President's Council Question & Answer Sessions

The next President's Council Question-and-Answer Forum is scheduled to be held on Friday, October 10th, from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Little Theater.

Aloha,

In order to address any possible questions or concerns from the university ohana, the President's Council and I hold a question-and-answer session each month.

You are welcome to bring your questions to the meeting or email them in advance to presidentsqanda@byuh.edu [1]. We will do our best to prepare ourselves to answer any given question.

By participating in these sessions, we will get to know each other better and we'll all become more familiar with university goals and policies. I look forward to seeing you at these meetings.

Steven C. Wheelwright
President
Brigham Young University Hawaii

Academics [Back to top] [1]
Is it possible for BYU-Hawaii to have a nursing program?
Due to limited resources and the high costs, it is not feasible for BYU-Hawaii to have a nursing program. BYU-Hawaii will continue to build relationships with medical institutions in our target areas so that interested students can finish their education and training at these institutions. There have been no discussions with having a joint program with BYU in Provo with regards to its nursing program.

Has the target area for the university changed?
No, the target area is still Asia and the Pacific.

What is the logic behind the University's policy of not accepting federal research monies?
This is the policy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Harvard Business School also has the same policy. Federal money usually has stipulations on how the money is to be used, which the Church would rather avoid.

What is being done to develop online courses?
The Center for Instructional Technology and Outreach (CITO) is actively working to develop online courses with the hope that students will take one online course at least once a year. The university is working to offer online courses at a very reasonable price and this will allow students to have more flexibility in their schedule for work and study.

What is the university doing to help students that must leave the school due to bad grades?
The university is trying to help students to be able to have good study habits, good time management skills, and help them to keep up. The university is trying to identify those students who may need help and get them that help whether or not they ask for it.

Will the mix of students at BYU-Hawaii change in the future?
If one were to assume BYU-Hawaii would grow, the university would grow much more internationally than it would domestically. The university will grow in its target area, which is Asia and the Pacific.

Are there any strategic plans to highlight Asia?
The university administration has not had any systematic discussion strategically on how the school could to do that. Some areas in the school, such as Career Services, alumni, mentorship activities and distance learning initiatives are already underway.

Why are grade requirements (in terms of inflation) and expectations inconsistent?
Grade inflation has been a long-standing issue in education, to which BYU-Hawaii is not immune. Deans have been asked to make sure that an 'A' grade really means somebody is excellent. Students are also encouraged to know when they've really learned a subject, and should know that the knowledge earned will be worth much more in life than the grade earned.

How do you address concerns about professors having a double-standard for grading native English speakers versus non-English speakers?
BYU-Hawaii is expected to have one grading standard for all students.

What happens to the teacher evaluations that students fill out?
They are given to the appropriate deans, as well as the Vice President of Academics. The deans use them with professors as part of their professional development.

What is the university doing to improve the "marketability" of its non-business majors to their respective fields?
The School of Business has been very good at creating programs that market their students and help them learn skills and get good jobs, but the university does not require such programs. However, the university is open to any other department taking such initiative. The School of Business programs, such as the Business Plan Competition, are open to any majors and are well-attended by the entire university ohana.

With budgets being reduced, what is being done in regards to Faculty Professional Development?
As travel costs increase rapidly, the administration and faculty are going to work on ways to be more creative in the ways that the university sends faculty to Professional Development Activities. Some of these may be sending a small group to be trained, and then have them return and train the rest of their group. The administration knows the importance of these activities, and is committed to help these trips continue.

Athletics [Back to top] [1]
Is the BYU-Hawaii Athletics program going to be cancelled?
There are no plans to make any significant changes to the BYU-Hawaii Athletics program.

Student Life [Back to top] [1]
Why are all international students required to purchase DMBA health insurance?
The school has had to use tithing dollars to pay unpaid insurance bills from many foreign insurance companies that refuse to pay. After much frustration and consideration, the school has decided to not accept foreign insurance.

Can BYU-Hawaii have a snack bar open past 6:30 p.m.?
The option of having a minimal snack bar in the Game Room is being explored. The problem with having the Seasider open later is economics.

Are students required to pray in English?
In public, the language of prayers should be English. For personal prayers, students should pray in whatever language they prefer.

What is your guidance and counsel regarding students' speaking English in their classrooms and work areas?
The school's long-term goal is to have students come to BYU-Hawaii prepared with English skills so that they can communicate once they arrive. The school wants to encourage English as much as possible in both the classroom and the workplace.

How will students with additional experience be rewarded in their student employment?
A Student Employment taskforce is currently looking how students with certain skills or knowledge will be rewarded in pay.

What is the reasoning behind the Cafeteria hours? Why can’t it be open all day? Why can meal plan credits not been used at the Seasider?
Food costs in Hawaii are very high. The Cafeteria can neither find enough employees, nor does it make fiscal sense to remain open the entire day. There are several additional plans for meal plan holders, including the Flex Plan.

