Deseret News | Reader comments: BYU-Idaho expands enrollment

Reader comments
BYU-Idaho expands enrollment

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Anonymous | 7:18 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

I heard hundreds of times Ricks would never be a four year school. Was in 50's then went back to two year school. A surprise there. It would be nice if an intercollegiate athletic program returned up there. Would play some former rivals and maybe if they have a similar history to bsu that went from JUCO to 1-aa to a succesful 1-a school could bring money to the program.

Anonymous | 7:34 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

As the world spirals towards more wickedness, the church will feel increased pressure from parents who are aghast at the thought of sending their children to colleges that are simply unfit for a faithful Latter-day Saint; not to mention risking their child getting brainwashed by professors who are beholden to all kinds of false ideas.

lindal | 7:50 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

I just wish they would take into account things like mission service when assigning tracks. You don't have control over which track they assign to you and when it conflicts with mission plans, it is frustrating!

Comments continue below

They do so much good... | 7:53 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

My thanks to the church for having subsidized by BYU tuition and providing the opportunity for excellent education to thousands more! I'm happy to help others have a subsidized education through my tithing dollars.

Mark | 8:03 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

To Anonymous 7:18 am,

Let's leave intercollegiate athletics alone. Money raised by athletics programs generally stays in athletics programs. Athletics doesn't really help with the rapidly increasing costs of ACADEMIC education.

I hope the trimester plan is soon utilized at BYU-Provo and BYU-Hawaii. So many qualified students are being turned away.

The state institutions could look at this model as well. Buildings are so expensive, and technology could be used to keep both taxes and tuition under control.

BYUI | 8:13 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Track system isn't bad, but has drawbacks for some people. Its a matter of timing for some who want to be on a different track. However, I LOVED BYUI! I graduated from there and had a wonderful experience as one of the frozen chosen.

Misteyez | 8:18 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

The admittance process DOES take into account missionary service when screening applications for admittance into church owned universities.

Imagine | 8:18 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Imagine how many people would try to go to the Idaho school if it were in the frozen tundra of Idaho. Nice location.

Seattle Guy | 8:21 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

I went to school there and it was great! But they do need more buildings, more than they have planned. Also, PLEASE bring back sports to the school! Make it a NCAA Div. II school like Dixie or SUU.

Not valid | 8:22 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

I agree that parents should want the best for their children, that sending them to a church school might be a better option, but the real need is to teach our children how to differentiate between good and evil. At some point or another our children will be forced to make a choice about what's good and what's not. I'd prefer to have my children able to make the right choice rather than forcefully seclude them from those choices.

I went to BYU and hope my children choose to also (and are eligible to). But I have to operate under the fact that I must teach them how to survive in the terrible world. Whether they're required to endure that during college or not until after college is irrelevant.

Anonymous | 8:31 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

My guess is they don't take mission plans into consideration, because they don't want people intentionally using mission plans to get into the track they want.

Chad | 8:48 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

If this works why not do it at all the church run schools?

anon | 8:47 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Lindal, they have made adjustments to accommodate for that problem now(such as allowing you to jump in during and "off track" semester). Talk to the registrars office.

Suprised | 9:03 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

I am suprised to hear them wanting to enlarge the student population. I remember hearing Pres. Clark not wanting too. Either way, it's still an amazing school and with the growning populations and need for more students it will all be good!

Matt | 9:13 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

The reason why BYU-Provo will never switch to this is that it puts a tremendous drain on faculty. BYU-Provo's faculty are expected to have a much larger research load that BYU-Idaho's faculty (and those at BYU-I teach much more) and summer is, in my experience as a faculty member (though not at a BYU campus), when much of this research gets done without the day-to-day distractions of lectures and student meetings. Teaching is fun and rewarding, but research is too and the latter is how we keep our jobs. A full trimester system would make that impossible

At the same time, let me remind poster 7:34 that there are many Mormon faculty at non-LDs institutions around the country and many of my colleagues are good people who will not brainwash your children either. Just make sure they go someplace where there is a strong and active Institute.

Ashlon Hill | 9:19 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

That is so good to hear! I had a wonderful experience there and now am taking that with me to Virginia. All this is credited to the revelation that the Brethren receive!

