Baylor’s “Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana” motto gained another Latin term a while ago, but I’m still not sure what Pro Futuris (for the future) is doing for current students like me.
Baylor Proud’s website describes the Pro Futuris vision as focusing on five guiding ideas and then developing more concrete ideas in the coming months and years.
The official plan and five-year goals were adopted by the Baylor University Board of Regents in May 2014, just a few months before my freshman class (the largest one in Baylor’s history) arrived on campus.
I realize the importance of growing and improving our university. I definitely think the world around us is changing and has high expectations of prestigious educational institutions. I applaud Baylor for its efforts to stay in the running for top ranks, but I still have questions about their methods.
These five-year goals fall into five categories: transformational education, compelling scholarship, informed engagement, committed constituents and judicious stewardship.
In a nut shell (or in layman’s terms), based on their incremental steps, I would title the categories as follows: maintain and improve educational standards and continue renovating campus; add some more research and degree programs; keep alumni and communities informed about and involved in Baylor’s impact; increase event attendance and outside financial support while analyzing and protecting the strength of Baylor’s brand; and establish a fixed tuition and raise money for scholarship funds and university development.
All of these things sound like good ideas in the long run, but they all sound vague and confusing, too.
I’m excited about the idea of more scholarships, but I don’t know when that step will be completed or if I will get to benefit from it.
I am definitely not excited about dealing with more construction on campus, especially if that’s the only part of this five-year plan that I get to experience.
In President and Chancellor Ken Starr’s letter introducing “Pro Futuris,” he said the future is now. He also said the university has gone through much growth and development, but that we will continue to move even farther forward.
Sometimes I start to feel left out already, even though I’m still strolling around campus.
Baylor has done and is still continuing to do some wonderful things, but it might be near impossible to reach everyone.
A strong alumni network is important and a strong freshman class is important, but now I feel like the estranged middle child.
I’m part of Baylor’s class of 2018. We broke the class size scale, and we christened the new stadium. Now what?
Emma King is a sophomore journalism major from Chandler. She is a staff writer for the Lariat.
