Baylor Connections

Baylor in Deeds is here, a new strategic plan which charts a course for greater global impact, stewardship and service. With a focus on action and deed across every part of the University, Baylor in Deeds invigorates exciting new opportunities for the University to live out its scriptural calling and Christian mission. In this Baylor Connections, Provost Nancy Brickhouse and Chief of Staff Tiffany Hogue introduce the new plan and unpack the commitments and imperatives that will shape the years ahead.

A new school year provides countless opportunities to engage and support students. Baylor Student Life offers a vast array of resources to support the total development of students. In this Baylor Connections, Vice President for Student Life Kevin Jackson takes listeners inside the moments and resources that enrich the Baylor experience for a new generation of Bears.

College athletics is in the midst of a season of change as new legislation and rule changes open new revenue streams to student-athletes. In this Baylor Connections, David Kaye gives listeners an “NIL 101” session. Kaye, who serves as Baylor’s NIL general manager, unpacks the ways Baylor University is adapting to the changing landscape to best serve student-athletes and provides insights into factors like revenue-sharing, collectives, in-house units and more.

Laila Sanguras has plenty to share with parents and teachers as they encourage their students to succeed in school. A leading researcher into student grit and coping, Sanguras serves as Graduate Program Director of Baylor’s EdD program in Learning and Organizational Change and is a lecturer in Curriculum & Instruction in the School of Education. In this Baylor Connections, she examines questions many may have to support their students in the year ahead.

Anticipation abounds at the start of a new school year, and the Baylor Family has much to celebrate. In this Baylor Connections, President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., takes listeners inside the Fall Semester at Baylor. From the launch of a new strategic plan to a focus on Baylor’s global impact as a Christian university, President Livingstone highlights a number of themes key to the year ahead at Baylor.

A contentious election season highlights the need for citizens who can engage with respect and understanding amidst disagreement. As a Christian university, Baylor seeks to both model civil discourse and train students to do the same. Leslie Hahner, Professor of Communication, and Kevin Villegas, Dean of Intercultural Engagement, work with students as they navigate these complexities. In this Baylor Connections, they share those experiences, along with practical insights to encourage discourse commensurate to the call to love our neighbor.

David Wills has a passion for generosity and helping others live generously. The two-time Baylor graduate was named the 2024 Baylor Alumnus of the Year. In this Baylor Connections, Wills lists the questions that everyone should ask to consider generosity in their own lives, explains why generous people are happy and shares the impact of his Baylor experience on the path his life has taken.

New additions to the Baylor campus, national rankings, Big 12 expansion and more highlight the conversation with Jason Cook in this week’s Baylor Connections. Cook, who serves as Baylor’s Vice President for Marketing and Communications and Chief Marketing Officer, takes listeners inside Baylor’s national reputation, examines the impact of new facilities in the last year and looks ahead to the coming months at Baylor.

For incoming students and families, Orientation and Line Camp are core moments in the final weeks before they officially become Baylor students. In this Baylor Connections, experience these events through the eyes of their participants. Nathan Shelburne, director of New Student Programs, and Kaleigh Wiffler, a rising senior and team captain on the Student Leadership Team, share favorite activities, key experiences and more.