Re: Imagine | 9:24 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Rexburg is a beautiful place. You are only demonstrating your lack of appreciation for anything not Wasatch Front-esque. You sound like a typical Wasatch fronter that likes nothing better than keeping up with the Joneses.

The things that make Rexburg ugly are comments like those made by Anonymous 7:34 a.m. That's right. Put on the blinders! Ignore ideas that may cause you to think about what you actually believe.

GILESH | 10:05 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

To Mistyeye. The School does NOT take into account missionary service. There was a time when if you served an honorable full-time mission you were guaranteed a place at a church school. Not any more. The church expects YM to interupt their schooling and be worthy to serve a mission but then upon their return they only look at HS grades etc. I am afraid I am one of the disappointed parents mentioned in the last paragraph of the article. Having had a daughter attend BYUI, I know that there are many atudents that attend purely because of parental pressure and who struggle to maintain church standards. Some of her room mates left a lot to be desired.

crisa | 10:20 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

I think this is great news! I have just a couple of points to address from previous comments:

1) BYU-I will never have NCAA sports again. They don't make such a huge decision only to reverse it. I believe it is too much of an expense and this allows them to focus on the academics which is the purpose.

2) In addition to research, I am sure that BYU would have to rework contracts and pay more leading to higher expenses and possibly a loss of money. The sports program there would also need to be cut to offset the higher costs.

3) Finally, it is a great blessing to have church schools. However, if we raise up our children, preparing them and if we use the institute system far more than we do, I believe reverse the problem of our membership falling for the philosophies of the world. This is what the institute system was designed for, to grow the CES program without building huge universities. Also if more people were willing to stay outside of the Wasatch front and advance truth in these institutions, it would also help offset this problem.

Quick question | 10:23 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Where can I find information on LDS institute numbers ?
What public schools have very active institute programs ?

Anonymous | 10:38 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

I am confused why this is being announced as a new program. My daughter is about to graduate from BYU-I and they have been doing this since she started in 2003.

GB | 10:51 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

GILESH @10:05: I don't want to put words in Misteyez's mouth, but I think Misteyez @8:18 may have been responding to lindal @7:50, so what Misteyez was saying was that the admissions people take missionary service into account WHEN ASSIGNING A TRACK (as opposed to when making the admit vs. no-admit decision, which seems to be what you are disappointed about).

Clint | 10:52 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Institute numbers and locations can be found on on the church's website. Click on "Home & Family" and then on "Education." On that page you will find the link.

Congrats | 11:09 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Great school with an even greater student body. It's what the world needs. The other advantage is that grads don't hang around as they are likely to do in Provo.

pohaslu | 11:14 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Re: "...frozen tundra..."

The coldest 2 days in July that I have ever experienced was on Hadrian's Wall in Britain
and in Idaho Falls, ID.

Rexburg is UPWIND from I.F., so... go figure.

AZ | 11:22 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

I think BYUI is a great school. My Kids go there and love it. The only draw back is the summer/fall program. it is hard for students to make money for school when you have only 3 months off and 7 weeks in the summer. The other 2 tracks have 5 months off together. We are hard working people, but when you have 3 in school at once-- even sending them to a church school is tough. There must be something that they can do to make it better for the summer/fall kids???

Stewart | 11:28 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

BYU Idaho is a great school and provides an opportunity for more students to attend a Church sponsored school.

An unintended consequence of the year around schedule could be the opportunity for students to have the opportunity for better "summer" jobs and internships. Employers that need good workers could coordinate with BYU Idaho where three students hold one job. Also, resorts and other employers that use seasonal help other than summer could benefit.

BYU vs BYUI | 11:44 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

There would be plenty of room at BYU for more students if the rules were enforced here the same as they are at BYUI.

Rick Schow | 11:55 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

I attended Ricks in fall 19__ __. As we speak I have a son and a daughter at school there (BYUI.) Great University and amazing expansion well underway. My two young adult children love it! !

