What they’re saying about Baylor reaching R1 recognition
Yesterday, the Baylor Family far and wide celebrated the announcement that Baylor had joined the top-tier of American research universities as an “R1” research institution. Baylor is now recognized by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning as a doctoral university with “very high research activity” — one of just 137 such institutions nationally to reach this level.
Perhaps most notably, as President Livingstone said in her email to the Baylor Family, it’s an accomplishment that “very few, if any, universities have achieved: maintaining our foundational Christian mission while reaching R1 status as a top-tier research university.”
We’ve had a lot to celebrate at Baylor this year — most obviously, the men’s basketball national title and football’s Big 12 championship — but it was fun to (again) see the Baylor Family celebrating this news on social media yesterday.
Not surprisingly, Baylor professors were among the first to share the news:
I guess I’m now officially a full professor at an R1 university. https://t.co/pHpnnDAJHX pic.twitter.com/cZw1AIkoSO
— Chris Hansen (@Prof_Hansen) December 16, 2021
I work here! #sicem https://t.co/KXe25wKGGw
— Ronald Angelo Johnson ✍🏾 (@RonAJohnson) December 16, 2021
Baylor University is now officially a R1 institution. This is an incredible accomplishment and represents the type of excellence Christian scholars can produce for God’s glory and the public good.@Baylor#BeTheLight pic.twitter.com/G5ZpYd95rj
— Jon Eckert (@eckertjon) December 16, 2021
But it’s not just faculty and staff who helped Baylor get here — it’s students, too, as Baylor’s Graduate Student Association highlighted:
This was possible by everyone at this university from faculty to the students!! https://t.co/q7JURPwWfv pic.twitter.com/FAybcBA0o0
— Baylor_GSA (@Baylor_GSA) December 16, 2021
Alumni (whose degrees just got a little bit more valuable with Baylor’s climb) were feeling extra proud:
Pretty incredible achievement! Congratulations to all who have worked so diligently to be this to fruition. #SicEm https://t.co/eEL0j40zPg
— Sarah Rogers (@SarahRogersBU) December 16, 2021
R1. That’s the tweet. https://t.co/5qaOXGUQim
— Nolan Bay (@NolanBay6) December 16, 2021
So proud to call this place my alma mater! Sic ‘em forever! https://t.co/WrBzznJ1jq
— Katherine Nesbitt (@KatherineNesbi4) December 16, 2021
Others put the academic achievement in context with Baylor’s athletic success:
On the academic side of things, this is the equivalent of Baylor basketball winning the national championship and being classified as a blue blood.
Massive news for Baylor the academic institution. https://t.co/z6JsvHShDy
— Colt Barber (@Colt_Barber) December 16, 2021
So much #SicEm 😎💯 pic.twitter.com/RUt8mXfXy1
— Baylor Athletics (@BaylorAthletics) December 16, 2021
#SicEm #Baylor #BUncommon https://t.co/waYosq4CCp
— jeff grimes (@coachgrimey) December 16, 2021
Elite Education, faith-based institution, Big Time athletics. Grow as a person and WIN! Person>Player#SicEm https://t.co/weLfNm40wi
— Shawn Bell (@CoachShawnBell) December 16, 2021
Beyond the Baylor family, media outlets such as the Houston Chronicle, Texas Tribune, Baptist News Global and Waco Tribune-Herald shared the news widely.
In all, it’s an incredible accomplishment, made possible by so many people. In some ways, it’s been an effort many years in the making, dating decades back to the launch of Vision 2012; in other ways, it’s been a very fast move, coming just two years after Baylor officially announced its R1 pursuit. And all while maintaining Baylor’s Christian mission and vision.
Notably — as President Livingstone wrote — this achievement is not a finish line, but a benchmark on the way to more: “Today is not the end of our journey, but rather a significant step in a trajectory in which we will continue to elevate the quality and impact of our educational and research endeavors. Today, let us give thanks to God and join together to celebrate this monumental achievement.”
Sic ’em, Baylor University, an R1 institution!