By Josh Siatkowski | Staff Writer
Baylor welcomed a diverse group of 123 new faculty members for the 2024-2025 school year. According to the Provost’s Newsletter, the new class boasts an all-time high in African American representation and increases faculty diversity on the whole.
Baylor did not provide any specific demographics on the makeup of the new cohort. However, 2023 data shows that of the 1,194 faculty at Baylor last year, 75.5% were white and 4.1% were African American. Ten years ago, Baylor’s faculty was 87% white and barely 2% African American.
Provost Nancy Brickhouse said that although the diversity is worthy of celebration, it wasn’t necessarily a factor throughout the application process. Rather, the diversity came from recruiting a vast pool of over 4,000 applicants.
“We recruit actively, and we recruit the very best in the field. We end up with very talented pools, as well as very diverse pools,” Brickhouse said. “When you have diverse pools, final selection is never made on that basis. It’s based purely on qualifications. But when you’re able to move through the diverse pool, you’re much more likely to actually hire a more diverse cohort of faculty.”
This diverse applicant pool is not limited to racial statistics either. Stephen Green, newly-hired lecturer in the journalism department, said that there was a wide spectrum of interests and professional backgrounds that added to the diversity of the new class.
“With what [the Provost’s Office] said about this being the most diverse class coming in, it definitely felt that way. Every day we would have breakfast and lunch… and we got a chance to do some networking, so you got to hear where everyone was coming from,” Green said. “It was all over the world, with lots of different experiences and backgrounds. It was really interesting and exciting to hear.”
Green himself is one of many new faculty with a unique background. After graduating from Baylor in 2011, he taught high school video and photography in College Station while maintaining his freelance photography and catering businesses. Although he didn’t have the Ph.D. or research experience that over 83% of his new colleagues have, he said it never felt like he had a disadvantage.
“I was always conscious that my background doesn’t necessarily fit the mold of what is maybe more common… but I think that’s a strength of mine,” Green said.
But beyond cultural and educational backgrounds, Green said he felt Baylor values character above all.
“I think [Baylor] appreciates when someone knows what Baylor is about, because they’re obviously looking for people of faith that can foster that culture,” Green said.
And this group, though diverse, is united by one thing, he said.
“Everyone saw the value in being here, even though they came from so many other places and backgrounds.”
