Robert Sloan paid attention to the big buzz about integrating
faith and learning throughout the 90's. He certainly didn't invent
the concept, not even at Baylor where Provost Donald Schmeltekopf
had already tilled the field waiting for seeds, water, and
determination to back up his early evangelism of the concept. What
Robert Sloan did, though, was to put money and his reputation
behind the project to transform Baylor into a great Christian
university that was simultaneously a research university. Whether
or not U.S. News and World Report acknowledges it, a lot has
happened at Baylor. Student board scores are up, graduate programs
are churning out Ph.D.'s and Baylor is winning some serious
research grants.
A strange thing happened along the way, though. Sloan himself
was forced to resign only to see the vision continue to bloom. He
stayed on as Chancellor for a year or so, basically occupying a
fund-raising and figure-head role. He
is now headed off to Houston to take over as president of Houston
Baptist University, a school that characterizes itself as
having no problem with the direction Sloan tried to take Baylor.
What may have been the most important part was that he was a
symbol, or perhaps less euphemistically, a security blanket for
those who wanted to see the university stay true to the 2012 vision
Sloan pushed so hard. When David Jeffrey was fired as provost and
Francis Beckwith's tenure was denied, there were rumblings.
First Things spectacularly jumped ship and
Christianity Today
clammed up after having given extensive coverage
earlier.
Sloan's departure will take the focus off him by both critics
and supporters. Baylor will now be judged not by Sloan's presence,
but by its faithfulness to the vision it continues to embrace
rhetorically. Final word on Beckwith's tenure appeal should come
down in late August. That will be one powerful indicator of
Baylor's heart and soul. After all, Beckwith (formerly my boss) is
a prototypical faith and learning guy.
For his part, Sloan is still presidential. He has refused to
publicly criticize anything done by his interim successor Bill
Underwood (now at Mercer) or his permanent successor John Lilley.
After 27 years at Baylor as student, athlete, teacher, preacher,
distinguished prof., dean, and then president, he bleeds green and
gold. But he has taken on a new opportunity and Baylor will stand
or fall without him.
He starts at Houston Baptist immediately and has already done a
public exit interview with the Waco
Tribune-Herald. There's some interesting stuff here
personally, spiritually, organizationally, etc. It's a good read.
The conclusion is my favorite part:
Q: What are your departing words to the Baylor
family?
A: God bless Baylor. We love Baylor and we
love Waco. Our greatest passion for Waco is that it be willing to
take some risks and to grow and develop. For Baylor, there should
be no question, historically or in terms of our obligation, as to
what Baylor's identity is. Certain features of it really are not
even debatable. Legally and historically, Baylor was founded as a
Christian institution in the Baptist tradition and being faithful
to that should not be up for grabs. Having a faculty and staff that
have those commitments should always be of primary concern because
it's the people that really are the institution and what the
faculty and staff are determines the experience of the students.
Baylor should always seek people that don't merely accept her
identity, but embrace it.
Of course, there's another question beyond what Baylor will do
without Sloan. What will Sloan do with Houston Baptist? That
should be the fun part. Chairman Mao wanted to let a thousand
flowers of revolution bloom. I'd settle for a dozen or so more in
Christian higher education.
topics:
Education
