
Baylor University

By Daniel C. Houston
Staff Writer

A donation by a member of the Baylor Board of Regents has contributed more than half of the $900,000 cost for a new equestrian building.

Baylor announced the creation of the facility for the equestrian program last week after securing a donation from Dr. Kenneth Carlile and his wife, Celia.

The 4,500-square-foot Carlile Equestrian Building — with funding donated by the Carliles, among others — will provide the six-year-old program with a locker room, a training and treatment room, offices for the coaching staff and indoor meeting areas for the team, Nancy Post, associate athletic director for business and senior woman administrator, said.

“For [the equestrian team] to look forward to the opportunity of having a locker room, that’s just tremendous,” Post said. “This building and this commitment to our equestrian program keeps us in the forefront of the sport and shows Baylor’s commitment to our athletics program.”

Groundbreaking on the project will take place following the conclusion of the equestrian competitive season in April, Post said, and the project will take six or seven months to complete.

Head equestrian coach Ellen White expressed gratitude for the donations and said they will help provide Baylor with competitive facilities.

“We’re very excited about having these facilities,” White said. “I really think it’s going to make us have the best equestrian facilities in the country … We have everything we need for us to win a national championship, and we are prepared to go do it.”

Students participating on the 80-member equestrian team, the only Baylor athletic program without its own locker room, have no convenient place to change between practice and classes, a problem this new facility is intended to rectify.

White said the new facilities will help recruit future students and encourage a stronger team identity.

“Recruits are going to come and see that we have the best facilities in the country,” White said, “and then the girls are going to have that camaraderie from having a locker room.”

The facility will be built in close proximity to the Willis Family Equestrian Center, where Baylor’s team practices and competes.

The building will also provide office space for the coaching staff, which has been operating out of a double-wide trailer near the Willis Family Equestrian Center. Prior to working out of the trailer, the coaching staff worked in a second-story office in White’s private home.

The equestrian staff — and White’s family — were forced to look elsewhere for accommodations when a tornado destroyed White’s house in April 2006. Instead of using the insurance money from the destroyed property to rent an apartment while the house was being rebuilt, White’s family moved into the trailer and allowed the coaching staff to operate out of it as well.

“We had no place to live after our house blew down so it was more economical for all involved that we just buy a trailer to live out there,” White said.

When the house was rebuilt, White’s family moved out of the trailer, but the coaching staff continued using it as an office.

Post said the university’s commitment to a new building represents an investment in the young program, which has only been competing in the Big 12 Conference and nationally since 2006.

“This gives them a locker room, a place for team bonding, something this team has never had the opportunity for before,” Post said. “It puts them on the same level as our other 18 sports.”

A conceptual rendering shows the proposed location, at I-35 and the Brazos River, and design for what would be the first on-campus stadium. The proposed stadium has not been approved for construction and funding has not been secured.
Baylor University

By Daniel C. Houston
Staff Writer

The Baylor Board of Regents moved one step closer to allowing the construction of a new on-campus football stadium at its homecoming meeting Friday, while also approving an ambitious set of capital investments, including the construction of a new $70 million student housing and dining complex.

The university released a conceptual rendering of what a new stadium might look like Friday, after the regents approved a fan survey and a study to gauge the project’s feasibility. The feasibility study will be completed next month and the fan survey will go out in the upcoming weeks, according to athletic director Ian McCaw.

“An on-campus riverfront stadium would transform our football program, our athletic program and the entire university,” McCaw said. “We’d be able to proved a real unique and desirable fan experience for students, faculty, staff and alumni.”

If approved, the stadium will rest on the northern bank of the Brazos River adjacent to I-35 and will be connected to campus by a pedestrian bridge. Baylor’s recent purchase of Hotel Waco in March would provide much of the needed space for construction once the old hotel is razed.

“The location at I-35 and the Brazos River is the preferred location for the stadium,” McCaw said, “because it provides Baylor with an extraordinary branding opportunity with more than 100,000 vehicles passing by each day.”

While funding for the new stadium has not yet been secured, the regents approved $120 million in other capital improvements, including funding for a new east campus residential community, Phase 2 of construction for the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC) and the expansion of academic space for faculty and students in the Marrs McLean Science Building.

The new capital investments will be financed through the selling of bonds.

The bulk of the approved funding will go toward building the $70 million East Village Residential Community, which will house 700 students in two separate residence halls and include a new dining hall. These facilities will be home to the Engineering and Computer Science Residential College and a new Science and Health Living-Learning Center, according to Dr. Kevin Jackson, vice president for student life.

“I am very excited for the students of Baylor University,” Jackson said. “This is going to be an outstanding residential community that has been designed to meet their needs based on a broad range of input. … It’s going to create a signature residential facility on the east side of campus around which the campus will be extended into the future based on the university’s master plan.”

Construction for East Village will begin in March. The facility is expected to be open to students in August 2013.

Students who live in East Village, Jackson said, will have access to the existing East Campus Parking Garage, a parking facility currently two blocks away from the nearest academic buildings. The garage has a capacity of more than 900 parking spaces but sits mostly empty during peak parking hours on class days.

“That is an under utilized parking garage,” Jackson said, “so this gives us an opportunity to build right next to it and have that opportunity available for our students.”

The board also discussed a first draft of President Ken Starr’s strategic plan, which will go public in December and could include “the creation of an arts district and the construction of an on-campus football facility,” according to a university press release.

Starr’s plan will follow and build upon the Baylor 2012 initiative approved during the presidency of Robert Sloan, which called for, among other imperatives, making Baylor a more residential campus; attracting a world-class, research-oriented faculty; and achieving a $2 billion endowment.

