Wayland to begin teach-out at Amarillo location, Dec. 31

PLAINVIEW—Fifty years after Wayland Baptist University opened the Amarillo location to meet the needs of nontraditional students, market changes have compelled Wayland’s board of trustees to sunset the Amarillo location through a teach-out process.

The teach-out commencing Dec. 31, 2026, is a planned process for helping students who have been studying at the Amarillo location to finish their academic programs with minimal disruption.

The campus serves 28 students, who will be allowed to complete their degrees with no additional cost caused by the change, the university said in a follow-up email to Baptist Standard.

“Students have invested their time, money, and trust in Wayland, and we take our responsibility to them seriously,” said Wayland President Donna Hedgepath. “This is part of our strategic plan, but our priority through this process is to help each student understand the options available and develop a clear plan for completing their degree.”

With this strategic move, Wayland is expanding its global footprint by transitioning the Amarillo location primarily to online instruction, reflecting the evolving needs of today’s learners. This move supports Wayland’s commitment to delivering Christ-centered, flexible, and affordable education to students wherever they are.

This closure follows the path of last year’s Alaska campus closure, the email to Baptist Standard notes. Both closures were market driven, the email said, reflecting a shift to preferring online studies among the nontraditionalstudents these satellite campuses were geared toward.

At the present time, the university does not anticipate additional satellite closures, the email stated.

Closure process

Effective today, Nov. 4, Wayland will no longer enroll new students at the Amarillo location. The university has developed a teach-out plan that will outline the timeline for the transition and for the steps Wayland will take to help current students continue toward their goals.

The university will work individually with affected students to review remaining degree requirements and available completion options. Advising will address course availability, the anticipated time needed to finish, and any changes in how or where instruction is delivered.

Christy Reed, Lubbock campus dean, is overseeing the process. She said the university is communicating directly with currently enrolled students, those who have recently attended but are not currently enrolled, and prospective students about how the transition impacts them.

 Faculty, staff, and community partners also have received information about the teach-out and the transition process. The follow-up email to Baptist Standard explained all faculty at the Amarillo location are adjunct, so no tenured professors will be affected.

“All students currently enrolled through the Amarillo location will continue to receive individualized support fromuniversity personnel,” Reed said.

“Beginning immediately and continuing through the teach-out process, academic advising and financial aid advising services will be provided through the Lubbock campus. Advisors will be available to assist students through in-person appointments, telephone consultations, virtual meetings, and email communication,” she explained.

The sunsetting of the Amarillo location will not alter each student’s degree requirements, program curriculum, or progress toward graduation.

“We are grateful to the faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners who have supported Wayland’s work in Amarillo,” Hedgepath said. “Their service has made a difference in students’ lives, and we want to honor that work through the care we give students during this transition.”

Students with questions about the Amarillo teach-out should contact Christy Reed, at (806) 742-9515 or at [email protected].

With additional reporting by Calli Keener.