News

WACO, Texas (Oct. 21, 2022) – The Baylor University Health Center is offering the updated Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine for Baylor students, faculty and staff, as well as spouses and dependents 12+, during an extended booster clinic from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, in the first floor lounge area of the McLane Student Life Center.

WACO, Texas (Oct. 6, 2022) – The Baylor University Health Center is offering the updated Moderna and Pfizer bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccines for Baylor students, faculty and staff, as well as spouses and dependents. Flu vaccinations also are available for students, faculty and staff at convenient mobile flu shot clinics scheduled through November.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 27, 2022) – With health experts expecting a more intense flu season this year, Baylor Health Services will host mobile flu vaccination clinics for students and employees at locations throughout campus in October and November. In addition, Health Services will hold an extended COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Friday, Sept. 30, to give the new Moderna bivalent booster.

WACO, Texas (Sept. 13, 2022) – The Baylor University Health Center has received a shipment of Moderna’s new bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine, which is available now for Baylor students, faculty and staff.

With the Fall 2022 semester underway, Baylor University has updated its COVID-19 protocols, most notably on Isolation/Quarantine, as well as face coverings, testing and vaccination. The protocols are based on the latest guidance from the CDC and the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District.

It was such a joy last week to experience the musical and dance talents of the more than 1,500 students who participated in Sing this spring.

One outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic is that we have the ability to temporarily pivot to remote instruction and operations when winter weather conditions threaten. Gone are the days of waking up at 5 a.m. to see if it will be an ice or snow day. Of course, I fondly remember those snow days from when I was in college!

Today we are announcing the rescission of the University's facemask policy for classrooms and labs when used in academic settings. In other words, facemasks will be optional at Baylor – other than when requested in private offices – effective this Monday, Feb. 21.

As many of you are probably aware, many states, colleges and universities, and other organizations across the country are beginning to loosen their facemask requirements in response to the declining prevalence of COVID-19.

What an exciting time for Baylor as we’ve surpassed the $1.1 billion fundraising goal of the Give Light campaign!

My prayers have been with everyone as the winter weather has impacted our local community as well as Texans statewide.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 2, 2022) - ***UPDATED 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 4, 2022: Baylor University will resume normal hours and operations on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022.*** The National Weather Service has placed Central and North Texas under a Winter Storm Warning. With the high potential for hazardous icy conditions as a strong arctic front moves through Central Texas, Baylor University will hold classes via remote instruction and staff will telework on Thursday and Friday, Feb. 3-4.

In recognition of the improving COVID-19 environment and the campus community’s continued effective management of the virus, today we are announcing several updates to Baylor University’s COVID-19 interim policies and protocols.

The "Spring Sprint" is definitely underway, and it's hard to believe Feb. 1 is this Tuesday.

What a great start to the 2022 spring semester! I enjoyed greeting so many of you on the first day of class before heading to Indianapolis for the NCAA Convention this week.

As we begin the Spring 2022 semester on our campus, Baylor University is required to send an Emergency Notification* under the Clery Act to all students and employees to ensure you are informed about where to access information regarding COVID-19 positive cases on our campus, important personal health and safety precautions and essential sources of information about the coronavirus.

If you have recently received a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine through Baylor Health Services or an off-campus provider, please submit your completed vaccination card today to help the University understand how well protected we are as a campus community as we monitor the latest variant.

As I've looked out my office window this week, I've enjoyed seeing our campus steadily come back to life with the return of more and more students. I am excited about the new semester and everything the next few months will bring.

The following update was sent Jan. 13 to faculty, staff and student employees about requirements of the Biden Administration's OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) guidelines that were reversed today by the U.S. Supreme Court.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION below regarding students' return to campus.

The following message was sent Jan. 7 to faculty, staff and student employees about requirements of the Biden Administration's OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) guidelines that begin Monday, Jan. 10. The University continues to monitor the legal proceedings regarding the OSHA ETS closely and will provide updates to the campus as necessary.