Ute Grad | 11:59 a.m. Jan. 7, 2009

There are other alternatives besides Church schools. I went to the U of U and was active with the institute program. I had a wonderful experience - not only at institute but with my 'gentile' professors. Lots of great alternatives besides a Church school

Anonymous | 12:41 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

At first I would agree sending the kids to schools that are not sponsored by the Church but sadly, the influence is becoming huger and we can't deny that the tree starts to get straight or curve on the early years. With that being said, I so much appreciate BYU-I for having my son as a student. My pocket also is grateful! My son loves it there and even though he was accepted summer/fall, he is doing this semester and right after, he will leave for his mission. And he wants to come back there no matter what!

anony | 1:18 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

What about letting in homeschool students? Anyone know what their policy is regarding homeschooler admissions?

Rexburg "Upwind" of IF? | 1:53 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

You obviously haven't looked at the map lately. Rexburg is NORTH of IF, not WEST. The prevailing winds are from the west, and might come from the north during a winter blast on occasion, but not the norm.

Living up there, you learn to walk with a list to compensate for the wind.

Homeschoolers... | 2:25 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

...are granted admission primarily based on entrance exams. They are not discriminated against at all, at least not at the LDS schools.

Dee J | 2:46 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

I'm with Anonymous 10:38 - what's new about this? I was aware of the three-track system and mandatory assignment to two tracks two years ago when applying for our oldest child. Is there a recent twist or adjustment to the policy?

Our second was just admitted, and he was asked to complete a brief questionnaire in order for them to assign him to a track, and one of the questions was regarding his expected timing for entering the MTC - so it appears they at least consider mission timing.

anon | 3:21 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

The things that's new is the dramatic increase in enrollment by 2015 (adding 9000 students). That was obscured by the older news of the track system.

Beth | 5:09 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

I also agree with the above postings stating that the chances of BYU moving to the three-track system are slim. BYU and BYU-I serve different purposes. BYU is the "research institution" of the church, a three-track system would make it near impossible for research faculty to attend conferences, spend time focusing on research, and write papers. All of these things are important in a research-focused atmosphere.

At BYU-I faculty do not participate in research, their sole focus should be academia. I think that structuring BYU-I the way they did was a great choice because it does allow the maximum number of students to attend there, they can "crank them out".

When prospective students are trying to decide which school they want to attend they should take the primary missions of each university into account to see where they would fit best.

Missionary Plans | 5:29 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

BYUI does accommodate for missions. In 2007 they implemented a program for those returning from serving full-time admissions. Fall 2008 a program was implemented to help with pre-mission plans. Check with the BYU-Idaho Admissions Office...they will tell you all about the two programs

cindy | 6:53 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Students and faculty both get a six week break in July and August. The track is another way for students to work with their career choice, say like accounting, work with accounting firms in January through April. That's a great aid to their education.

Henry | 7:58 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

I'm a student at Weber State and LDS. I get really tired of parents telling me I'm a bad kid or that I must be less-active because I'm not attending a church school. My decision to follow gospel standards isn't dependent on what school I decide to attend.

I received a full academic scholarship in addition to full housing at WSU. I have received outstanding instruction here, yes, even from professors who aren't LDS.

It looks like the UT County bubble of arrogance and ignorance is steadily expanding to engulf the entire state.

RE: Henry | 8:52 p.m. Jan. 7, 2009

Hey henry, chill out buddy. I still like you and so do 90% of all the other mormons. 10% are a little crazy so don't worry about them judging you for going to WSU. I am a HUGE BYU fan and fully support the school but I started at Dixie then went to USU and am now at the U in a doctoral program. Through it all I have never paid tuition. Which is the biggest reason I never went to a church school. The scholarships are better at state schools. And, one of my best friends is a non-LDS professor from USU. While I agree that there is a bubble, I don't really think its a UT county bubble. I think that the bubble is simply around different individuals heads. Sadly, these individuals are usually fairly loud with their opinions. Don't hate all of us from UT county. maybee just hate the loud 10% that are the bubble heads.

BYU-I Grad | 8:01 p.m. Jan. 8, 2009

I was able to attend BYU-I year round. Being on the Fall/Winter track, I could attend Summer semester if I wanted to. If you were on any of the other two tracks (Summer/Fall or Winter/Summer) you could not go on your off track unless you got it approved. I think what they are saying is that they are going to let more people be admitted and you can only go on your assigned track.

