Misplaced Pages

Brigham Young University–Hawaii

Former names	Church College of Hawaii (1955–1974)
Motto	Enter to learn, go forth to serve
Type	Private college
Established	September 26, 1955; 69 years ago (1955-09-26)
Parent institution	Church Educational System
Accreditation	WSCUC
Religious affiliation	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
President	John S. K. Kauwe III
Academic staff	183
Students	2,836 (Fall 2023)
Location	Laie, Hawaii, United States 21°38′29″N 157°55′31″W / 21.64139°N 157.92528°W / 21.64139; -157.92528
Campus	Rural, 100 acres (40 ha)
Newspaper	Ke Alaka'i
Colors	Crimson, Gold
Mascot	Seasiders
Website	www.byuh.edu

Brigham Young University–Hawaii (BYU–Hawaii) is a private college in Laie, Hawaii, United States. It is owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). BYU–Hawaii was founded in 1955 and it became a satellite campus of Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1974. In 2004, it was made a separate institution. The college's sole focus is on undergraduate education.

The institution is broadly organized into four colleges and its parent organization, the Church Educational System (CES), sponsors sister schools in Utah and Idaho. Approximately 97 percent of the college's 2,800 students are members of the LDS Church. BYU–Hawaii students are required to follow an honor code, which requires behavior in line with LDS teachings (e.g., academic honesty, adherence to dress and grooming standards, and abstinence from extramarital sex and from the consumption of drugs and alcohol). A BYU–Hawaii education is less expensive than similar private institutions since a large portion of tuition is funded by LDS Church tithing funds.

The college partners with the LDS Church–owned Polynesian Cultural Center, the largest living museum in the State of Hawaii, which employs roughly one third of the student body.

History

The LDS Church was established in the islands in 1850 following the Edict of Toleration promulgated by Kamehameha III, giving the underground Hawai‘i Catholic Church the right to worship, while at the same time allowing other faith traditions to begin establishing themselves. By 1919, the church was prominent enough in the area to build a temple in Laie. Two years after the temple was dedicated then-LDS Church apostle David O. McKay stated the church would build a school in the area in the future. In 1951, McKay, as church president, began preliminary plans on the school, and in 1955 ground was broken for the new institution. Classes began at BYU–Hawaii in September 1955 as the Church College of Hawaii to accommodate the burgeoning LDS population in the Territory of Hawai‘i. This was largely a result of McKay's views on both education and strengthening the church outside of its longtime intermountain west U.S. base. The original class consisted of 153 students and 20 faculty meeting in old World War II buildings, with Reuben D. Law as the school's first president. The school's first buildings were dedicated on December 17, 1958. The college was at first a two-year college but was reorganized in 1959 to become a four-year college. By 1961 the college had been granted four-year accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Dormitories, a cafeteria, and other buildings had also been constructed.

LDS elders established the Polynesian Cultural Center in November 1963 as a means of preserving the Pacific cultures that the Latter-day Saints had encountered in their missionary work. In the 1970s, the school was also used to teach LDS missionaries Pacific languages and cultures before going out to the islands. The center also provided jobs for students of the college. In 1974, the Church College of Hawaii was renamed Brigham Young University–Hawaii by the Church Board of Education and began reporting to the president of BYU in Provo, Utah.

The school was governed as a satellite campus of BYU until 2004, when it was announced that the school would report directly to the Commissioner of Church Education. In 2007, Steven C. Wheelwright was appointed the college's president. On May 12, 2015, Russell M. Nelson, chairman of the Executive Committee of the BYU-Hawaii Board of Trustees announced that effective July 27, 2015, John S. Tanner would succeed Wheelwright as president. On May 12, 2020, Jeffrey R. Holland, chairman of the Executive Committee of the BYU-Hawaii Board of Trustees, announced that Tanner would be succeeded as the institution's president by John S. K. Kauwe III on July 1, 2020.

