Campus Community

Since 2008, BYU–Hawaii has been developing and implementing a year-round calendar in line with the Board-directed imperatives to continue to improve quality, lower costs to students and the university, and serve more students. A new approach developed over the past several months, called Nine Semesters in Residence, supports the year-round calendar yet provides flexibility for students with varying circumstances. Through a series of informational forums and question-and-answer sessions held this week, principles and associated practices and policies were outlined that underscore the reasons and benefits of graduating in nine semesters. Additional information is also available online at academics.byuh.edu/9SIR.

BYU–Hawaii alumnus Richie Norton’s new eBook, Resumes are Dead And What To Do About It, was recently released by Shadow Mountain Publishing, a Deseret Book company. In it, Norton draws from his experience at BYU–Hawaii and his success as an entrepreneur to argue that there is a better way to go about landing the career of your dreams than peppering employers with resumes.

The work of BYU–Hawaii Art Professor Viliami Tolutau will be enjoyed by hundreds of people for years to come at an O’ahu elementary school. On February 3, 2012, Brother Tolutau presented a sculpture of Ho‘okō‘ana o Māuiakalana, or the accomplishments of Māuiakalana, at a ceremony held at Nānāikapono Elementary School in Waianae. He was commissioned by the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts as part of their Art in Public Places program. The program works in conjunction with the Artists in Residence program that highlights and places artwork created by local artists to beautify public places and buildings, adding to the environment and the enjoyment of the locations.

“Living with intention requires conquering the natural man and seeking to become a saint” was the council of Margaret Wheelwright, BYU-Hawaii’s First Lady as she spoke at the February 28 Devotional in the Cannon Activities Center.

The world’s largest student conference on hedge funds and private equity featured one of BYU–Hawaii’s students at its annual gathering in January. Marcus Lobendahn, who graduated in December 2011, was not only selected to attend the Alternative Investments Conference (AIC), but won the gathering’s first ever Best Trade Idea Competition.

On Friday January 27, 2012, Judge Bode Uale visited BYU–Hawaii to address political science students here on campus. As a BYU–Hawaii alumnus, Judge Uale expressed his great love for the University as well as his gratitude for having the opportunity to return and speak to the students. Judge Uale received his BS in political science from BYU–Hawaii, and his Juris Doctor from the University of Hawaii. After finishing his education he went on to work at the Honolulu Family Court, and is now a Judge for the Hawaii State Judiciary. As well as his distinguished service within the community, Judge Uale has also served as stake president in the Honolulu Hawaii Stake since 2004.

Dr. Don Colton, professor of computer and information sciences at BYU–Hawaii, will be the speaker at the 2012 David O. McKay Lecture on Thursday, February 9. The lecture will be at 11 AM in the Cannon Activities Center. Dr. Colton’s lecture is entitled “Ambiguity: A Two-Edged Sword.”

BYU–Hawaii will be celebrating Spirit Week this week, February 6-11, with a variety of events and activities that have been specifically prepared to commemorate the anniversary of the university’s founding, and its legacy and mission.

Laie Hawaii Married Student Stake reorganizes, prepares for future growth.

Renowned Pianist John Schmidt to perform in the Cannon Activities Center with Cellist Stephen Sharp Nelson on February 17

The McKay Foyer renovation is an effort to enhance and more effectively use this special space.

BYU–Hawaii makes U.S. News lists for best colleges and least expensive private colleges and universities.

"Our unwavering purpose as a university is to help each of you become learners, leaders and builders," said President Steven C. Wheelwright in the opening Devotional of the winter semester at BYU–Hawaii. He focused his remarks on the second of the triplet - leadership - sharing first the vision of President David O. McKay about the students who study here.

With each semester, students graduate and leave, and new students come to BYU–Hawaii. The graduates move on to the next chapter of their lives, and the new students are just beginning their journey. Most come with few possessions – the bare essentials – all that would fit in their luggage. For many, a challenge arises: how to find and afford all the things needed to live.

“Many think that intelligence is fixed, and that whatever you are given, that is all you have to work with. I don’t worry about IQ – I choose to concern myself with people who want to expand their thinking,” says Dr. Morris Graham, BYU–Hawaii professor of Organizational Behavior and author of the new book Executive Thinking: From Brightness to Brilliance.

Hundreds gathered to the Laie campus of BYU--Hawaii for a Dec. 17, 2011, groundbreaking to officially mark the beginning stages of construction for 11 new buildings. The buildings include a multi-use building, married student apartments, single student dormitories and single student apartments.

Elder Jeffery R. Holland urged students to live up to their potential at the BYU–Hawaii Commencement Exercises on Saturday, Dec. 17.

Approximately 225 students will participate in the upcoming BYU–Hawaii commencement exercises on Saturday, December 17, 2011. Addressing the graduates will be Elder Jeffery R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Elder Paul V. Johnson, the Commissioner of the Church Educational System and member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. The event will be held at 9:30 AM in the George Q. Cannon Activities Center and will be streamed live online at http://tv.byuh.edu/livestream/livestream.php.