Dean's Update - October 16, 2026
Dear Colleagues:
At my wife’s encouragement, we took advantage of last weekend’s Fall Break for some rest and relaxation in the San Antonio area, highlighted by a day retreat at a quiet spa and resort. After parking and checking in, I realized that I’d inadvertently left my phone in the car. Among the good decisions of that day was a shrug of the shoulders, a softly spoken “oh, well,” and readiness to go without digital connectivity for the next nine hours.
There, in our Hill Country eyrie, disconnected from the internet, I reconnected with wonderful things that I may otherwise have missed.
When not reading Pope Leo’s Magnifica Humanitas (more on that momentarily), reflection, prayer, inquiry, and wonder had space to unfold. Outside of my own thoughts, nature’s glories invited attention. The whole day, a dozen darting hummingbirds danced through the air around us, entertaining with aerial acrobatics and impassioned chatter. Puffy white clouds drifted across the sky and the gentle swaying of purple-tipped Vitex branches gave rise to marvel and thanksgiving. Maybe I would have noticed these things, phone in hand with its endless stream of emails, newsfeeds, sports scores, and other information. However, I likely wouldn’t have rejoiced in them as heralds of God’s goodness.
Along the way, Magnifica Humanitas shaped my thoughts, including in these lines:
Those who love and desire cannot avoid . . . trial and suffering; . . . we carry within us lessons that leave their mark like scars, the memories of a journey shaped by freedom and failure, dreams and disappointments. It is only thanks to the interplay of these elements that the wonders of the soul occur with us, allowing us to sense the richness of our humanity. To renounce this adventure, both tragic and splendid, in the name of a presumed transcendence of all limits, could mean many things, but it would no longer be human.
When we embrace the possibility of transcending ourselves through God’s grace, we do not deny our nature, nor do we become less human. . . . [A]s Pope Francis explained, “We become fully human when we become more than human, when we let God bring us beyond ourselves in order to attain the fullest truth of our being.” . . . [W]hat saves humanity is not enhanced self-sufficiency, but a relationship that liberates, a communion that transforms.
In the former lines, “presumed transcendence of all limits” calls out those who hype technology as indispensable for human greatness, even to the point of trans- or post-humanism. The latter lines, by contrast, point to the only real way of rising above ourselves—through the lasting elevation of our being possible by God’s grace in Christ Jesus.
The pope argues that technology can alleviate suffering, enlarge perspective, and advance the common good. What it can’t do, he writes, is fulfill the deepest longings of our heart or raise us to the sight of God. Last weekend’s reveries were a needed reminder for me of each day’s opportunity to choose what captures our attention, takes our time, fires our imagination, and fills our hearts. My choice? Less of my iPhone’s promise of “enhanced self-sufficiency,” more acknowledgement of my limits, and closer attention to the graces all around me.
Here are things to know in the life of the Honors College:
With this fall’s large class of HC freshmen, we have set a record of 1,426 students, 10.3% of the university’s undergraduate population. That’s unduplicated headcount of students in one or more curricular program within the HC (Baylor Interdisciplinary Core, B.Phil. degree, Great Texts major, Honors Program, University Scholars major). As we ramp up student recruitment for next year’s class, thanks in advance for the many important contributions you make to represent well the promise of a Baylor education.
- This next weekend brings Alan Noble, professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University, to campus for activities in connection with the Drumwright Family Lecture. From 6-8 p.m. on Sunday, October 25, we’ll enjoy a college-wide dinner with Alan at Casa do Brasil. There, we’ll hear insights from Paul Carron and Kristen Drahos about Alan’s book, To Live Well, followed by shared discussion with Alan and one another. Then on Monday, October 26 at 4 p.m. in the Willett Family Reading Room, Alan will give his Drumwright Lecture, “Living Well in a Time of Uncertainty: Why We Need to Practice the Virtues.” I look forward to seeing you these special events.
Congratulations to Erika Abel, associate dean for undergraduate studies; Brittany Tausen, assistant professor of social psychology in the BIC; and Chad Thompson, clinical assistant professor of pre-health education in the HP, on receiving a $125,000 grant to support our Micah Scholars program. Awarded by the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Ethics and the Common Good, the grant – one of five awarded nationally – will support deeper engagement by students with local community partners, including Mission Waco’s Creekside Community, Waco Family Medicine’s Street Medicine Team, World Hunger Relief Farm, and Friends for Life. Well done, colleagues!
- A special shoutout is also due to Jenny Howell, clinical assistant professor of theology in the HP and director of the theology, ecology, and food justice program at George W. Truett Theological Seminary, for the leadership she provided in support of Caring for Our Common Home, a sustainability action plan for Baylor. Jenny would quickly and rightly point to a couple dozen collaborators whose contributions were, are, and will remain central to the deepening of creation care, related research initiatives, and strengthened curriculum at Baylor. Nonetheless, her own wisdom, conviction, example, and efforts are noteworthy and appreciated.
Grace Kallimel, assistant director of clinical services and senior psychologist in the Counseling Center, is now serving as liaison to the Honors College. In this role, she’s a point of contact for our academic community, with availability to answer questions, share updates, and partner on initiatives that support student wellbeing. Your outreach to her, whether to learn more about Counseling Center services for our students or to explore partnership ideas, is very welcome. Thank you, Grace!
All the best,
Douglas V. Henry, Ph.D. | Dean
Honors College | Baylor University
baylor.edu/honorscollege | 254.710.7689