Campus

BYU–Hawaii is located in Laie on the north shore of Oahu, about 35 miles (56 km) north of Honolulu. The campus covers 100 acres (0.40 km; 0.16 sq mi) between the mountains and the ocean shore. Dormitories, known as 'Hales', located on the south end of campus are capable of providing room and board for over 1,200 students. The Temple View Apartments provide housing for married students. These apartments are next to the Laie Hawaii Temple which is located directly adjacent to the campus. The school's library is the two-story Joseph F. Smith Library.

Academics

Admissions and demographics

LDS students pay less for tuition than non-LDS students. Students who have been on LDS missions and have attended LDS seminary or institute classes are also given particular consideration. However, LDS Church membership is not a requirement for attendance. Students are typically expected to have had at least a B average in high school, and an ACT score of 26 or SAT score of 1130 or above. Non-native English speakers must receive a 61 or higher on the IBT TOEFL (500 on the paper test), a 5.5 on IELTS, or 75+ on the Michigan language test.

BYU–Hawaii has a higher percentage of international students than any other baccalaureate institution in the United States, with 2,039 international students from 70 different countries which comprises approximately 65% percent of total enrollment. Approximately 97% of the student body are LDS Church members.

Organization

BYU–Hawaii offers 37 bachelor's degree programs, with a 16:1 student/faculty ratio. The school also offers a few unique majors, including Hawaiian Studies, International Business Management, Pacific Islands Studies, and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

In Fall 2018, BYU–Hawaii restructured its academic organization from four colleges to seven faculty units. The programs under the former colleges were divided among the following seven faculty units:

• Arts & Letters: Communication, Media, and Culture, English, Film, Visual Arts
• Business & Government: Accounting, Business Management, Entrepreneurship, Political Science, Hospitality & Tourism Management
• Culture, Language & Performing Arts: Anthropology and Cultural Sustainability, Hawaiian Studies, History, Integrated Humanities, Intercultural Peacebuilding, Music, Pacific Island Studies, Theatre, World Languages
• Education & Social Work: English as an International Language, Social Work, Teacher Education, TESOL
• Math & Computing: Computer Science, Information Systems, Information Technology, Mathematics
• Religious Education
• Sciences: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Exercise and Sport Science, Psychology, Physical Science, Physics

Athletics

BYU–Hawaii formerly competed in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II as a member of the Pacific West Conference. The "Seasiders" competed in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross-country, men's and women's golf, softball, men's and women's tennis, volleyball, and men's and women's soccer. Over its history, the school won two women's volleyball and eleven tennis championships (two men's and nine women's, along with one women's NCAA championship). In its early days, BYU–Hawaii also won a National Rugby Championship in 1967, as declared by the Los Angeles Rugby Union. Basketball and volleyball games were held in the George Q. Cannon Activities Center. The campus has several tennis courts, an outdoor swimming pool, and soccer and softball fields. Most conference home games in volleyball and women's basketball, as well as additional home games in men's basketball, were broadcast live around the world on BYUtv Sports.

On March 28, 2014, the college announced that the athletics program would be phased out over the next three years, with money spent on athletics to be used to provide educational opportunities for an additional 500 students. The transition impacted all eleven (11) intercollegiate teams, including: men's/women's basketball, men's/women's cross country, men's golf, men's/women's soccer, softball, men's/women's tennis, and women's volleyball. Athletics at BYU–Hawaii ended following the spring sports in 2017.

Student life

LDS atmosphere

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2008)

According to BYU–Hawaii's vision outlined by then-LDS Church president David O. McKay in 1955, the school "exists to assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life and in their efforts to influence the establishment of peace internationally."

All students are required to take religion classes as part of their curriculum and to attend Sunday church meetings, both LDS and non-LDS. In addition, class schedules are arranged to allow devotionals to be held weekly for the students to attend. Students from all walks of life are encouraged to learn from and strengthen each other as they all strive to further their education. A variety of clubs and campus organizations are available to participate in.