Baylor’s endowment stood at just more than $1 billion in May, according to a university financial statement [PDF].

Phase 2 of the BRIC facility construction will begin the process of filling in 45,000 square feet of academic and laboratory space once the exterior of the facility is completed.

“We are excited about the Baylor Board of Regents approving funding for Phase 2 of the BRIC and the timeline it establishes,” Dr. Truell Hyde, vice provost for research, said in a university press release. “This will allow Baylor to build the laboratory space needed for university research.”

The regents also signed off on $23 million in renovations to Marrs McLean Science Building, which will significantly upgrade academic space available to faculty and students. The School of Education and several of its departments will relocate to the renovated building upon completion of the construction.

Starr and Buddy Jones, chair of the board of regents, were not available for comment by Monday’s deadline.

By Daniel C. Houston
Staff Writer

The Baylor Board of Regents approved an ambitious set of capital investments at its Homecoming meeting today, including the construction of a new $70 million east-campus student housing and dining complex.

The regents also committed to funding Phase 2 of construction for the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC) and expanding academic space for faculty and students in the Marrs McLean Science Building. The total cost of the new capital improvements will be $120 million and will be funded by selling bonds.

The bulk of the approved funding will go toward building the East Village Residential Community, which will house 700 students in two separate residence halls and include a new dining hall. These facilities will be home to the Engineering and Computer Science Residential College and a new Science and Health Living-Learning Center, according to Dr. Kevin Jackson, vice president for student life.

“I am very excited for the students of Baylor University,” Jackson said. “This is going to be an outstanding residential community that has been designed to meet their needs based on a broad range of input. … It’s going to create a signature residential facility on the east side of campus around which the campus will be extended into the future based on the university’s master plan.”

Construction for East Village will begin in March. The facility will be open to students in August 2013.

Students who live in East Village, Jackson said, will have access to the existing East Campus Parking Garage, a parking facility currently two blocks away from the nearest academic buildings. The garage has a capacity of more than 900 parking spaces but sits mostly empty during peak parking hours on class days.

“That is an under-utilized parking garage,” Jackson said, “so this gives us an opportunity to build right next to it and have that opportunity available for our students.”

The board also discussed a first draft of President Ken Starr’s strategic plan, which will go public in December and could include “the creation of an arts district and the construction of an on-campus football facility,” according to a university press release.

Starr’s plan will follow and build upon the Baylor 2012 initiative approved during the presidency of Robert Sloan, which called for, among other imperatives, making Baylor a more residential campus; attracting a world-class, research-oriented faculty; and achieving a $2 billion endowment.

Baylor’s endowment stood at just more than $1 billion in May, according to a university financial statement.

Phase 2 of the BRIC facility construction will begin the process of filling in 45,000 square feet of academic and laboratory space once the exterior of the facility is completed.

“We are excited about the Baylor Board of Regents approving funding for Phase 2 of the BRIC and the timeline it establishes,” Dr. Truell Hyde, vice provost for research, said in a university press release. “This will allow Baylor to build the laboratory space needed for university research.”

The regents also signed off on $23 million in renovations to Marrs McLean Science Building, which will significantly upgrade the amount of academic space available to faculty and students. The school of education and several of its departments will relocate to the renovated building upon completion of the construction.

Starr and Buddy Jones, chair of the board of regents, were not available for comment Friday afternoon.

The Baylor Graduate Council approved a new joint-degree program last week that will offer students the opportunity to earn both a Master of Social Work and a Master of Business Administration simultaneously.

The new program must be approved by the Baylor Board of Regents before it becomes available. A decision is expected later this year.

Dr. Robin Rogers, graduate program director for the School of Social Work, and Jenna Kinkeade, assistant director of Graduate Student Services for the Hankamer School of Business, presented the joint program during a meeting of program directors.

Social work is a rapidly growing field, said Rogers, and potential employees might find themselves unprepared for administrative positions if they lack an appropriate background, so this program could greatly benefit students seeking a job in social work.

“In our curriculum in the School of Social Work, as well as the vast majority of schools, you find that we prepare students for clinical practice and for community practice,” Rogers said. “What’s missing is the preparation for administrative practice.”

Rogers said the joint-degree program is an attempt to blend a deep understanding of social work and the necessary administrative skill set to operate an organization.

He also noted that eight other institutions, including Boston College and the University of Pennsylvania, have already developed joint programs to meet the industry’s need.

The joint-degree program would take three years to complete, saving students’ time by taking advantage of overlapping courses, Kinkeade said.

A standard student could enter the program without a prior degree in either field, whereas the advanced student would enter with a bachelor’s degree in either social work or business.

“With a joint degree, a standard student is still required to take 51 hours,” Kinkeade said. “Some of the hours reduced are electives, and three core hours are reduced by an administrative course that social work feels that they will get as part of the MBA.”

Dr. Larry Lyon, dean of the graduate school, said he sees the wisdom in implementing this new program.

“More and more we are moving toward learning outcomes,” Lyon said. “You can have 100 hours and not know what you need to know to be what you plan to be. Ultimately the faculty of both schools will determine if students are prepared. For me, that’s really the bottom line.”

Lyon said the rapid growth in graduate studies is largely an outcome of the Baylor 2012 initiative, which began in 2002.

“Under 2012, Baylor greatly increased the resources devoted to graduate education,” Lyon said. “While those additional resources were necessary for our progress, we would not have succeeded without the faculty and staff who employed those resources to build significantly stronger graduate programs,” he added.