Baylor, alumni association make peace_60203

Posted: 5/30/03

Baylor, alumni association make peace

By Mark Wingfield

Managing Editor

WACO–A recent disagreement between Baylor University and the Baylor Alumni Association has been patched up, officials with both entities report.

The Baylor Alumni Association operates as an independent entity from the university, although it traditionally has received major funding from the university and has occupied university-owned office space. The association is governed by its own board of directors.

Baylor administrators have complained at times that the alumni association has not been supportive enough of university initiatives. Alumni association leaders, on the other hand, have complained at times that the administration wants to squelch their independence.

Tensions turned to a new level, however, when the university last year started publishing its own magazine mailed to alumni and donors and beefed up its own alumni relations office. Both initiatives, Baylor officials said, were undertaken to better serve the needs of alumni and to fulfill the goals of the university's strategic plan, Baylor 2012.

The alumni association for years has published the only alumni magazine related to the university, the Baylor Line. It is mailed to about 25,000 dues-paying members of the association–about one-fourth of the university's living alumni.

On May 12, both the alumni association and the university announced they had signed an agreement outlining terms of future cooperation. The text of the document was not released, and a university spokesman said both parties had agreed not to talk about it. The only information provided came in a six-paragraph news release.

According to that release, the alumni association will continue to operate independently of the university, publish the Baylor Line and recognize outstanding alumni. The association will work with the university to sponsor homecoming events, the Heritage Club and Legacy Weekend.

Prior to the agreement, the university provided about $350,000 in annual funding to the alumni association. However, that funding will end May 31, according to Larry Brumley, acting vice president for university relations.

The association will continue to occupy university-owned office space in which the association has invested substantial resources, Brumley added.

The news release quoted both Baylor President Robert Sloan and alumni association Interim Executive Vice President Os Chrisman praising the agreement.