EMPLOYEE N EWS L E TTE R
NOVEM BER 2016
Construction Management students, along with faculty member Shawn Jensen, visit Layton Construction in Phoenix, Arizona during a recent expedition.
Construction management students see degree in action On a recent trip to Phoenix, Ariz., construction management students saw first hand what kind of job their education is preparing them for. Shawn Jensen, a faculty member in the Department of Design and Construction Management, accompanied six of his students on the October expedition. “We reached out to past contacts we have made through campus visits and our alumni network and told them we were planning on visiting Phoenix,” Jensen said. “We then asked if there would be an opportunity for us to come and visit their company.” Jensen said they both established new relationships with construction companies along with building on relationships that already existed. “We made several cold calls for this trip,” Jensen said. “We just found them online and I sent them an email asking if we could come visit during our trip and they were very excited to have us.”
On the expedition, students were given the opportunity to see their degree in action, which provided important perspective on their education.
“My favorite part of the trip was visiting the companies and learning what qualifications they are looking for in their new hires. I would not have been able to prepare better for interviewing and starting my career with these companies than by visiting them,” said senior Braden Olsen.
“Sundt, one of the new companies we visited, took us on a tour of a new laboratory they’re constructing at the University of Arizona,” Jensen said. “It Similar expeditions have been very was about 85 percent complete, so they successful in providing its participants showed us some of the challenges they with internships and full-time ran into during construction and how they employment, according to Jensen. overcame those challenges. It was great CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 for our students to see how their education would benefit them in a real-world setting.” Students also began the important process of securing internships during this expedition. “An internship can lead to full-time employment, so that is one of the major reasons for and benefits of these trips,” Jensen said. The students on this expedition also benefitted from visiting with potential future employers.
IN THIS ISSUE: LOCAL DAIRY FARM BENEFITS FROM STUDENTS................................................4 PATHWAY: MORE THAN MATH................5 PRESIDENT ’S UPDATE: MEASURING OUR PROGRESS........................................2 EMPLOYEE GIVING CAMPAIGN...............3
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President’s Update: Measuring our progress By President Clark G. Gilbert
BYU-Idaho is guided by a set of core principles that help us accomplish the university’s deepest purposes. These include our mission, core themes, a distinctive educational emphasis, and the three imperatives. Understanding and incorporating these principles in departments across campus will ensure our efforts are moving the university forward on its inspired path.
THE MISSION:
Mission and Core Themes of BYU-Idaho The mission of BYU-Idaho is to develop disciples of Jesus Christ who are leaders in their homes, the Church, and their communities. We accomplish this mission by building testimonies, providing a quality education, preparing students for future roles, and maintaining a wholesome environment. When BYU-Idaho was created, President Hinckley said, “Adjustments to its mission will be minimal.” Our mission and the core themes that support it remain the central purpose of this university. President Eyring further stated that “every innovation, every change, will be measured against this test of the heart.”
Distinctive Educational Emphasis While the mission of BYU-Idaho would remain constant, President Hinckley also outlined a very distinct educational emphasis for the university: “the school will have a unique role in and be distinctive from the other institutions of higher education within the Church Educational System.” Drawing on President Hinckley’s original statement and other foundational messages, the university has outlined four distinctive educational emphases at BYU-Idaho: a teaching-focused faculty, realizing the potential in everyone, realworld preparation, and a high-value
Develop disciples of Jesus Christ who are leaders in their homes, the Church, and their communities.
