BYU-Hawaii President Steven C. Wheelwright, speaking to more than 500 faculty and staff in the annual 'ohana [family] meeting on August 24 in the McKay Auditorium, outlined the university's two-fold mission and two imperatives that flow from it.
First, Wheelwright thanked the faculty and staff for the strength of their desire to work, to teach and to learn with inspiration. He continued, "I also want to thank you for your commitment to live the gospel, for your integrity, and for your goodness." Then he explained he has been reading all of President McKay's writings and what recent prophets have had to say about BYU-Hawaii. Wheelwright said he's concluded that the essence of BYU-Hawaii's mission is really two-fold, including:
- "We need to integrate both spiritual and secular learning. Ours is a student-focused mission. We need to make sure that everything we do integrates both truth, as we know it spiritually, as well as the truth secularly or academically."
- "We need to prepare students of character and integrity who can provide in their families, their communities, in their professions and in building the Kingdom of God."
Wheelwright pointed out that two imperatives flow from the mission of BYU-Hawaii:
- "We must continue to improve the quality of the broad educational experience — everything that happens to these students — in every respect."
- "We must lower the cost of that education to the Church, and I would add that we need to lower it significantly."
Wheelwright explained that twice a month he reports to the Church Educational System's Board of Education, which includes the First Presidency, on these responsibilities. He added there are two quite different aspects of that stewardship that each must feel, including:
- The individual responsibility "we each have for the quality of that education."
- The collective stewardship: "We set the tone how those who come on our campus feel about this institution."
In reference to the first, he quoted President Gordon B. Hinckley on the standard expected of all involved in the Church Educational System, "'We are concerned that there be a quality of excellence in all that you do. This includes your faith and your principles.'" Wheelwright explained, "President Hinckley also stated that being temple-recommend worthy represents the benchmark or belief in action for all CES employees."
"If we are to meet the standards that President Hinckley has set for us, our lives need to reflect on a daily basis the standards of temple-recommend worthiness," Wheelwright said. "When we do this," he continued, "we become agents of the Lord, and everything we do in this stewardship at this university becomes the Lord's business."
President Wheelwright emphasized, "Make sure we're doing things that invite the Spirit in all we do," and he pointed out this should include at least three things:
- Use personal worthiness "as a guide for all we do on campus." He added after teaching for 39 years at secular schools, it's wonderful to bring the Spirit into the open. "We can invite the Spirit to bless the lives of those we work with, as well as the students. This should include prayers in all gatherings on campus, including classes."
- Make sure the principles of all interactions between work, service opportunities and the campus "are consistent with our mission. That is, they [the students] are learning the principles of leadership, how to take responsibility, how to be accountable, how to work with and through people, and how to deliver the desired results to that organization," Wheelwright said. "If we allow them to fail, or be mediocre in carrying out their service projects, or if we teach them how to avoid work and how to be lazy, then we're not fulfilling the mission of the stewardship the Lord has given us."
- "Heighten the understanding, awareness of and commitment to the Honor Code," which consists of the academic honesty policy, dress and grooming standards, residential living standards, and continuing ecclesiastical endorsement.
In reference to lowering costs, President Wheelwright said that the Board of Trustees expects a stewardship similar to that in the parable of the talents. Wheelright then said, "That is, part of our stewardship is to do more with less, and the Lord can help us to do this, for which I'm grateful."
Wheelwright explained the focus to do more with less. He said, "Those I report to pay particular attention...to four different measures or metrics." These include"
- The cost per student, calculated by taking all the credit hours earned by all students in a school year divided by 30 — a normal full-time student load, which yields the number of "full-time equivalent (FTE) students. It turns out our number is about 2,800. They then look very closely at all of the costs of the university divided by 2,800: That's the cost per FTE."
- The square footage of facilities, the annual operating budget and the capital budget — everything from buildings, facilities maintenance, IT projects, lab equipment, etc.
President Wheelwright thanked all who have recently worked through budget reviews and indicated the process is ongoing. "The Church [leaders are] anxious to help us meet the mission of the university," he said. "They know that with the Lord's help, we can do more with less. That's what they expect."
In conclusion, President Wheelwright urged the university 'ohana to be prepared and willing to listen to the Spirit so the students can become "the means through which the truth of the Gospel will go forth boldly, nobly and independently."
— A more detailed version of this story can be read in the BYU-Hawaii Alumni eNewsletter for July-August 2007 ; Photo by Monique Saenz