It was a great place to go to school, but I would not want to live there for the rest of my life.

BYU Idaho for the graduates | 8:27 p.m. Jan. 8, 2009

I went to BYU-I before it was called BYU and I loved it. If it had a 4 year program back then I would of stayed there. Ricks College as it was called has a much more down-home feel to it, and you don't feel lost in the crowd like you are at BYU-U. I'm glad that they are uping the enrollment, since my son and daughter are getting ready to attend. As it grows I hope they don't lose the atmosphere of a small town college, but it still will be the best place for LDS young people to get their higher education.

Larry M | 10:17 p.m. Jan. 8, 2009

I hope the Church finds a way to open another campus or opens the distance degrees to all LDS, not just those with previous BYU credits.

The relatively low tuition is appreciated. Southern Virginia University is LDS-centric but expensive. The new Nauvoo University looks like a bargain for those with pioneering spirit!

viking | 11:55 p.m. Jan. 9, 2009

How about an "evening tract", say from 4pm to 10pm? This would allow for more students. I would bet that there are young professors who would be willing to teach at night if it would give them an opportunity for tenure and the chance to move to daytime in the future. As for janitorial services, they could take place after 10pm as they do in office buildings in major cities.

Lane | 5:09 a.m. Jan. 10, 2009

As a former Ricks attendee from the 70's, I've been impressed with the recent changes at BYUI. Expanding the enrollment through the Track program is innovative. Our daughter just received her acceptance and is very excited.
However, after we learned about the track program, the excitement became very subdued. We wish we would have know about the track program before applying- and that we would have had a choice in the track. (1st, 2nd, 3rd.) The assigned track is much less desirable- particularly for us east coasters.

Sal | 10:46 a.m. Jan. 10, 2009

Our youngest applied before Christmas, so we don't know his tract schedule yet. He would like to go on his Mission right after school is out in December. What we did is look at the pros for both a Spring/Fall or Fall/Winter Tract. Because of Mission plans, which they asked about, I don't think they would put him in the Winter/Spring Tract, but if they do we will look at the pros of that schedule too. We realize that there are cons for all three schedules, but if we look at just what is "wrong" with any particular tract, we won't see the blessings that can come. Being able to work this Summer would be great, but he has saved already for College/Mission so if he is in School instead that would mean he would have a full year of BYU-I done before going on his Mission, if He gets the Fall/Spring, he will still have 1 semester done. If he gets the Winter/Spring, he'll just postpone mission time to after the Spring semester is over. Planning for all three tracts well help him, and us as parents enjoy what ever tract he is assigned to.

Ricks Alum | 7:22 p.m. Jan. 10, 2009

According to a friend who has been a faculty member during the track system, faculty also participates in the track system, so they teach two consecutive semesters and then are off one.

Not happy w/ new tract system | 3:54 p.m. Jan. 13, 2009

I am one of numerous parents who donï¿½t like the new tract system at all. It seems to be made for the wealthy with plenty of spare time. Our son was put on the fall/spring tract. We now have to move him there and back twice a year (time consuming and expensive); he needs to work to help support himself in school but full-time short-term jobs are almost non-existent Janï¿½March or for the 6 or so weeks between summer and fall. I called and talked to a manager in the admissions office and was told ï¿½noï¿½ to all our concerns. Our best friends ran into the same roadblocks, and they were planning to send their son on a mission in April right after winter tract, and put it on the form, but he was given the winter/spring schedule - so much for taking it into consideration. The administration needs to come down from their lofty ivory tower and think about this from the view of us ï¿½common folksï¿½ who already have a hard enough time helping our kids get a good education in a good environment at an affordable price. This is a painful blow without even raising tuition.

Also Not Happy | 11:20 p.m. Jan. 15, 2009

My daughter has very good grades but was not put on the Fall/Winter track. We called and they said they used to have students compete for that (most desirable) track but now spread the students out evenly according to the score their application merits (same numbers of high, medium and low for each track). So much for rewarding hard work. Sounds like they're teaching Socialism 101 at BYUI.

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