Texas Baptist Forum: Baylor alumni proposal, for and against

Baylor & alumni

This fall, Baylor University’s interim president, David Garland, and regent chairman, Dary Stone, presented a recommendation to the Baylor Alumni Association, which they hoped would solve a longstanding dispute between the university and the independent association.

I am convinced it is both fair and a positive solution to the many conflicts between the two entities. As a former board member and officer of the BAA and a former regent of the university, I fully support this proposal.

I dislike controversy with a passion. It is totally out of place in a Christian institution where love and understanding should rule rather than anger and dissension. The Apostle Paul used the analogy of the human body in describing the ministry of the church. Heart, hands, feet all are different and have different purposes, but they must function in unison if the body does its job. Likewise, all parts of the church must function in unity if the church is successful in her ministry. Is that not true of a Christian university as well?

I can hardly imagine a family that does not experience tensions and differences of opinion. It is equally as difficult for me to envision a healthy family that cannot somehow accommodate differences and remain a productive unit in society. My plea is that we will come to that place as Baylor graduates where we demonstrate the best qualities of being a family.

Minette Drumwright Pratt

Fort Worth

An agreement between Baylor University and the Baylor Alumni Association gives the BAA independence, self-governance and protection in perpetuity as the university’s official alumni association.

The BAA’s independent voice is a counter-balance to regents and ensures the free flow of unbiased information from Baylor.

A regent representative recently attended BAA’s 150th anniversary celebration, called upon BAA to terminate its charter and surrender its assets. This “in-your-face” tactic is crude at best. Regents also have organized a new alumni organization, created a magazine to replace The Baylor Line, removed BAA from Baylor’s official website and disconnected BAA’s phone number, just to name a few abuses of power.

Regents have said BAA should be terminated because Baylor is the only private university with an independent alumni association, and BAA has spoken negatively about Baylor. You can’t compare Baylor with any university because of its religion and size. You can’t say BAA speaks negatively; it has impeccably served alumni for 150 years.

The real reason for the regents’ demand is to circumvent accountability and oversight.

The job of regents is to lead and to unite, not to divide and to destroy. Regents would see how they are hurting Baylor if they were more focused on Baylor than themselves.

Sheryn Jones

Highland Village