Faculty Plan for the "Living Laboratory"

Background

In 1921, Elder David O. McKay, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Church”), witnessed a flag-raising ceremony at the elementary school in Laie, Hawaii. Children from multiple nationalities participated in the ceremony, and Elder McKay was touched by the multicultural unity that he witnessed. Thirty-three years later, while serving as the Church’s prophet and president, he announced the creation of a college in Laie, which eventually became Brigham Young University–Hawaii (“University” or “BYU–Hawaii”). In his address at the groundbreaking of the campus, he recounted his experience. “[W]e met as members of The Church of Jesus Christ—Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Filipinos, all the races represented on this island. There we met as one . . . What an example in this little place of the purposes of our Father in Heaven to unite all peoples by the gospel of Jesus Christ.” He then expressed his vision for the school. “You mark that word, and from this school, I’ll tell you, will go men and women whose influence will be felt for good toward the establishment of peace internationally.”

In 1973, President Marion G. Romney, a member of the Church’s governing First Presidency and the University’s Board of Trustees, stated during the dedication of the Aloha Center, “This college cannot fulfill its purpose if . . . it doesn’t take into account in its curriculum the added and special needs of the cultures whom its faculty and students both represent.” President Romney also referred to the institution as a “living laboratory in which individuals who share the teachings of the Master Teacher have an opportunity to develop appreciation, tolerance, and esteem for one another.” He added, “For what can be done here interculturally in a small way is what mankind must do on a larger scale, if we are ever to have real brotherhood on this earth.”

The University embraces the tenants of the sponsoring Church to provide a safe and spiritual environment that builds faith, offers activities, and provides leadership opportunities that contribute to student development, and a sound academic program that is “intellectually enlarging, character-building, and leads to a life of learning and service” (University Vision Statement). In order to facilitate the multicultural environment for this “Living Laboratory” and to extend the blessings of higher education to Church members in the Pacific and Asia, BYU–Hawaii actively recruits and enrolls a large population of students with direct or indirect ties to the islands of the Pacific (including Hawaii) and the southern and eastern rim of Asia from India to Korea (collectively known as the “target area”).

Consistent with the vision and direction established by Church leadership for the University, the University has adopted the following statement:

Purpose and Objectives

An important role of the faculty at BYU–Hawaii is to help students develop and experience the traits articulated by founding leaders through both example and precept. The University therefore strives to achieve the concept of the Living Laboratory among faculty members so that they can draw upon that experience as they mentor and teach the students and provide a model for them to aspire toward. These efforts involve three primary components:

1. Develop and include in faculty recruitment both women and men with a background in and/or experience with the target area and beyond, whose faith and aspirations match the University’s and Church’s missions, and whose academic excellence elevates the soundness of the academic program.
2. Retain new faculty members.
3. Maintain an environment that is safe, nurturing, and conducive to achieving and modeling for the students the ideals of “fellow citizens.”

Implementation

A. Develop and Recruit Potential Faculty Members

The University aims to gather faculty members who are well-qualified in their academic disciplines, committed to the missions of the University and the Church, and able to successfully contribute to fulfilling the missions of each. The purpose of this part of the plan is to remove barriers and provide good opportunity for qualified candidates, including those with a background in and/or experience with the target area, to be aware of and have access to compete for employment at the University. None of these steps implies a promise of such employment.

