The Brigham Young University Hawaii administration has adapted the counsel of Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to rely more on councils in planning and decision-making at the university.
In his 2003 book, Counseling with our Councils, Elder Ballard suggested to be more effective we need to focus on fundamentals and people, promote free and open expression, realize that participation is a privilege, and lead with love.
"Councils are more than operational coordinating mechanisms," he wrote, noting "they also serve as vehicles...for teaching and development."
Citing Doctrine and Covenants 107:30, he also said council decisions "are to be made in all righteousness, all holiness and lowliness of heart, meekness and long suffering, and in faith, and virtue, and knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and charity."
"The two core elements of our mission at BYU-Hawaii are to integrate spiritual and academic learning so that students will have a single foundation for a lifetime of learning, and to help students develop character and integrity so they can provide leadership in their homes, their communities, their professional work and in building the Kingdom," said BYU-Hawaii President Steven C. Wheelwright. "To accomplish both of these elements, everything we do on campus needs to be an exemplary part of their training."
"As we utilize councils in the ways that the Lord intended and that Elder Ballard has described, we become stronger and stronger examples of what it is the Lord intends to have happen on this campus. Such councils will also enable us to make faster, more sure progress on the path that prophets have outlined for this wonderful university."
"I'm grateful for what so many throughout our ohana are doing to work with councils throughout the university," he continued. "They are truly putting into practice the principles that Elder Ballard has outlined. As we continue to work together in this effort, the lives of every member of our ohana will be blessed and enriched."
"Counseling in councils is an inspired process that allows us to create a mission environment in making decisions," added Dr. Max L. Checketts, BYU-Hawaii Vice President for Academics. "That's what's powerful about the counseling process, over the world's view of just a committee process."
"We will have both: There are some things that committees work fine for," he continued, "but there are others where a counseling process has more potential. So, we're trying to establish some principles to build these on."
"For example, how many councils or committees should a person serve on?" Checketts continued. "Is it possible that someone could serve on so many that we're wearing them out, or distracting them from their principal assignment, whether a faculty member or administrator?"
"Another one is how many people make an effective council or committee?" he said, adding that organizational administration data show "you can get some councils and committees too large. "So, we have to work past the mind-set of just representation on a council. Maybe that means we just need the right people to process a task, or do a certain function. Maybe some councils do need to have everyone represented, but it depends on the task."
He also said after identifying objectives, "the last step is inviting people to serve."
Checketts explained we already have several existing councils in academics, including:
- The President's Council
- The President's Advisory Council (PAC)
- The Academic Council, which makes policies for academics, which are then ratified by the President's Council.
- The Dean's Council, a subset of the Academic Council
- "We're also looking to form a new Curriculum Council, which will have a relationship with the General Education (GE) Committee," Checketts said.
- Other committees including the Academic Exceptions Committee, the Faculty Promotion Committee and the Faculty Advisory Council (FAC).
- "And there will be ad hoc committees," he continued. "For example, I'm working with a group of faculty on housing — that's an important issue, and there will be others, clearly."
Checketts explained that most of the council and committee members are faculty who have "three expectations: The first, and obviously the most important is teaching, or fostering learning," he said. "There's also service, which means they service on a council, committee or leadership assignment, and scholarship or creative learning. All of these are important."