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Posted: 7/25/03

Texas Tidbits

UMHB raises the bar. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor has raised the admissions requirements for first-time freshmen, effective fall 2004. Entering freshmen must rank in the top 50 percent of an accredited high school graduating class and score a minimum of 950 on the Scholastic Achievement Test. University officials said the change will help ensure that students who enroll at UMHB will have successful tenures there and will help control enrollment. The Belton school already has enrolled 469 freshmen for this fall, compared to 400 freshmen enrolled at the same time last year. Students who do not meet the new requirements may still be accepted on a provisional status.

bluebull Davis named special assistant to Sloan. Tommye Lou Davis, associate professor of classics and a master teacher at Baylor University, has been named special assistant to President Robert Sloan. She will assist the president with strategic, communication and organizational issues, project management and constituency relations. She has taught at Baylor since her graduation from the university in 1966. She has been a member of the Faculty Senate and has served on the board of the Baylor Alumni Association. She also chairs the committee seeking to lure the George W. Bush Presidential Library to Waco. She and her husband, Donald, are members of First Baptist Church of Waco.

bluebull San Antonio agency gets grant. The Meadows Foundation has awarded a $250,000 challenge grant to Baptist Child & Family Services of San Antonio. The grant relates to a $10 million capital campaign to develop a 110-acre campus for non-profit organizations. The Baptist General Convention of Texas agency also is working to meet a $1.2 million challenge grant from the Mabee Foundation by Dec. 31.

bluebull DBU opens more apartments. Dallas Baptist University will open phase two of its Colonial Village Apartment Complex Aug. 1. The 24-unit complex will house 96 students. The first phase of the new style of campus living opened last August. The apartments feature two-bedroom/two-bath units to accommodate two to four students. A 5,000-square-foot clubhouse features a large lap and recreation pool, spa, clubroom and reception area, study room and two multi-purpose rooms for university events, meetings and other student activities.

bluebull Wayland receives music accreditation. Wayland Baptist University's music department has earned accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Music. The West Texas university was accepted as an associate member for five years.

bluebull Hospitality House directors named. Freddy and Sherry Walters have been named directors of the Huntsville Hospitality House, continuing the ministry begun 17 years ago by Bob and Nelda Norris, who recently retired. Walters has served four Texas churches as pastor, and the couple previously served as missionaries in Brazil. The Hospitality House ministers to families of inmates at Huntsville-area prisions.

bluebull Borum recruiting for UMHB. John Borum of Kingwood has been named an admissions counselor for the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. He is a 2003 graduate with a bachelor of fine arts degree. He is a member of First Baptist Church of Belton.

bluebull Wichita Falls church aids HBTS. Adults and teenagers from Faith Baptist Church in Wichita Falls worked on the campus of Hispanic Baptist Theological School in San Antonio recently. They painted and did other odd jobs during the day, then conducted Vacation Bible School in the area each evening. Pastor Scott Willingham and Children's Minister Casey Osborne also presented the school a check for $550 raised by the church's own children during their VBS. "It was a blessing for us to know that the children's pennies, nickels and dimes brought as a missions offering each day would be for us like the widow's mite–the greatest of all gifts," said Arnie Adkison, vice president for advancement at HBTS.

bluebull Memorials Committee requests pictures. The Baptist General Convention of Texas Memorials Committee is seeking pictures of Texas Baptists who died in the past year for a remembrance video to be shown during the BGCT annual session Nov. 10-11. Pictures can be sent to Memorials Committee, Baptist General Convention of Texas, 333 North Washington Ave., Dallas 75246-1798. High-quality digital photos may be sent via e-mail to Debbie Moody at [email protected]. For more information, contact Moody at (214) 828-5348.

bluebull Baylor service program steps into award. Steppin' Out, Baylor University's bi-annual day of community service, was recognized with the Ruthe Jackson Youth Leadership Award, presented at the 36th annual Keep Texas Beautiful conference. Steppin' Out, held in the fall and spring, earned first place in the university division for its work transforming homes in the Waco area through painting, cleaning and landscaping. In addition to beautifying nearly 100 job sites, volunteers visited local nursing homes and helped clean up the shores of Lake Waco. Since its inception in 1985, Steppin' Out has become one the largest university service programs in the nation, involving more than 100 student groups and 2,500 participants.

bluebull Correction: The article on Baylor University in the July 14 issue incorrectly identified the date of Herbert Reynolds' retirement as president and Robert Sloan's election as his successor. In 1992, Reynolds first informed the board of regents of his intention to retire at the end of the 1994-1995 academic year. The board appointed a search committee, and the search process continued into early 1995. Sloan was elected president Feb. 24, 1995, and took office June 1, 1995. The article also referenced the goal of Texas A&M University to achieve "tier one" status in 20 years. Texas A&M's goal is to become one of the top 10 public universities in the nation within 20 years.

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