First Term has begun at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, introducing the first full school year under the new academic calendar, and administrators say they can already see the benefits. Some of the positive outcomes reported are facilities being utilized year-round, an increase of parents in attendance at orientation with their children, more than 1,250 First Term students were able to continue their studies, and the university is offering more credits in 2009 than in 2008. Vice President of Academics Max Checketts said that facts already show the university’s three main objectives created under the direction of President Steven C. Wheelwright are being accomplished because of the new academic schedule, which are:
1. Serve more students
2. Reduce costs to everyone
3. Improve quality
The new academic calendar now includes two semesters and three shorter terms instead of two semesters and two terms. This also changes the spring graduation date from June to April, but December graduation will remain the same.
Checketts said, "The primary purpose of the new calendar is to have more of a year-round school process, which helps us serve more students at a reduced cost to both the Church and the students." He explained that serving more students and reducing cost really go together.
Serving More Students
According to Checketts, students traditionally take four or five courses during semesters and two courses during terms. With the additional term, and more students attending at least two terms, students will graduate sooner and open up room for more new students, thus a higher turnover rate and more students served.
Director of Enrollment Services, Arapata Meha, said, "Admissions is a busy department and the introduction of the new schedule means we are recruiting year-round and reviewing many more applications than we used to received in the past. Because this was the first time to offer First Term, Admissions reached out to new freshmen that intended to start in Fall semester and offered the option to begin in First Term instead."
Meha said the new First Term has allowed more than 1,000 students to continue their studies and has given "more than 250 new students the opportunity to begin at the university."
Director of Student Leadership & Honor, David Lucero, said, "The extra term has given us the opportunity to have more orientations. More students are showing up for the activities and more are on time. In addition, there were many more parents at orientation this term." Meha suggested that timing plays a part in this phenomenon, and said, "More parents attended orientation [this First Term] than in previous semesters and terms because the dates fall during the summer vacation for many families."
Reducing Costs
Another advantage to the new First Term, which involves serving more students in a shorter time frame, is the reduced cost per person for the Church.
"We were able to reduce the cost to the Church," Checketts said. "How? With more students attending year-round, the cost of running the facilities while nobody is around disappears. Students are now on campus 12 months out of the year."
Checketts mentioned that the university wants students to take advantage of the terms. To encourage higher attendance during the terms, it is now mandatory that students on IWES/IWORK and scholarships attend both semesters and two of the three available terms to qualify for this financial aid.
"Changes to the federal financial aid program under the Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act will benefit students attending the First Term. More information is available at the Financial Aid office," said Meha.
Checketts explained that students generally take at least four classes each semester and two classes each term, so attending two terms costs the same price for the same number of credits as attending one semester. Students are also allowed to work more during terms so they can afford to live.
"Some students were able to graduate sooner so they didn’t have to pay for another term or semester’s worth of food and room expenses," said Checketts.
Improving Quality
"As for quality, it will take longer to see benefits. We think quality will improve," said Checketts. "Changes as big as changing the calendar require that we learn as we go. Just because we find things that are wrong doesn’t mean we need to change back; it means we need to continue to improve until it works. We really are trying to learn. Improving the quality can happen but it takes work and it takes change to find ways."
Checketts said that improving the quality of education will require all of us to look at the way we deal with teaching and learning. "In the past, we got up and lectured. We have to ask, ‘Are there other ways to teach that would be better?’"
Meha said, "We are offering a Freshman Year Academy experience for selected new freshmen, using current students as peer mentors. These students benefit from small classes, close interaction with faculty and the opportunity to socialize with one another."
Timing has been a key benefit of the new calendar. The new 60-minute classroom period, instead of 50, allows teachers to more easily switch from one activity to another in the middle of the class period. The possibility of online instruction will be helpful in allowing students to work more classes into their schedule.
Another benefit for BYUHSA is, "because graduation is moving from June to April, it may be easier to get the new student body leaders in place, trained, and prepared for the next school year," Lucero said.
Vice President of the BYUHSA Student Advisory Council, James Sinkovic, said, "BYUHSA has benefited [from] greater unity between students and BYUHSA due to students sharing their concerns with this new calendar and the education they are receiving."
"The new calendar has been something easy for students to talk about and share ideas. As the Vice President of the Student Advisory Council, it has helped me learn my role better and understand the different concerns that students have. It is important that students voice their concerns and give suggestions of how we can improve here on campus. [As a student], I feel that I was able to learn the information that was needed for my classes in a shorter period of time," Sinkovic said. "I feel the University has shown that huge changes can be made."
--Photos by Monique Saenz