A Seat at the Table
Since its founding in 1845, Baylor University has had only 15 presidents. Over Baylor’s 180-year history, that’s a remarkably small number, especially since the average tenure of today’s university president is less than six years. Baylor’s 15th president, Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., may have made history as the first woman to lead the institution, but as she enters her eighth year at the helm, it was providential from day one that she was the right person at the right time to lead Baylor.
Building on the University’s firm foundation, President Livingstone’s strong and steady leadership since 2017 not only has transformed Baylor into a preeminent Christian Research 1 (R1) university, but it has given her — and by extension, Baylor — a national platform among higher education leaders.
From 2023-2024, President Livingstone chaired the Board of Directors of the American Council on Education, the major coordinating body for more than 1,600 of the nation’s colleges and universities. Closer to home, she serves on the Board of Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas (ICUT), the voice for Texas’ fully accredited private colleges and universities, and she brings Baylor’s historic legacy of healthcare to her service on the Board of Trustees for Baylor College of Medicine, which stands as a powerhouse of medical education and innovation.
Her authenticity and dynamic and collaborative leadership style also have caught the attention of national media outlets — ranging from Fortune to Inside Higher Ed — who call President Livingstone about leadership and other issues facing higher education. As a result, she regularly convenes and participates in conversations, whether virtual or in major cities around the country, about challenges and opportunities for women in leadership, the importance of cultivating the next generation of higher education leaders, the future of collegiate athletics and creating a culture of civil discourse on campuses.
With Baylor competing successfully in Power 4 athletics as a member of the Big 12 Conference, President Livingstone also occupies the highest-profile seat at the table in collegiate athletics as chair of the NCAA Board of Governors. At the conference level, she chairs the Big 12 Board of Directors, adeptly leading the conference through realignment uncertainty to today’s position of strength as a 16-member league competing at the highest level in intercollegiate athletics.
As the only Division 1 female basketball player to become a university president (and parent of a former D1 student-athlete), President Livingstone brings a unique perspective to the table as the NCAA and its member institutions navigate the changing landscape in collegiate athletics.
Back on campus, her leadership also was tested when the COVID-19 pandemic hit all sectors of society, including higher education, but President Livingstone rose to the challenge, successfully leading Baylor through an unprecedented time. She never lost sight of Baylor’s students, recognizing that some would need help overcoming the difficulties as classes moved online. To help support student success, she established the President’s Excellence Fund that awarded more than $1.5 million to help cover students’ basic needs. The fund continues meeting students’ tangible needs beyond tuition support to help them engage in the rich academic experiences at Baylor.
President Livingstone’s national leadership has allowed Baylor to bring its unique voice to conversations of critical national importance. With that all-important seat at the table, Baylor can bring more than just another voice to the ever-evolving quest for solutions to some of the world’s greatest challenges. It brings a mission as a Christian R1 university that is distinct in higher education into settings where real impact can take place.