Honor code

All students and faculty, regardless of religion, are required to agree to adhere to an honor code, officially known as the CES Honor Code, but often referred to as the BYU Honor Code. Early forms of the BYU Honor Code are found as far back as the days of the Brigham Young Academy and educator Karl G. Maeser. Maeser created the "Domestic Organization," which was a group of teachers who would visit students at their homes to see that they were following the schools moral rules prohibiting premarital sex, obscenity, profanity, smoking, and alcohol consumption.

The Honor Code itself was created in 1940 at BYU and was used mainly for cases of cheating and academic dishonesty. Ernest L. Wilkinson expanded the Honor Code in 1957 to include other school standards. (At this time, Wilkinson, as President of BYU, had some authority over BYU–Hawaii as well.) This led to the Honor Code today: rules regarding chastity, dress, grooming, and drugs (including alcohol). A signed commitment to live the honor code is part of the application process and must be adhered by all students, faculty, and staff. Students and faculty found in violation of standards are either warned or called to meet with representatives of the Honor Council. In rare cases, students and faculty can be expelled from the school or lose tenure. One significant difference between the versions of the Honor Code used at the main BYU campus and BYU–Hawaii is specific prohibition of the drinking of kava by BYU-Hawaii students and faculty. Kava is a traditional Polynesian drink with some drug-like side-effects.

Alumni

Alumni of BYU–Hawaii include Medal of Honor recipient George E. Wahlen, delegate to Congress from American Samoa Eni Fa'aua'a Hunkin Faleomavaega, Jr. '64, and three-time national volleyball coach of the year Mike Wilton '72.

References

1. "Quick Facts 2023-24". byuh.edu.
2. "Facts". byuh.edu. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
3. "Graphic Identity Guidelines" (PDF). Brigham Young University–Hawaii. May 12, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
4. "Quick facts" (PDF). BYUH.edu. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2011-03-19.
5. Madsen, Grant (2004-05-04). "BYU number two value after BYU-Hawaii, says "Consumers Digest"". BYU News. Archived from the original on 2007-11-18. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
6. ^ "Brief History | About BYU-Hawaii". Laie, HI, USA: Brigham Young University–Hawaii. Archived from the original on 2013-02-02. Retrieved 2013-03-03.
7. Pratte, Alf; Shumway, Eric B. (2015). BYU-Hawaii: Prophetic Destiny, the First 60 Years. Laie, Hawaii: Brigham Young University-Hawaii. pp. 137–138. ISBN 9780842529679.
8. "BYU–Hawaii's Board of Trustees Announces New President", Newsroom, LDS Church, 2013-05-12
9. "Church Names Native Hawaiian as New President of Brigham Young University–Hawaii: John "Keoni" Kauwe and his wife, Monica, begin service on July 1", Newsroom, LDS Church, May 12, 2020
10. "BYU-Hawaii Married Housing". BYU–Hawaii. Archived from the original on 2008-06-07. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
11. "Library Map". BYU–Hawaii. Archived from the original on 2008-06-04. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
12. ^ "FAQ". BYU–Hawaii. Archived from the original on 2007-10-26. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
13. "U.S. Colleges With the Most International Students, 2008-9". The Chronicle of Higher Education. LVI (13): A22. November 20, 2009.
14. Academics - BYU–Hawaii (byuh.edu)
15. "Faculty Units". BYU–Hawaii Home Site. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
16. "BYU-H Sports". BYU–Hawaii. Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
17. "Athletic Facilities". BYU–Hawaii. Archived from the original on 2013-02-02. Retrieved 2013-03-07.
18. Peavler, Lafe (March 28, 2014), "BYU-Hawaii officially announces plan to phase out athletic program in three years", Deseret News, archived from the original on April 7, 2014, retrieved 2014-04-01
19. "BYU-H Mission". BYU–Hawaii. Archived from the original on 2008-03-26. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
20. Bergera, Gary James; Priddis, Ronald (1985). "Chapter 3: Standards & the Honor Code". Brigham Young University: A House of Faith. Salt Lake City: Signature Books. ISBN 0-941214-34-6. OCLC 12963965.
21. "BYU-Hawaii Honor Code". BYU–Hawaii. Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
22. Gary, Wiles et al. The Quiet Hero. American Legacy Historical Press, 2007. ISBN 0-9796896-3-5
23. "Eni bio". U.S. Congress. Archived from the original on 2008-05-05. Retrieved 2008-05-09.
24. "Mike Wilton". BYU–Hawaii. Archived from the original on 2007-08-19. Retrieved 2008-07-02.