Why is insurance required for distance learning courses?
The university is working to make sure that if students are taking distance learning courses only, they will not be required to have insurance.

Why is birth control not covered by student insurance?
DMBA decides what is and is not covered by student insurance.

Is BYU-Hawaii doing a disservice to students by allowing them to do optional practical training (OPT) on campus?
Experience shows that most OPT jobs on campus do not prepare students to return home with better skills for their careers. Many employers view OPT jobs on campus as a drawback, as a continuing student job. However, there are some circumstances where students may need to work on campus, such as waiting for a spouse to finish school.

Why can students not receive a refund for meals not missed?
Food is purchased in bulk anticipating that students will be there to eat it. Refunds cannot be granted because a student misses a meal. BYU-Hawaii does not charge students extra during breaks between semesters, unlike other schools which do charge extra.

What can be done about noisy patrons in the library who disturb those that are there to study in a quiet environment?
Plans are in the works to do some renovations in the library that would create more quiet work and study spaces separate from social and group study space. The library workers will try and educate library patrons on the policies of the library and keep the noise level down so that people can study.

When will the new student employment standards model beimplemented?
The new standards are already being implemented, and applications can be submitted by supervisors to HR. Approvals should take no longer than a week.

Employment[Back to top] [1]
Will temporary employees ever have equal opportunities like FTE’s?
The temporary employee category was established for jobs that were essentially temporary. The administration is currently reviewing temporary employees to see which should be permanent, and which should remain temporary. Many temporary employees are designed for internships, and the person filling them would therefore be changing on a regular basis.

Will there be a temporary employee association?
There is not an association at this time.

Why are Temporary Employees not allowed to use the Fitness Center Facilities?
The President’s Council will be reviewing this policy and report back.

IWES[Back to top] [1]
What changes are being implemented in the IWES program? *updated
First, the IWES program is for international students who come from areas that they could not get a university education. The program will not be for students from the United States. The Church has asked that the school raise funds from donors to lower the cost of the IWES program. With all seniors being encouraged to do internships, the school and the PCC must recruit enough students to replace them, and find the funding to make it possible for them to come and work. Once this has been completed, there are plans to expand the IWES program to allow for more students as funding allows. IWES students are now going to be required to work at the PCC. The money from the Church is given to help the students at the PCC. Therefore, the Church does not want the PCC to have to go out and find other people to replace students that are not working at the PCC.
*Since its creation, the IWES program has grown complicated. Currently, the IWES committee is looking at how the program can be simplified so that it can provide more money from private sources and can sponsor more students.
*Single students in IWES are allowed to keep the first $1,200 of their benefits, and married students are allowed to keep the first $1,700. Any amount over that is used to help pay that student's expenses such as tuition. Any money left over at that point is applied to the entire IWES program.

What does the University do to those students who do not return to their home countries after graduation? *updated
The university does nothing. The university does all that it can to encourage returnability of students after graduation, but once a student graduates, the university does not have jurisdiction over them anymore.
*In order to improve returnability, the university is encouraging and assisting students in finding internships in their home countries. The university is also looking at how it can make the majors more appropriate for the jobs that are available in their home countries.

Some IWES students seem to possess more expensive materials than non-IWES students, and are receiving private scholarships which allow them to have money to purchase these expensive materials. What are some of the financial guidelines regarding IWES Students?
IWES students must live by certain guidelines, such as not being allowed to own a vehicle. If a student is found in violation of these terms, they lose their IWES funding. IWES students are counseled to use their income to help subsidize and pay back their IWES funding. Any additional private scholarships received by IWES students are to be used to buy books and other materials related to their education. IWES students do have a $1,500 limit to the amount of scholarship monies that they can receive.

Will IWES students be restricted to certain majors?
The administration is looking at the issue. It should be noted that all international students are encouraged to return to their home countries after they graduate. Some countries simply do not have jobs in the field that some of our students graduate in. All students should prayerfully consider their which major they select before commencing with their studies.

Honor Code[Back to top] [1]
Will there be a new dress code forbidding flip flops?
No.

Will there be a new dress code prohibiting basketball shorts or tupenu?
Basketball shorts and tupenus are appropriate to wear to certain events, but are not appropriate for public events.

Are hats appropriate indoors?
Hats are not appropriate indoors.

Are there different standards in the Honor Code for faculty, staff and students?
No. The Honor Code is a base standard, but some areas of the school, such as the School of Business, are implementing their own standards on top of the base standard, but that is up to the individual or departments.

How is the administration trying to improve enforcement of the Honor Code?
There are two initiatives. The first is educating the university community of the Honor Code standards, and help them abide by those standards as well as helping others follow them as well. The second is helping the university community understand what will happen to them if they are found in violation of the Honor Code, and there is a working group looking at how this should be carried out.

