Lamar University began the 2026-2027 school year with its annual faculty and staff convocation, Aug. 12, in the Neches Federal Credit Union Arena at the Montagne Center. President Jaime Taylor highlighted successes from last year and set goals for the new school year.
“People way beyond our region, folks who used to rarely look our way, are starting to stop and take notice,” he said. “They are seeing the results coming out of Beaumont, and they are talking about the impact of your hard work.”
Taylor said LU was recognized as having the most improved Division One athletics program in the nation for the three-year period. This recognition follows both football and baseball’s successes last year.
“Those results don’t happen by accident,” he said. “They happen when an entire university pulls in the same direction, and that commitment to one another is shaping the culture of our university.”
That commitment led LU to receive recognition in the “Great College to Work For” survey in four of 10 categories last September, Taylor said.
“I absolutely love this recognition,” he said. “Most university recognitions measure what we produce. Every year, universities are ranked and rated for campus amenities, enrollment metrics, academic rigor, athletics, and so on.
“But this recognition is a direct reflection of how we treat each other when the cameras are off. It tells us something about our people and about what it feels like to work here at Lamar University — and to me, that makes it one of the most meaningful recognitions we can receive.”
Taylor acknowledged how the university’s leadership team handled budget adjustments last year following a revenue drop. He said that moving forward, eligible employees will receive an additional merit raise of 1% and a one-time 2% merit payment.
Taking care of people also means backing faculty and staff with real resources, Taylor said.
“We cannot expect to do world-class work out of yesterday’s facilities,” he said. “That is why you are seeing so much work underway across campus, from a $90-million renovation of our library to upgraded facilities for our dining halls, an intramural field, and there’s more to come over the next couple of years.”
Additional planned changes include renovations to common spaces, parking lots and all 23 lecture halls.
“The investments we are making in compensation and in campus facilities are possible because of the strong support the Texas Legislature and the Texas State University System have given us,” Taylor said. “They are choosing to invest in Lamar University because they see what we are accomplishing here, they see the momentum, they see the results, and they’re telling us in a very concrete way that they believe in this team and in where this university is headed.”
Taylor said student success is built through continuous support from faculty and staff, whether that support be with course material or personal development.
“So, as we step into this new academic year, I want to leave you with one simple challenge: find your ‘one,’” he said. “Find your one student. Maybe it's the student who needs to explain something one more time. Maybe it's the student who has missed two weeks of class and doesn't know how to get back on track. Maybe it's a student who shows up at your desk because they have no idea which office can help them.
“You may never know exactly what that moment means to that student, but that's OK. You just have to be there for it. If every person here today helps one student keep moving forward this year, think about what that adds up to. That's not 1,000 small acts. That's 1,000 futures changed — and that's the kind of year I want us to have.”
