Dear BAA Members:
The Baylor Alumni Association faces a major decision on September 7, and we want to provide you with as many details as possible about the Transition Agreement that will be up for a vote. We have created a website that will help you, our social media pages will update you with the latest news, and you can expect a special issue of the Baylor Line to arrive around August 23.
The decision is yours. And you deserve as much information as possible to cast a wise and thoughtful vote. BAA members will vote on the Transition Agreement on Saturday, September 7, at 11 a.m. in Waco Hall on the Baylor University campus. Members must be present to vote.
Unfortunately, your BAA representatives lost a lot of work time during July because of a lawsuit filed by a single member. Now, with the temporary restraining order lifted, we have returned to working with Baylor officials on the proposed license agreements for the new Baylor Line Corporation, and we are able to communicate about the Transition Agreement with you.
In the coming weeks, we will continue to update you with information regarding the Transition Agreement. A few points for you to consider in advance of the vote include:
- The Transition Agreement is not binding until two-thirds of the BAA membership at the September 7 meeting pass the agreement. Members must be present to vote.
- After passage of the Transition Agreement, the Baylor Line magazine will be published by the Baylor Line Corporation’s independent board of directors.
- A “yes” vote for the Transition Agreement preserves the independent voice that serves as the foundation of our association.
We will, of necessity, communicate a lot of information through our social media pages, website, and e-mail. Please be aware, in accordance with our bylaws, other BAA members will be allowed to communicate with you, as well, about the vote.
Members should visit our Facebook page daily and follow us on Twitter. Facebook and Twitter will be your surest routes to breaking news, so be sure to “like” us on Facebook and “follow” us on Twitter. We have also created a special website for members to find information about the Transition Agreement. The website will have all the resources pertaining to the vote, plus the latest news updates. We are including pertinent information from all sources, not just what we have to say ourselves.
We value your opinion and would like to hear from you about the Transition Agreement. In addition to commenting on our social media pages, please feel free to e-mail us at any time at BaylorLine@BaylorAlumniAssociation.com.
To make sure we have your latest contact information and that your membership status is up to date, e-mail Tessa Jamerson or Beth Wooten.
In the meantime, I want to address some of the questions we’ve been hearing from members. A small sampling of alumni FAQs is listed below, and you can find our ongoing all-inclusive list on our website. All questions are welcome, so keep them coming. We will send out more updates as the vote approaches.
I personally thank you for your love for Baylor University and the BAA.
Sincerely,
Collin Cox
2013-14 President
Board of Directors
Baylor Alumni Association
Q: Why do I have to be present in Waco to vote on September 7?
A: We recognize this will be inconvenient for many of our members. Article XVII of our bylaws provides that all-member meetings must be conducted in person. Earlier in the summer, we had hoped to change the bylaws to allow for some form of telephonic or electronic voting. But the lawsuit resulted in a court-ordered restraining order that prevented any work on the Transition Agreement during the month of July. In order to make a change in voting procedure, the BAA would have needed another in-person meeting, under the current bylaw provisions, to change the voting process. Once the restraining order was lifted, there simply was not time for an earlier meeting with proper notice. Moreover, under Article III, Section VI of our bylaws, proxy voting is not available.
Q: Why should I vote “yes”?
A: Your negotiators used the BAA bylaws as governing principles during the discussions with university officials. Our bylaws provide that the BAA is to achieve “unity of purpose in action in promoting the best interest and support of the University.” We are to “foster a spirit of loyalty, service, and fraternalism among the alumni and former and present students, faculty, or anyone who evidences or has evidences a genuine interest in Baylor University.”
The BAA leadership feels strongly that the Transition Agreement offers the best chance to preserve and enhance the things we value most and the principles our bylaws reflect. The agreement secures the editorial independence of the Baylor Line. The agreement protects our staff members, who have weathered years of difficulty, and provides them with meaningful employment instead of a highly uncertain future. And the agreement provides for a number of new opportunities for alumni volunteer service, through the creation of a new alumni-nominated university regent, openings on a new Advisory Board within the university, and elsewhere.
