President Clark addresses concerns of student body

REXBURG, Idaho – At the BYU-Idaho President Q-and-A topics were addressed concerning President Kim B. Clark’s concerns for students, plans for the university and the bell town on campus.

President Clark said that his biggest concern for students on campus is being caught up in worldliness. Clark explained that when students become caught up in worldliness they can’t have the Spirit of the Lord with them to help them.

Clark also expressed the desire for students to smile more and be friendly with fellow students on campus. Clark said he will be addressing the topic of happiness to the campus in his April devotional in the spring 2012 semester.

Currently the school has made a standard of two hours of studying for each hour spent in a class and Clark still keeps to this rule believing it to be a “good rule of thumb.”

Vice President Eyring addressed concerns regarding the bell tower and the music played in between campus. The music that is played is usually spiritual music or LDS hymns specifically.
Eyring said that the songs used do not have to be just hymns but should be uplifting and also free from copyright laws so the school does not have to purchase the music.

A question was asked about the growth of the school and what the university is doing to prepare of this. Clark said that current things such as expanding on-line learning and building the
BYU – Idaho Center are in anticipation for more growth in the student body.

Clark opened the floor to other questions at the end of the session, which included
helping handicap students and facilities for above average students on campus.

It was said that the university is currently working on new policies to help students with
seeing disabilities. The policy will make it easier for students using screen readers to use the schools website.

A student was concerned that the tutoring center was only for struggling students but
Clark said that there are more students who get A’s that use the tutoring facilities and they’re not just for struggling students.

The next President Q-and A will be held April 4 from 5 to 6 p.m.

Student's thougths on President Q-and-A

Helping those with Handicaps

The school is aware of students with handicaps being able to see online websites. The school will be forming a policy soon so that students with handicaps will be able to read the screens more effectively. The school wants to help all students learn.

Food Storage

President Clark said that students can start preparing for providently living by living the principle of food storage. As students are living in a small space they can start with 72-hour kits. Once you have more room such as a basement then students can begin to buy and store food in bulk.

Scriptures in Devotional

President Clark said that raising scriptures is devotional is a metaphor. It is a symbol that shows students are prepared when they come to devotional. Clark said it shows students are ready to learn and whether or not the speaker asks the audience to look up scriptures students should be
ready.

Movies in Library

The Library had R-rated movies for rent which the administration was not aware of but they have been removed. Vice Preisdent Eyring explained that “as an institution we are watched” and people could take it the wrong way seeing PG-13 or R-rated movies at the library.
There is no school policy regarding what students should and shouldn't watch in regards to the movie rating system.

Building BYU-Idaho

President Clark said that when President Gordon B. Hinckley announced BYU–Idaho the administration had to try to form a new 4-year-college around the core of Ricks College. Clark said that they had to make decisions on what they were going to keep and change in developing and establishing BYU–Idaho, which has been happening for a decade. Clark referred us to a talk by President Henry B. Eyring titled “A Steady Upward Course” given Sept. 2001 that talks about how the school wanted to build the university.