1 l BYU- IDAHO NEWS & NOTES APRIL 2015 l 1

EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER APRIL 2015

Winter Semester 2015 is wrapping up and the numbers indicate it’s been one for the record books.

Statistics from the Student Records and Registration office show a total campus enrollment of 16,738 students this semester, an increase of 7.1 percent over last winter’s campus enrollment of 15,625.

That makes this the largest number of students enrolled on campus to date in the university’s history.

As has been the case for some time now, enrollment in BYU-Idaho’s online courses and degree programs is growing rapidly, with the university continuing to serve more students off campus than on campus.

The number of enrolled students not on campus for Winter Semester 2015, including online and Pathway students, was 17,979, an increase of 51.1 percent compared to this time last year. For Winter Semester 2014 that number was 11,895.

When the number of registered students taking courses online and through the Pathway program are figured into the campus enrollment count, the university served just shy of 35,000 students this semester.

Adding in the number of students not currently registered this semester, the total student population comes in at a little over 42,000.

This semester the campus student body consisted of 8,247 male students and 8,491 female students (49.3 percent and 50.7 percent respectively).

The number of married students was 4,198, comprising 25.1 percent of the total campus student population.

Coming up in the May edition of News & Notes, we’ll take a closer look at how the university’s Enrollment Services team forecasts and makes adjustments to the campus population each semester.

Winter Semester 2015 campus enrollment the highest in BYU-Idaho history MORE THAN 16,700 STUDENTS SERVED IN REXBURG; ANOTHER 18,000 SERVED OFF CAMPUS

» By Marc Stevens

Total Students

Registered

Aug. 1 Campus

16,738

Online

5,317

Distant

282

On-Track, Online Only

1,464

Off-Track, Online Only

1,199

Aug. 1 Pathway

9,999

Aug. 1 Total

34,999

Total Students

Not Registered

Aug. 1 Off-Track

4,919

Online

1,979

Deferred

625

Aug. 1 Total

7,523

Total Student Population: 42,522Source: Student Records & Registration Office

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BYU-Idaho students recently participated in the National Postsecondary Agricultural Student (PAS) Organization Conference earning several first and second place awards at the competition.

Five individuals and one team earned first place awards, and

two individuals and another team earned second place awards at the conference in Boise. A quiz bowl team also earned a fifth place award.

“The 13 students represented BYU-Idaho very well both on an academic and professional level,” said Jeremy Slade, faculty advisor for the competition.

The impact BYU-Idaho students had was felt by everyone at the

conference. They impressed other students, advisors, and even the judges.

“The judges liked the students as a whole,” said Slade, “but they

really liked the BYU-Idaho students.” Among those who earned first place were Kaisa Werner

– Sales and Marketing, Hannah Christensen – Impromptu Public Speaking, Joel Crowther, Career Planning Soil Science and Employment Interview, Avery Robertson – Beef Specialist Individual, and the Beef Specialist team consisting of Robertson, Dalan Greer, and Wilson Carter.

The goal for these annual conferences and competitions is to

unite education and industry. The competitions give students a chance to show off what they have learned in school, and allow students to gain experience in the application of classroom principles, while preparing them to work in the industry.

The classroom is the only place BYU-Idaho students get to practice for the competition. Unlike other PAS chapters, BYU-Idaho is the only school in the Idaho chapter. This means they do not hold a state competition before moving onto the national competition. Joel Crowther, a senior at BYU-Idaho, said that poses a challenge.

“We go into the national PAS without the experience of a state

competition,” said Crowther. “We don’t get as much competitive preparation as other schools that get to compete at the state level.”

Despite this disadvantage, BYU-Idaho students find ways to

effectively prepare for the competitions, substituting hard work for a state competition.

“As soon as a student commits to going, we start preparing them,” said Slade.

The students prepare for the competitions in group practice sessions as well as through their own studies.

“This conference allows us to raise our profile with other universities and potential employers,” said Slade.

The PAS is a collegiate agricultural society consisting of over

1,400 members with 62 chapters in 18 states. According to its website the purpose of PAS is to “provide an opportunity for developing leadership abilities through participation in the employment experience programs, course work, and organization activities.”

More than 500 students from over 40 schools attended the

annual event.

Agriculture students place first and second at Boise event» By Clint Urick

BYU-Idaho agriculture students show the awards they won at the National Postsecondary Agricultural Student (PAS) Organization Conference.

