The Baylor Alumni Association board of directors is meeting Saturday to discuss future plans for the BAA now that Baylor has terminated its license to use the Baylor brand.
Collin Cox, BAA president, said an official statement regarding future plans of the organization will not be released until after the board meeting.
President Ken Starr announced Tuesday evening the official termination of the Baylor Alumni Association’s license to use the Baylor name after the Transition Agreement vote on Saturday failed to reach the two-thirds yes vote majority.
The agreement, had it passed, would have merged the BAA with the university and allowed The Baylor Line, the official BAA magazine, to continue using the Baylor name.
The termination notice was sent to the BAA on May 31 and became effective on Sunday, according to a university wide email from Starr. The university is giving the BAA 90 days to phase out its use of the Baylor brand.
President Ken Starr announced today the official termination of the Baylor Alumni Association’s license to use the Baylor name after the Transition Agreement vote on Saturday failed to reach the two-thirds ‘yes’ vote majority.
The agreement, had it passed, would have merged the BAA with the university and allowed The Baylor Line, the official BAA magazine, to continue using the Baylor name.The termination notice was sent to the BAA on May 31 and became effective on Sunday, according to a university-wide email from Starr. The university is giving the BAA 90 days to phase out of its use of the Baylor brand.
The Baylor Alumni Association remains an independent voice after members voted Saturday not to pass the Transition Agreement that would merge the BAA with the Baylor Alumni Network.
This will mean the termination of the BAA’s license to use the Baylor name, according to a letter sent by the university on May 31.
Tensions built up for months leading up to meeting as some alumni wished to remain an independent entity while others wished to dissolve and become a part of the university.
Alumni wishing to remain independent voted no to the agreement and those wishing to dissolve voted yes.
I am disappointed that there were no means by which I could cast my vote for the Baylor Transition Agreement this past weekend.
A few weeks ago I received a mailer stating, “You will come to Waco Hall to cast your vote.” Much as I love having any reason to visit Baylor, this trip was an impossibility both for myself and I’m sure countless others.
I find it hard to believe that with Baylor alum like myself scattered around the country and world (and in our technologically-driven time) that there were not more options considered for casting our votes.
The Transition Agreement did not pass based on a vote by members of the Baylor Alumni Association.
A total of 1,499 votes were cast. There were 830 ‘yes’ votes and 668 ‘no’ votes. One vote was counted illegal for being in favor of both yes and no.
Two thirds of the votes, in this case 1,000 votes, needed to be ‘yes’ in order for the agreement to pass.
Based on a vote by members of the Baylor Alumni Association, the Transition Agreement did not pass.
A total of 1,499 votes were cast. There were 830 ‘yes’ votes and 668 ‘no’ votes. One vote was counted illegal for being in favor of both yes and no. Since 1,000 ‘yes’ votes were needed for the agreement to pass, the BAA will continue as an independent entity.
The face of Baylor alumni relations is changing.
After 10 months of negotiations, the leadership of both the Baylor Alumni Association and the Baylor Board of Regents drafted a Transition Agreement.
“They talked through all the things the university does and the association does and that resulted in the transition agreement you see,” Collin Cox, BAA president, said. “We got here because a lot of leaders on both sides spent a lot of time thinking about what is best for Baylor University.”
As the vote nears, some Baylor Alumni Association members expressed their concerns about losing the 154-year-old organization and their independent voice.
Thomas Nesbitt, who graduated from Baylor in 1994 and is a lifetime member of the BAA, said the Transition Agreement should not be passed.
“The Transition Agreement is bad for Baylor,” Nesbitt said. “It dissolves the 154-year-old alumni association.”
After the announcement of the Transition Agreement over the summer, various people have expressed their approval or concerns. While this matter is complicated, these opinions can be sorted into those that support a ‘yes’ vote on Sept. 7 and those that don’t.
Baylor’s administration and the Baylor Alumni Association’s leadership support the Transition Agreement.
Baylor President Ken Starr said the purpose of the agreement is to move the university forward.
If The Baylor Line magazine is to continue with the word Baylor in its title, the Transition Agreement between the Baylor Alumni Association and Baylor Board of Regents must receive a ‘yes’ vote from at least two thirds of the BAA member present at the meeting on Sept. 7.
The Baylor Line magazine began in 1946, and since then, it has been published by the self-regulating Baylor Alumni Association.
The Line’s mission statement says the magazine’s purpose is “to examine, from a wide range of perspectives, Baylor’s history, culture, institutional practices, aspirations, and identity as a private, Baptist university and to enable alumni to maintain their emotional, intellectual, and social bonds with the university and each other.”
Baylor Alumni Association members who joined the association after 12:30 p.m. today will not be allowed to vote at the BAA meeting Sept. 7, BAA President Collin Cox said.
The decision came after a unanimous vote during a conference-call BAA board meeting.
Members will be voting on the Transition Agreement, which was proposed by both the BAA and Baylor on May 31. The agreement would dissolve the BAA and allow Baylor to take over alumni relations and operations.
