By Luke Lattanzi | Staff Writer
In their regular quarterly meeting, the Baylor Board of Regents participated in the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Memorial to Enslaved Persons, approved funding for the renovation of academic and residential spaces, renewed funding for the Baylor Benefit program, set the 2024-2025 tuition and approved a new computer engineering degree.
The board rounded out its Feb. 23 meeting with the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Memorial to Enslaved Persons — a recommendation originally made in the university’s Commission on Historic Campus Representations.
The memorial will be built in front of Pat Neff Hall behind the Judge R.E.B. Baylor statue and is meant to commemorate the enslaved men and women who helped build and maintain Baylor’s original campus in Independence.
Several regents participated in a “turning of the dirt” ceremony, using soil from Independence that will later be incorporated into the memorial. Construction is not expected to begin until after commencement in May.
The board also approved $3.2 million in funding for the renovation of Draper Academic Building, continuing efforts to create a dedicated space for the Honors College. The funding will go toward updating classrooms, restrooms, corridors and staircases. It will also include improvements for those with disabilities. Construction is expected to be completed in August.
Also approved was $36.5 million in funding for the renovation of Allen and Dawson residence halls, which will include an overhaul of the facilities’ mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems as well as an ADA-accessible entrance to 1845 at Memorial. Construction is set to begin in May and is expected to be completed in July 2025.
The board also approved $7.5 million for phase-one design and pre-construction of the renovation of Kokernot residence hall. Construction is expected to begin in May 2025 and be completed in July 2026.
The completion of the Allen, Dawson and Kokernot renovations will cap off the board’s original 2013 master plan to renovate all 10 of the university’s residence halls.
The board also approved a 5.9% increase in tuition and fees for the 2024-2025 academic year. The average net tuition increase per student is expected to be $573 per year. The board confirmed a 12.1% increase in scholarship funding to provide assistance to returning students with demonstrated financial need. Additionally, it renewed funding for the Baylor Benefit program and approved a second cohort for the grant, which covers tuition and fees for students with a household income under $50,000.
The board also approved its first new undergraduate degree since 2015, creating a bachelor of science in computer engineering, which is set to begin in fall 2024. The degree is meant to bridge the gap between electrical engineering and computer science.
