Arts & Sciences Strategic Plan
Strategic Plan - Full Report as PDF
Overview -- A&Spire in Deeds
The College of Arts & Sciences will continue to be an academic leader of Baylor University because of its core curriculum, the breadth and depth of its majors and programs, and its contributions towards becoming an R1 Christian research university. This foundation will help propel Arts & Sciences to new levels of achievement in the context of Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana, and now Pro Mundo.
Our previous strategic plan, A&Spire to Illuminate, helped to increase retention and graduation rates, invest in endowed chairs and professorships, create new majors and minors, increase Ph.D. production and granting success, and secure over $160 million through the Give Light fundraising campaign.
However, there is more to accomplish. Higher education is an ever-changing landscape that affects every aspect of human life, including solving the grand challenges of the day, addressing the permeation of AI-based technologies into the classroom and research enterprise, responding to pedagogical shifts that emphasize both the traditional classroom and engaged learning opportunities and responding to changing global cultures and identities. The world is shrinking at a rapid pace requiring a more outward-looking view that requires multifaceted experiences and viewpoints to navigate a new world.
During the next five years, the College of Arts & Sciences’ imperative is to advance the standing of Baylor University in new and innovative areas across the sciences and the humanities. The framework of the new A&S plan is modeled after the University’s Baylor in Deeds and is thus called A&Spire in Deeds. Our strategic plan includes six foundational pillars (Transformational Education, Research Excellence, Global Engagement, Faculty Development, Faithful Stewardship, and Christian Commitment) and three research projects (Human, Health and Technology). Together, they provide a path forward for the College of Arts & Sciences during the next five years.
With almost one half of Baylor’s undergraduate population and many of its research doctoral programs, the College of Arts & Sciences is composed of 25 departments and two programs representing the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, as well as numerous other programs, institutes, and centers. We support the mission of Baylor University to “educate men and women for worldwide leadership and service by integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment within a caring community.”
January 2025