CORE THEMES:
Education
DISTINCTIVE EDUCATIONAL EMPHASIS:
THREE IMPERATIVES:
Potential in Everyone
Future Roles Wholesome Enviornment
education. This educational emphasis gives us clarity and direction as we continue to grow and develop. The Three Imperatives Additionally, in his announcement President Hinckley said, “BYU-Idaho will operate on an expanded yearround basis, incorporating innovative calendaring and scheduling while also taking advantage of advancements in technology which will enable the fouryear institution to serve more students.” Elder Kim B. Clark summarized this direction in the three imperatives of BYUIdaho: raising quality, lowering relative
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cost, and serving more students. More recently, we have described this effort as focusing on the intersection of the three imperatives. In other words, BYU-Idaho tries to do things that are simultaneously high quality, low cost, and high reach. Using (but not misusing) Measurement Measuring our progress in each of these core purposes (see graphic) helps strengthen our stewardship of the university. The newly created Strategy and Research organization is helping us align our institutional measures with the mission, core themes, distinctive educational emphasis, and the three
imperatives. Please note, if we ignore the corresponding data, it is hard to be effective stewards in our roles at the university. However, if we are overly bound by the data, we will miss the deeper spiritual and, invariably, personal aspects of who we are. In other words, measurement is not an end unto itself, but a resource for us to ask better questions. I hope in the coming months all of us will continue to reflect on the deeper purposes and mission of BYU-Idaho as we strengthen our stewardship over this great university. &
Employees give back to BYU-Idaho In President Gilbert’s devotional address this fall he encouraged students to give back to the university both now and in the future. “As you seek to realize these responsibilities, I know the Lord will bless you with added strength and capacity to become who He wants you to become,” Gilbert said. BYU-Idaho employees and students give to the university in a variety of ways, some with time, others with money. The employee and student giving campaigns, run by LDS Philanthropies, offer an opportunity to experience the blessings of sacrifice. These campaigns continue to grow every semester, maintaining a status that reaches higher than the national average of university giving, in both student and employee categories. Although not every person has the ability to give financially, these campaigns continue to show evidence that by small and simple things, great things come to pass. “We are asked by the Brethren to extend the invitation to give to everyone that we can,” said Rebecca Millard, campaign coordinator at LDS Philanthropies. “So many people feel like they can’t give that much, but we learn from the Savior Himself that no matter the amount or the donation, it is the sacrifice that matters. Every amount makes a huge difference.” The employee giving campaign, “Together For Greatness,” runs every year during the month of October. The campaign consists of emails, flyers, and telephone calls, that encourage and invite employees to donate.
In 2015, more than half of BYU-Idaho employees donated financially, raising a total of $99,000. Robyn Bergstrom, a faculty member in the Department of Communication, was among the many employees who contributed. “I give because I’ve been given so much, and I just want to perpetuate that. I’ve been contributing for over 20 years, and just knowing that it goes to something worthwhile is a fabulous thing for me,” Bergstrom said. Those who donate may choose to contribute to a variety of campus departments and every donation is sent directly to the group of their choice. “Because it’s going through the Church, 100 percent of every gift goes where the donor chooses to send it,” Millard said. “No donation funds are ever used to run a campaign or for administrative costs, which is extremely unique.” Although the campaign only runs during the fall semester, employees are able to give at any time of the year. “I think employees are in a very unique situation. They get to see the students and the impact that these donations make each day,” Millard said. “So being able to donate is like being able to witness the building of the kingdom of God.”&
On the Blog The Heber J. Grant Initiative Begins Exploring How to Serve At-Risk Youth Student Life has launched a six-month exploration to better identify, prepare, transition, and retain at-risk students.
Online Customer Service Training Program A new BYU-Idaho online customer service training program is available to employees and students.
New Peer-Mentoring Program Finding Success Student volunteer mentors are reporting the new Student Support peer mentoring program is making an impact in the lives of new students.
Pathway and Online Advising Reorganized President’s Council approved permanent organizational changes in Online Advising and Pathway at the beginning of November.
To visit the Together for Greatness page, scan this QR code or visit byui.edu/giving/employee For these articles and more, scan this QR code or visit bit.ly/BYUIBlog
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Continued from page 1: Phoenix Expedition “Out of the trips we have taken, we normally get about a 90 percent or more placement rate. More times than not, students will get offers from companies we go and visit after they finish the trip,” Jensen said.
It isn’t just the students that benefit from trips like these, however. Brett Riggs, a project engineer for Kitchell Construction, said the visiting BYU-Idaho students made a lasting impression on those they met.
“I was really impressed with the positive attitudes and the spirit they brought. It was a breath of fresh air to deal and communicate with such great people,” Riggs said. &
Mechanical Engineering students improve local dairy factory A local creamery will soon have a lot more to offer consumers thanks to the efforts of a team of students from BYU-Idaho. Students in the Department of Mechanical Engineering are working with Sugar City based Nelson-Ricks Creamery to diversify its products.
“They are supposed to take many of the things they have learned here and apply it to a real-life situation.”
“The students are trying to improve their business and get it up and running a little bit more,” said Alan Dutson, the Department of Mechanical Engineering faculty member overseeing the project. “The creamery has their standard products they do right now, mainly cheese, and are trying to do some additional things like pasteurizing cream to add some more value to their business.” The students selected Nelson-Ricks Creamery as their capstone project. “It is intended to be a culminating experience of their undergraduate career,” Dutson said about the capstone project.
