Imperative VI
Guide all Baylor students through academic and student life programming to understand life as a stewardship and work as a vocation
Baylor’s undergraduate programs emphasize the central importance of vocation and service in students’ lives and help them explore their value and role in society. At a Christian university questions such as “Who am I?” and “How should I best use my talents?” should be taken seriously and should guide students as they make life’s key decisions. To assist students in addressing such issues, Baylor will develop multiple opportunities, both curricular and co-curricular, for students to discern and understand their life work as a calling and all of life as a stewardship of service.
Progress Summary
- Life work as a calling
Several programs have been implemented or expanded to help students understand their life work as a calling. Baylor received a $2 million Theological Exploration of Vocation grant from the Lilly Endowment. The resident chaplain program and Chapel programming have both been expanded along with strength presentations. The Academy for Leader Development and Civic Engagement was established in 2004 and is currently proposing a minor in leadership. The number of undergraduates expressing an interest in vocational ministry has grown from 2,029 in 2002 to 2,093 in 2010.
- Stewardship of service
Several programs have been implemented to help students understand life as stewardship of service. These programs include discipline- and vocation-specific missions, University Missions, Baylor Line Camp, community ministries and academic partnerships, student organization leadership development, community service and other campus programs. The Baylor Interdisciplinary Poverty Initiative was established in June 2007. In 2008, Baylor was selected as the first Campus Kitchen in the state of Texas. In 2009, the President joined Texas Campus Compact, a national coalition that promotes service-learning and civic purposes of higher education. In fall 2009, Baylor hosted its first AmeriCorps*VISTA in the Division of Student Life.