#FiveStarr: Celebrating academic highlights of President Starr’s 5 years at Baylor
Five years ago this summer, Ken Starr took office as Baylor University’s 14th president. Since that day, President Starr has focused his energies on advancing Baylor’s mission of providing an outstanding education that combines academic excellence with unwavering Christian commitment. Over the last five years, he’s led the university and its students, faculty, staff and alumni to unprecedented heights.
As Judge Starr often says, “It’s all about the students.” Since his arrival, Baylor can boast:
- Continually increasing interest in a Baylor education, as seen in the number of applications, actual enrollment numbers, and retention rates.
- The highest graduation rate among Big 12 student-athletes.
- Our most selective incoming freshman class ever.
While the overall student body size has been growing and growing, so has the number and quality of academic programs offered at Baylor. Under Starr’s leadership, we have seen:
- The addition of seven doctoral programs, including ones in entrepreneurship, K-12 educational leadership, environmental science and mechanical engineering;
- Baylor Law repeatedly named a best value;
- The newly formed Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences;
- Hankamer’s entrepreneurship program reach No. 3 in the nation;
- An ever-growing Baylor Bound program to improve access to a Baylor education; and
- A new online MBA program.
Baylor’s faculty and staff haven’t been sitting still, either. Professors and researchers have been working hard to make strides in the studies of diseases (like cancer), relationships (with significant others or with your cell phone), history (from dinosaurs to black gospel music), social justice (especially for those who have been forgotten), and much, much more.
All of this has combined to lead Baylor to its best-ever U.S. News ranking, as we came in second in the Big 12 last fall. To put that in perspective: Since 2009, Baylor has cut the gap with the University of Texas nearly in half, and the gap between Baylor and Texas A&M from 19 spots down to three. Baylor’s on the rise, and there are no plans to slow down.
Sic ’em, President Starr!
[This piece is in honor of our summer-long celebration of President Ken Starr’s five years of service to Baylor University — something we regard as serious #FiveStarr excellence. We’ll be examining more highlights of his tenure and tracking #FiveStarr on Twitter and Instagram for your best Judge Starr memories.]