"What has been we cannot change, but for tomorrow and today, we must be a light for future generations."   4HIM

       From the first shovel of dirt turned and the first brick laid, the vision for Wayland Baptist University has been to provide a quality academic experience within a Christian environment, aimed at educating the student's body, mind and spirit. That first academic semester in 1910 started a tradition that has held strong for 100 years, despite the changes in personnel and programs and physical landscape of the campus and city. And that vision has extended past the home campus in Plainview, Texas, and into Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, New Mexico, Oklahoma, online, and Kenya, Africa with more students sharing the Wayland experience.

 

       The landscape of higher education has changed during Wayland’s first century, and more changes are undoubtedly on the horizon. But Wayland remains committed to staying true to the simple mission that has guided the university for a century while adapting to a changing world. This 2010-15 strategic plan was designed to address the needs of students regardless of their demographics or campus location as well as the many technological advances and the need to protect precious resources. Altogether, it’s part of our Wayland plan to prepare for future generations.

 

 Sustainability

       As a Christian university who believes strongly in good stewardship of all our resources, Wayland is committed to pursuing initiatives that help us protect our environment and our finances in order to be responsible citizens of the earth and God’s kingdom. The 2010-15 strategic plan calls for specific efforts to:

• Increase undesignated giving to the university - gifts that may be used as Wayland sees fit to meet urgent needs
• Increase designated giving to the university - allocated gifts toward scholarships, building projects and other specific needs
• Develop the Wayland Foundation to protect financial resources
• Maintain adequate facilities for students and employees on all campuses
• Increase creation care initiatives on campuses through recycling, measures that increase energy efficiency and other conservation efforts to protect natural resources
• Develop system-wide programs to promote wellness among employees.

 

Versatility

        In a rapidly changing world, Wayland knows it must remain relevant to its students in terms of technology, learning methods, and programming in order to prepare students for careers in the 21st century. The 2010-15 strategic plan calls for specific efforts to:

• Regularly upgrade technology to improve functions and keep student learning on  the cutting edge, both in online and face-to-face formats
• Identify distinctive areas of excellence in Wayland’s academic programs and consistently improve all programs
• Expand course and program offerings by adding graduate programs, online degrees and extending programming to other WBU campuses
• Integrate the faith component into more academic programs and courses
• Support faculty use of new teaching methods and technology
• Enhance effectiveness of employees by increasing professional development opportunities for faculty, development of a staff training program and a central help system for technology issues

 

Community

        Believing that loyalty comes through deliberate measures to build community among students across campuses, Wayland plans to increase this on both a local and global perspective. The 2010-15 strategic plan calls for specific efforts to:

• Provide additional community service opportunities for students
• Strengthen and grow the student activities program and enhance student gathering locations
• Expand the athletics program as feasible to meet student interests
• Expand selected student services to external campuses, including career services and placement
• Increase international missions opportunities and training through expansion of the Wayland Mission Center
• Develop an International Studies Office for study abroad opportunities and exchange programs for students of other nations
• Implementation of a Customer Relations Management system to improve recruitment, communication and processes across campuses

 

The Wayland Core Values

Commitment to Student Learning

Christian Distinctiveness and Baptist Heritage

Integrity, Diversity, Trust and Respect

Excellence and Innovation

Service to Our Communities

Personal, Professional and Spiritual Development

Stewardship of Our Resources

Planning and Accountability

Environmental Responsibility

 

The Wayland Mission

Wayland Baptist University exists to educate students in an academically challenging, learning-focused and distinctively Christian environment for professional success and service to God and humankind.

 

The Wayland Vision

Wayland Baptist University will be an environmentally responsible, international multi-campus system offering innovative, academically challenging and distinctively Christian undergraduate and graduate education through multiple delivery systems to military and civilian students around the world.

 

Future generations will also serve him. Our children will hear about the wonders of the Lord. Psalm 22:30 (NLT)

 

    Regardless of what the future has in store, Wayland Baptist University is committed to telling the story of a faithful God who has changed lives for more than a century through a Christian school on the High Plains of Texas that remained loyal to its creator and its mission.

     Education of students is our foremost goal, followed closely by preaching the Gospel message in word and in deed across our many campus locations. Shining a light – represented by the flame that graces Wayland’s logo and the statement “Let there be light” on Wayland’s official seal – is an important  concept at Wayland, where we believe knowledge coupled with Godly wisdom can help students of all ages, backgrounds and races see their dreams become reality.

     In the end, future generations will reap the benefits of the hard work, generous financial support and steadfast loyalty sowed in the present. May God receive all the glory.

 

"Stories we heard from our fathers, counsel we learned at our mother's knee: We're not keeping this to ourselves; we're passing it along to the next generation - the marvelous things God has done."  Psalm 78:3-4 (MSG)