It’s been nearly a month since my last weekly Presidential Perspective and so much has happened as we concluded 2021 and ushered in the New Year.

Today I would like to follow up on my message from Dec. 23, 2021, regarding the spread of the Omicron variant and offer a preview of what the spring semester will look like for the next several weeks.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with family and loved ones and you are looking forward to the Sugar Bowl, as our Baylor Bears face Ole Miss on New Year’s Day in New Orleans. I suspect many of you have been monitoring the spread of the latest COVID-19 variant, Omicron, as its presence has gained a foothold in the United States over the past couple of weeks.

We are closely monitoring the COVID-19 omicron variant, which public health officials say is highly transmissible and expected to spread rapidly over the next few weeks.

It’s hard to believe the fall semester has drawn to a close. God has blessed Baylor in so many ways as we’ve managed the COVID-19 pandemic, from a Big 12 Football Championship and top-10 basketball, football and volleyball teams to beautiful music and theatrical performances, as well as significant progress toward R1 status and our $1.1 billion Give Light goal – all while holding firm to and advancing our Christian mission

Earlier today, Baylor University learned that a U.S. federal judge in Georgia issued a nationwide injunction against the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors, which had included the University. In light of this ruling, Baylor University is no longer legally compelled to require that its employees be vaccinated and will not be requiring its employees to be vaccinated at this time.

Christmas is always a special time at Baylor, and I cannot wait for Christmas on 5th this evening from 5-10 p.m. It's one of my favorite Baylor traditions. I've even heard there's a forecast of snow tonight! Be sure to check out the full schedule of activities to get everyone in the Christmas spirit as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

As it currently stands, Baylor must comply with President Biden’s Executive Order (EO) 14042 requiring those organizations that receive federal contracts and their employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 18, 2022. Depending on the vaccine that you choose, you may need to obtain the first vaccination dose by Dec. 7, 2021.

With the Thanksgiving holidays upon us, many of you will be traveling and spending time with family and friends. As you make plans, we wanted you to know that voluntary COVID-19 testing will be available early next week for the entire campus community, as well as continued opportunities to receive COVID-19 vaccines/boosters and the flu vaccine.

Last week was big for Baylor as the Board of Regents affirmed the next five years of our Illuminate strategic plan.

This week marks the quarterly meeting for Baylor’s Board of Regents as it considers the next five years of our strategic plan Illuminate, which impacts the entire campus from academics to athletics.

As we look forward to the next five years of our strategic plan Illuminate, we have so much to celebrate.

What a great Homecoming we had last week! It was so good to celebrate “everything Baylor” with all of you, along with our friends, alumni and Wacoans.

Baylor hosted the nation’s first collegiate homecoming event in 1909, and even after a year “off” due to COVID-19, I can tell you that our campus is abuzz this week as current students are enjoying many Baylor Homecoming traditions and preparing for the return of tens of thousands of alumni and friends to Waco this weekend.

Next week is Homecoming 2021! We have a fun student tradition to kick off Homecoming Week called “Dinner with the Livingstones,” and I want to invite all students to join the First Gent and me at Allbritton House on Tuesday from 6-8 p.m.

Earlier today I had the opportunity to testify before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce of the Committee on Energy and Commerce in Washington, D.C., regarding many of the challenges facing intercollegiate athletics.

Tomorrow will be an exciting time as we highlight Baylor research in a day-early celebration of National Research Administrator Day. Throughout Friday, you will see stories on social media highlighting our outstanding faculty, and I hope you will consider sharing some of them to amplify the news of Baylor’s incredible research.

I am officially declaring this week as “The Week of Good News” for Baylor! Beginning last Friday with the additions of BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston to the Big 12 Conference, we’ve been on a roll with several positive developments related to the University:

Sept. 11 will forever be remembered as an important day in U.S. history as terrorists attacked our homeland and threatened our safety, security and the freedoms we hold dear.

