My wife (also a Baylor grad) and I leaped at the chance to move back to Waco a couple of years ago, in large part because we looked forward to again becoming heavily involved in university life — attending athletic events, lecture series, musical performances, and even little things like taking our son for a walk around campus on lazy summer evenings.
At the same time, I know that most Baylor graduates don’t get the opportunity to be this connected; for many, an annual Homecoming visit may be the one time a year they set foot on campus, and a lot of Bears are unable to make it back even that often. For that reason, I’m glad to see Baylor continuing to expand its efforts to reach out to alumni and help all members of the Baylor family feel connected to the University, whether they live in Houston or Hong Kong.
While my wife and I lived 1,600 miles away in Pennsylvania, we always enjoyed getting Baylor Magazine in the mail and reading up on what all was going on at Baylor. More recently, we’ve heard about the Baylor Network’s expansion across not just Texas, but throughout the country and even across the globe, and how it’s helping alumni stay connected to the University.
Now I see where Baylor officials met with the Baylor Alumni Association (BAA) board this weekend to propose bringing the BAA formally into the University (something the Waco Tribune-Herald endorsed in an editorial yesterday), so that as one unit Baylor can better focus on serving and connecting to the University’s nearly 120,000 living alumni. (The entire proposal can be read online here.) I’m excited to see how this develops and enthusiastic about the potential such a move would have helping the University meet the needs of Baylor alumni around the globe in coming years.
Sic ’em, Baylor and Baylor alumni!
