August 19, 2002
Bush commends Baylor on live national TV
___By Mark Wingfield
___Managing Editor
___WACO--Baylor University took the international spotlight Aug. 13 as host of President George W. Bush's Economic Forum.
___Hundreds of media representatives, White House officials, policy makers, business leaders and others gathered on the Baptist campus for the summit, which was carried live on national TV and radio and reported worldwide.
PRESIDENT George W. Bush and Baylor University President Robert Sloan share a light moment during the closing session of the President's Economic Forum, which was held on the Baylor campus Aug. 13. Sloan moderated the forum's plenary session, which brought together 250 participants, who deliberated earlier in the day at eight breakout sessions.
___Baylor President Robert Sloan moderated the final plenary session of the forum, introducing each of the key officials reporting on the discussions of small-group roundtables held earlier in the day.
___At the forum, Bush praised Baylor as a "fantastic university." He added, "I'm really glad a lot of folks from around the country got to see Baylor."
___At the beginning of the plenary session, Sloan was given five minutes to speak about Baylor while an international television audience watched.
___"We are particularly pleased to host this forum because so many of our own efforts at Baylor mirror your aspirations," Sloan said to Bush. "Our historical strengths and future commitments align markedly with the themes you outlined today."
___For example, he said, Baylor has a longstanding commitment to health-care education, an area prioritized by the president. Baylor also plays an important role in strengthening entrepreneurial vitality, Sloan added.
___"We at Baylor recognize that small business is the engine that drives the American economy--employing the majority of new employees in America--and our teaching efforts reflect that realization."
___Sloan also affirmed the importance of embracing technology, something he predicted Baylor is poised to help advance in the central Texas region and beyond.
___Baylor also brings to the table an emphasis on ethics, Sloan emphasized. "We at Baylor have a strong history of education in the area of ethics in the professions, be it in business, law or medicine.
___"Beyond the specific research we conduct through several centers on campus, our students are challenged to think critically about how their professional decisions will impact the broader notions of fairness, justice and accountability before humanity and God."
___He concluded: "We believe our vocation is to create leaders --people who are capable, compassionate, competitive and courageous--and to send them out to influence the world."
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