1. Attempt to recruit from diverse sources in order to obtain a diverse applicant pool.
2. Identify potential future faculty candidates as described above, including individuals from among the University’s alumni. Make use of Church leadership, Church Self-Reliance Services, alumni, and institutions in the Church Educational System as resources to identify these potential candidates. Reach out to appropriate individuals from this database when relevant opportunities arise. This is overseen by the Associate Academic Vice President (“AAVP”) for Faculty.
3. Convene periodic forums for members of the campus and local community interested in future academic careers to provide educational and career advice. This is overseen by the AAVP for Faculty.
4. Encourage promising BYU–Hawaii students to obtain graduate education preparing them to expand the University’s influence and to be qualified to return to the University if they so desire. Track their progress and include them in the database of potential candidates when they become qualified. This is overseen by the AAVP for Faculty and executed under the leadership of the Deans Council and Ho’okele Office.
5. Provide tuition reimbursement benefits to all members of the BYU–Hawaii staff and administration interested in pursuing graduate degrees when doing so increases their capacity to contribute more effectively to the University mission.
6. Provide teacher development assistance and mentoring to all adjunct faculty members to improve the quality of the experience for students and to help the adjuncts prepare to compete for full-time faculty positions. This is coordinated by the Center for Learning and Teaching.
7. Develop job postings that are broad and likely to enhance the Living Laboratory. Include this (or a similar) statement: “Brigham Young University–Hawaii gives preference to candidates whose background and/or experiences connect to the many cultures and geographic regions reflected by the student body.” This is overseen by the AAVP for Faculty.
8. Use digital marketing campaigns to advertise the Mission and Vision of BYU–Hawaii to potential candidates for future faculty positions. Advertise current openings in BYU–Hawaii social media sites as well as in international academic websites, such as Times Higher Education (THE). This is overseen by the AAVP for Faculty in collaboration with University Communications and Human Resources.
9. Assemble strong Search Committees to fill vacancies. Include committee members from the campus community with expertise sufficient to identify candidates who are well-qualified academically and aligned with the missions of the Church and the University and in harmony with the principles of the Living Laboratory. This is executed by the dean of the hiring faculty in consultation with the AAVP for Faculty.
10. Ensure training of the Search Committee and all other individuals involved in the process of screening candidates in the context of the aspirations of this plan, avoidance of unlawful discrimination, and of other appropriate and legally-sound practices during interviews and candidate screening. The dean holds the members of the Search Committee and others participating in interviews accountable for the appropriateness of all interactions with candidates. To the extent possible, interviews should be conducted in groups. This is overseen by the AAVP for Faculty.
11. Prior to submitting a list of finalists to the AAVP for Faculty, the dean of the hiring faculty reviews the files of all applicants to ensure that applications from qualified candidates who are a strong match with the University Mission and Vision have not been overlooked. The AAVP for Faculty receives a report from the dean regarding this review at the time the list of finalists is submitted.

B. Retain New Faculty Members (overseen by the AAVP for Faculty assisted by the Deans Council and the Center for Learning and Teaching)

1. Welcome and orient all new faculty members to campus with arrival and onboarding information, formal and informal events, and introduction to services and colleagues.
2. Pay immigration fees, including government and attorney fees, for all international faculty members and their immediate families (typically spouse and/or dependent children).
3. Assist with the professional development of all new faculty members by:
   a. Providing a faculty mentor for the first six years.
   b. Convening workshops and colloquia to assist with teaching practice, share the University Mission and Vision, and assist with progress toward Continuing Faculty Status (BYU–Hawaii’s equivalent of tenure).
   c. Regularly inquire regarding their campus experience and progress toward Continuing Faculty Status.

C. Maintain a Safe and Nurturing Environment

A primary objective of all members of the faculty must be to contribute proactively to developing a unified campus culture that is welcoming, inclusive, intellectually engaging, and respectful to all individuals. The faculty in its entirety must work together and relentlessly to build the campus community of “fellow citizens” who are “no more strangers and foreigners.” To foster that unified campus culture, the Academic Vice President (“AVP”) assisted by the Deans Council and the Faculty Advisory Council:

1. promotes a unified campus culture in meetings and other communications with campus leaders and with the general faculty.
2. conducts an annual campus climate survey to assess progress toward achieving the unified campus culture, identify barriers, and discover problems.
3. implements solutions to the barriers and other problems.
4. encourages administrators and academic entities to sponsor and engage in events, forums, and other exchanges of ideas that are consistent with University goals and policies and propagate a unified campus culture.
5. supports the Women in Academia organization.
6. supports other grass roots faculty groups, that provide mutual support and give voice to help resolve specific issues relevant to the members of that group.
7. appoints two faculty ombuds (one female and one male) to provide a confidential and safe venue for faculty members experiencing specific difficulties with campus offices, administrators, or colleagues to voice their concern and receive assistance toward finding a resolution. The ombuds do not have decision-making or disciplinary authority, but they are available to counsel with the concerned individual and help them access and understand relevant policies, procedures, and campus resources in order to achieve a meaningful result. They also may support and assist the individual with communicating issues to relevant entities on campus in order to find solutions. Moreover, in some cases, their role will be to communicate the concern to the AVP for awareness and a generalized solution if appropriate. If the matter is beyond the capacity of the individual ombud, the two ombuds together may collaborate with one of the AAVPs or, in especially difficult cases, with the full AVP presidency (AVP and AAVPs) to resolve the matter. These ombuds are in addition to and do not replace current campus grievance policies and procedures or other venues available for problem resolution such as Human Resources, the Faculty Advisory Council, the faculty member’s dean, and the AVP or AAVPs directly. When any of those other resources are the appropriate means for achieving a solution, the ombud supports and assists the individual in accessing those resources.