The real-world experience that these students are working on will enable Nelson-Ricks to make and sell more products. “The main things these students are looking at is creating a heat exchanger so that the company can pump in steam and cold water and adjust the amounts of those components in order to pasteurize cream,” Dutson said. Students say working with NelsonRicks Creamery has been an extremely positive experience. “Engineering applies to essentially everything, so it is cool to see this application of it,” said senior Cam Cardon. Because the project offers more realworld experience than a traditional
classroom, students also face real-world challenges that they have had overcome. “This project has helped me see that even though the end goal of a project may be clear, the way to get there is not always as clear,” Cardon said. “For instance, the initial project we were given was to design a device that will pasteurize cream. The end goal is still the same, but our design method and how we are integrating with their existing systems has changed several times.” One of the most beneficial aspects about this project for the students is getting outside of the classroom and applying their knowledge. “Sometimes the theoretical aspect of undergraduate education doesn’t translate well to the real world. We are trying to make this as close to a real-work experience as possible so that it is a good transitional experience for them,” Dutson said. &
DEVOTIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
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Pathway education leads to greater conversion Pathway students not only receive an education, but more importantly, they develop a deeper conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. “Pathway is received by people as an answer to their prayers,” said Daniel Baird, faculty member in the Academic Support Centers. “It shows how God has been using education that is beyond our capabilities to produce here.” The first point of BYU-Idaho’s mission statement, “Building testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and encouraging living its principles,” concisely sums up what is happening in Pathway. The second point of the statement, “Providing a quality education for students of diverse interests and abilities,” relates to the educational goals of Pathway. Baird saw the effect Pathway has on students from many cultures as he was able to visit Pathway sites in 13 different countries during Spring Semester 2016. He gained insights to how students interact with one another and that helped him understand the challenges of educating students from a diverse educational background. Baird developed a greater understanding of how the students interact with one
another and how they understand and work with the math curriculum. Students in other parts of the world have learned different math methods from what is learned in American schools. According to Baird, many students struggle because of this difference and have a difficult time grasping math concepts. “They didn’t get math early on, and now they’re being taught a different method. If we don’t bridge those gaps, they now have two methods that they don’t know very well,” Baird said. With this understanding Baird feels he can improve the curriculum to help international students excel in mathematics. Not only did Baird see how to improve math curriculum for Pathway students, but he also saw how the program is truly inspiring students to develop their individual testimonies. “It is a goal-directed, external-benefit, application of gospel principles. That is its power. It draws people in because it can give them something,” Baird said. “The degree produces something they want, to progress their life. But while they’re here, something more important happens, and that’s a deeper conversion.”
Students expressed their gratitude to Baird for what they are getting out of Pathway. “One student pulled me aside and said, ‘You have no idea what this is going to do. Our country will be different 10 years from now because of this,’” Baird said. Pathway helps each individual improve their life, starting with personal conversion to the gospel. “They get in and start studying the Book of Mormon and then they say, ‘Wow, I’ve been a member for 20 years and I didn’t realize how much excitement I didn’t have about the gospel,’” Baird said. Clara, a former Pathway student from Lima, Peru, explained her story to Baird of how her understanding of the gospel principles increased when she began her studies through the program. Even though she did not meet her original goal of matriculating as a BYU-Idaho student, she learned a spiritual lesson that changed the direction of her life for good. “If there is one thing I gained from Pathway, it is this: in the first semester, we were told that we should learn even by study and also by faith—that we should include God in what we are doing,” Clara told Baird. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
Second semester group of Pathway students at Lima Instituto Religion Universitario. This is one of four Pathway sites in Lima, Peru. NOVEMBER 2016
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Continued from page 5: Pathway Once Clara got into the math and writing classes, she needed to pray for help. Later her and her husband also sought God’s help through prayer when they went to the temple to pray about starting a business instead of continuing on through BYU-Idaho to get a degree. “I would have never prayed about a job,” Clara told Baird. “I put God more into my life than I ever have in the past.” More than education, Pathway students are realizing how much of a blessing this program is in their lives.
Pathway students in Port au Prince, Haiti.
“One of the biggest surprises is how hungry these students are for education,” Baird said. “They now see education as an opportunity for a career that would enrich their life, not just an irritant.” &
Pathway students in Vilnius, Lithuania visit with Daniel Baird.
President Gilbert and the Executive Group invite you to the
CHRISTMAS
Do you have an idea for a story for the next News & Notes? Email: newsdesk@byui.edu
GATHERING FOR EMPLOYEES Follow @byuidaho for live devotional tweets, online versions of News & Notes articles, and University updates
Date: Thursday, December 15 Time: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Place: Taylor Cultural Hall
Come visit and write notes of appreciation to campus employees, enjoy refreshments, and pick up your freshly baked pie!
Merry Christmas and happy New Year!
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