Why This Matters

At Baylor, we often say, “The world needs a Baylor.” By this, we mean not only the professions our graduates enter but the kind of people they become—their character, convictions, and way of life. Character formation is not an added outcome of the college experience—it is central to our identity as a Christian university. We imagine a Baylor where every student—regardless of major, background, team, or place on campus—encounters meaningful, consistent opportunities to understand, practice, and reflect on virtue throughout their Baylor journey. 

Currently, Baylor’s character-forming efforts are strong but fragmented. Faculty, staff, coaches, chaplains, and student leaders each cultivate character in meaningful ways. Over the years, units across campus have developed their own models and frameworks of character formation. Yet, there is no shared language or guiding narrative that helps students (and the Baylor community) see how these pieces fit together. Thus, a student’s character formation is often fragmented, dependent on where they happen to be involved. Without a clear framework, we lack cohesion, visibility, and the ability to articulate Baylor’s distinctive approach to character formation. 

Character in Deeds, an initiative supported by an Institutional Capacity Building Grant from the Educating Character Initiative at Wake Forest funded by Lilly Endowment Inc.,[1] is helping Baylor turn vision into reality. We know that character formation doesn’t happen through one class or one program—it grows through culture, through the ordinary and extraordinary moments that shape who students become. And culture is built through collaboration and conviction, not in isolation. 

[1] The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Wake Forest University or Lilly Endowment Inc.