I know the events of the past week — from the U.S. military’s departure from Afghanistan abroad to the devastation and hardships created by Hurricane Ida closer to home — have left many members of the Baylor Family feeling deep pain and heartache.

You may have seen Waco Mayor Dillon Meek's quote yesterday that our local healthcare system is near "the brink of collapse" due to COVID-19. As I participated in a call with our community leaders yesterday morning, it has become clear – the local hospital situation is indeed dire. As of Wednesday morning, all 54 intensive care unit beds in McLennan County were in use, with 45 being filled by COVID-19 patients. Health officials reported that 92.4% of the currently hospitalized patients were unvaccinated.

This morning, as I began considering today’s significance, I found myself filled with the joy spoken of in Psalm 47:1 — “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.”

As we begin the fall semester on our campus, Baylor University is required to send an Emergency Notification under the Clery Act to all students and employees to ensure you are informed about where to access information regarding COVID-19 positive cases on our campus, important personal health and safety precautions and essential sources of information about the coronavirus.

It’s finally here – the start of the fall semester! The First Gent and I enjoyed meeting so many of our incoming students and their families as part of Move2BU, although I must admit that my back is a little sore!

The spread of COVID-19 has grown significantly across the country, and our state and local community are not immune as case counts continue to increase and healthcare services are stretched to capacity. These grim facts have prompted our President’s Council and Health Management Team to update our COVID-related protocols for the fall semester beginning Aug. 23.

We are in the homestretch! Only 11 more days until we begin the fall semester at Baylor. It is an incredibly exciting time for everyone, and I can’t wait to see our students back on campus and throughout the Waco community.

As I reflect over the past couple of weeks and the whirlwind of uncertainty relating to intercollegiate athletics, a few things have resonated with me during conversations with members of the Baylor Family, testifying in front of the Texas Senate’s select committee and discussions with others across the country.

The countdown continues – 25 days until the start of the fall semester on Aug. 23. Wow! Our faculty and staff have been diligently preparing for the return of our students for what promises to be an exciting semester.

We look forward to welcoming you back to the Baylor University campus for the fall semester, which begins on Aug. 23. Today, as we continue to navigate COVID-19, we are sending you the first weekly update to help you prepare for a normal fall with classes and events at 100% capacity. This initial update addresses some of the most frequently asked questions around weekly testing as well as exemptions from testing.

I don’t know about you, but the summer is really beginning to accelerate. Looking at my calendar, we are only 53 days from the first day of classes (Aug. 23) on the Baylor University campus!

New beginnings! This summer has marked new beginnings on so many fronts as we emerge from COVID-19, and, as a university, move toward a normal fall semester.

Here at Baylor University, we place great importance on the safety and security of our campus, not only through our professional Department of Public Safety, but also through our physical infrastructure, such as security cameras and other emergency and safety systems, training and education for all students, faculty and staff, and clear policies and procedures that together help provide a safe environment for all members of the University community.

As we begin summer on our campus and continue preparations for a return to normal operations for the fall semester, Baylor University is required to send an Emergency Notification* under the Clery Act to all students and employees to ensure you are informed about where to access information regarding COVID-19 positive cases on our campus, important personal health and safety precautions and essential sources of information about the coronavirus.

As we anticipate the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, I join the Baylor Family in remembering and honoring all of the brave men and women who have given their lives to protect our nation throughout our history as a people and for the benefit of future generations.

What a year it has been here at Baylor! The end of the spring semester provides a good time to reflect on all the Baylor Family has accomplished, despite the many challenges we’ve faced.

As Baylor University prepares for a normal fall, we continue to ease COVID-19 restrictions at the University.

Baylor Health Services will hold a Family Vaccine Clinic this Saturday, May 22, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. in the McLane Student Life Center (SLC) gym.

It took me a few days, but I finally recovered from six Commencement ceremonies over three days as we recognized the Classes of 2020 and 2021 last week at McLane Stadium.