Who handles international Student Honor Code issues? What is the process faculty and staff should take to reporting these issues?
All Honor Code issues should be reported to the Honor Code office. The Honor Code office will take care of which offices should be involved after that. All Honor Code issues should be handled in a timely and efficient manner.

Housing[Back to top] [1]
What is being done in regards to substandard off-campus student housing?
[To deal with off-campus housing,] the university wants to offer more on-campus quality student housing. The master plan for the university includes several hundred spaces in apartment style student housing. Once this is completed, the hales will be completely renovated, one hale at a time.

What is being done in regards to Temple View Apartments (TVA)?
A final phase of construction is planned for TVA, which will add a few more units. Existing TVA units should not be found in a state of disrepair, and tenants can contact the housing office with their specific problems.

What are the policies regarding family size and availability of TVA units?
The housing office tries to match appropriate TVA units with family size. A couple with no children will not be put into a 3-bedroom unit, and a family of 5 will not be put into a studio [apartment].

With the cancellation of the Moana Street Project, will the sale of Faculty homes go forward?
Yes.

What kind of future Faculty Housing plans are there?
Plans are being drawn and submitted to the City and County for housing plans that will be constructed on land that is on campus, such as behind the existing townhouses. The land owned by the university is zoned differently and more easily managed than land not owned by the university.

Administration[Back to top] [1]
Who can get donations for the school?
The Church has directed that all fundraising be coordinated through LDS Philanthropies. Any ideas for further fundraising should be discussed with LDS Philanthropies.

What is Sister Wheelwright's official position at the university?
Her first position is that of wife to the university president. Elder Richard G. Scott gave a blessing to Sister Wheelwright at the time of President Wheelwright's call in which he counseled her to give advice to her husband in his duties.

What is the purpose of the Organizational Design Team? Who is on the team?
This team includes Dr. William Neal, Arapata Meha, Susan Barton, Bret Ellis, Steve Tueller, David Lucero, and their charge is to look at how the university can be restructured to be more efficient and effective in its structure, operations and processes. They will be making sure that the university is always being true to its mission.

Is the YouTube web video streaming site going to be blocked?
The University has a limited amount of bandwidth and is currently looking at ways to maximize the utilization of it. Streaming videos through the web uses a large amount of that bandwidth, and the university is currently looking at ways to restrict access to YouTube at certain times of the day.

What social networking websites are going to be blocked?
Due to questionable content, Myspace was blocked with the endorsement of the President’s Council. Facebook is continually being reviewed for questionable content, but there is no intention to block Facebook at this time.

How is technology going to be used more in the classroom?
The Faculty Advisory Board has been tasked with proposing a way to use more online resources in the classroom. There are many different technological resources that the school is exploring to see if they can be used.

Why do we celebrate Human Rights Day instead of Martin Luther King Day?
The calendar has been changed to reflect that we celebrate Martin Luther King Day.

Why does the library close at 8 p.m. on Friday, while it is open until 9 p.m. on Saturday?
The hours are set based on the number of patrons recorded in the past. The library recently extended its Friday night hours from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

What kind of system is in place to alert the university community to emergency conditions (such as weather closures)?
A team is currently in place to implement a system that will use many forms of media, including the Internet, radio, and telephone to alert the university community of emergency conditions. The policy of BYU-Hawaii is that classes will always be held in spite of extreme weather, unless there are safety concerns.

How do we teach our employees, both student and full-time, the need to have a professional attitude?
The university is working to make sure there is a high single standard regarding professional attitude on campus.

What are the university's goals related to community relations?
The university administration meets regularly with many of the existing community groups, as well as individuals. These regular meetings address questions and concerns so that the university can assist in building a better community for all residents.

How will BYUH follow up on the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) visiting accreditation team recommendation to encourage more research and scholarship among the faculty?
The university is considering a number of proposals. The university still needs to recognize and encourage scholarship development, but the university also should recognize those faculty members that are being creative and innovative in the way that they teach and engage students.
The university is also looking at its policies regarding ‘continuing faculty status’ and ask for faculty input in how this status should be awarded. Faculty may also be given five year reviews, something that is becoming more common at leading universities.

Will the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation team recommendations affect BYU-Hawaii's evolution in the next few years?
The WASC Team recommendations are designed to help the university continue with its current vision, mission, and goals. The purpose of WASC is to help the university to be more systematic, objective, and use more assessment systems with outcomes and measures for whatever they decided is their mission.

Miscellaneous[Back to top] [1]
Why are questions not allowed to be submitted anonymously?
Questions that are submitted by a user who wants to remain anonymous must be applicable to the entire university ohana.

Why is it so cold in the classrooms? What can be done about this?
Classrooms are kept cooler because the traffic during the day allows the cold air to escape, raising the room temperature, and a classroom full of people will also raise the temperature. Judd Whetten has been asked to look at what we can do to regulate when the classrooms are cooled to make it more comfortable in the classrooms, as well as save money.