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A team of 19 BYU-Idaho horticulture students and faculty recently won first place at the 39th annual Professional Landcare Networks (PLANET) Student Career Days held at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.

The event has the format of a horticulture Olympics with 65 schools from around the nation. The best universities in the country compete in various ways from planting, selling, installing, and driving landscape equipment.

The BYU-Idaho students who compete are registered in a one-credit special problems practicum class. In this class, the students each work on two to three events they will be competing in and throughout the semester work through problems they may see at the competition.

This class provides the students great hands-on experience they might not receive in the classroom.

“For example, in the irrigation class we kind of go over irrigation and things,” BYU-Idaho student Eric Anderson, said. “But for the irrigation trouble shooting event I competed in I had to practice once a week, so I was able to get more familiar with how systems work.”

Students compete in a total of 28 events that are sponsored and judged by green industry professionals who are also looking for the best and brightest students to hire as interns and full-time employees. This ability to be judged by and network with professionals in the industry is one of the most beneficial aspects

of the competition for both the students looking for future careers and professionals looking for future employees.

“This event is unique because it brings green industry professionals and students together in close proximity and is often the springboard for student’s careers in the green industry,” Reese Nelson, faculty member in the Department of Applied Plant Science and coach at the competition, said.

“There’s just not a better format to find a job, because these are the industries best businesses,” Byron John, faculty member in the Applied Plant Science department and also coach at the competition, said. “They are very professional careers that offer good money.”

BYU-Idaho has consistently found great success at the competition winning first place six times in the last 12 years, and not placing lower than third place in that time.

“This has let other universities and all these potential employers know who we are,” John said. “It has been so much easier to get industry speakers and potential jobs to come to campus to the point where we almost don’t need to seek them anymore.”

“Student Career Days was a great opportunity that I will not soon forget,” said student Isaac Doman. “It provided me with a number of contacts in the industry that I probably never would have had the opportunity to meet elsewhere. It has landed me at least two interviews with companies that were not on my radar before. Well worth the work, and the money.”

continued on page 4

Horticulture students win first place at competition in North Carolina » By Brock Allen

BYU-Idaho horticulture students pose with their first place trophy at the Professional Landcare Networks (PLANET) Student Career Days.

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In addition to the competition, the BYU-Idaho horticulture students earned six scholarships and attended a career fair with 50 of the best green companies.

“I wish parents and administrators could witness this event to see how big and vibrant the green industry really is,” said BYU-Idaho student Ben Dahl, who has attended for three years.

Some of the high individual accomplishments of the team include: Kirk Jeppesen, 2nd in 3D Exterior Landscape Design; Isaac Doman, 3rd in Construction Cost Estimating; Jonny Church

and Kelly Hendricks, 3rd in Hardscape Installation; Ben Dahl, 1st in Woody Ornamental Plant Identification; Kirk Jeppesen, 3rd in Exterior Landscape Design; Isaac Doman and Chris Lambert, 1st in Irrigation Assembly; Eric Anderson and Trevor Hawkes, 3rd in Irrigation Troubleshooting; Landon Knowles 2nd in Small Engine Repair; and Steven Kay and Ryan McBride, 1st in Truck and Trailer Operation.

A mural originally produced for the Church’s pavilion at the 1964 New York World’s Fair now has a permanent home at BYU-Idaho.

Titled “The Purpose of Life,” the mural has been installed on the ground floor of the BYU-Idaho Center.

Commissioned on behalf of the Church by Elder Mark E. Petersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “The Purpose of Life” was painted by noted portraitist Robert Oliver Skemp.

The mural was displayed near the exit of the Mormon Pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair, where visitors also had the

opportunity to view the Church-produced film “Man’s Search for Happiness.”

After the fair closed, the mural was sent to the visitor center of the Church’s Hyde Park chapel in London.

When renovations were made to the visitor center in advance of the 2012 Summer Olympics, the mural was removed and offered to other Church venues. BYU-Idaho accepted the painting and has since had it restored and prepared for display.

News & NotesA monthly publication of University Relations

A D V I S O R Marc Stevens

W R I T E R S Brock Allen, Paul Morgan, Clint Urick

PHOTOGRAPHERS Michael Lewis, Ryan Chase, Leanna Davidson, Tyler Rickenbach

If you have any ideas for future issues, please e-mail newsdesk@byui.edu.

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Mural produced for 1964 World’s Fair finds permanent home at BYU-Idaho

Horticulture: continued from page 3