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Baylor regents reaffirm 2012 and Christian education, but debate continues
The "Battle for Baylor" has more than its share of intrigue, not to mention ample opportunities for tea-leaf reading and code cracking.

The story took a turn to the ridiculous last week as the Waco Tribune-Heraldreported (and editorialized) on a private investigator who claimed to be hired by "rich and powerful people" to dig up dirt on interim president Bill Underwood. Former Baylor insider Hunter Baker thinks it's a hoax—or that the investigator was actually hired by Underwood supporters in an attempt to "make Underwood look like a victim of evil conservative Christian types and let him ride into the presidency full time on a righteously indignant sympathy vote."

The Baylor Board of Regents (whose meeting coincided with the news of the investigator) attempted to defuse some speculation over the weekend by unanimously reaffirming the school's Vision 2012, an ambitious project largely shepherded by Sloan designed to place Baylor in "the top tier of American universities while reaffirming and deepening its distinctive Christian mission."

A statement from the regents said:

In furtherance of Baylor's commitment to outstanding teaching, Baylor will continue to enhance opportunities for research and scholarship among its faculty. Baylor will continue to recruit and hire highly qualified faculty who are committed Christians, including Christian scholars and scholars who are Christians. We expect every faculty member to examine and consider how his or her faith impacts his or her professional life. The Baylor Board of Regents reaffirms its commitment to the University's historic Baptist heritage.

Many who lamented that Sloan's forced resignation as president and Underwood's firing of provost David Jeffrey may have breathed a sigh of relief at the statement. But media reports say it's not the full story. Both the Waco Tribune-Herald and Inside Higher Ed suggest that the school is actually easing its mandate that faith and learning be integrated in all classrooms.

"Some faculty had previously expressed concern that they would be expected to bring faith into course material, regardless of the subject matter," reports the Tribune-Herald. But now, the paper says, they're told that "religious issues need not be part of the curriculum of every class."

"I think the board reaffirmed the wide range of approaches to the integration of faith and learning that is appropriate and what we are looking for here at Baylor," Underwood said at a press conference after the regents' meeting.

Regent Wes Bailey explained what he thought the resolution meant: "There are classes where course material doesn't lend itself to a lot of Biblical principles, such as accounting or mathematics. We want Christian character to be demonstrated in the classroom and in interactions with students."

But "Christian character" is different than integrating faith and learning. At Wheaton College, for example, all new faculty members—including those in mathematics—must participate in a year-long Faith and Learning seminar, which generally includes writing and deep scholarship.

There's a remarkable difference between Wheaton's integrationist model and what Baylor sociology and anthropology professor Susan Wallace explained to Inside Higher Ed. "Being in forensic science, I did not feel comfortable talking about my faith to my students," she said. "But I feel comfortable teaching them how we interact with grieving families in a Christian manner. It's what I've done all along, but I feel validated in that by the new president."

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July (Web-only) 2005, Vol. 49