Newsbriefs, Winter 2010-11

December 17, 2010

Baylor again named a Kiplinger's Best Value

For the third year in a row, Baylor has been named among the nation's "best values" when it comes to private schools as determined by Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine.

The latest data has Baylor ranked 62nd among over 600 institutions considered by Kiplinger's. Once again listed in the top 100 "best values," Baylor is among the very most affordable when it comes to "total cost" -- tuition, fees, room and board, and estimated expenses for books. In this year's report, Baylor's total cost is 16th most affordable out of the top 100 and first in the state of Texas.

Baylor is not inexpensive; there are high costs to providing the educational environment Baylor seeks to provide. Publications like Kiplinger's (three straight years) and the Fiske Guide (five straight years), however, have consistently recognized the benefits of a Baylor education and named Baylor University a "best buy" and "best value."

Entrepreneurship center receives NASDAQ award

Baylor University's John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship received the prestigious NASDAQ Center of Entrepreneurial Excellence Award at the 2010 Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) Conference held on Oct. 24 on the campus of Pennsylvania State University. This special award was created by NASDAQ in association with the GCEC to recognize the unique achievements and outstanding efforts of entrepreneurship centers across the world.

The Baugh Center is part of Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business, where the pioneering entrepreneurship program--one of the first established in the nation--was founded in 1977 and named after entrepreneur, philanthropist and former Baylor Regent John Baugh in 1988. The Center's primary goal is to facilitate new business and further the goals of established businesses in the local and national business community.

Public relations teams take 1st, 2nd places at state competition

Baylor University's Public Relations Agency teams swept the top places at the Texas Public Relations Association competition in Austin on Nov. 12.

Two teams from the journalism and media arts department in Baylor's College of Arts and Sciences competed against colleges and universities from across the state in a comprehensive crisis communication scenario and in summary news release competitions. Baylor's teams won first and second places in both competitions against Texas Christian University, Abilene Christian University, Texas Tech University, the University of Texas and Texas State University. First place winners were Baylor seniors Kristina Ballard, Becky Petter and Colton Wright. Second place winners were seniors Claire Moncla, Kate Williams and Brittany Black.

Baylor's sustainability grade on the rise

Baylor University garnered its highest-ever grade in the new College Sustainability Report Card 2011, released Oct. 27 at GreenReportCard.org.

Baylor earned an overall grade of "B," a letter grade jump from last year's ranking. The annual report card is compiled by the Sustainable Endowments Institute, a Cambridge-based nonprofit organization engaged in research and education to advance sustainability in campus operations and endowment practices. The annual rankings provide detailed school profiles and grades for 322 colleges and universities, representing all 50 states and eight Canadian provinces.

Among Big 12 institutions, Baylor is the third-highest graded university in sustainability, trailing only the University of Texas and the University of Colorado by a half-letter grade.