By Brooke Hill | Staff Writer
Upset with the way things have been handled at Baylor? The upcoming regents ballot is a way to ensure that alumni voices are heard.
Baylor’s regents share a single goal: the continued advancement and support of an academically strong and Christ-centered Baylor University, according to Baylor’s media communications website.
In June 2016, Baylor welcomed the first alumni-elected regents to service on the Board of Regents. Alumni-elected regents serve three-year terms. As Alumni-elected regents complete their terms, the graduates of Baylor University will elect or re-elect their regents. The process is outlined on the Alumni-elected regents website.
In the 2017-18 election cycle, nominees will be accepted for two Alumni-elected regent seats. Six candidates will be selected from the nominees. The two candidates with the largest number of alumni votes will be selected as Alumni-elected regents.
Cary Gray, member of the Board of Regents and chair of the board’s Nominating, Governance and Regent Leadership committee, says that alumni are a crucial part of the Board of Regents.
“The alumni elected regent position is one of the ways that we select voting members of the board of regents,” Gray said. “It’s important that the board understand the views of as many constituencies as possible, none being more important than the alumni. So even though most of the members of the Board of Regents are also alumni, giving the alumni opportunity to select some regents assures the alumni their perspective is being considered, and it’s a part of our overall effort to be as transparent about board operations and decision making as possible.”
Nominees must be Baylor graduates who are committed Christians and active members of a Baptist church or local church from a historic Christian tradition, according to the website.
Additional eligibility guidelines apply and may be reviewed online. Those selected as candidates for alumni-elected regent must meet additional qualifications, complete an application and agree to abide by election rules.
Nominees for alumni-elected regent may be nominated by any alumna/alumnus who submits a nomination supported by the signatures of at least 50 other Baylor graduates. Nominees will be considered by a Nominating Committee comprised of the remaining two alumni-elected Regents and two other Regents, and a slate of candidates will be presented for election. Nominations will be accepted through Nov. 30, 2017.
“The board has taken significant measures to increase the diversity of voices among its membership,” said Jason D. Cook, vice president for marketing and communications and chief marketing office.”One of the key voices is Baylor alumni.”
The introduction of candidates will take place in April 2018. Candidates and their backgrounds, qualifications and accomplishments will be presented to the Baylor family for consideration. No candidate may run on a platform, and no campaigning will be allowed. Baylor will utilize Baylor Magazine, the Baylor website, email and social media to introduce candidates and their credentials to alumni.
The election itself will be conducted in late April through early May. All recipients of a Baylor undergraduate or graduate degree are eligible to vote in the election, which will be conducted in late April/early May. In order to receive voting credentials, the university must have current contact information. The best way to make sure the university has this information is to use the alumni directory to add or update your contact information, according to the website.
Baylor and the Baylor Alumni Association announced an agreement that included the addition of three alumni-elected members to the Board of Regents in March 2016. The first three regents were agreed upon by both parties and appointed to the Board in June 2016.
