A BYU-Centric Post, With a Bit of Personal News At the End

This may surprise you, but despite the cozy Taiwan cocoon, I do try to stay abreast of international, national, and local news. Thus it was that I found myself reading an article on the Daily Herald's website about BYU's cutting of the social work bachelor's degree program. In fairness to the University (and because the Herald is not necessarily a baston of factual accuracy), I went to the School of Social Work's webpage and read the letter from Dean Magleby about the discontinuance of the program. Besides continuing the theme of cutting programs at BYU that exist at BYU-Idaho or BYU-Hawaii (which raises interesting and unanswered questions about BYU's relationship with its sister institutions), I found the argument that there simply wasn't enough qualified LDS faculty to keep the program going vexing. Not because I believe there are oodles of Mormons out there with Ph.D.s in social work dying to teach at BYU, but because I am quite certain that BYU's own official hiring policy favors those with membership in the Church, but it does not exclude the hiring of non-Mormons. In practice, I know--at least in some departments/colleges--it has been a number of years since a non-LDS candidate was hired. Which is a real shame, in my opinion. First, because does a disservice to the students whose program choices are increasingly limited and encourages students to attend other universities (which might make sense if you consider all of the BYUs equal in quality of education/marketability of degree, something which I have not particularly investigated and have no plans to do so). Second, it unnecessarily limits the practical candidate pool. Three of the finest faculty members I worked with at BYU weren't members of the Church. (One even describes himself as a "humanist," horror of horrors!) It pains me to think of other candidates of equal caliber being turned away to the determent of the school. It also seems at odds with BYU's mission to provide a high-quality education. None of this particularly surprises me, but it does sadden me and give me something to write back whenever BYU solicits money from me.

Anyway, Paul wishes to mention that he is already hard at work planning his next computer and I am duly horrified at the potential cost. There might be more news later in the week, but I have apparently been booted from Paul's family (except by his mom and maybe Spencer, who I think is too sweet and little to bear grudges) and my family has fallen off the face of the planet (probably due to youth activities and that infernal PTA) , so I am sorely lacking in family news/ juicy gossip. Please send some.