What a joy and privilege it has been for the past year to be involved in the search for Baylor University’s next president. Our efforts were celebrated this afternoon as Judge Kenneth Starr was welcomed formally to the Baylor family at a press conference on campus. As I sat and listened to the speeches, I felt a groundswell of pride and satisfaction in my alma mater & employer.

I hope that I represented the staff well. I certainly felt that my opinions on the search advisory committee were solicited and respected. It’s ironic, though … Despite our best efforts for equal inclusion in sundry areas across campus – not to mention the fact that staff members outnumber faculty by 50% (approx. 1,200 and 800, respectively) – the staff will always play second fiddle to the faculty. I don’t think that is a Baylor-centric phenomenon. I think it’s simply the way of academia. Still, it was heartening to hear the accolades about the diverse input on the search advisory committee and for Judge Starr to make a point to say how much he valued his staff colleagues during his remarks this afternoon.

Earlier today, I had the opportunity to visit with the new president in a more intimate setting along with the current staff leadership. With only a dozen or so of us in the room, he made a point to learn more about each of us personally and even gave me a hug with his thanks for my work on the search advisory committee! I don’t think I’ve ever felt so appreciated or held in such high regard by someone of that stature.*

I truly believe that we are on the cusp of something really fantastic at Baylor. To think that I had even a small role in shaping the next chapter in the university’s history gives me an enormous feeling of accomplishment.