As we transition to summer, the continued safety of Baylor students, faculty and staff is of the utmost importance, especially as we continue our preparations for more normal operations in the fall. We ask that you continue to adhere to COVID-19 weekly testing requirements unless you have an exemption*. Also, please take note of the new guidelines below regarding occupancy, face coverings and domestic travel.

As we head into summer, Baylor University will be adjusting its regular weekly COVID-19 testing locations and hours.

Congratulations to the 3,649 graduates of the Classes of 2020 and 2021 who are participating in Commencement ceremonies today through Saturday at McLane Stadium!

As we prepare for the last leg of the semester with final exams beginning tomorrow, I am reminded once again about what a remarkable journey we have been on this spring. It truly has been a marathon!

Baylor University has received a limited amount of the two-shot Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.'?' We currently have appointments available at the Health Center on Monday, April 26, and Thursday, April 29. We strongly encourage you to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

This week we have collectively witnessed a pivotal moment in history and a critically important step in our nation’s journey to acknowledge and address racism by taking active steps to protect the rights of every person. The Chauvin verdict cannot be seen as an end, but as a beginning.

As the spring semester calendar winds down, I know our students are racing toward the academic finish line as they complete assignments, wrap up group projects and prepare for final exams.

What an exciting week this has been for the Baylor Family! Congratulations to men’s basketball coach Scott Drew, his staff and our student-athletes for winning the national championship over Gonzaga Monday night in Indianapolis.

I hope you have had the opportunity to review and reflect on the Report of the Commission on Historic Campus Representations that was shared with the Baylor Family on Tuesday. We are truly grateful for the thoughtful, prayerful and thorough work of the Commission, whose 26 members faithfully considered and embraced Baylor’s Christian mission and an “additive approach” as they discerned recommendations about how best to communicate and reflect the complete history of Baylor University.

Since I became a university president, I rarely have the opportunity to assign homework. But as we prepare for the release of the report from the Commission on Historic Campus Representations on Tuesday, I strongly encourage you to watch all three of the Baylor Conversation Series events: “Perspectives on Our History.” These distinguished panels provide context about slavery in the United States, in Texas and among Texas Baptists during the time of Baylor’s founding in the mid-1800s.

As a former college basketball student-athlete, March Madness is my favorite time of the year. And all of us who fling the green and gold afar should be extra excited this year as our Big 12 Champion men’s AND women’s basketball teams begin play in their respective conference tournaments.

We have updated the testing protocol for those who have received a COVID-19 vaccination. Faculty, staff and students who have been fully vaccinated with an FDA-approved vaccine are not required to participate in weekly testing days 15 through 90 after the last dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The health and well-being of our campus community is our top priority, particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic wears on and we near the end of the spring semester.

As of today, nothing has changed on the Baylor University campus related to our COVID-19 health protocols.

The challenges of last week’s Winter Storm Uri placed a tremendous burden on our state, city and campus. Loss of power and water, property damages because of burst pipes, families bunkering down in warming shelters and interruptions to the food supply chain added to the collective traumas we continue to endure as a community in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 21, 2021) – On Monday, Feb. 22, Baylor University will return to normal operations with on-campus instruction and on-campus work.

This has certainly been a week like no other I can recall with record-setting cold and snow for the second time in a year – in Waco! Nearly half of homes in and around our city are without power, both from lines that have fallen and rolling outages to ensure the stability of the state’s power grid.

As we shared via Baylor Alert earlier today, due to winter weather conditions, we closed our Waco campus at 2 p.m. through all-day tomorrow. Classes for the rest of today and tomorrow will shift to remote instruction. Please take every precaution and be safe as you travel around campus and home today.

WACO, Texas (Feb. 11, 2021) - Due to winter weather conditions, the Baylor University Waco campus will close at 2 p.m. today through all-day Friday, Feb. 12. Classes held at 2 p.m. and later today and all-day Friday will shift to remote instruction.

As we all continue navigating what remains a difficult and stressful time for our country and Baylor University — amid the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing political and social justice tensions — I am reminded of the following passage in Hebrews: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together (even virtually, due to COVID-19), as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

It’s “birthday season” here on campus this week!

