By Hannah Webb | News Editor
As students return to Baylor’s campus, several major developments from the spring and summer have shaped the university. From a new artificial intelligence degree and a record-breaking fundraising year to changes along I-35, here are 10 things to know ahead of the new semester.
Graduation
The semester ended with more than 3,100 graduates walking across the stage at the Ferrell Center. Among them was the first graduating class of the newly renamed Moody School of Education.
Fulbright
The Class of 2026 included 13 recipients of the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program. For the fourth consecutive year, Baylor has been named one of the nation’s Fulbright Top Producing Institutions. Baylor is also the No. 1 producer of Fulbright recipients in Texas.
Mary Dickinson (‘26) is serving as an English Teaching Assistant in Germany.
“The Fulbright program is designed to bring the countries of the world into conversation with each other,” Dickinson said. “It’s a way for everyday people, not diplomats or politicians, to come in contact with each other, share their cultures and begin to understand one another better. I’m so grateful that Baylor has such a dedicated and knowledgeable team of people guiding us in these applications.”
AI master’s degree
At the end of May, the Board of Regents approved a new Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence Plus.
“One of the things that this AI Plus degree does is it also focuses on AI, not just learning AI, but applying it in specific areas, initially cybersecurity,” outgoing Board Chair Bill Mearse said. “I think that will differentiate that and aligns with our overall Christian mission.”
President Linda Livingstone said the program is not just teaching students to use AI.
“Beyond just teaching our students how to use the latest AI tools, it’s really helping students to know how to think and reason and be adaptable and to be critical thinkers about how to use some of these different tools,” Livingstone said.
Budget
The May Regents meeting also included the approval of a $982.2 million operating budget for the 2026-27 school year. The budget announcement followed $35 million in reductions across campus, which will be implemented over two years. The budget cuts were made following input from across the university.
“We really encouraged people as they went through that process to think about things that are going to have the least impact on the student experience … and to look at areas where maybe we’ve just been doing something a certain way for a long time and we can’t even really explain why we’re still doing that,” Livingstone said.
Former student indicted
James Barnes (’25) was arrested and charged in May 2025 with a third-degree felony of cruelty to a non-livestock animal. Barnes had killed two cats with a pellet gun and recorded himself throwing them over a utility line.
A grand jury indicted Barnes on June 25.
Largest fundraising year
On July 2, the university announced its largest fundraising year in Baylor history, with a total of $244,503,023 raised.
“This has been a transformative and historic year for Baylor University,” Livingstone said in July. “From the naming of our Moody School of Education, to the truly incredible momentum created by the Extend the Line Scholarship Initiative toward affordability and access, our Baylor donors continue to seek out opportunities where they may have an impact upon the lives of Baylor students, while supporting the research, teaching and global impact we strive to achieve in the aspirations of our strategic vision, Baylor in Deeds.”
Concerts
This summer included multiple announcements for concerts at Baylor. Old Dominion, Braxton Keith, Mt. Joy, La Fiera de Ojinaga and Los Pescadores and Third Day will take the stage at Foster Pavilion throughout the year.
Acts such as Suede, The Members Only Band, Pat Green, Wynn Williams, Graham St. Clair Band and Sloppy Joe Band will comprise the Baylor Backyard Live lineup for home football games.
Line Camp
Across 11 sessions of orientation and Line Camp, over 2,500 students walked through the columns at Independence to officially join the Good old Baylor Line.
“Students forge new friendships, connect with the rich history and tradition of their new home and explore how Baylor’s distinct Christian mission will animate their story,” Associate Director of Student Programs Keane Tarbell said. “It’s about relationship-building and forming a sense of connection and belonging to Baylor.”
Valley Mills
As construction on Interstate 35 continues, the Texas Department of Transportation has removed the South Valley Mills Drive flyover.
Construction on the three-mile stretch of I-35 in Waco is expected to be completed in early 2029, according to the TxDOT website.
Professor award
Baylor history professor Dr. Stephen Sloan was honored as a 2026 Piper Professor for the state of Texas. The honor is given to just 10 professors each year by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation.
Sloan is also the executive director of Baylor’s Institute for Oral History and a former president of the national Oral History Association.
