From Vision to Action

We are excited to share the Division of Student Life’s Strategic Plan and its alignment with Baylor In Deeds, the University’s vision for the future. This plan reaffirms our collective commitment to enriching the Baylor experience through life-changing programs and services resulting in an integrated education known for virtuous leadership and service, Christian faith and community, and the holistic development of students.

At the heart of our plan are four guiding themes: enriching heart, mind, body, and soul through formative experiences; expanding research efforts to improve how we support students; fostering a strong, virtuous community; and faithfully caring for the people, spaces, and resources that make Baylor special. These themes reflect our dedication to creating a thriving environment for students now and in the future.

Together, we are shaping a Baylor experience that prepares students for lives of leadership and service, ensuring a lasting impact beyond our campus.

Download the Division Strategic Plan

Learn More About Baylor In Deeds

Strengthening formative experiences that enrich heart, mind, body, and soul.

Research, design, and implement a comprehensive flourishing and retention strategy for all undergraduate students throughout their Baylor experience.

Build upon Baylor’s nationally ranked first-year experience to integrate formative experiences and opportunities in each sequential year that strengthen academic progress and students' mental, physical, and spiritual health.
Further partner with the Baylor University Career Center to embed the Leadership for the Common Good framework into the career advising experience to promote student leadership skill development in support of workforce confidence and a deeper connection to vocation as a calling.
Work with key partners to create a summer transition program for historically underrepresented students to enhance academic preparedness and community engagement.
Create a collaborative model of support (financial, physical, spiritual, etc.) for faculty and staff who advise the more than 50 interculturally focused student organizations.
Evaluate and strategically mitigate financial and other barriers to provide students with full access to a range of high-impact practices that contribute to student success and retention.

Advance a “Culture of Well-Being” by strengthening the support structures available to students ensuring an integrated, whole-campus, holistic approach to student care, with a particular focus on resilience.

Enhance student peer support networks across campus.
Strengthen and incentivize faculty and staff training regarding student health concerns.
Offer a strengths-based resilience curriculum to undergraduate students through a partnership with the Department of Public Health.
Deliver a university-wide text messaging campaign around the different dimensions of well-being to foster a culture of health in partnership with the Department of Communication.
Develop a campus-wide, interconnected data system and strategy to benchmark, monitor, and impact student health and well-being.

Engage with campus partners to collectively support the experience of graduate students.

Partner with the Graduate School to explore the best models for graduate student housing.
Maintain and broaden health and well-being opportunities for the growing number of graduate students, ensuring offerings include programs that nurture their mental, physical, and spiritual health.
Cultivate and strengthen relationships with the Graduate School and the Graduate Student Association to identify meaningful intercultural engagement opportunities within the graduate student experience.

Expanding support of research efforts and its impact on practice in college environments and with college students.

Launch new research partnerships that strengthen the overall Baylor student experience.

Foster a culture of sleep and circadian wellness among Baylor students through a partnership between Student Health & Wellness, Campus Living & Learning, the Department of Psychology, and the Robbins College of Health & Human Sciences.
Explore new partnerships with the Institute for Faith and Learning to understand better the impact of our faculty and staff’s faith on students.
Collaborate with researchers in the Department of Sociology to conduct research on the impact of civil discourse on racial divisions.
Partner with researchers in the College of Arts & Sciences to further study the development of our beloved bear mascots, Indy & Belle, through regular assessments of their health, behavior, and environment.

Extend key Student Life research initiatives toward measuring the impact of existing efforts.

Pursue ongoing assessment of learning and practices associated with implementing the Faithful Trajectory intercultural engagement model.
Assess the Leadership for the Common Good framework and rubric while also measuring the virtue development and learning outcomes for participating students.
Continue support for the Baylor Faith & Character study with a renewed focus on the intersection of virtues education and faith, exploring their impact on students’ character formation.

Deepening engagement as a virtuous community.

Develop a more intentional and vibrant approach to sharing the breadth and depth of the Christian life with students, staff, and faculty.

Strengthen Baylor’s Pro Ecclesia and Pro Mundo commitments by expanding experiences that open, stretch, and deepen the faith of our students, such as global hubs that create opportunities for meaningful, multipoint engagement.
Build upon the existing pastoral ministries to foster additional ways to support the spiritual well-being of all students, faculty, and staff.
Develop a more formative training model that nurtures spiritual depth in student leaders and partners who lead and serve on our campus.
Deepen the spiritual formation of graduate students by providing various opportunities for growth, reflection, and support tailored to their unique journeys.
Strengthen chapels through emphases such as teaching a theology of vocation and theology of the arts that will lead to greater quality and depth for our students.

Strategically align divisional resources to establish Baylor as an exemplar in preparing active, engaged citizens who work across differences with civility and respect.

Foster growth in civil discourse and civic engagement across categories of difference by building upon the intersection of Intercultural Engagement and Student Leadership Development.
Cast a renewed vision for Multicultural Affairs to broaden the understanding of intercultural engagement among all students while enhancing a sense of belonging for students of color.
Increase international student participation and engagement in campus activities and involvement by exploring opportunities for tailored experiences.
Implement a proactive student organization risk management model and restorative practices framework to strengthen the formation of student behaviors reflective of a caring Christian community.
Continue to nurture vibrant and meaningful traditions that align with Baylor’s values, increase engagement, and strengthen a sense of community and belonging.

Strengthen opportunities to support the health and well-being of faculty, staff, and their families through Student Health & Wellness resources.

Develop leadership virtues in our students to equip them to lead for the common good in an increasingly complex world.

Ensure that the Leadership for the Common Good and Faithful Trajectory intercultural engagement models are embedded across the division.
Invest in the training and development of student employees to enhance their leadership development, character growth, intercultural maturity, and spiritual formation.
Prepare students to boldly embrace and maximize the benefits of the human-technology interface while recognizing the human responsibility for moral agency.

Faithfully attending to people, spaces, finances, and other resources that positively impact the Baylor experience—today and tomorrow.

Enhance and expand campus spaces to meet the needs of our current and growing student population and ensure that these facilities are inviting and welcoming to all students.

Enhance centralized, accessible spaces for all students to work, socialize, and host events and activities.
Expand and enhance access to recreation, health, and well-being spaces.
Create and intentionally curate spaces that meet the growing needs of our increasingly diverse student body.
Complete the residence hall renovation plan.
Increase the division’s ability to address deferred maintenance needs across all Student Life facilities.

Leverage emerging technologies to improve the effectiveness of student learning and support.

Demonstrate Christian stewardship by developing a division philanthropic plan in alignment with the strategic plan.

Work collaboratively with University Advancement to identify and accomplish annual fundraising goals, stewardship efforts, and the cultivation of future donors.
Cultivate deeper relationships with alumni who were involved as student leaders to strengthen connections with the university.
Foster greater connections with parents through partnering with Baylor Parent Engagement.

Optimize efficiency and effectiveness of Division operations.

From Vision to Action

Equipping Students to Flourish

Broadening Interdisciplinary Research & Impact

Building a Vibrant, Caring, Global Community

Demonstrating Christian Stewardship

Division of Student Life