Baylor reports significant achievements

WACO—Record enrollment at George W. Truett Theological Seminary highlighted a series of achievements reported by Baylor University at the end of its 2007-08 fiscal year this summer.

Truett Seminary—the largest of three theological schools affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas—enrolled 402 students. The seminary also recorded an increase in the number of students who intend to go into vocational ministry.

During the 2007-08 fiscal year, Baylor made “tremendous progress on multiple fronts,” university President John Lilley said.

“While the enormity of our potential prevents us from ever being completely satisfied with our efforts, faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends of Baylor University should be greatly encouraged with our remarkably strong trajectory,” Lilley said.

Baylor closed the year with the fourth consecutive operating budget surplus, according to a survey statement released by the university.

Baylor’s list of “most significant developments” included:

• Increasing endowment to $1.1 billion while the nation experienced financial uncertainty. The university received more than $80 million in gifts and pledges, including more than $21.9 million given specifically to endowment.

• Adding 46 faculty and staff positions.

• Establishing the first doctoral degree in the Hankamer School of Business.

• Enrolling the most “academically qualified” freshman class in university history, with a record average SAT score of 1219. Incoming freshmen pushed overall fall enrollment to 14,174 students, the university’s second-highest student total.

• Increasing the racial and ethnic diversity of the student body. Baylor’s goal is for 33 percent of undergraduates to be persons of color.

• Rising six places—to No. 75—in the U.S. News & World Report rankings among national doctoral-granting universities.

• Competing in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament for the first time since 1987.

• Hiring Art Briles, a former Conference USA and national coach of the year and new inductee into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame, to coach the football team.

• Adding Burt Burleson, pastor of DaySpring Baptist Church in Waco, to serve as university chaplain, and hiring Wes Yeary, a national leader in training and developing Fellowship of Christian Athletes college team chaplains, as sports chaplain.

• Producing a school-record 449 student athletes who were named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll for the fall and spring semesters. For the second consecutive year, Baylor recorded the Big 12’s highest graduation success rate.

• Electing Bob Baird, a philosophy professor and master teacher, to be the faculty university ombudsman. He will “facilitate resolution of problems, questions or disputes for faculty in an informal, impartial and confidential manner.”