By Caitlyn Meisner | Staff Writer
Dr. Stephen Breck Reid said he decided to put a hold on his retirement plans in order to step into his new role as vice provost for faculty diversity and belonging, which he assumed in August.
Reid, a former professor at George W. Truett Theological Seminary, said he initially came to Texas in the ’90s to be a faculty member at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Then, in 2003, he transitioned from his role in Austin to a seminary in Indiana. When he was later presented with the opportunity to come to Baylor, he said he could not deny the call to return to Texas, especially if it was to work at a Christian university.
“I had taught at seminaries, but I had never taught at a university,” Reid said. “For someone who had gone to a small Christian school, [Baylor] just gave all sorts of possibilities. You get to talk to people from all sorts of disciplines.”
Reid said he even called his journey to Baylor the “providence of God” because of the coincidental way he ended up leaving Indiana for Texas.
“I ran into a friend at a meeting, and I said, ‘I’m doing OK for a guy that lives this far north,'” Reid said. “He asked if I was willing to come back to Texas. I said, ‘I’d love to come back.'”
According to Reid, the transition from professor to vice provost was not originally in his plans, as he had been planning on retiring until the position opened. Reid said Dr. Victor Hinojosa, an associate professor of political science in the Honors Program, nominated him for the position.
“Dr. Reid understands how diversity and inclusion is essential to Baylor’s Christian mission,” Hinojosa said. “I can’t wait to see what he does with the support and resources of the Provost’s Office [to] recruit more diverse faculty. He is a great listener and communicator and a mentor to many.”
Reid said he knew he was a good fit for the position. As a faculty member of 14 years who understood the culture at Baylor, he said he was optimistic when enduring the interview process with both the search committee and Provost Nancy Brickhouse.
“[Baylor’s] commitment to diversity and belonging comes out of our identity as a Christian R1 university,” Reid said. “It doesn’t hurt to have someone who has spent his or her life thinking theologically.”
Dr. Kristina Campos-Davis, the chief of staff to the provost, said she remembers saying during a discussion with other search committee members that if Reid took this new position, it would be like a love letter back to Baylor.
“Reid has humility and desire to really give something back to Baylor,” Campos-Davis said.
Reid said there is a lot of work to be done over the gaps in diversity among administration, faculty and staff at Baylor. He also said the diversity of the current student body has been discussed during faculty meetings.
Reid said he hopes to explore the symbiotic relationship that he says exists between students and faculty. While he has no portfolio on the undergraduate student body at Baylor, he said he knows the role the student population plays in the lives of faculty.
“I do recognize that as we improve the student experience, we are likely to improve faculty experiences,” Reid said. “As we improve faculty experiences, we are likely to improve student retention. That’s where I think the [sense of] belonging connects those two and connects us with the administration.”
Reid said he has three main initiatives he hopes to pursue while in his new role in the Provost’s Office. These include working on the recognition of faculty, continuing to recruit diverse faculty and pursuing promotions and tenure for faculty.
Pasadena, Calif., junior Caeden Becker said she is excited to see Reid enter this new position with knowledge of Baylor’s history, traditions and goals.
“As a student, I have seen how recently, Baylor has worked to make a stronger effort in favor of creating a more diverse and welcoming environment to all,” Becker said.
Reid also said some specific tasks his office is currently working on include celebrations for Baylor grants and a “Reading with the Author” event in which a published Baylor author reads their work to an audience.
“You have folks who are doing things, and we don’t have a party, we don’t make a Tweet, we don’t make a Facebook post or an Instagram post,” Reid said.
While many of the initiatives started under his predecessor, Lori Baker, Reid said he wants to increase the quantity of and publicity surrounding these events and accomplishments.
According to Reid, he and the provost are always looking to the future and to what Baylor’s peer schools are doing.
“We are going to keep paying attention to those numbers because we want to be emblematic of success,” Reid said.
