Specific Needs

In addition to his philosophical discussion of Baylor's character as a Christian institution, Sloan suggests four strategic areas on which he believes the University should focus:

Faculty

"Baylor must focus on retaining and recruiting the finest possible faculty. People who have outstanding academic credentials, people who are committed to a university like Baylor with its Christian identity and mission and people who see the synergy between teaching and research. Ultimately what we're after is not great teaching or outstanding research by themselves; it's a learning environment which the synergy of teaching and research can create."
 

Students

"I think Baylor needs to continue to recruit a diverse student body of young people who want to make a difference in the world and who are also extremely bright and thus have the potential for a high level of leadership. Baylor has never accepted everyone. Our mission statement says that via the integration of Christian faith and academic excellence provided in a caring, nurturing environment, we will educate young people who can be worldwide leaders.
"If Baylor is going to compete in the marketplace of universities, we'll need to continue to see our SAT scores rise. We need to move toward an average score of 1250 (it's 1190 currently). We can never be satisfied; we should never be thought of as a fall-back school whether for Duke, Vanderbilt, Texas, A&M or any other school."

Programs and Centers

"I think immediately of a School of Communication and a School of Public Policy. Those fit historically with the mission and character of Baylor. They are great illustrations of the kind of voice needed in our society on the part of people with a Christian worldview.
"All the great advances are taking place in interdisciplinary studies, so we're going to need those in the sciences and between the sciences and humanities. Those will come out of the synergy that results from teaching and research."
 

Capital Improvements

"The Living and Learning Center (North Village) is tremendously mission oriented. It pays for itself, it brings students back to campus in learning-oriented living, it builds community. We had three more LLCs in 2012, and one will be brought to the regents for consideration at their July meeting. It accomplishes so much that has always been a part of the Baylor identity, from 1845 when we had preparatory school students. That's our history." 
Sloan has a long list of building needs for the campus, including completion of the School of Music project, a School of Social Work and expansion of the School of Engineering and Computer Science and of Hooper-Schaefer Fine Arts Center. Renovations also are needed at Tidwell, the Bill Daniel Student Center and the library, among others.