It’s so wonderful to see our students out and about – even in the rain early this week – as they make their way across our beautiful campus to their classes. Our spirit is renewed as we delight in the promise of a new semester and look forward with great hope in our new beginnings.

Thank you for a fantastic start to the Spring semester. We are grateful to everyone for completing their back-to-campus testing and for continuing to follow the safety measures that help us protect one another.

As we begin the spring semester, Baylor University is required to send an Emergency Notification* under the Clery Act to all students and employees to ensure you are informed about where to access information regarding COVID-19 positive cases on our campus, important personal health and safety precautions and essential sources of information about the coronavirus.

Although the deadline has passed for students to change their day/time for regular weekly COVID-19 testing, students still have an option to request a new day/time for regular weekly testing.

WACO, Texas (Jan. 17, 2020) - Baylor University is mourning the death of Alicia Martinez, a 2020 graduate of the Diana Garland School of Social Work and current social work graduate student who passed away today in Waco from complications from COVID-19.

If Baylor University students have not received their Everlywell COVID-19 test results or still need to test before the start of the semester this Tuesday, Jan. 19, there are three testing opportunities available this weekend through Monday.

For the past several months, there has been an ongoing nationwide mobilization to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine.

I am looking forward to Tuesday and welcoming all of you back for the spring semester! First Gent Brad and I (and our dog BU!) have missed the energy and enthusiasm all of you bring to campus. Please know that we are praying for you as you make your way safely home to Baylor.

As President Livingstone shared last week, all faculty and staff who are working on campus for the Spring 2021 semester will be required to complete weekly COVID-19 testing through our on-campus testing provider, My Labs Direct (MLD), beginning the week of January 25.

Beginning Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, all Baylor students are required to complete a COVID 19 test weekly at an on-campus testing facility. The good news is that our team of health experts believes this testing will be key, along with current preventive health measures, to unlocking normalcy as the semester progresses and open the potential for more in-person events and activities.

Beginning Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, all Baylor students are required to complete a COVID 19 test weekly at an on-campus testing facility. The good news is that our team of health experts believes this testing will be key, along with current preventive health measures, to unlocking normalcy as the semester progresses and open the potential for more in-person events and activities.

Happy New Year! I trust that your holidays were relaxing and restful as we celebrated the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

All faculty and staff who are working on-campus upon the return from the Christmas and New Year holiday break are required to complete a COVID-19 test through our on-campus testing provider, MyLabsDirect (MLD).

As President Livingstone shared in a previous message to the Baylor community, the University is requiring a negative COVID-19 test of all students before returning to campus for the Spring 2021 semester, which is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021.

All faculty and staff who will be working on-campus upon their return from the Christmas and New Year holiday break will be required to complete a COVID-19 test through our on-campus testing provider, MyLabsDirect (MLD).

It’s hard to believe that the fall semester has come to a close, which means this will be my last Presidential Perspective until the New Year! I want to express my deepest appreciation to all of you for your hard work and commitment to following our COVID-19 protocols and preventive health measures during the fall.

We are so blessed at Baylor to join together in celebration of Christmas and this season of Advent as we look toward the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ and the promise of Christ’s glorious return. This Advent season has even deeper meaning as I prepare my heart each day by reading and praying over the daily devotionals created by our wonderful faculty, staff, alumni and students.

The University is providing COVID-19 testing opportunities for the remainder of the fall 2020 semester until Dec. 17. Due to the Christmas and New Year's holidays, on-campus COVID-19 testing will be closed from Friday, Dec. 18, through Sunday, Jan. 3.

In light of the steadily increasing COVID-19 cases on Baylor’s campus and McLennan County, the President’s Council (based on the Baylor COVID-19 Health Management Team’s recommendation) has implemented a moratorium on all events until February 7.

With Thanksgiving only a week away – and the end of the semester just beyond it – I want to offer my deepest gratitude for the strength of spirit and compassion you have shown to others throughout this fall.