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The Big PictureThe chair of Baylor's Board of Regents shares his viewpoint
Baylor Line: As chair of the Board of
Regents, you recently led the process that resulted in the appointment
of Dr. David Garland as Baylor's interim president. What steps did this
process involve, and what are the board's expectations for the role
Garland will play in this position?
 Dr. Howard Batson:
The board wanted to identify candidates for the interim presidency who
both embraced Baylor 2012--including the research and Christian mission
components--and would be enthusiastically received by most of the
Baylor family. In the process of identifying candidates, I had personal
conversations with representatives from numerous Baylor constituencies,
including the Executive Council, the Faculty Senate, the Baylor Alumni
Association, and various leaders in Texas Baptist life. While such
inclusion was not mandated, the Board of Regents values the input of
various members of the Baylor community. Through this process, David
Garland emerged as the leading candidate. His own work as a Christian
scholar establishes the fact that he embraces excellence in research,
and, at the same time, he enjoys the respect of the faculty leaders at
Baylor.
Working under the leadership of the board, Dr. Garland will continue to
move Baylor forward as he reunites the various constituencies who love
Baylor University.
Baylor Line: How is the Board of Regents planning to conduct the search
for a permanent president, and what timeframe do the regents have in
mind?
Batson: A hurried search would
not serve Baylor well. The exact process and timeframe that will be
employed in the permanent search, however, has yet to be determined.
Now that we have an excellent interim president in place, the board is
studying best practices for presidential searches. Before we begin the
task itself, we want to make certain that we are approaching it in a
manner that is best for Baylor. We will examine previous presidential
searches at Baylor as well as presidential searches at other leading
universities. We are currently compiling the necessary data before we
embark on the search for a permanent president.
Baylor Line: After he was removed as president, Dr. John Lilley told the Baptist Standard
that soon after his arrival at Baylor in 2005, "it became clear
immediately that the Baylor Board of Regents reflected some of the
deepest divisions in the Baylor family." Is this the case? If so, what
can be done to eliminate those divisions?
Batson: While I respect Dr.
Lilley, I do not agree with his assessment that the board is divided.
In fact, the last few months have clearly demonstrated that board
members can both work together and with the various members that make
up Baylor University. While there are always many opinions on the
board, in the end the board acts as a single body. I have received
nothing but support and encouragement from the Board of Regents. David
Garland, moreover, was elected unanimously, demonstrating the unity of
this board. Finally, there is no division on the board concerning
Baylor 2012. This board is unified by a desire to lead Baylor to new
heights in every arena.
Baylor Line: Elsewhere in this issue of the Baylor Line,
we are asking alumni and friends to let us know what they think can be
done to unify the Baylor family. What do you think the Board of Regents
can do to achieve this goal?
Batson: The board has already
taken large steps toward unifying the Baylor family. We are listening
to the various members of the Baylor body and seeking common ground. At
the same time, however, unity cannot be achieved at the expense of
Baylor's bold mission. In reality, as I have talked to various members
of the Baylor family, I have found the divisions have not been nearly
as great as some suppose. Almost all of us want Baylor to continue to
attract outstanding faculty who are both great teachers and scholars in
their field.
Baylor Line: What role do you think the Baylor Alumni Association (BAA) should play in the life of Baylor?
Batson: I am very happy to say
that the BAA has shown support to the recent actions of the board. I
would hope the BAA would see itself as a supporter and encourager
rather than a "watchdog." The problem with the role of the watchdog is
that once the danger has passed, there is no role to play. On the other
hand, supporting the mission of Baylor allows the alumni association to
transcend all boards and administrations with a clear purpose.
Returning to its historic role of promoting Baylor and strengthening
Baylor seems best to me. Also, the alumni association should be
diligent to represent the various views of all alumni and not serve as
the mouthpiece for any single opinion. Allowing me the opportunity to
express my views represents the fact that the BAA is being inclusive in
regard to opinions. The opportunity for this interview is greatly
appreciated.
Baylor Line: What is the board's overall assessment of how Baylor is doing as we start the fall 2008 semester?
Batson: Baylor is in great
shape. We have the second-largest freshman class ever entering this
fall. This class has both great diversity and academic excellence. We
continue to improve our facilities and attract a world-class faculty.
With a strong interim president in place, we believe Baylor can only
look forward to the future with great expectations.
Baylor Line: On July 25, the regents voted to modify a previously
approved plan to reduce the size of Baylor's governing body, which had
called for a reduction to sixteen members. Now the regents have voted
to have the final size be twenty-four members instead, with one-fourth
of the regents continuing to be elected by the Baptist General
Convention of Texas. Why did the regents decide to take this action?
Batson: In order to fulfill
Baylor's bold vision, many on the board felt that we needed to expand
our numbers. While thirty-six board members are hard to manage,
twenty-four seemed like a workable solution regarding board size. It
was my hope that this would also give signal to the fact that the Board
of Regents must be inclusive and diverse in its membership.
Baylor Line: Right now, because of the previously approved reduction
plan, the board consists of twenty-one members. How and when will the
additional three members be added?
Batson: The mechanics of the
regent rotation is managed by Baylor's Office of General Counsel. Given
the present rotation schedule, however, it will take some time to reach
twenty-four regents, as we have decided to limit ourselves to five new
regents in any given year.
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