External links

• Official website
• BYU–Hawaii Athletics website

Links to related articles

v t e Education in Honolulu County, Hawaii Public K-12 ʻAiea HS Campbell HS Castle HS Farrington HS Hawaii School for the Deaf and the Blind Kahuku HS & Int Kailua HS Kaimuki HS Kalaheo HS Kapolei HS Princess Ruth Keʻelikōlani MS (formerly Central MS) Leilehua HS McKinley HS Mililani HS Moanalua HS Nanakuli HS & Int Pearl City HS Radford HS Royal ES Roosevelt HS Waialua HS & Int Waianae HS Waipahu HS Education Laboratory School Private K-12 Assets School Damien Memorial School Hanalani Schools Hawaii Baptist Academy Hawaiian Mission Academy Hongwanji Mission School Honolulu Waldorf School ʻIolani School Island Pacific Academy Kamehameha Schools La Pietra Lanakila Baptist School Le Jardin Academy Lutheran High School of Hawaii Maryknoll School Mid-Pacific Institute Pacific Buddhist Academy Punahou School Sacred Hearts Academy St. Andrew's Schools Saint Louis School Varsity International School Closed Honolulu Military Academy Saint Francis School Tertiary University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa template Brigham Young University–Hawaii template Chaminade University of Honolulu Hawaii Tokai Int'l College Honolulu Community College Kapiʻolani Community College Leeward Community College Windward Community College Libraries Hawaii State Library This list is incomplete. v t e Colleges and universities in Hawaii Public institutions University of Hawaiʻi: at Hilo at Mānoa Maui College West Oʻahu Private institutions BYU-Hawaii Chaminade Hawaii Pacific Hawaii Theological Seminary ICAOM University of the Nations World Medicine Institute Community/Junior Colleges Hawaiʻi CC Hawaii Tokai Honolulu CC Kapiʻolani CC Kauaʻi CC Leeward CC Windward CC Graduate, professional and research institutions John A. Burns School of Medicine William S. Richardson School of Law v t e LDS Church Educational System Brigham Young University Cougars BYU– HawaiiSeasiders BYU– IdahoVikings Ensign CollegeLions BYU– Pathway Worldwide CES Honor Code Institute of Religion Seminary Academia Juárez Benemérito v t e Pacific West Conference Members Academy of Art Urban Knights Azusa Pacific Cougars Biola Eagles Chaminade Silverswords Concordia Golden Eagles Dominican Penguins Fresno Pacific Sunbirds Jessup Warriors Hawai'i Pacific Sharks Hawai'i–Hilo Vulcans Menlo Oaks Point Loma Sea Lions Vanguard Lions Westmont Warriors Affiliates Cal State Los Angeles Golden Eagles (women's tennis) Cal State Stanislaus Warriors (women's tennis) Colorado Mesa Mavericks (men's & women's tennis) Metro State Roadrunners (men's & women's tennis) v t e Sports teams based in the State of Hawaii National teams Baseball Soccer Roller derby WFTDA Pacific Roller Derby Paradise Roller Girls College athletics NCAA Division I Hawaii Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine NCAA Division II Chaminade Silverswords Hawaii-Hilo Vulcans Hawaii Pacific Sharks

• Brigham Young University–Hawaii
• Buildings and structures in Honolulu County, Hawaii
• Education in Honolulu County, Hawaii
• Schools accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hawaii
• Universities and colleges affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Universities and colleges established in 1955
• 1955 establishments in Hawaii
• Private universities and colleges in Hawaii